Lands of contrast tour

Included meals: breakfast at the hotel and dinner with a Maya family.
Accommodation: with a Maya host family (San Juan La Laguna, Lake Atitlán)
A guided hike led by a local guide

Hiking level: easy

Elevation gain: +150 m / –150 m — about 3h45 of walking (shorter option available).

Lake Atitlán is considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, as writer Aldous Huxley once said. Set at 1 500 m (4 900 ft) in the tropical zone, it lies within an ancient caldera surrounded by three towering volcanoes of over 3 000 m (9 840 ft).
Short motorboat transfer to Santa Cruz La Laguna.
The hike along the northwestern shore, facing the volcanoes, offers magnificent panoramic views of the lake. This off-the-beaten-path trail passes through several small villages, giving you a glimpse of authentic daily Maya life. You’ll then reach San Juan La Laguna, one of the most charming villages on the lake. Many local women have organized themselves into cooperatives and will show you how they use ancestral plant-based techniques to dye cotton. You’ll also see colorful murals painted by village artists depicting various aspects of Maya identity.
Dinner will be shared with a Maya family (arranged by a community-based ecotourism association), who will also host you overnight — a warm opportunity to share daily life with the locals and appreciate genuine Maya hospitality. Overnight in San Juan La Laguna.

Included meals: breakfast with your host family
Accommodation: Hotel (Quetzaltenango – 1st night)   

After breakfast with your hosts, take a short boat ride back to Panajachel, where you’ll meet your driver. Then travel to the highland village of Chichicastenango, steeped in Maya traditions. It was here that the Popol Vuh — one of the few surviving pre-Columbian texts, often called the sacred book of the Quiché Maya — was rediscovered.
The village is best known for its vibrant, colorful markets and for the scenes of religious syncretism that can be observed both outside and inside its colonial church. This church, built by the Spanish in the 16th century on the site of an ancient Maya temple, has a staircase with 18 steps, symbolizing the 18 months of the Maya calendar.
As you wander through the narrow streets, you’ll experience one of the most famous handicraft markets in the region—a vibrant explosion of color and life. Vendors sell textiles, masks, incense, fruit, silverwork, and carved wooden figures. Among the most prized items are embroidered huipiles (women’s blouses) and traditional dancer masks.
Just a ten-minute walk from the center lies the town’s colorful cemetery, where you may witness Maya families performing ancestral ceremonies to honor their ancestors. Nearby, the Pascual Abaj hill serves as a sacred site for rituals that blend ancient Maya beliefs with Catholic elements.

In the mid-afternoon, transfer across the highlands and its volcanic landscapes via the Pan-American Highway to the city of Quetzaltenango (2,300 m / 7,545 ft), nestled in a mountain valley at the foot of the Santa María volcano.
Overnight in the historic center of the city, known for its neoclassical architecture (two consecutive nights).

Meals included: breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel (Quetzaltenango – 2nd night)     
A guided hike led by a local guide

Hiking level: moderate (accessible)

Approx. 3 hours of walking — +350 m / –350 m elevation gain

At dawn, after a short transfer, meet your guide in the hamlet of Llano del Pinal. A 1.5-hour hike along the western flank of the massive Santa María volcano (3,770 m / 12,370 ft) takes you to a natural viewpoint offering spectacular views of the Santiaguito volcano, just a few kilometers away (2,500 m / 8,200 ft).
The Santa María–Santiaguito volcanic complex was formed in 1902 after a massive 19-day eruption that created a caldera on Santa María’s southwestern slope, where the smaller Santiaguito volcano has been erupting continuously since 1922. On a clear day, you can see the Pacific coastal plain and even the ocean beyond — a truly breathtaking panorama. Santiaguito is one of Guatemala’s three active volcanoes.

After your hike, return to your vehicle and continue to the village of San Francisco El Alto (2,630 m / 8,630 ft). Explore one of the largest indigenous markets in the region, featuring livestock, colorful embroidered textiles, pine furniture, and spices from across the country. Near the market, you may witness traditional Maya ceremonies with stunning mountain views. After visiting this bustling market, continue to nearby Maya villages such as San Andrés Xecul — famous for its vividly colored church façade — and Salcajá, home to the oldest church in Central America, founded in 1524.

Seldom visited by travelers due to its location off the classic tourist routes, the mountainous region of Quetzaltenango offers superb natural landscapes and Maya villages rich in tradition.
Second overnight stay in the historic center of Quetzaltenango.

Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodation: hotel (San Marcos)
A guided hike led by a local guide

Hiking level: moderate

Approx. 3 hours of walking — +350 m / –350 m elevation gain

A short transfer takes you to the starting point of your hike to Chicabal Volcano and its sacred crater lake, rising to 2,720 m (8,925 ft). You’ll begin in the Maya village of San Martín, where some men still wear traditional white clothing embroidered with red patterns. After passing fields of corn and squash, the path leads into a lush cloud forest. The small crater lake is a sacred place — said to be where “the clouds and rain are born.” It remains deeply important to the Maya, who bring offerings of flowers and candles to its shores. You can walk around the lake to admire the surrounding high-altitude forest of ferns, bamboo, and mosses. The lake’s surface is often stirred by the wind, creating ripples that seem to bring it to life. As clouds move quickly across the water, it’s easy to understand why the Maya view this mystical spot as a bridge between earth, water, and sky.
Each year in May, hundreds of ajq’ijab’ (Maya spiritual guides) gather here to celebrate the day dedicated to water — a powerful and moving ceremony of gratitude and renewal.

Mid-afternoon transfer to the provincial town of San Marcos, your base for the following day’s ascent of Tajumulco Volcano.
Overnight in San Marcos.

Meals included: packed breakfast
Accommodation : Hotel (Quetzaltenango).
A guided hike led by a local guide

Hiking level: moderate to difficult

Approx. 4h30 of walking — +600 m / –600 m elevation gain

Depart before dawn with your guide toward the foothills of Tajumulco Volcano, the highest peak in Central America (4,200 m / 13,780 ft). After an hour’s drive, you’ll switch to a 4×4 vehicle that will take you up a steep track to about 3,600 m (11,810 ft).

The route up the volcano is both spectacular and remote, cutting across deep ravines (quebradas) and massive volcanic rocks — the remains of ancient eruptions from this now dormant giant. The 2½-hour hike to the summit begins on a steep mountain trail. As you climb, you’ll witness the sunrise gradually illuminating the majestic silhouettes of the volcanoes lining the Guatemalan highlands. From the summit, the view is breathtaking — a vast panorama of rugged mountain terrain, and on clear days, even the distant Pacific Ocean. 

Note: This 4½-hour hike is within reach of any hiker accustomed to inclined trails. There are no technical difficulties aside from the slope and the altitude.

Return in the afternoon to San Marcos, then continue to Quetzaltenango.

Overnight in the historic center of Quetzaltenango.

Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodation: lodge (coffee plantation)

From Quetzaltenango, head south toward the base of the volcanic range, passing between several of the region’s impressive volcanoes.

Pass through the Maya village of Zunil with its beautiful traditional cemetery dominated by the Santa Maria Volcano (3,770 m / 12,370 ft). Follow a small mountain road through hand-cultivated patchwork fields to reach the Fuentes Georginas hot springs. Enjoy a relaxing bath in large natural thermal pools on the slopes of the Zunil Volcano, surrounded by lush high-altitude jungle with towering tree ferns.  

After your bath, descend from the highlands to the Pacific coastal plain — a spectacular 1,500-meter (4,900-ft) drop in under an hour. The route passes from pine and oak forests and vegetable terraces to vast plantations of coffee and rubber stretching along the foothills of the volcanic chain.

Arrive at your coffee plantation lodge, surrounded by vibrant tropical vegetation.

Overnight in a comfortable lodge within the plantation.

Meals included: breakfast and lunch at the plantation
Accommodation: Hotel (Guatemala City)

Your day begins on a beautiful plantation located at the base of the Santiaguito Volcano — an active volcano that often emits small eruptions, providing a spectacular natural backdrop. The property produces not only coffee but also bamboo, macadamia nuts, lychees, honey, and other tropical products.

Start the morning with breakfast overlooking the volcano. Before that, climb up to the observation platform to spot toucans, parrots, and other colorful birds that are most active at dawn. The plantation includes a private nature reserve rich in tropical flora and fauna. You can also take a refreshing dip in the cool waters of a small river running through a lush bamboo forest.

In the afternoon, travel toward the capital along the CA2 (Centroamérica 2) highway, which crosses the Pacific coastal plain from west to east along the volcanic range. This scenic drive offers sweeping views of some of Guatemala’s highest volcanoes — Santo Tomás, the Atitlán trio, Fuego (active), and Agua. The region is a vast agricultural plain, covered with coffee, sugarcane, and rubber plantations — another fascinating facet of the country’s landscapes and economy.

Overnight in Guatemala City.

Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel (1st night in Livingston).
Self-guided visit

Today, head east toward the Caribbean coast. The journey passes through dry regions dotted with cactus and calabash trees before reaching Quiriguá, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy a self-guided visit of this remarkable archaeological site, known for its enormous carved stelae — the tallest ever discovered in the Maya world. The site lies in a pocket of tropical forest surrounded by vast banana plantations, where you can spot colorful birds such as toucans and parrots, as well as majestic tropical trees. A stop en route offers insight into the banana-growing process — a crop that profoundly shaped Guatemala’s social, political, and economic landscape in the 20th century.

At midday, continue to Puerto Barrios, once the country’s main Atlantic port. From here, board a small boat for a coastal ride to the isolated Caribbean village of Livingston. The population here is primarily Garifuna — descendants of a unique fusion between escaped African slaves and Indigenous Caribs in the 17th century. Their vibrant culture, music, and language were recognized by UNESCO in 2001 as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Overnight in the village (two nights scheduled).

Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel (Livingston - 2nd night)     

A relaxing day on the Caribbean! Your boatman will pick you up at the pier for an excursion along the coast. You’ll visit the natural site of Siete Altares (“Seven Altars”), a series of small waterfalls hidden in the tropical forest — an easy walk suitable for all, with swimming opportunities (water shoes recommended). Continue by boat to Playa Blanca, a pristine white-sand beach lined with coconut palms, hammocks, and pelicans gliding over the turquoise sea.
Return to Livingston in the afternoon and enjoy free time to soak up the laid-back Caribbean vibe. Suggestion: sip a piña colada or coco loco (fresh coconut with rum) on a café terrace, or try the local specialty tapado, a delicious seafood and coconut milk stew.
Second night in Livingston.

Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Lodge (Tikal National Park)

After breakfast, embark on a motorboat excursion along the calm waters of the Río Dulce, surrounded by lush tropical vegetation. The river’s steep gorges and dense jungle host several protected reserves, with striking cliffs, bird islands, and mangroves that once sheltered pirates lying in wait for Spanish treasure ships. This region teems with wildlife — monkeys, anteaters, toucans, coatis, iguanas, manatees, pelicans, egrets, and herons. Midway through the journey, visit the Maya community project Ak’ Tenamit, where you can learn about the forest ecosystem and the traditional crafts of the Q’eqchi’ Maya. The Río Dulce, which connects the Caribbean Sea to Lake Izabal (Guatemala’s largest lake at 590 km² / 228 sq mi), is a natural gateway between coast and interior.²  

In the afternoon, continue by road across the Petén region to Tikal National Park. Along the way, you’ll see numerous ceibas (kapok trees) — Guatemala’s national tree and a sacred symbol in Maya cosmology. The Petén was among the last regions to be reoccupied and is one of the most significant centers of ancient Maya civilization. Recent lidar surveys have revealed evidence of millions of Maya inhabitants who lived in this fragile ecosystem for nearly eighteen centuries.

Overnight in a lodge inside Tikal National Park, just steps from the archaeological site—perfect for soaking up the magical atmosphere. At dawn and dusk, you may see coatis, ocellated turkeys, and agoutis wandering near the lodges.

Note: It is possible to enter the site for sunrise or sunset visits—please inquire for details.

Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel (Guatemala City)
Included: Guided tour in English— Tikal archaeological site and National Park
Flight Flores – Guatemala City included

Explore Tikal with a English-speaking specialist guide. Tikal National Park is one of the few UNESCO World Heritage sites listed for both its cultural and natural value—celebrated for its extraordinary biodiversity and its archaeological significance. This former ceremonial center, inhabited mainly from the 9th century BC to the 9th century AD, lies at the heart of a 576 km² (222 sq mi) tropical forest reserve.            ²   

With its towering pyramids—Temple IV rises over 230 ft (70 m)—Tikal is the most awe-inspiring Maya site in the country, and perhaps in all the Maya world. During its pre-Columbian peak, this great metropolis extended its political, economic, and cultural influence as far as the Mexican highlands. Your guide will introduce you to both the site’s fascinating history and its rich ecosystems. The protected habitats shelter several monkey species, anteaters, deer, coatis, and more than 300 bird species. The vegetation is equally remarkable, with over 200 tree species thriving in the reserve.

In the mid-afternoon, transfer to Flores Airport for your domestic flight back to Guatemala City. Upon arrival, your driver will meet you for a short transfer to your hotel.

Overnight in a hotel located in Zone 10 of the capital.     

Meals included: Breakfast

Short transfer to Guatemala City Airport for your international departure (check-in three hours before the flight). Depending on your flight schedule, you may visit the city’s main museums (upon request). In that case, we recommend choosing flights departing in the mid- or late afternoon.