13 B’Aktun 12 days
Day 1| TUE – Guatemala Airport – Guatemala City
Arrival to Guatemala City Airport. Transfer to your hotel. Briefing provided by a spiritual guide that will accompany us during the trip, including the most important facts and activities related with Mayan Worldview. Lodging at Hotel Barceló.
Day 2| WED – Guatemala City – City Tour – Conference: The Maya Cycles – Guatemala City
Breakfast. We will visit Kaminal Juyú, archaeological site located in Guatemala City. This is an important site that was the major base for all the Highlands area during the pre-classic period. Nowadays is an important ceremonial center. We will visit the Miraflores Museum and the Archaeology and Ethnology Museum. In the afternoon, we will have a lecture on Maya Cycles, given by a knowledgeable Archaeologist. Lodging at Hotel Barceló.
Day 3| THU – Guatemala City – Iximché – Spiritual Ceremony – Lake Atitlán
Breakfast. We will visit Iximché, in our route to the Highlands of Guatemala. Iximché was the former Maya Capital of the Cakchiquel Kingdom. We will watch a spiritual ceremony. After the visit, we will continue to Lake Atitlán, as Aldous Huxley once said, “one of the most beautiful lakes in the world”. Lodging Hotel Villa Santa Catarina.
Day 4| FRI – Lake Atitlán – San Juan la Laguna – Community Tour and Tree planting – Lake Atitlán
Breakfast. Transfer by boat to San Juan la Laguna, one of the most beautiful towns of Lake Atitlán and cultural visit of the population in charge of the community association Rupalaj K´istalin, later we will arrive at the nursery of native species to perform the ceremonial act of planting the tree, initially there is an explanation of the different native species and their uses, After the same one, each person chooses the tree that wishes to plant, next the group goes toward the Hill of the Cross and the Ceremony of the sowing of the tree takes place, after the descent of the hill, we will be led to a mural located in the town where the participants will leave track painting their Mayan Nahual. Lodging Hotel Villa Santa Catarina.
Day 5| SAT – Lake Atitlán – Santiago Atitlán – Spiritual Ceremony – Chichicastenango.
Breakfast. Today we will take a boat to visit the Tzutuhil village of Santiago Atitlán, where the cult to Maximón is emphasized. This is a deity of the Tz’utujil Mayan culture that is venerated and that congregates numerous faithful parishioners around the lake. After the visit, we will have a spiritual ceremony accompanied by spiritual leaders of the place. In the afternoon we will return to Panajachel to go to Chichicastenango. Lodging at Hotel Santo Tomás.
Day 6| SUN – Chichicastenango – La Antigua
Breakfast. In the morning we will participate in a fascinating mass in the church of Santo Tomás, where the religious syncretism of the Quiches is strongly felt. We will visit its famous and colorful market that takes place every Thursday and Sunday. Continuation by land to Antigua, arrival at mid-afternoon and orientation visit of this colonial city declared a World Heritage Site, we will pass by the Cathedral, the Central Square, main monuments and museums to visit, as well as bookstores, restaurants, art galleries, and so on. Lodging at Hotel Villa Colonial.
Day 7| MON – La Antigua
Breakfast. We have day at leisure to enjoy La Antigua, strolling through its cobbled streets, appreciating their architectural style of yesteryear or relaxing in the hotel facilities. As an optional activity, during morning, we recommend a cultural visit of the city or visit a Coffee Farm. Lodging at Hotel Villa Colonial.
Day 8| TUE – La Antigua – Copán
Breakfast. We will cross the Guatemalan border to continue to Honduras and visit the archaeological center of Copán that is one of the main cities of the classic period of the Mayas. Copán still keeps great stelae, temples, ball courts and burials that are unique in this part of the Maya area. Lodging at Hotel Marina Copán.
Day 9| WED – Copan – Quirigua – Petén
Breakfast. In the morning: departure from Copán with destiny to Petén. On our way: visit to archaeological center of Quiriguá that possesses some of the most important stelae of the of the Mayan World, among which there is the stela C, which refers to the beginning of the 5th Mayan era, Augusto 13, 3114 BC. Continuation to the Petén. Arrival at the end of the afternoon. Lodging at El Sombrero Camp.
Day 10| THU – Peten – Yaxhá – Spiritual Ceremony – Petén
Breakfast. Visit the spectacular archaeological center of Yaxhá, one of the most important Mayan cities in Petén. The site contains several sets of acropolis connected by roadways, ball games and 31 stelae, but it stands out for two sets that were used to commemorate solstices and equinoxes. Yaxhá is made much more special by its beautiful sacred lagoon. We will perform a spiritual ceremony accompanied by local spiritual guides. Departure from the site and lunch at a local restaurant. Transfer to the hotel Jungle. Lodging.
Day 11| FRI – Peten – Tikal – Guatemala City
In the early morning, we will enjoy the unique experience of watching the sunrise from the top of Temple IV, where the sunrise and the fog covering the jungle and temples match. Breakfast box. Visit the Mayan city of Tikal, undoubtedly the best exponent of classical Mayan culture. Its occupation spanned almost 1,500 years, and was one of the first Mayan cities to establish a dynastic government that registered its rulers in stelae with hieroglyphic inscriptions, in Tikal a dynastic sequence of 33 successive rulers was registered. Lunch in a restaurant inside the enclosure. In the afternoon transfer to Petén airport and flight to Guatemala City. Transfer to the hotel. Lodging at Barceló Hotel.
Day 12| SAT – Guatemala City – Guatemala Airport
Breakfast. Transfer to the International Airport of Guatemala City. End of our service.
13 B’Aktun
The Mayan spirituality is one of the fundamental milestones to understand the Mayas´ life styles and traditions, from the classic period to the contemporary life. Each ethnic group has their own cultural elements in harmony with the environment and the earth elements are the key common factor for all of them. We will start our journey with a conference addressed by an archaeologist to open up our mind to the Mayan Cycles. Each single sacred site we will visit is meaningful and has a special significance within the Maya Worldview, and the perfect companion will be a Mayan spiritual guide during the whole trip.
Departures: Tuesday.
Service: Private. Minimum: 2 Pax.
Languages: Spanish – English – Italian.
