The Mayan Route: Guatemala to Mexico

Pick up from your hotel by your private guide and driver and transfer to Santiago village. (For guests in staying in Casa Palapo, Hotel Atitlan or Hotels in Panajachel this includes a 30min scenic boat ride across the lake). Upon arrival in Santiago you will visit the house where the Mayan God Maximon is living. Each year a different "brotherhood" has the privilege of taking care of their God. Once with Maximon you may see local shaman performing rituals for local people and if you wish you can ask your guide to help you hire the services of a shaman, in order to have a personal ceremony. After visiting Maximon, you can visit the local church to learn about the history of this very traditional town and also see the market and learn about the distinctive textiles and primitive art that is famous from the area. Take a ride in a local "flete" to get to Hotel Posada Santiago for lunch and then return to your hotel after the tour.

Pick up from your hotel in Atitlan and enjoy a private transfer to your hotel in Antigua with a professional English-speaking driver..

Drive to the village of Jocotenango just on the outskirts of Antigua where you can visit the local workshops of the traditional woodcarvers of the area to see them work. Also see the interesting pink & white façade of the Jocotenango Church before arriving to the wonderful Azotea Coffee Farm and the museums. Take a guided tour of the coffee farm and the museums covering Mayan traditional music and costumes. Learn about the importance of coffee in Guatemala's history and its impact today as well as hearing about the Maya way of life. Later return back to the hotel. Tour includes entrance fees.

Meet your driver for a private transfer from Antigua to Guatemala City.

Enjoy a short flight from Guatemala City to Flores.

Meet your driver for a private transfer to El Remate Area

Pick up from your hotel and transfer with your driver and guide to Yaxha National Park. Enjoy the sites and sounds of the howler and spider monkeys as well as many colorful tropical birds and other mammals in this wildlife area. Sunset drinks are then enjoyed at the end of the tour on top of the main temple with views over the surrounding rainforest and nearby Lake Yaxha. The site has more than 500 structures, including 40 stelae, 13 Altars, 9 Temple Pyramids, 2 Mesoamerican ballcourts, and a network of sacbeob (causeways) that connect the central, northern (Maler), and eastern 'acropoleis', and the Lake causeway that was the main entrance in the past. The top of Temple 216 (restored) provides a view of the two lakes on one side and the jungle and the stepped-pyramids on the other. Trek back through the jungle with torches as it starts to turn dark (perhaps spotting nocturnal wildlife along the way). Return to your hotel in the evening.

Pick up from your lodge and begin your privately guided tour of Tikal National Park. Tikal was one of the major cultural and population centers of the Maya civilization. Though monumental architecture at the site dates to the 4th century BC, Tikal reached its apogee during the Classic Period, ca. 200 AD to 900 AD. Some of these pyramids are over 60 meters high (200 feet). Enjoy some free time at the site and return to your hotel after lunch at a local restaurant.

You will be picked up at your hotel and transferred to the Belize boarder at Melchor Mencos. Once you arrive here you will cross the boarder on foot, approximately 10 meters, (your driver will assist you but will not cross with you).

Meet your driver for a private transfer to San Ignacio area

Your tour begins with a visit to the famous sites of Xunantunich – situated on the banks of the Mopan River with private guide and driver. Xunantunich means "stone woman" in Mayan. Xunantunich was a thriving city near the end of the Classic Period (300-900 A.D.) with large plazas ringed with pyramids. After lunch you will continue to the site at Cahal Pech "Place of the Ticks", just outside the town of San Ignacio. The site center sits on the crest of a steep hill on the west bank of the Macal River and the central acropolis, approximately 900 feet above sea level, provides a commanding view of the Maya Mountains to the south and the fertile valleys of the Belize River to the northeast. This ceremonial center includes pyramid temples, palaces, and a ball court as well as five stelae and an altar (plain). The site shows a gradual architectural growth and indicates occupation probably running through the entire Classic Period. After a private tour you will return to your hotel.

Actun Tunichil Muknal "Cave of the Stone Sepulcher" is one of the most impressive caves in the Maya Lowland. Located in the heart of the Belizean Rainforest, this cave was a sacred place to the prehistoric Maya of Belize, who first began to use the entrance during the early classic period (300-600AD). The cave system consists of a series of chambers, ending in a 300mx50m cathedral where sacrificial ceremonies once took place. Visitors to this cave have the opportunity to travel into the Maya past and witness a living museum where the human sacrifices and artifacts can be viewed in their original context. After an exciting drive to the trailhead, guests will trek for 45 minutes through dense jungle in the Tapir.

Mountain Nature Reserve and wade across3 streams, and learn about the plants and animals of the jungle. At the entrance of the cave guests are outfitted in the necessary equipment preparing you for the Caving Adventure ahead. Some swimming will be required and also climbing and caving activity. This is a 1st class Caving and Archaeological experience. Time in the cave is 3 hours before returning back to the vehicle and to the hotel.

Transfer to Jaguar Paw, begin a short hike upriver. At the "put in point " begin the scenic & tranquil journey down river floating on inner tubes and enjoy the views of the surrounding rain forest and the river cave formations. In the afternoon climb into the rainforest canopy to take part in the exhilarating zip lines from where you get a birds eye view of the lush vegetation and tropical wildlife of the area. Tour includes entrance fees, lunch and equipment.

Transfer to Belize City by private vehicle.

You will be dropped off at the local office of Lamanai Outpost Lodge in Belize City where you will be met by a driver who is the representative from Lamanai Outpost Lodge and transferred to the Lodge. The transfer is a combination of vehicle and car and boat and it takes about 2 hours.

Menu of *Activities at Lamanai Outpost Lodge:

* Your package includes up to two activities per day. Other activities may be added at an extera charge at the lodge on arrival. Following is a list of activities that are included in your package:

Jungle Dawn As dawn breaks and the mist rises through the canopy, explore the jungle as it awakens. In the company of a naturalist guide you’ll learn about the intricacies of a habitat that is home to creatures as diverse as the jaguar, the impressive Black Howler monkey, the Jaguarundi and the vividly-colored Keel-Billed toucan.
Duration: 1.5 to 2 Hours Minimum Participants: 2

Sunrise Canoe Expedition Strike out across the lagoon in exploration of Dawson’s Creek and its surrounding tributaries. Keep an eye out for manatees, otters, crocodiles and endemic parrots to name but a few. Sure to thrill the nature-loving side of all who participate in this adventure.
Duration: 2 to 2.5 Hours  Minimum Participants: 2
               
Lamanai Maya Ruins In the company of an expert guide explore the mysterious jungle-shrouded temples of this once powerful 3000 year old civilization where nature and ancient history coexist. The ruins of Lamanai encompass over 700 structures, a visitor’s center and museum. Truly fascinating!
Duration: 3 Hours  Minimum Participants: 2

Maya Medicine Trail As the only resource for medicinal aid, indigenous people have long used a wide variety of local plants for their powerful and effective medicinal properties. Unlock the secrets and learn first hand how basic potions and salves are prepared and used to this day in Belize’s jungle villages.
 Duration: 1.5 Hours  Minimum Participants: 2

Sunset Cocktail Cruise There can be no finer way to end the day than on the New River Lagoon surrounded by tropical forest and wildlife with a well-stocked cooler, snacks and your own personal bartender as you watch the sun disappear below the treetops from a 30 foot pontoon boat. Drinks not included.
 Duration: 1.5 to 2 Hours Minimum Participants: 2

Nature Walk Enjoy a nice walk around the lodge and reserve to observe nature at work; butterflies, orchids, and the wildlife.                
Duration: 1 – 2 hours Minimum participants: 2

Spotlight Nature Safari After dinner, climb aboard one of our comfortable custom built river safari boats and head out into the night. This exciting adventure gives you the opportunity to encounter anything from the Morelet’s crocodile to the elusive and endangered jaguar. All this plus close up views of some of Belize’s fascinating river birds as they roost on the water’s edge make this a not-to-miss adventure!
Duration: 1.5 to 2 hours  Minimum Participants: 4
               
Night Walks Experience the jungle under the evening stars or by the light of the moon. Listen as the owls and bats come out to hunt and gather, and the troupes of Howler monkeys speak to each other across the canopy. Sounds come from everywhere as many species such as frogs and tarantulas, other mammals and species of birds thrive in the late hour of the evening. You will meet your guide in the dining area around 8:00pm to depart. We recommend you wear long pants, and bring a small flashlight.
Duration: 1.5 – 2 hours  Minimum participants: 2

Enjoy the activities included in your package!

Enjoy another day at Lamanai Outpost Lodge.

Travel by boat from Lamanai Outpost Lodge to Tower Bridge drop off point for your land transfer.

You will be met at the Tower Bridge pick up point by your English speaking driver.  Transfer by private vehicle to Cancun, Mexico.(Distance 270 miles/430 kms) Duration of transfer is approximately 7 hours (lunch not included). Please let your driver know if you would like to stop along the way for lunch.

Please note that a departure tax of $18.75 USD per person must be paid before exiting Belize.

Experience the wonders of the ruins at Chichen Itza on a private guided tour. Chichen Itza was a major regional center in the northern Maya lowlands from the Late Classic through the Terminal Classic and into the early portion of the Early Postclassic period. The site exhibits a multitude of architectural styles, from what is called “Mexicanized” and reminiscent of styles seen in central Mexico to the Puuc style found among the Puuc Maya of the northern lowlands. The presence of central Mexican styles was once thought to have been representative of direct migration or even conquest from central Mexico, but most contemporary interpretations view the presence of these non-Maya styles more as the result of cultural diffusion. Archaeological data, such as evidence of burning at a number of important structures and architectural complexes, suggest that Chichen Itza's collapse was violent. Following the decline of Chichen Itza's hegemony, regional power in the Yucatán shifted to a new center at Mayapan. The ruins of Chichen Itza are federal property, and the site’s stewardship is maintained by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History.

Leisure time in Cancun. Be sure to pre-book your local excursions to ensure that you make the most of your time in Mexico. Options include: Chichen Itza Tour, Coba and Mayan Villages Tour, Tulum Ruins Tour, Scuba Diving, Snorkeling, Fishing and more!

Airport transfer with private vehicle, and driver.