Capital Cities of the Ancient Maya: Honduras, Guatemala & Mexico Tour

Upon viewing the stunning art and architecture of Copán, archaeologist Sylvanus Morley proclaimed it the Athens of the New World. This UNESCO World Heritage Site represents one of the most spectacular cultural achievements in antiquity. Recent work has helped restore the magnificent hieroglyphic stairway to its former grandeur, and art historians are reconstructing the elaborate facades on the buildings. Throughout the site, finely chiseled inscriptions tell us of the powerful kings in the Copán lineage, from the founder, K’inich Yax K’uk Mo’, to Waxaklajuun Ubaah K’awiil (Ruler 13 known as 18 Rabbit). The day will be spent exploring this exquisite city. (B/L/D)

Begin in the Copán Village Museum located in the town square, then depart Honduras and cross the border into Guatemala to visit Quiriguá, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Quiriguá’s stelae are the tallest and most intricately carved in the Maya world. The Great Plaza contains zoomorphic sculptures and elaborately carved stone monuments honoring K’ahk’ Tiliw Chan Yopaat (commonly known as Two-Legged Sky), who freed his city from Copán when he captured and beheaded 18 Rabbit in 738 AD. Board a river vessel to travel up the Rio Dulce, flowing from Lake Izabal, in the eastern part of Guatemala, to the Caribbean Sea. With graceful birds soaring overhead and edged with tall cliffs teeming with verdant flora, the waterway is extraordinarily beautiful.

Overnight for one night at the Hotel Villa Caribe where the Rio Dulce River joins the Caribbean Sea in the town of Livingston. While here, learn about the Garifuna people, descendants of escaped African slaves, and Arawak people, who have their own language and customs. This experience will provide perspective on Guatemala’s multi-cultural heritage. (B/L/D)

This morning we explore the town of Livingston and continue to El Castillo de San Felipe de Lara, listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. This fort was built by the Spanish in 1644 as protection against pirates, mostly English. Strategically located at the narrowest point on the river, this small fortress was used for several centuries to prevent buccaneers from robbing ships and pillaging villages along the lake’s shores.

We will take a short boat ride to view the fortress and experience the beauty of the lagoon. In the afternoon, transfer to Flores and explore the brightly painted buildings of this charming island town.

Continue to Tikal and overnight for two nights at the simple Jungle Lodge, located within the national park. (B/L/D)

Tikal has been a national park since 1955 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. The 222 square miles of protected forest are home to wild pigs (peccaries), raccoon-like coatimundis, jaguars, and other cats, along with brilliantly colored turkeys and other tropical birds. Here, in the shadows of the magnificent pyramids, discover the royal families of Tikal through their stories on the carved stone monuments. Learn about the wars of conquest that rocked the region for centuries and begin to understand how the ties of blood created an allegiance between this impressive city and the other sites we will visit, and how these ties were often frayed by battles between the powers that ruled these royal centers. (B/L/D)

Spend the morning in Tikal’s two museums where the finest stone monuments are preserved along with other artifacts from the many years of excavation. After lunch, drive to the village of Bethel, located on the banks of the Usumacinta River, the largest river in Central America and the border between Guatemala and Mexico’s Chiapas state. Here, we board local lanchas for an “African Queen” boat ride that takes us through lovely tropical waterways to the village of Frontera Corozal. Overnight for two nights in the remote Escudo Jaguar, a simple jungle lodge. (B/L/D)

Located deep within the rain forest on an oxbow of the Usumacinta River, Yaxchilán was, until recently, almost inaccessible. Here, in the 6^th century, the rulers Itzamnaaj Bahlam (known as Shield Jaguar) and his son Yaxuun Bahlam (Bird Jaguar) built towering memorials to themselves. There are more than 125 carved monuments at Yaxchilán, including altars, thrones, steps, walls, and stelae. However, the door lintels are the site’s claim to fame. Sheltered from the elements, these great stone slabs spanned the tops of 56 doorways, and on many of them, the incised hieroglyphs are still fresh after more than 1,200 years. Here, we will learn the history of the elite and their blood sacrifice to the gods. The howler monkeys hanging from the trees, scarlet macaws soaring overhead, and the rushing river make the overall experience at Yaxchilán very special, even for the seasoned traveler.

In the afternoon, return upstream to our jungle lodge. (B/L/D)

To reach the small ceremonial center of Bonampak, travel through the Lacandon Rainforest, some of the last of the uncut jungles in this area. Within a palace are three rooms with walls covered with stunning murals telling of the presentation of the ruler’s heir in 790 AD. The city collapsed about this time and these vivid multi-colored paintings were never completely finished. The detailed scenes of life at court, battles, torture, and ceremonies are considered among the most refined mural frescoes of the Americas. Bonampak is well known for its imagery, but the immense standing stone monuments are equally lovely and the texts that cover them tell of the center’s close relationship with nearby Yaxchilán.

Transfer to Palenque and overnight for two nights at the Chan Kah Resort, where private bungalows are situated amidst a pristine jungle environment and clustered around an immense, free-form swimming pool. Dinner is on our own tonight. (B/L)

Set like a jewel in the lush jungle-clad emerald foothills of the mountains of Chiapas, Palenque is certainly one of the most beautiful of the Maya sites. The tomb of the great ruler, K’inich Janaab’ Pakal, was hidden deep inside the Temple of Inscriptions until 1952 when, after four years of excavations, Mexican archaeologist Alberto Ruz discovered it and raised the 4.5-ton sarcophagus lid with truck jacks to uncover the king wearing his mosaic jade death mask.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Palenque is unusual in having almost no carved monuments, instead, stucco sculptures depicting the city’s royalty decorate many of the buildings while lengthy hieroglyphic texts can be found on tablets inside the palaces and temples. The three temples in the Group of the Cross are the most magnificent buildings in the city. Built high on the side of a hill, these beautifully decorated sanctuaries dominate the surrounding countryside. In their interiors, massive, finely carved hieroglyphic panels tell the history of the kings and the glorification of their gods.

In the afternoon, tour the Palenque Museum containing an outstanding collection of artifacts. These include breathtakingly beautiful incensarios, or ceramic incense burners, some as tall as three feet high and richly adorned with masks of Maya gods.  Dinner will be at one of Palenque’s charming restaurants. (B/L/D)

An early departure takes us to Villahermosa, the capital of the state of Tabasco, where we visit La Venta Park and the Regional Museum of Anthropology. Located on the lovely Laguna de las Ilusiones, La Venta Park is a fascinating outdoor museum that contains a variety of Olmec artifacts, including intricately carved stelae and the famous monumental heads, carved of basalt and measuring up to seven feet high.

The Museo Regional de Antropologia Carlos Pellicer Camara contains an excellent collection of maps of Olmec and Maya sites, Olmec and Maya artifacts, and pieces from ancient civilizations across Mexico. Dinner will be in one of the city’s excellent restaurants. Overnight in Villahermosa’s Hyatt Regency. (B/L/D)

This morning’s drive takes us to the colorful and historic city of San Cristobal de las Casas, one of the most picturesque towns in all of Mexico. It sits high in the mountains 7,000 feet above sea level, and is the marketing center for the Maya villagers living in nearby communities.  Founded by Spanish conquistadors in 1528 after they had conquered the Maya strongholds of the highlands, it is listed as one of the Pueblos Mágicos (Magical Towns) by Mexico’s Secretary of Tourism, the city has tranquil cobblestone streets flanked by houses with red tile roofs and yards full of flowers. Here, discover Colonial architecture and vibrant indigenous culture as well as a thriving art scene.

After lunch, the afternoon will be spent visiting the sites of San Cristobal de las Casas. Best explored on foot, the historic center is laid out in a grid pattern with narrow cobblestone streets and colonial-style buildings made of adobe and stone with red clay tile roofs and wrought iron balconies. The Colonial heritage of this city is evident in its churches. Built by Spanish settlers in the 16^th and 17^th centuries, they have been maintained for more than 400 years. Visit Santo Domingo church which is the gathering place for the city’s daily market offering produce, household items, textiles, and more. Inside the front door of the carved-stone Plateresque façade (a heavily decorated architectural style fashionable in 16^th-century Spain), there’s a beautiful gilded wooden altarpiece built in 1560, walls with saints, and gilt-framed paintings.

Next to the church is the former Convent of Santo Domingo, housing Sna Jolobil, The Weaver’s House, a women’s cooperative. Fine woven goods are on display and some of the very best huipiles (long, sleeveless tunics), blouses, skirts, rugs, and other items are for sale. Our final stops will be The Museo de las Culturas Populares, the textile museum, and the Museo Na Bolom, former home to anthropologist Frans Blom and his photographer wife, Trudy. On display is the history of the Maya peoples, from the lacandones to the choles.

Overnight for two nights in the Posada Diego de Mazariegos, housed within an 18th-century hacienda. (B/L/D)

The fascinating Tzotzil Maya village of San Juan Chamula is famous for its unique religious practices that blend Catholic and Maya beliefs. This morning’s cultural exploration includes a visit to the church, where Catholic prayers and traditional healing rituals can be observed simultaneously, the cemetery with its Maya crosses scattered on the hillside, and a walk through the daily food and handicraft market in the village. Considered the region’s finest weavers, the women of Chamula are distinctive in their colorful huipiles and heavy woolen skirts pin-striped in red and grey. White calf-length pants and shirts covered by black and white woolen tunics make the men as impressive.

Continue to San Lorenzo Zinacantan.  Zinacantan’s role as a regional center for the flower trade is reflected in the brilliant red, blue, and purple flowers embroidered on the huipiles of the local inhabitants. 

The afternoon is free for further explorations of San Cristobal with dinner on our own. (B/L)

The Casa de las Sirenas is the oldest home in San Cristobal de las Casas. We admire its charming façade, decorated with delightful animals and other mythical creatures, including a mermaid. After lunch in a local restaurant, transfer to Tuxtla Gutierrez and fly to Mexico City. 

Overnight at the Camino Real Airport Hotel. Dinner is on our own this evening. (B/L)

OR

Begin our Mexico City Post-Trip Extension; see the continuation of the itinerary below. (B/L/D)

Transfer to the airport for our flights home. (B)

Transfer to the airport to board our flights home. (B)