September 28 - Belize City
Upon arrival in Belize you will be met at the airport and escorted to your hotel. After checking in, dinner will be provided at the hotel followed by an orientation to the program. Overnight Radisson Hotel (D)
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September 29 - San Ignacio
After an early breakfast you will depart Belize City and travel to visit the ruins at Lamanai. Lamanai, meaning ‘submerged crocodile,’ features spectacular temples and hundreds of carved structures. After lunch at the site you’ll return by boat to the dock at Orange Walk and drive to San Ignacio. Dinner will be at the hotel. Overnight San Ignacio Hotel (BLD)
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September 30 - San Ignacio
This morning after breakfast you will visit the bustling market at San Ignacio and explore the shops, restaurants, and colonial architecture of the town. Later is a visit to the nearby Cahal Pech archaeological
site, formerly a major Maya ceremonial center and a popular spot for bird watching. After lunch at the hotel you will venture into a Maya community where the focus will be on natural healing with Maya herbal medicine. Dinner will be at the hotel. Overnight San Ignacio Hotel (BLD)
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October 01 - Tikal
After breakfast you will head to the Xunantunich ruins. Xunantunich houses six plazas surrounded by more than 26 temples and palaces dating from the Maya Classic Era. It’s largest pyramid, El Castillo, is well known for its frieze of stucco decoration. Later you will transfer to the border and arrive at the Hotel Peten Esplendido to
check in and eat lunch. An orientation to the town of Flores will be provided during a boat ride before dinner at the hotel. Overnight Peten Esplendido (BLD)
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October 02 - Tikal
After an early breakfast at the hotel you will transfer to the Tikal National Park, one of the largest excavated sites in the Americas
and home to over 4,000 structures. Tikal is one of the most famous sites in Guatemala with a long and mysterious history. The ruins are dominated by five enormous, pyramidal temples, as well as an impressive network of causeways, aqueducts, and canals. Your guide will provide an overview of the ruins during a lecture, "Tikal - Where Only Legend Survives." After lunch at the site is an excursion to the Tikal Museum. After transferring back to Flores, the rest of the afternoon is at leisure to explore the Mediterranean style architecture of the town before dinner at the hotel. Overnight Peten Esplendido (BLD)
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October 03 - Antigua
After an early breakfast at the hotel you will transfer to the airport for a morning flight to Guatemala City. Upon arrival you will head to Antigua where you will check in at the hotel followed by lunch. Later you will meet with Elizabeth Bell in the lobby for a cultural walking tour of the city, visiting the cathedral and its magnificent ruins, the Jade Museum, which features carvings and replicas of pre-Colombian masks, figures, and ceremonial knives, and the best museums in Antigua at the Paseo de los Museos. Overnight Hotel Posada Don Rodrigo Antigua (BLD)
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October 04 - Antigua
After breakfast at the hotel you will transfer to Chichicastenango, situated high on the mountaintops. A trip here would not be complete without an excursion to the famous colorful indigenous market filled with textiles, handicrafts, and food. Lunch will be at the Hotel Santo Tomas followed by a field trip to the church of Santo Tomas. You will discover how Maya religion has blended with Christianity during a site lecture by local guide on the religious rituals of the people of Guatemala. Dinner is on your own to explore the local options. Overnight Hotel Posada Don Rodrigo Antigua (BL)
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October 05 - Antigua
This morning after breakfast at the hotel you will take a field trip to Casa K’ojom Music Museum to see the traditional instruments of the Maya and enjoy a lecture on the evolution of Maya music. You will return to the hotel for lunch. In the afternoon, an excursion to San Antonio Aguas Calientes Textile Cooperative will provide the opportunity to see weavers and textiles and learn about the traditional Indian costumes of Guatemala during a site lecture by a local guide. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure followed by dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight Hotel Posada Don Rodrigo Antigua (BLD)
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October 06 - Copan
Breakfast will be followed by your transfer to Honduras, with lunch served en route. After arrival and check in at the hotel in the
early afternoon, you will have time to walk around the town of Copán. Later this afternoon, your explorations of the city will be complemented with a lecture by expert archaeologist David Sedat titled "Discovering Copán." Dinner will be served at the hotel. Overnight Hotel Copan Marina (BLD)
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October 07 - Copan
After breakfast will be a field trip to Copán’s main archaeological site, most famous for its inscribed Hieroglyphic Stairway and carved stelae. Lunch will be at the ruins. In the afternoon you will explore the Sculpture Museum, which features a beautiful and colorful collection of Maya architecture and sculpture. Later you will return to the hotel for the rest of the afternoon at leisure and dinner on your own. Overnight Hotel Copan Marina (BL)
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October 08 - Copan
This morning after breakfast at the hotel you will take a field trip to a local school and visit a museum in town. Lunch will be at a local restaurant. The early afternoon will be at leisure to explore Copán, followed by a visit to the home of a local archaeologist for a demonstration on transforming cacao into chocolate and a lecture, "History of Cacao - The Sacred Maya Beverage." This evening, enjoy a BBQ dinner around the pool with marimba music. Overnight Hotel Copan Marina (BLD)
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October 09 - San Pedro Sula
After breakfast you will visit the Sepulturas site at Copán before departing to San Pedro Sula, one of the fastest growing cities in the country. Enjoy lunch at local restaurant. This afternoon you will visit the museum in town followed by an excursion to Guamilito Market, which features Honduran artisans, crafts, and produce from around the country. This evening a farewell dinner will be served at a local restaurant. Overnight Gran Sula Hotel (BLD)
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October 10 - San Pedro Sula
This morning you will transfer to the airport for your flight home. (B)
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