Tour overview

This 15-day small-group tour follows the story of the Maya through Guatemala, with a short crossing into Honduras for the ruins of Copán. Groups have up to 16 travellers aged 16 and over, led by a tour leader throughout with local specialist guides at the major sites. You travel by private bus and boat, and stay in a mix of comfortable and premium hotels, many with swimming pools. Breakfast is included every day, an arrival transfer is included on Day 1, and the trip is land-only, starting in Guatemala City and ending in Antigua.

The first stop is Copán, one of the richest archaeological sites in Central America, famous for its carved stelae and the Hieroglyphic Stairway. On the way back into Guatemala you see the intricate carvings of Quiriguá before taking a boat to Livingston, a Garifuna town on the Caribbean coast reached only by water. A day here includes a boat trip to the Siete Altares waterfalls and the beach at Playa Blanca. Next morning you cruise up the Río Dulce through a jungle-clad gorge, stopping at the Ak Tenamit community project, and continue to Flores.

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Tikal is the centrepiece of the trip. A guided tour takes you through the vast jungle city, with its temples rising above the canopy of the Petén. The route then turns south into the mountains, past the Candelaria Caves, to Cobán. From here you spend a full day at Semuc Champey, a natural limestone bridge with a chain of turquoise pools where you can swim. A guided walk through the cloud forest of the Quetzal Biotope gives you a chance to look for Guatemala's national bird.

The final week brings out the living Maya culture of the highlands. You browse the famous market at Chichicastenango, then spend two nights at Lake Atitlán, ringed by volcanoes, with a boat trip to the Tz'utujil villages including Santiago Atitlán. After a guided visit to the ruins of Iximché, you settle into Antigua, a colonial city of cobbled streets and ruined churches. On departures that coincide with 1 November, Day 14 includes the All Saints Giant Kite Festival in Sumpango; otherwise it is a free day in Antigua.

The pace is full, with some long drives and a border crossing, and the Semuc Champey hike is optional. This trip suits travellers who want a thorough introduction to Guatemala's archaeology, nature and Maya traditions.

Trip highlights

  • The carved stelae and Hieroglyphic Stairway of Copán, Honduras (Day 3)
  • Livingston, the Siete Altares waterfalls and a Río Dulce boat trip (Days 5–6)
  • A guided tour of Tikal in the Petén jungle (Day 7)
  • Swimming in the turquoise pools of Semuc Champey (Day 9)
  • Chichicastenango market and the villages of Lake Atitlán (Days 11–12)
  • Antigua's colonial streets, and the Giant Kite Festival on 1 November departures (Days 13–14)

Your route

18 stops from Guatemala City to Sumpango

15-day route: Guatemala City – Copán – Livingston – Flores – Cobán – Lake Atitlán – Antigua
  1. Guatemala City Day 1
  2. Copán Ruinas Days 2–3
  3. Quiriguá Day 4
  4. Puerto Barrios Day 4
  5. Livingston Days 4–5
  6. Rio Dulce Day 6
  7. Flores Days 6–7
  8. Tikal Day 7
  9. Sayaxché Day 8
  10. Cobán Days 8–9
  11. Semuc Champey Day 9
  12. Quetzal Biotope Day 10
  13. Antigua Days 10 & 13–14
  14. Chichicastenango Day 11
  15. Lake Atitlán Days 11–12
  16. Santiago Atitlán Day 12
  17. Iximche Day 13
  18. Sumpango Day 14

Why choose this tour

Covers the four great Maya sites of the region — Copán, Quiriguá, Tikal and Iximché — as well as the highland markets and villages. Adds the Caribbean coast, the Río Dulce and Semuc Champey, which many shorter tours leave out.

Best suited to

  • Travellers interested in Maya history and archaeology
  • Anyone who enjoys colourful markets and Indigenous culture
  • Active travellers happy with a full pace and some long drives
  • Photographers drawn to lakes, volcanoes and jungle ruins
Maya temples of Tikal rising above the jungle, Guatemala

Day-by-day itinerary

15 days from Guatemala City, Guatemala to Antigua, Guatemala

  1. Day 1 · Guatemala City Arrive in Guatemala City

    Arrive at any time in Guatemala City. If you fly into La Aurora International Airport today, a transfer to the hotel is included. Many flights arrive in the evening, so the welcome meeting takes place on the morning of Day 2.

    Hotel
    Best Western Stofella or similar
  2. Day 2 · Guatemala City, Copán Ruinas To Copán in Honduras

    After a short drive around the capital, head for the Honduran border at El Florido and the small, relaxed town of Copán Ruinas. The journey takes around six hours, including lunch and border formalities.

    Hotel
    Hotel Plaza Copán or similar
    Meals
    Breakfast
  3. Day 3 · Copán Copán archaeological site

    A local guide leads you around Copán, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the richest Maya sites in Central America. See the Great Plaza, the Acropolis and the Hieroglyphic Stairway. The afternoon is free, perhaps for the site museum or the Macaw Mountain bird park.

    Hotel
    Hotel Plaza Copán or similar
    Meals
    Breakfast
  4. Day 4 · Quiriguá, Puerto Barrios, Livingston Quiriguá and the boat to Livingston

    Stop at Quiriguá, known for its finely carved stelae covered in glyphs, then continue to Puerto Barrios and take a boat to Livingston, a Garifuna town on the Caribbean coast that can only be reached by water.

    Hotel
    Villa Caribe or similar
    Meals
    Breakfast
  5. Day 5 · Siete Altares, Playa Blanca, Livingston Siete Altares and Playa Blanca

    Take a boat to the Siete Altares waterfalls, a series of cool pools in the rainforest where you can swim. Continue to Playa Blanca for a few hours on a Caribbean beach, then return to explore Livingston.

    Hotel
    Villa Caribe or similar
    Meals
    Breakfast
  6. Day 6 · Río Dulce, Ak Tenamit, Flores Río Dulce to Flores

    Cruise up the Río Dulce through a gorge of cliffs draped in jungle, watching for egrets, pelicans and cormorants. Stop at Ak Tenamit, a community education project, then drive about four hours to the island town of Flores.

    Hotel
    Maya Internacional or similar
    Meals
    Breakfast
  7. Day 7 · Tikal Tikal

    An early start for the drive of about 1.5 hours to Tikal, perhaps the greatest of all Maya cities. A guided tour leads you through plazas and temples rising out of the Petén jungle, settled around 600 BC and abandoned around AD 900.

    Hotel
    Maya Internacional or similar
    Meals
    Breakfast
  8. Day 8 · Sayaxché, Candelaria Caves, Cobán Candelaria Caves to Cobán

    A long day's drive south into the mountains, crossing the river at Sayaxché by ferry. Visit the Candelaria Caves, a vast cave system sacred to the Maya, then continue to Cobán for two nights.

    Hotel
    Park Hotel or similar
    Meals
    Breakfast
  9. Day 9 · Lanquín, Semuc Champey Semuc Champey

    Drive about 2.5 hours to Lanquín, then ride 45 minutes by pickup truck on unpaved roads to Semuc Champey, a natural limestone bridge with a chain of turquoise pools. Swim, relax or take the optional, fairly steep hike to the viewpoint.

    Hotel
    Park Hotel or similar
    Meals
    Breakfast
  10. Day 10 · Quetzal Biotope, Antigua Quetzal Biotope and Antigua

    Take a two-hour guided walk through the cloud forest of the Quetzal Biotope, a reserve created to protect the resplendent quetzal, Guatemala's national bird. Continue to the colonial city of Antigua.

    Hotel
    Villa Colonial or similar
    Meals
    Breakfast
  11. Day 11 · Chichicastenango, Lake Atitlán Chichicastenango and Lake Atitlán

    Head into the highlands to Chichicastenango, the sacred town of the K'iche' Maya, famous for its market selling everything from textiles to pottery and copal incense. Continue to Lake Atitlán, ringed by volcanoes.

    Hotel
    Villa Santa Catarina or similar
    Meals
    Breakfast
  12. Day 12 · Santiago Atitlán, Lake Atitlán Villages of Lake Atitlán

    Cross the lake by boat to visit Tz'utujil villages, including Santiago Atitlán, where many people still wear traditional dress with richly embroidered blouses. The rest of the day is free by the lake.

    Hotel
    Villa Santa Catarina or similar
    Meals
    Breakfast
  13. Day 13 · Iximché, Antigua Iximché and Antigua

    Take a 1.5-hour guided tour of Iximché, a 15th-century Maya capital, then return to Antigua for an orientation walk through its cobbled streets, colonial churches and ruined convents beneath the volcanoes.

    Hotel
    Villa Colonial or similar
    Meals
    Breakfast
  14. Day 14 · Antigua, Sumpango Antigua, or the Giant Kite Festival

    On departures that fall on 1 November, visit Sumpango for the All Saints Giant Kite Festival, when huge kites of paper and bamboo are flown to honour the dead. On other dates this is a free day in Antigua, perhaps for a coffee farm, a cooking class or a volcano hike.

    Hotel
    Villa Colonial or similar
    Meals
    Breakfast
  15. Day 15 · Antigua Trip ends in Antigua

    The trip ends after breakfast, and you are free to leave at any time. If you are flying out of Guatemala City, allow plenty of time, as traffic can make the airport transfer take up to four hours.

    Meals
    Breakfast
The turquoise pools of Semuc Champey, Guatemala

Where you stay

  • Guatemala City (1 night) Best Western Stofella or similar
  • Copán Ruinas, Honduras (2 nights) Hotel Plaza Copán or similar
  • Livingston (2 nights) Villa Caribe or similar
  • Flores (2 nights) Maya Internacional or similar
  • Cobán (2 nights) Park Hotel or similar
  • Antigua (1 night) Villa Colonial or similar
  • Lake Atitlán (2 nights) Villa Santa Catarina or similar
  • Antigua (2 nights) Villa Colonial or similar

Hotel names are indicative and may be replaced with a property of similar standard and location.

What's included

Included

  • Accommodation 14 nights in comfortable and premium hotels
  • Meals 14 breakfasts
  • Transport private bus and boats, including the Puerto Barrios–Livingston launch, the Río Dulce and Lake Atitlán
  • Guided visits Guatemala City, Copán with a local guide, Quiriguá, Tikal, the Candelaria Caves, Semuc Champey, the Quetzal Biotope, Chichicastenango, Santiago Atitlán, Iximché and Antigua
  • Arrival transfer from La Aurora airport on Day 1
  • Tour leader throughout, with local specialist guides at key sites

Not included

  • International flights to and from Guatemala
  • Departure transfer, available on request
  • Visas and entry fees for Guatemala and Honduras, where required
  • Lunches, dinners and optional activities
  • Single supplement, tips, travel insurance and personal spending
Boats on Lake Atitlán with a volcano behind, Guatemala

This trip might not be for you if…

Honest disclaimer — please read

  • You want flights included — they are not
  • You want most meals included — only breakfast is included
  • You prefer a slow pace — the trip changes base six times
  • You dislike early starts and bumpy roads — the Semuc Champey day is long

Good to know

FCDO advice UK FCDO travel advice for Guatemala · UK FCDO travel advice for Honduras
Aerial view of the church and market stalls in Chichicastenango, Guatemala

In pictures

Departures & prices

From £2,295 per person, twin share, tour only. 7 upcoming departures.

Frequently asked questions

How do I book this tour?

Tap any "Enquire" button on the page and one of our travel specialists will be in touch within 24 hours (often same day). We'll confirm availability on your preferred date, run through anything you need to know, and only ask for the deposit once you've decided.

What financial protection do I get?

Every Travelisto booking is 100% financially protected. Your money is held in a ring-fenced Trust account until you return from your trip, and we are members of the Protected Trust Services scheme (PTS 6035). Most tours also include ATOL protection where flights are part of the package.

Do we visit Honduras?

Yes. Days 2 to 4 cross into Honduras for the Maya ruins of Copán. A visa may be required depending on your nationality, so check the current rules well before travel.

Is the Giant Kite Festival included on every departure?

No. The festival takes place in Sumpango on 1 November, so only departures whose Day 14 falls on that date include it. On other dates Day 14 is free in Antigua.

Can I swim on this trip?

Yes, at the Siete Altares waterfalls near Livingston, in the limestone pools of Semuc Champey and in the pools at several of the hotels.

How active is the trip?

The pace is full, with a few long drives. The optional viewpoint hike at Semuc Champey takes about 1.5 hours on steep, uneven steps, and the Quetzal Biotope walk lasts about two hours. Good walking shoes are needed at the ruins.

What meals are included?

Breakfast every day from Day 2. Lunches and dinners are not included, which leaves you free to try local restaurants.

What is the weather like?

The highlands are mild, with cool evenings, and the lowlands are hot and humid. The dry season runs from November to April, and May to October brings afternoon rain.

Can you tailor the trip?

Yes — every escorted tour can be modified into a private tailor-made version with your own dates, adjusted pace, upgraded hotels and add-on extensions. Tell us what you'd like changed when you enquire and we'll quote it both ways so you can compare.

What if my flight is delayed or cancelled?

If your international flight is part of your booking through us, we re-book at no cost. If you've booked flights separately, the tour's local team holds your transfer slot until you arrive. We strongly recommend a comprehensive travel insurance policy that includes delay and cancellation cover.

ATOL protected 100% financially protected in a Trust bank account PTS 6035 4.7 on Trustpilot
Tailor-made option

Not quite the right fit? Make it tailor-made.

If this group tour doesn't match your ideal trip, our specialists will turn it into a private tailor-made journey — your own dates, your own pace, upgraded hotels where you want them, and the parts you don't love swapped out. Same destinations, just rebuilt around you.

Contact us for a tailor-made version of this itinerary

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