Guatemala & Belize Explorer

  • Trip Type
  • Adventure
  • Length
  • 15 Days / 14 Nights
  • When to Go
  • November - August

  • Mountain, jungle & beach: the sacred lands of the Mayans

    Travel back in time on an immersive cultural adventure through Belize and Guatemala. Stroll cobblestone streets in Antigua, peruse local markets and partake in Mayan culture at Lake Atitlán, and climb ancient pyramids in Tikal. Next, discover beautiful Belize: ancient Mayan ceremonial caves, lush rainforest and finally, idyllic beaches to wrap up a truly memorable journey.

    Trip Highlights

    • Ancient Mayan ruins & ceremonial caves led by specialist guides
    • Street food & colonial history in Antigua
    • Chichicastenango market: the largest open-air market in the Americas
    • Lakeside villages & Mayan culture at Lake Atitlán
    • Snorkel among sea turtles & rays on Belize's barrier reef
    • Sunset sailing off the coast of Ambergris Caye

    similar trips per person from:

    $4,515.00 low season (May - Oct)
    $5,620.00 high season (Nov - Apr)
    prices vary based on departure season.


    At a Glance

    Click each day for more details.

    • Day 1: Antigua - Arrival

      When you touch down in Guatemala City, meet your driver, waiting to whisk you 30 minutes away to Antigua, a colonial city tucked into a valley surrounded by towering volcanoes. Check into the stately El Convento Hotel, and settle into the lap of luxury in one of the country's most iconic locations.

    • Day 2: Antigua - Street food & colonial history

      In this city, where old stands side by side with new, you'll get your first introduction to Guatemala. Step back in time on a private walking tour of the city, meandering alonglabyrinth cobblestone streets, taste testing a variety of mouth-watering delicacies and street fare, discovering fascinating ruins of convents and churches, and catching an glimpse of modern Guatemalan culture as you uncover secrets of Antigua’s ancient past.

    • Day 3: Antigua - Fair trade coffee production

      Start your day on a bumpy dirt path up to Finca Filadelfia, a working coffee farm whose hilltop location affords stunning panoramic views over the valley. Visit the plant nursery and lab before heading out to the farm to handpick bright red coffee cherries right off the plants, then on to the processing plant where the beans are sorted, dried, and roasted. Finally, finish with a cupping session and a tasting of some of the estate’s premium roast.

    • Day 4: Antigua to Lake Atitlán - Chichicastenango market

      After breakfast, depart for the colorful open-air market of Chichicastenango for an authentic glimpse of daily life in the Mayan highlands. Every Thursday and Sunday, local vendors from all over the region make their way to Chichicastenango to hawk their wares – anything from fruit and vegetables to flowers, pottery and even livestock – and local families visit their favorite vendors to gather ingredients and goods for the week.

    • Day 5: Lake Atitlán - Discover the splendors of a volcanic crater lagoon

      Spend a relaxing day making the most of legendary Lake Atitlán's pristine cobalt-colored lake bordered by three volcanoes. Enjoy the views from luxurious Casa Palopó, or take a kayak or paddleboard out for a spin.

    • Day 6: Lake Atitlán - Local lakeside life: artisan workshops, art galleries, fair trade cacao and honey farms

      Get a tantalizing taste of Mayan culture today on an exploration of Lake Atitlán and its colorful villages of San Juan La Laguna and Santiago Atitlán. Visit a women’s cooperative to learn about traditional hand-woven Mayan textiles and a cacao cooperative to taste delicious local chocolate in its many forms.

    • Day 7: Lake Atitlán to Tikal - Gateway to ancient wonders

      Get an early start this morning with a two-hour transfer from Lake Atitlán to Guatemala City, then a flight to Tikal, an ancient metropolis situated deep in the heart of the Mayan jungle. When you arrive, check into La Lancha Lodge, an intimate retreat along the shores of beautiful Lake Petén Itzá.

    • Day 8: Tikal - Echoes of an ancient empire at Tikal

      Tikal, the City of Echoes, was the greatest metropolis in the Mayan kingdom before its collapse in 1000 AD. Start your day atop Temple IV where you'll wait to watch as the sun ascends over the morning mists, bathing the forest in the warm shades of first light. Then find yourself transported back a thousand years, as you discover this once vibrant hub of Mayan life, now gently reclaimed by the primary rainforest and the troops of howler monkeys that whoop and call overhead.

    • Day 9: Tikal - Relax & rejuvenate on Lake Petén Itzá

      Today, spend a day on La Lancha’s beautiful property, perched on the shores of Lago Petén Itzá, the second largest lake in Guatemala, known for dramatic color changes, shifting from cobalt blue to a green turquoise hue in an instant. The Maya believed these cool waters contained almost magical healing powers, bringing a sense of rejuvenation to those who swim in the lake.

    • Day 10: Tikal to San Ignacio - Crossing into Belize

      Transfer across the border from Guatemala to Belize, where you'll check into the upscale Ka'ana Resort in San Ignacio.

    • Day 11: San Ignacio - A trove of treasures in the Actun Tunichil Muknal ceremonial caves

      Embark on a journey to Xibalba (pronounced shi-bal-ba), the Mayan underworld. Trek through rainforest to the Cave of the Stone Sepulcher, held sacred to the Maya who used the cave to conduct ceremonies and ritual sacrifices to the gods of the underworld. Travel into the past in this living museum, where skeletal remains and Mayan artifacts still rest as they were originally placed thousands of years ago.

    • Day 12: San Ignacio to Ambergris Caye - Trade rainforest for Caribbean Sea

      Take a scenic drive east through Belize's lush rolling hills to Belize City, and catch a plane bound for Ambergris Caye.

    • Day 13: Ambergris Caye - Snorkeling pristine seas at Mexico Rocks

      Sail up the coast of North Ambergris Caye to Mexico Rocks, one of Belize's most famous snorkeling sites. Don a snorkel and discover the undersea splendors of this unique patch reef, where a shallow cluster of corals provide refuge to a variety of marine life including scallops, anemones, shrimp, sea fans, and eels that shelter in the coral’s nooks and crannies, while abundant fish life includes grouper, snapper, grunts, butterfly fish, and many other brightly colored tropical beauties.

    • Day 14: Ambergris Caye - Discover paradise

      Spend your final day in Belize on the sandy shores of Ambergris Caye. Dinner tonight will be unforgettable - dine by candlelight at a table for two on the end of the pier, indulging in fresh local seafood and tasty tropical flavors to wrap up a truly memorable trip.

    • Day 15: Ambergris Caye to Belize City - Departure

      Feeling fully refreshed and revived, bid farewell to paradise, and take a quick flight to Belize City to catch your international flight home. Farewell!

    • Day 16: Placencia - Departure

      Bid farewell to turquoise waters and powdery sands, with a short flight to Belize City, where you will depart on your international flight home.


    Accommodations

    What's Included?

    Your trip includes everything you want & need, plus a few surprises along the way. Unique, unforgettable destinations; tours with local experts; authentic local cuisine; lessons, demonstrations & new cultural insights; more adventure than you can handle; blissful relaxation; romantic touches; and a feeling of total freedom. ROAM takes care of everything so that you can enjoy a hassle-free journey without worrying about a thing.

    • Airport pickup
    • All hotel accommodation
    • 14 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners
    • Detailed maps and trip preparation guide
    • All special events and tours
    • All vehicle and regional air transportation from rendezvous to drop-off
    • All baggage transportation
    • All gratuities for baggage, porters and hotel service

    Know Before You Go

    • Itinerary prices are dependent on season of departure. Christmas, New Years and Easter (Semana Santa) are peak season, and prices during these periods are significantlky higher than other times of year. High season runs from November through April, and green season from May through September.

    • Arrival: hotel check-in times are at 3:00pm, but you may arrive at any time during the day. If you arrive prior to the scheduled check-in time, we will arrange for early check-in wherever possible.

    • Departure: hotel check-out times are at 9:00am. International flights on your departure day should be arranged to depart after 1:30pm.

    • All prices in USD.

    • For vaccination recommendations, please visit the CDC website.

    • For American, Canadian, and British citizens, a valid passport with 6+ months remaining is required for entry to Belize.

    • Debit cards may not work in Central America, but most establishments accept major credit cards.

    • Please ensure you have immediate access to a minimum of USD $250 as an emergency fund to be used if circumstances outside our control (e.g. a natural disaster) require changes to your planned route.

    • If departing Belize by air, most major airlines include exit taxes in the price of your airfare.

    • It is customary to tip service providers (waiters) around 10% depending on service. Tipping taxi drivers is not required.

    • Gratuities for guides and drivers are deeply appreciated, and provide an important supplement to their income. If you are pleased with the tour services you've received, a guideline for tipping in Central America is USD $8-10 per person per day for multiple-day tours, or USD $5-10 per person for day tours.


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    Getting There

    From North America: several airlines offer direct and connecting flights to Belize’s international airport: Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport in Belize City (airport code: BZE). Including connection time, flights from the USA typically range from 2.5-9 hours in duration, while most flights from Canada range from 9-15 hours in duration.

    From the UK: there are currently no direct flights to Belize from the UK, but there are several flight options connecting in the United States and/or Canada. Including connection time, flights from the UK typically range from 12-18 hours in duration.


    When you arrive in BZE, there will be an airport transfer waiting to take you to your first destination. If you have questions about flights, or require assistance booking, please contact us here. We're here to help!

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