Guatemala Tours and Travel

Day 1 – Guatemala City 

• Arrival at your leisure in Guatemala City, which is well connected to the USA, Latin America and Europe.
• Pre-tour meeting will be held at the lobby of our hotel at 6pm to discuss the tour itinerary and to meet your fellow travellers and YPT guide.
• Dinner and drinks in Guatemala City. Don’t forget to try the local beer Gallo, Guatemalans are super proud of it.
• Overnight in Guatemala city

Day 2 – Guatemala City – Antigua

• After breakfast, you’ll meet with our local guide to start the walking tour of Guatemala City, the capital of the country, beautifully nestled in a valley surrounded by volcanoes.
• We’ll visit the Casa de la Memoria, where we will learn about the tragic history of the country, in particular its history of oppression, its structural problems, and also the resistance of the people.
• Our walking tour will take us to the historic centre of the city, from the Plaza de la Constitución, where you’ll admire the neoclassical Palacio Nacional and the 18th-century cathedral, to the main street, 6th avenue, where you’ll experience the hustle and bustle of Guatemalan life. You will see people on the street playing the local music marimba, played with an instrument similar to a big xylophone.
• One-hour drive to the colonial town Antigua

Afternoon

• After lunch, we will stroll around Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a city steeped in history, adorned with vibrant architecture. Here, you will be able to learn about the colonial past of the country and soak in the atmosphere. Antigua is a photographer’s dream: its cobbled roads and colourful houses, with the Volcán de Agua and the Volcán Acatenango in the background, make for postcard-perfect pictures!
• As the sun sets, the city comes alive with a different kind of energy. We will head to one of the many traditional restaurants there and have some drinks. Now is the time to try the Quetzalteca, a typical Guatemalan drink
• Overnight in Antigua.

Day 3 – Quetzal Forest – Cobán Semuc Champey

• Get your earplugs, a pillow and a sleeping mask: today we leave at 2:30 and head north.
• At 6:30, we’ll see the sunrise at the Biotopo del Quetzal, a protected cloud forest home of the quetzal bird, the national bird of Guatemala. This iridescent green bird is elusive – and endangered – so despite the early wake up, try to keep your eyes open to spot it! June is the end of the nesting season, so now is the best time to see it.
• We’ll have breakfast in the reserve. In lieu of a morning shower, you will have the possibility to swim in one of its waterfalls!
• In the morning, we’ll visit the nearby city of Cobán, checking the central park and the Cavalry Church. The dominant ethnicity here is Q’eqchi’ Mayan, and the Q’eqchi’ is still widely spoken in town.

Afternoon

• After lunch, we’ll continue our journey to Semuc Champey, one of the highlights of the trip.
• We’ll arrive there in the afternoon. You will have some free time to explore the area or to take a siesta, in true Guatemalan style.
• We will have dinner in a indigenous family run restaurant.
• Overnight in Lanquin/Semuc Champey.

Day 4 – Semuc Champey

• After breakfast in our hotel, we’ll explore Semuc Champey. This hard to reach gem boasts a series of cascading turquoise pools, a 300-metre natural limestone bridge, and the refreshing waters of the Cahabón River. You will be able to swim and refresh in the pools, so don’t forget to pack your swimsuit.
• You will explore the cave hidden beneath the bridge, once used by the Maya for ceremonial purposes. They will be illuminated only with the candles you will carry, like the indigenous did back on the day.

Afternoon

• We will have a very local lunch prepared by the indigenous community that lives in the area.
• After hiking to the viewpoint, where we will be rewarded with breathtaking views of the cascading pools and the surrounding rainforest, we will go to relax in our hotel.
• If you are still full of energy or want an adrenaline rush, you can also do a tubbing experience, floating down the currents of the Cahabón River, surrounded by lush rainforest scenery (extra fee).
• Overnight in Lanquin/Semuc Champey.

Day 5 – Flores

• Another early start, as we leave to Flores.
• This is a long but very scenic drive, as the region is covered nearly completely by rainforest. We’ll have the opportunity to stop for photo stops.
• On arrival, we will visit the colourful town of Flores, which is located on an island in the middle of a lake. Think Venice of the Maya! Flores is regarded as the second oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the Americas, after Cholula in Mexico.
•  We will grab some tacos for lunch.

Afternoon

• In the afternoon, we’ll take a boat to explore the surrounding villages, where you can experience the local life.
• In YPT style, we will admire the sunset from the lake with a Gallo beer in hand!
• Traditional dinner in a local restaurant
• Overnight in Flores .

Day 6 – Tikal

• After breakfast in your hotel, we will head to Tikal, the biggest mayan ruins in Guatemala and one of the overall largest archeological sites and urban centres of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization.
• Tikal flourished between 200 and 850 AD during the Classic Period of the Maya civilization. It was a powerful political and cultural centre, influencing other Mayan city-states. The city is now in ruins, but its majestic temples, palaces, and plazas offer a glimpse into its former grandeur.
• We’ll do a tour of the site, to learn about the Mayan civilization and to admire the views from the top of one of the many structures.

Afternoon

• Lunch in a local restaurant
• In the afternoon, we will go to the coastal village of El Remate. It means “the end” in Spanish, which refers not to the end of our trip but to the pointed eastern end of Lake Petén Itzá, where the village is located.
• You can swim in the lake and enjoy a drink while watching the sunrise
• For dinner, you can try an endemic fish from the lake.
•  Farewell drinks.
• Overnight in Flores.

Day 7- Flores 

• Breakfast in our hotel.
• Tour concludes