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Arrival and Transfer to Antigua
Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to Antigua (1 Hour)
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Antigua Walking Tour or AGAIG Coffee Tour
Our tour guide will meet us at our hotel reception to begin out half day walking tour of Antigua. The tour will
cover the highlights of the colonial city, which include San Francisco Church, the Cathedral, Central Park and La
Merced Church. The tour is flexible and we can choose to visit other sites if we wish.
As Green as it Gets (AGAIG) is a charity working to support small independent coffee producers and promoting
environmentally responsible agriculture in Guatemala. This tour takes us to visit some of the families
supported by this organisation where we can help coffee farmers in their daily coffee processing, before
sampling our own handiwork. Coffee Season is November to March. After the tour of our choice we’ll have the
afternoon to relax and explore Antigua.
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Flight to Flores and Aguateca Site
We will be picked up by our driver and transferred to Guatemala City Airport, where we will board the morning
flight to Flores, Petén. Once in Flores, our driver will transfer us to the Aguateca Site. A trip to Aguateca means
an exciting full day adventure combining nature and archaeology. We drive down for about two hours until we
reach the river port town of Sayaxché on the Río Pasión. Here we board a boat for the one hour trip
downstream to the ruins of Aguateca, capital of the dynasty founded in AD 645 by a prince from Tikal. It is a
fortified Maya city overlooking the river, while surrounded by steep escarpments and a sheer sided 200 ft. deep
chasm. After a long day of adventure, we transfer back to our hotel
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Tikal National Park
Today we will visit the magical Mayan Ruins of Tikal in Tikal National Park – a 576 Km2 site declared a World
Heritage site by UNESCO in 1979. The site’s mapped district covers 16 Km2 and comprises more than 3,000
individual structures, temples and courtyard groups. The metropolis was occupied during the period between
800 BC and 900 AD, but the earliest architecture originates from the 4th century BC. The nobility resided in the
Central and North Acropolis, the administrative centre of the city, which is also where some of the rulers were
buried. The tallest temple in Tikal is Temple IV, standing at a grand 70 metres (230 Ft.) in height.
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Flight to Guatemala City, Iximché and Lake Atitlán
After being transferred to Flores Airport for our flight we board the aircraft and fly to Guatemala City where we
will be met by our driver and transferred to the famous Maya site of Iximché for a guided tour. Iximché was
the capital of the Kakchiquel Maya. The archaeological site sits atop a fortified hilltop surrounded by a moat
about nine feet deep. As well as the structures, the site features a ball court, which is completely enclosed –
something common in many places in the highland. The Kakchiquel Maya were powerful warriors & skilful
builders. The stucco faces of many stone structures are still intact. It is thought that Iximché was founded in
the year 1470 AD and throughout the life of the city were always the bitter enemies of the Quiché Maya. The
first Spanish settlement on Guatemalan soil was in Iximché. After touring this fascinating site we can enjoy a
traditional lunch in a local restaurant before continuing on to Lake Atitlán
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San Juan La Laguna and Santiago Lake Tour
pick up from our hotel and transferred to San Juan La Laguna village where we will visit a local
textile cooperative to see the back strap loom in use and how natural dyes are still used, as well as the home
and workshop of a local naïf painter before boarding a boat to go to Santiago village for lunch. After the meal,
we and our guide will find the house where the Maya God Maximón is living and have a ceremony performed if
we wish. We can also see the local church and market to learn about the history and tradition of this town.
When we are ready our driver will transfer us back to the hotel.
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Chichicastenango Market and Transfer to Antigua
We will be picked up by our driver from our hotel and transferred approximately 1 hour to the highland town
of Chichicastenango. While driving through the central highland region we will be able to see local Maya
people in their traditional dress going about their daily lives. Upon arrival at Chichicastenango our guide will
take us to explore this famous market both in the fruit and vegetable area as well as the craft area where we
can appreciate beautiful textiles, wooden and ceramic crafts. As well as the town, we can visit the famous St.
Tomás Church where local Maya people come to perform Maya rituals. If we please, we can hike up the hill to
the Pascual Abaj ritual site to see if any local shamans are performing rituals. After having lunch in
Chichicastenango, we can decide to continue exploring before we are driven to Antigua.
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Transfer to Guatemala City and Departure
This morning our driver will transfer us to Guatemala City Airport (1 Hour), in plenty of time to catch our flight.