Start your first full day in La Antigua with a walking tour of the city. We will begin with a brisk walk up to Cerro de la Cruz, giving us a stunning panoramic view of the city, surrounding towns, and the three volcanoes that tower over us - Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango. 

From there, we will return to the town center and continue our journey on the cobblestone roads of La Antigua. We will cover a bit of the history of the city, stop in the most iconic plazas and also point out some of our favorite neighborhood haunts for food, drinks, and music.

For lunch, we will enjoy a delicious meal at Chermol, one of our favorite garden restaurant, known for its Guatemalan/Argentinian fusion menu and a great selection of craft beers. We highly recommend their empanadas, grilled shrimp, and choripan! After lunch, you can enjoy some free time to rest or explore independently before meeting up in the early evening for an artisan workshop. 

Get your hands dirty as you make a souvenir to take home with you at the end of your trip. We will head to Xilbaba Joyas, a unique jade shop founded and run by Guatemalan female entrepreneurs. Here we will learn about jade and its historical, cultural, and economic significance before working on our very own piece of jewelry to take home!

We will then walk together to dinner at Angie Angie, one of our favorite places for pizza, pasta, tapas, and live music by the fire! 

Enjoy a tour of some of the most picturesque towns surrounding La Antigua Guatemala. We will start in San Juan del Obispo, visiting one of the first Catholic churches built in Guatemala along with the adjoined convent. Much of the original structure of the church and convent still remain after centuries of renovations. Our next stop is a home-based winery where you will get to taste and buy some artisan wine from the region, with their specialty being the loquat wine. Close by we will try another San Juan specialty - artisan chocolate from the region at our friend Brenda’s place. This small chocolate factory has been the family’s business for four generations! 

From there we will make brief stops in two more nearby towns, San Pedro las Huertas to see the famous “pila” and Ciudad Vieja to visit a chicken bus factory, before arriving at Cerveceria  14 to enjoy an early lunch (included) and epic views from this independent local brewery.

After free time to freshen up, we'll be heading to the airport for our domestic flight to Flores as we begin our journey to the eastern side of Guatemala!

We'll take a ride to La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City to catch a short 1-hour flight to the town of Flores, Petén. Please be packed and ready to go by 3:00 pm to catch our flight as we begin our three-day/three-night journey to the eastern side of Guatemala. Our journey will take us to lakes, rivers, and the Caribbean, as well as the jungles of Tikal National Park to marvel at the Maya ruins. 

What to bring for the 3-night excursion:

● Hiking boots or sport sneakers

● Backpack

● Light rain jacket

● Swimsuit

● Sunblock

● Water jug (water refills will be available)

● Small flashlight (optional but recommended)

● Mosquito repellent

● Earplugs

● Binoculars (optional)

● Camera

● Breathable clothes since it can be hotter and humid on this side of the country

Around 7:00 pm, We will arrive in Flores to relax at our hotel with a beautiful view of Lago Petén Itzá! From there we will have dinner and enjoy this lazy island town in the middle of the lake. We recommend that you get a good night’s sleep for an early morning rise to enter the jungle of Tikal.

After a sunrise breakfast, we will hit the road to make the 1-hour journey to the National Park of Tikal where our guide, Oliverio, will be waiting for us! Oliverio is an extremely talented, bilingual, certified guide with over 20 years of experience. He is local to the area and the perfect person to show us around! 

On a good day, we will be able to appreciate all different kinds of wildlife such as spider monkeys, howler monkeys, orange-breasted falcons, woodpeckers, parrots, and much more. We will visit various temples, as well as the Central Acropolis, the Window Palace, and the Lost World. After exploring the park, there will be an opportunity for ziplining which costs approximately $50 extra. 

After finishing our tour in Tikal National Park, we will head back to the small village of

El Remate for lunch at a small locally owned restaurant where we can continue to appreciate wildlife and beautiful views of the Guatemalan lowlands. 

After lunch, we will begin our approximate 4-hour long journey to Rio Dulce, where we will be spending the night and leisurely enjoying some downtime.

We should be in Río Dulce by 7:00 pm at the latest and will head to our hotel where we will be staying in private bungalows suspended over water along the river. Here we can enjoy the pool, as well as delicious dinner and drinks.

Our day begins with a delicious breakfast overlooking the water before boarding our private boat for a day on the river and ultimately onto the Atlantic! 

Our first stop is Castillo San Felipe, an old “mini” castle that once served as a fortress to protect the land from pirate invasions. Next, we will continue on to the Island of the Birds and then take a dip in the hot springs before the river meets the Caribbean Sea, giving us a view of neighboring Belize. We will then enjoy a late lunch in the small Caribbean town of Livingston. 

This is the only part of Guatemala that you find a strong presence and influence of the Afro-Guatemalan culture which is made up almost entirely of people who identify as Garifuna. The food here is unique and delicious, loaded with seafood and rich with distinct Caribbean flavors and the town is known for its African drumming. This portion of our tour will be done in collaboration with Garifuna Queens a non-profit organization based out of Queens, NY who has assisted us in creating stronger ties to the community so you can have a deeper and off the beaten path experience led by someone from the Garifuna community in La Buga Livingston. 

We will then return to our hotel, arriving around 5:30 pm, for a relaxing evening by the pool! 

Once again, we will enjoy breakfast at the hotel overlooking the river and taking in the final hours of our time in this magical place. 

We will then begin the 6.5-hour drive back to Antigua Guatemala. We will be sure to make plenty of stops along the way for bathroom breaks, to stretch our legs and of course to eat! 

Once in Antigua, you will have a free evening to rest, relax or explore independently. or you can join us on a Guatemala Street Food tour to try some of our favorite off-the-beaten spots for evening munchies! 

After breakfast, we will make the 30-minute journey to the town of San Juan Alotenango, an area that was heavily impacted by the 2018 eruption of the Fuego volcano. Here we will meet with Don José and his family in their home. Don José is the kind of person you could spend hours talking to and never grow tired of listening to. He's lived a long and fascinating life and has a captivating and engaging way of sharing his story with others. 

One of Don José's primary sources of income comes from the relatively small plots of land he owns and grows coffee on. Today, we will get the chance to visit his land, learn about the different processes involved in the cultivation and production of coffee, and discuss the industry as a whole. 

Once we've finished our outdoor adventure we will return to Don José's home for a home-cooked meal and continue what is sure to be an interesting and inspiring conversation! 

You will then have the rest of the afternoon and evening free to enjoy and explore at your leisure! 

We will meet at the hotel entrance to board our private shuttle for a 1-hour drive to the nearby farming town of Tecpán. Around 10:00 or 10:30 am we will arrive in Tecpán for a bathroom break and the opportunity to purchase a beverage or small snack. Here, we can also spend some time looking at artisan crafts. After departing Tecpán we will continue driving to the famous Lake Atitlán.

We will arrive at Lake Atitlán and take a short boat ride to San Juan La Laguna. Here we will spend the day learning about the crafts and traditions of the Tzutujil people. This mellow lakeside town has escaped the commercialization of its neighboring town and has built an impressive and successful cultural/experiential tourism micro-economy that does not rely on Western influence or heavy investments from foreigners. You’ll see this when we tour their cooperatives to learn about agriculture, weaving, textiles, chocolate making, and more. In short, the people of San Juan are pioneers of community-based cultural tourism in the country. 

We will spend the entire day and night in San Juan exploring, eating, and interacting with individuals from the community who have graciously opened up the doors to their homes for you. Lunch and dinner are provided and meals are a great time to interact with your host family!

After breakfast with our host families, we will wave goodbye and return to our boat. We will then spend the morning and early afternoon stopping at some neighboring towns, including San Pedro La Laguna to check out the art scene there and Santiago Atitlán to visit their market, church, and Maximón shrine.

 Later in the afternoon, we will arrive at our hotel. From here, you can visit the local nature reserve, rent a kayak, explore the nearby town of Panajachel, and much more! Just let your tour leader know what you’re interested in doing and we can arrange it for you!

You will have the morning to enjoy breakfast at the hotel and then free time to either lounge by the pool or explore the lake and nearby areas, including a stop in San Antonio Palapó to visit our friend Marco Antonio’s ceramic workshop before we return to Antigua.

We will later depart for La Antigua at 11:00 am and be arriving in Tecpán no later than 1:00 pm to enjoy a delicious meal (included) in the farming town located in a valley situated at approximately 7,000 feet of altitude. This town is particularly well known for its smoked meats and dairy products so for our omnivores we recommend making room for a feast!

Once back in La Antigua you will have a free evening to rest and relax or explore the city on your own!

Enjoy a half-day of adventure as we soak up the epic views at the top of one of Guatemala’s most popular and active volcanoes! This moderate hike will begin at the base of the volcano in the village of San Vicente Pacaya where you will make a 1.5 - 2-hour ascent up the side of one of Guatemala’s three active volcanoes, taking in the beautiful surrounding landscapes along the way. At the top, you will possibly get to peer down at the fiery lava and have the opportunity to toast marshmallows and enjoy a picnic lunch.

Afterward, our group will hike down to the trailhead, and take our private shuttle to a thermal spa, whose natural springs are heated by the linked underground activity generated by the very volcano we just climbed. Plus you’ll get a relaxing 50-minute massage and delicious smoothie. If you would prefer not to participate in the volcano hike there are a variety of alternative activities that we are happy to recommend or organize for you, just let us know!

What to bring for the volcano hike:

● Day pack/light backpack

● Hiking boots or sport sneakers

● Light jacket

● Sunblock

● Bathing suit

● Water bottle

● Picnic lunch (Provided by Heart of Travel)

After the hike, or whatever activity you may choose to engage in, you will have some downtime to shower, relax and get ready for our final night together!

At 6:30 pm we invite you to join us for a pre-dinner cocktail at one of our favorite little joints in the town, known for its delicious craft cocktails. Choose from a small menu of pre-set options or tell the bartender what you’re in the mood for and let them surprise you with a unique beverage made special just for you!

Later after a delicious cocktail to wet your whistle it’s time to whet that appetite of yours at one of Antigua’s best high-end restaurants. Get ready for an incredible meal prepared by our friend Hector Castro and his team at this eclectically decorated restaurant on Antigua’s lively Primera Avenida South. Here we will share stories of our favorite moments on the trip and celebrate another fun and successful adventure with Heart of Travel.

Please confirm your departure date and time with us so we can coordinate your transportation to the Guatemala City airport.