Insight-Tour Itinerary
July 7th - 15th & August 10th - 18th
8 days/7 nights (Monday through Monday)
(We will make reservations for participants who choose to arrive earlier than tour date.)
Monday (Day 1)
Arrive - Guatemala City - Aurora International Airport. You will be met by your private driver any time you arrive and leave immediately for a one hour trip north through the lush, green Ponchoy Valley and arrive in beautiful La Antigua.
Following check-in at your hotel (after 2:00PM) you will have the remainder of the day free to rest or explore. In the early evening you are invited to meet up with your group and receive tour orientation (Arlaine Cervantes is schedule for the orientation) -- time and place to be announced. Later you'll be free to enjoy dinner at one of the fine restaurants in the area (recommendations will be offered) and further explore Antigua the former Spanish Colonial capital of Central America. La Antigua, Guatemala's third capital city for over two centuries, will enchant you with its narrow cobblestone streets, tree-shaded parks, and colonial architecture.
Hotel Aurora
Tuesday (Day 2)
Your excellent guide for the day, Jane Garcia (official INGUAT Guide) will join you for an early breakfast at your hotel (included) where she will present an orientation covering travel in the highlands and offer her unique insights about historical Antigua and its ruins dating back to the mid-1500s. After breakfast, Jane will guide you on a walking tour to visit the principal sites in old Antigua, which include centuries old churches, convents and plazas. Many buildings have been beautifully restored while others remain as they were after the devastating earthquakes of 1773 and 1976. After a break for lunch (lunch not included) you will be giving information on taking a self-guided tour to galleries, Casa Poponoe and Hotel Santo Domingo. Evening free.
Hotel Aurora
Wednesday (Day 3)
After an early breakfast at your hotel (included), your luggage will be loaded onto the private van in preparation for departure to the north. Along the way, you will visit the famous Maya Textile Museum and then on to the Music Museum at the coffee plantation Azotea in Jocotenango. A visit to the coffee plantation for lunch (Philadelphia Plantation) will be a special treat filled with surprised. By late-afternoon, arrival at Panajachel, Lake Atitlan, a beautiful village situated at 10,000 feet above sea level. Lake Atitlan was formed by juxtaposed volcanic calderas. Several endangered plant and animal species cling to the slopes in broadleaf and pine forests. The "poc" bird, which spends its entire lifetime on the water, is one of the region's endangered species. In the evening, you may witness the sunset that inspired the Maya to consider the Atitlan basin 'The navel of the earth and sky'. Evening free to rest for early-morning trip to Chichicastenango.
Hotel St. Regis
Thursday (Day 4)
Breakfast will wait this morning so that group can depart for early morning (one-hour) drive up the mountain and over into the Quichi Territory valley on the way to visit the largest indigeneous (Mayan) marketplace in Central America. Arlaine Cervantes will be your guide for the day. Upon arrival in Chichicastenango, breakfast will be enjoyed at a restaurant in the middle of the marketplace so that you can watch the vendors as they arrive and feel the energy of the market day. Arlaine will give a general orientation to the market and offer suggestions. You may chose to make your way through the market on your own or to move through this busy market in a group, guided by Arlaine who has years of experience shopping in this market; she loves to share her knowledge of the local weavings. At 2:00PM, departure from Chichicastenango and return to Panajachel, Lake Atitlan. Evening free for more exploring.
Hotel St. Regis
Friday (Day 5)
After enjoying a very hearty breakfast at Restaurant Guajimbos (close to your hotel), Arlaine will take you on a short "Chicken Bus" ride back up the mountain for a quick visit to the Solola Market -- not to be missed! After our return to Panajachel, Arlaine will conduct the group up to to visit the Niños del Lago project site (forest) where you will receive a brief orientation of this marvelous humanitarian project under development that, when completed will receive over 3,000 of the poorest, at-risk children (from many other organizations). Arlaine will be heading off for lunch at the village of Santa Catarina (by car) and every one will be invited to join with you, but many will choose to stay in Panajachel and explore the town.
Hotel St. Regis
Saturday (Day 6)
After a leisurely breakfast at Guajimbos, the group will depart for the dock area and embark upon a marvelous boat ride across what is considered the most beautiful lake in the world, arriving at the renowned village of Santiago Atitlan where another world will unfold (each village along the lake is unique). After return to Panajachel (approx. 4:00PM), evening will be free for last minute errands or just to rest and enjoy the final night at the lake.
Hotel Regis
Sunday (Day 7)
After enjoying a leisurely breakfast, a mid-morning trip is planned to visit the gardens at Hotel Atitlan (nearby). At 11:00, we'll return to the hotel to refresh ourselves and load up our van in preparation for noon departure from the lake, as we head off on our way back to Antigua. En route, we will visit the Mayan ruins at Tecpan and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in the area before heading south on the Pan American Highway, arriving late afternoon in Antigua. Evening is free to explore more of La Antigua and Sunday at the Central Park in Antigua is a 'must-visit'.
Hotel Aurora
Monday (Day 8)
After an early breakfast at your hotel, you will be joined by Ana-Maria Ackermans (Director of Stitching los Niños) and Arlaine Cervantes who will guide you on a quick walk to bus station in Antigua where we'll board a Chicken Bus for a trip through the beautiful valley of the Volcano of Fire on our way to the village of Alotenango. We'll pass through coffee plantations and the old Ciudad Vieja (2nd capitol of the New World). In Alotenango, we'll walk to the school 'Bendicion de Dios' where over 400 primary school children representing some of the poorest children in Guatemala, receive a quality education funded by Stitching los Niños. This is a wonderful opportunity to see first-hand both the challenge and the hope within Guatemala's struggle.
Since Monday is the last day of our special tour, usually the group decides to meet for dinner at Restaurant Panza Verde, which in itself is a marvelous experience that should not be missed. Friends have been made, insights have been gained, and lives have been changed forever by the experience of seeing Guatemala from perspective few will enjoy.
Tuesday (Tour Ends)
For those who will be leaving Guatemala today, shuttle van transfer/ticket will be provided, and you will be picked up at your hotel at a hour allowing for plenty of time to make your flight. Some tour participants might choose to stay on after the tour and study Spanish, take cooking lessons, travel to other areas of Guatemala, or just stop/stay and relax in one of the magnificent (and affordable) hotels in the area. We will be happy to help make suitable arrangements for you.
Gracias and Happy Traveling!
