DAY 2 SUN. CHICHICASTENANGO, Guatemala.  Depart early to Chichicastenango that is by far the largest and most colorful handicrafts market in The Americas.  Every Thursday and Sunday, Maya people from all over Guatemala meet to sell their products and visit the town’s Catholic Church, Santo Tomas, to pray in their own way becoming the best example of syncretism of the Maya and Catholic traditions.  Transfer to Lake Atitlan for overnight in Panajachel.  (B)

DAY 3 MON. LAKE ATITLAN, Guatemala. An interesting geological formation, Atitlan is a lake of volcanic origin, located at 5,000 feet above sea level and surrounded by 3 imposing volcanoes and in the heart of the Living Maya culture.  Boat tour to visit Santiago Atitlan, a town famous for naïf paintings and wood carvings. Boat Tour to visit Santiago Atitlan, a town famous for naif paintings and wood carvings.  Overnight in Panajachel.   (B)

DAY 4 TUE. SOLOLÁ, Guatemala.  Transfer to Antigua, visiting en route the indigenous market of Sololá, a market that provides an interesting contrast with the Chichicastenango market, because it is a market of the Maya people for themselves with very few tourists around.   Afternoon transfer to Antigua for overnight.  (B)

                                                                          

DAY 5 WED. ANTIGUA, Guatemala.  Antigua is an UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the incredibly preserved Spanish Colonial heritage.  Founded in 1542, it was for over 200 years the Capital of Central America.  Morning visit to its most important palaces, plazas, churches and convents.  Free afternoon.  Overnight in Guatemala City.  (B)

DAY 6 THU. YAXHA and TOPOXTE, Guatemala.  Transfer to Guatemala City International Airport for a 45-minutes flight to Flores.  Forty miles from Flores and within the Maya Biosphere Reserve, the second largest rainforest reserve in The Americas, only after the Amazon, Yaxha is an impressive site that deserves a visit.  It is located right by a lake and  Topoxte is a smaller site on a island of that lake.  Overnight in Flores.   (B,L)

                                                                         

DAY 7 FRI. TIKAL, Guatemala.  Transfer to Tikal National Park, 40 miles from Flores to visit the most impressive city built by the Ancient Maya, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1979.  Some of its towering pyramids reach over 200 feet sticking above the rainforest canopy.  It is a day that combines archaeology with natural history, since the park is also within the Maya Biosphere Reserve.  Transfer back to Flores to take the 6PM flight back to Guatemala City.  Meet at Guatemala City Airport and transfer to hotel.  Overnight in Guatemala City.   (B,L)

DAY 8 SAT. Departure.  Transfer to Guatemala City International Airport. (B)