Dear Vacation Traveler, Welcome to a great vacation at an affordable price. Your Guatemala tour is all inclusive with all meals, all activities, all hotels, a great itinerary, all airport transfers, all transportation and excursions. A professional Tour Director accompanies you for the entire Guatemala vacation. Our travel packages also offer purified water at meals and on the motor coach. Join the smart shoppers and experienced travelers who have chosen us for their vacations.
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Guatemala with Tikal
Duration: 10 Days/9 Nights
Accommodation: Hotels
Meals: All meals included
Travel Dates: Jan. - Dec., 2012
Price from (land only): USD$1,095pp + Taxes $199
based on two sharing. Call us for the lowest airfares.
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1-800-663-9787
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2012 Departure Dates
Apr |
3, 6, 13, 20 |
May |
4, 18 |
Jun |
15 |
Jul |
13, 20 |
Nov |
9, 16, 23, 30 |
Dec |
21, 28 |
*indicates Super Value date
2012 Price Per Person - $U.S.
| Room Type |
Super Value |
Great Value |
| Double |
$ 1,095 |
$ 1,195 |
| Triple |
1,075 |
1,175 |
| Single |
1,395 |
1,495 |
Plus Taxes and Fees:
Double $199; Triple $185; Single $259
In Latin America, we'll transfer you between the airport and hotel on the starting and ending dates of your tour.
All Meals Included
B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner
Hotels - listed by day
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Begins and Ends: Guatemala City
Itinerary
Day 1 – Guatemala City, Guatemala
Travel in Guatemala is fun and exciting. Hume Travel welcomes you to a breathtaking land of magnificent lakes, towering volcanoes and ancient ruins. With its near perfect climate and spectacular hotels, Guatemala, “the land of eternal spring,” is an ideal vacation destination. We provide transfer from Guatemala City airport to your centrally located hotel, the Barcelo, for a two night stay. Rooms are available for check in after 4:00 p.m. Dine at your hotel. D
Day 2 – Museum of Archaeology
After breakfast, join us for a 9:00 a.m. welcome briefing. Then visit the National Museum of Archaeology. Learn about Guatemala’s pre-Columbian cultures and extensive archaeological sites. See a priceless collection of Mayan pottery and jewelry. Lunch. Next, a sightseeing drive of the historic center. See the Metropolitan Cathedral dating from 1782 and the French influence on the dramatic National Palace. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure. Enjoy the Barcelo’s large outdoor pool, jacuzzi, spa and scenic grounds. Dinner. BLD
Day 3 – Chichicástenango, Lake Atitlán
Gorgeous scenery unfolds this morning as you ascend from the central valley into the Guatemala highlands. Drive by friendly Indian villages where crops are still hand-tilled and grown on impossibly steep hillside terraces. Enjoy lunch in the peaceful highlands. Next, immerse yourself in the colorful pageantry of Chichicástenango. Visit Santo Tomas Church where rose petals and candles cover the floor and copal incense fills the air. Here Mayan and Catholic rituals are blended together. Shop for elaborately carved dance masks and richly embroidered hand weavings. Then, to Hotel Atitlán for a two night stay overlooking Lake Atitlán, 5,000 feet above sea level. Dinner. BLD
Day 4 – Lake Atitlán
Boat Cruise Morning cruise across Lake Atitlán, one of the world’s most beautiful lakes. Lake Atitlan is dominated by three dormant volcanoes and ringed by Indian villages where Mayans still wear traditional dress. Visit Santiago Atitlán. Return to the Hotel Atitlan for lunch. The rest of the day is at leisure. Explore your hotel’s beautiful botanical gardens and pools. Enjoy the dramatic scenery. Dinner. BLD
Day 5 – Coffee Tour, Antigua
This morning drive into the picturesque and world-famous coffee growing region of Guatemala. Visit a coffee plantation. Learn why many consider Guatemala coffee the best tasting coffee in the world. Sample fresh Guatemalan coffee. After lunch, visit a museum highlighting Guatemala’s unique musical instruments, including the Marimba. Continue to romantic Antigua. Enjoy a relaxing two night stay at the elegant Porta Hotel. Dinner. BLD
Day 6 – Antigua
Morning exploration of Antigua, Guatemala’s capital for more than two centuries. Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is one of the best preserved colonial cities in all of Latin America. On a walking tour visit the Main Plaza. See the Cathedral and Fountain of the Sirens. Visit the Las Capuchinas Convent, with its 18 circular living quarters. Enjoy lunch. Then, free time in Antigua. Your hotel is two blocks from the main plaza with its fine stores offering exquisite jade pieces and exotic native artwork. Stroll the cobblestone streets and marvel at the large number of Antigua’s colonial churches and historic buildings. Enjoy dinner at the Porta Hotel. BLD
Day 7 – Antigua, Tikal Area
This morning travel east to Guatemala’s Caribbean region. Enjoy lunch overlooking the scenic Rio Dulce, "sweet river," which flows into the Caribbean Sea. Next, drive through soft rolling hills covered with jungle. Afternoon arrival in Petenchel. Enjoy a two night stay at your lodge located in a 67 acre nature preserve and on the shores of Lake Peten Itza. Your lodge, Villa Maya, has two pools, a jacuzzi and beautiful nature walking trails. Dinner. BLD
Day 8 – Tikal Ruins
Today, an unforgettable visit to the ruins of Tikal. Settled in 700 B.C., Tikal was the grandest of all Mayan cities. Long protected by the jungle in the remote Peten Peninsula, Tikal is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here, see towering pyramids rise above the rainforest canopy while the sounds of tropical birds fill the air. Look for spider and howler monkeys. Visit Tikal’s great plaza. See the Temple of the Grand Jaguar and Temple II. Visit the Plaza of the Seven Temples and El Mundo Perdido, the Lost World. Enjoy lunch in Tikal. Late afternoon return to your resort. Enjoy dinner. BLD
Day 9 – Quiriguá, Guatemala City
Head south this morning. Visit Quiriguá, the impressive and remarkably preserved Mayan archaeological site. See fantastical carved stone animal figures and some of the world’s largest stelae. These massive stone monoliths are inscribed with ancient writings recording Mayan history. Then enjoy lunch. Continue to Guatemala City. Farewell dinner. BLD
Day 10 – Guatemala City
Your tour ends this morning after breakfast at the Barcelo in Guatemala City. Breakfast begins at 6:00 a.m. We'll provide transfers throughout the day to the Guatemala City airport. Thanks for vacationing with Hume Travel. ¡Hasta la vista! B
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Hotels
Accommodations in the hotels and lodges are rooms with two beds and private bath or shower. A limited number of single rooms are available. Triple rooms are usually two beds, sometimes with a cot or rollaway.
Days 1, 2, 9 – Guatemala City
The Barcelo Guatemala City hotel has a privileged setting in the heart of Guatemala City. Its elegant 395 rooms offer high speed internet connection and numerous facilities make your stay enjoyable. Enjoy Barcelo's business center, shops, sports center, sauna, jacuzzi, large outdoor swimming pool, beauty shop and other facilities.
Days 3, 4 – Lake Atitlán
The Hotel Atitlan, overlooking Late Atitlan, is among Guatemala's elite core of fine hotels. It is situated in the heart of Lake Atitlan's most ethnically authentic people. It is intimate and user-friendly, elegant in a classically understated way. The decor is in the Spanish colonial-hacienda style that was favored by the Guatemlan plantation owners of the 18th csentury. The Atitlan offers a wide range of services and is among the most dramatic and appealing natural surroundings in the world. Nestled within the rain forest on the hotel property are special locations for serious bird watching. A short walk from the hotel is the Atitlan Nature Reserve, which has a butterfly reserve, herb gardens, suspension bridges, spider monkeys, etc.
Days 5, 6 – Antigua
Porta Hotel Antigua
The elegant Porta Hotel Antigua is committed to offering guests personalized service, dedicated attention and quality accommodations. The Porta Hotel is just two blocks from the main plaza. It has all the modern amenities, spa, gym, two solar heated swimming pools, wireless internet in all public areas and rooms etc. The Porta Hotel Antigua has been chosen by Condé Nast Traveler magazine readers as one of the Top 5 hotels in Central America.
Days 7, 8 – Tikal area, Petenchel
Villa Maya
The Villa Maya Hotel is located in the middle of a large, private nature reserve, surrounded by lush tropical vegetation. This beautiful resort is perched between two natural lagoons which feed into nearby Lake Petén, Guatemala's third largest lake. The lagoons, grounds and nearby forests, make for great wildlife viewing and birdwatching. From your room's balcony and the resort's walkways you can see toucans, woodpeckers, fly catchers, colorful red and blue macaw parrots, playful monkeys (you'll have to close your balcony windows, so the monkeys don't get in), white tail deer and alligators in the lagoons. The Villa Maya Hotel has a swimming pool with a small waterfall and an open air restaurant with sweeping natural views.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is included in the tour price?
Virtually everything! Hotels, most meals, all of the activities described in the itinerary pages, airport transfers in select cities, gratuities to hotel porters, restaurant staff and local guides. Professional Tour Directors and local guides will be with you every step of the way, ensuring a worry free vacation.
What is not included in the tour price?
Prices do not include air travel, country entry or departure fees, airport porter fees, visas, phones, valet, all items of a personal nature, food and beverages not on the regular menu and tips to the Tour Director and Driver. General fees and taxes are additional and listed separately beneath each tour’s price.
How long will each day be?
A well paced and unhurried itinerary is our goal, after all, you are on vacation! Touring days begin and end at reasonable hours and include frequent stops. While the occasional early morning departure is necessary, we do our best to ensure a leisurely vacation.
What clothing should I pack for my Guatemala trip?
Hume Travel suggests clothing for warm and hot weather during the day: 2 pairs of pants, 2 pairs of shorts, 3 changes of shirts, a rain poncho, a swimsuit, and a sweater or jacket for the air conditioned bus. Hume Travel recommends footwear that has a bit of a tread and will not slip on wet surfaces. Walking shoes, hiking boots, sneakers and sandals are all acceptable. Hume Travel also recommends packing a sweater or light jacket to wear at night in the higher elevations (around 5,000 feet high ) of Guatemala City, Antigua and Lake Atitlan. Quick dry clothing (especially a pair of convertible pants that zip at the knee to convert into shorts) is recommended for your visit to the tropical areas. A pair of convertible quick-dry pants and aquick-dry shirt can be purchased from clothing manufacturers such as Travelsmith.com (1-800-950-1600) and ExOfficio.com (1-800-644-7303), and Columbia (at Sportmart). And for all tropical tours, don't forget the sun block, bug spray, a flashlight, a sun hat, a lightweight packable raincoat or poncho, anti-diarrheal medicine, plenty of wet wipes and a travel alarm clock.
How large will my group be?
Group sizes will vary depending on the reserved rooms at the hotels and lodges and the capacity of motorcoaches used. Usually, the maximum size will range from 36 to 44 passengers.
What vaccinations are required to enter Guatemala?
No vaccinations are required to enter Guatemala. We do not have any doctors on staff and cannot give medical advice, so please consult your doctor before deciding whether or not to receive a vaccination. You may also check the Center for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov/travel for Guatemala travel advisories and disease updates. Please note that many Central American pharmacies sell the 500 mg. Vitamin B-1 pill as an anit-mosquito pill, and these pharmacies suggest that people take the pill daily starting two weeks before arrival in the tropical areas. We do not endorse any products, but most staff take the Avon Expedition repellent to the tropical areas. Staff also avoid eating bananas, because this smell attracts mosquitoes.
Preparing for the Tropics
It is recommended to bring at least one pair of quick-dry pants and one quick-dry shirt. The quick-dry pants that zip at the knee to convert into shorts are particularly popular. Be sure to also bring a sweater or jacket for the cooler night temperatures in Guatemala City and Antigua. It is also recommended to prepare for the mosquitoes that are sometimes present in the tropical low lands of Copan and Tikal. Hume Travel does not make product endorsements, but many Central Americans feel that Avon Skin So Soft oil (not cream), or Avon's Expedition anti-mosquito spray is effective protection against mosquito bites in the jungle. Caravan does not endorse any vitamin, but please note that Central American pharmacies sell 500 milligram Vitamin B-1 tablets, a non-prescription vitamin, as "anti-mosquito" pills. Many Guatemalans take Vitamin B-1 pills and eat garlic for about two weeks prior to and during their visits to the jungle because they believe that the smell of Vitamin B-1 and garlic repels mosquitoes. If you believe this may be of value, consult your doctor for further information on Vitamin B-1 and garlic. Guatemalans also avoid eating bananas in the rainforest, as it is believed that this smell attracts mosquitoes. Also, it is wise to wear light-weight quick-dry long-sleeved pants and shirts in these tropical areas.
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