This tour is a more compact “Greatest Hits” for those who don’t have time for the full 16 day Guatemala experience. You’ll visit all of the highlights of the Colonial & Mayan Beauty tour: Charming Antigua, stunning Lake Atitlan, Chichicastenango’s indigenous market, Long Way Home’s spectacular eco-friendly school, art galleries, cooking classes, and more…plus you’ll fly to northern Guatemala to experience beautiful Flores and the ancient Mayan ruins of Tikal.
We’ll wake early to watch the colorful market come alive before the droves of tourists arrive by the busload. By then, we’ll have had the full, authentic ChiChi market experience. Even though we’ll have hit all the highlights before lunch, you’ll have the whole day to soak up the glory of Indigenous Market Day. Take your time shopping, try the delicious street foods, take a thousand photos, and watch the beautiful chaos unfold all around you.
Today, we’ll make the long trip back to Guatemala City, stopping in quaint, off-the-beaten-path Comalapa along the way. Comalapa is the artistic heart of Guatemala, boasting a staggering number of artists and is a great place to see what Guatemala is like without tourists. We’ll start with a cooking class, where you’ll learn to make a traditional meal. After eating, we’ll take a walking tour of the town, focusing on its famous murals and art galleries and ending in the town square to soak up life as the locals live it. We’ll end the day at our hotel in the big city.
You’ll have the morning free to relax after getting in late the night before. In the afternoon, we’ll head to the airport for a short 1 hour flight to charming Flores, a colorful little town on a small lake island in northern Guatemala. Flores is great for hanging out, kayaking, watching sunsets, and is the base for exploring the fantastic Mayan ruins at Tikal. Once in Flores, we’ll have a group dinner followed by an hour on a small party boat to wrap up a fun Saturday night.
We’ll start with a boat ride to ARCAS Animal Rescue to learn about their work and see many of the beautiful rescued animals. Hop Skip Jump can also make a monetary donation to ARCAS on behalf of each group member if you wish! After our visit, it’s time to play! We’ll head to a fun water spot with decks and awesome rope swings for lunch and swimming. Once we’ve had our fill of both, the rest of the day is free for you to explore Flores, kayak, or just relax.
(Prices are in $USD & exclude the cost of any flights.)
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ARCAS Animal Rescue
ARCAS is a non-profit Civil Association who became concerned as they saw their wildlife rapidly disappearing. They built a rescue center to rehabilitate wild animals that were being confiscated on the black market and now receive 300-600 animals of more than 40 species per year. ARCAS is located in a fascinating spot on the forested shoreline of Lake Peten Itza. You’ll get to visit the Animal Rescue, donate supplies, volunteer for a couple of hours, and Hop Skip Jump can donate $100 on behalf of each member of your group if you’d like to arrange that.
long way home
Long Way Home is a fantastic organization that promotes unique green building methods and supports the community through various projects, notably its Hero School, an incredible school providing high quality education to kids who may otherwise not have the opportunity. The best part is, this beautiful school is built from garbage and old tires. Yep, old tires! You won’t believe your eyes! You’ll get to visit the school, donate supplies, hang with volunteers, and Hop Skip Jump can donate $100 on behalf of each member of your group if you’d like to arrange that.
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