3 night tour of Tikal, Yaxha, Uaxactun, Topoxte

Ancient Maya of the Rainforest Ruins of Tikal
3 night visit to the breathtaking Maya ruins, lush jungle and spectacular views of the Guatemalan highland
rainforest from the pyramids of Tikal, Uaxactun, Yaxha and Topoxte.

For location of Tikal see our MayaMap page.

Day 1: Early morning your guide and driver will pick you up at Flores airport (closest airport to Tikal). Then you'll go directly to the Maya ruins at Uaxactun. Uaxactun (which means “eight stones”) got its name from archeologist Sylvanus Morley because of an inscription he deciphered on one of the stele there. Archeologists have determined that the four major structures here were probably used for astronomical studies as they are aligned to the sunrise on equinoxes and solstices. Uaxactun is located in the 1.65 million hectare Maya Biosphere Reserve, which is part of the largest body of intact tropical forest in Central America.

In the afternoon you go to Tikal Park to visit the Sylvanus Morley museum and at the end of the day you'll have time to relax and enjoy lovely Lake Peten. Overnight at Camino Real Tikal where comfort and the jungle meet on the glimmering blue waters of Lake Peten Itza, the second largest lake in Guatemala. The resort is part of the Cerro Cahui natural reserve, home to over 400 bird species. Each bungalow overlooks the lake and has magnificent views from the private balconies.

Day 2: Today you visit the spectacular Mayan ruins at Tikal. One of the most famous and beautiful of Maya sites, Tikal’s massive and steep pyramids (one is over 200 feet high) loom above the lush jungle of the Peten where one can observe spider and howler monkeys and numerous bird species such as toucans, parrots and macaws in the towering ceiba trees. At its peak Tikal was home to an estimated 100,000 people and the site has over 3,000 structures within a six square mile area. Well preserved glyphic texts tell of a dynamic historical record spanning over 1,000 years, including a very old long-count inscription date of 292 AD. For your maximum enjoyment of Tikal, climb the highest pyramid, Temple 4, and get a birds-eye view of the site above the jungle canopy. Overnight at Camino Real Tikal.

Day 3: We begin the day at Lake Yaxhá. On the banks of its beautiful lagoon is the Maya archaeological site of Yaxhá ("Green Water"). Yaxhá was the third largest Maya city in the Peten (after El Mirador & Tikal) and has an unusual layout for the region. Its twin pyramid complexes, 9 acropolis', plazas and more than 500 structures are connected by sacbés (ancient elevated roads) in a manner more similar to Maya sites in the Yucatan. The views of the jungle from the 30 meter high Structure 216 are breathtaking. Birds, butterflies, spider and howler monkeys abound at this remote jungle site. Then you'll take a boat trip to the nearby island ruins at Topoxte ("Ramon Tree"). Topoxte also has unusual architectural features, including columns that are much like those found at the Yucatec site of Chichen Itza. At the end of the day you go to Flores for a walking tour of the village and the small archaeological site of Tayasal (former Maya name of Flores before the Spanish conquest). Overnight at Hotel Esplendido in Flores.

Day 4: Early morning transfer to Flores airport for departure.

Tour Specifics:

The cost of this tour depends on the number of participants. If you would like to be grouped up with other people, please let us know and we´ll let you know what dates we currently have for groups.

Cost per person for a private tour (which can be customized to meet your individual needs and interests):

2 people $940 per person
4 people $710 per person
6 people $590 per person
8 people $545 per person

Contact us for prices for private groups of 9 or larger. Prices for Dec. 18-Jan. 6 and Easter week may be slightly higher depending on hotel policies.

Tour includes:

-- 3 nights hotel and tourist taxes.
-- All ground transportation in privately chauffeured van with a/c including pick up and drop off at the Flores airport.
-- 3 breakfasts and 3 lunches per person.
-- Private boat trip to Topoxte.
-- All other entry and guide fees for activities listed on the itinerary.
-- The all day services of one of our expert licensed guides on the days you tour the ruins and archaeological sites.

Tour does not include airfare to/from Flores. Flights from other countries connect through Guatemala City. Contact us about air ticket prices from your departing airport.

UPCOMING SPECIAL
SMALL GROUP TOURS:

Classic Maya in Tikal & Copan
March 2-7, 2012 5 nights
plus Uaxactun, Yaxha,
Topoxte Island and Quirigua
Guatemala Highlands
March 7-10, 2012 3 nights

Classic Maya of the Rainforest in Tikal
Dec. 15-17, 2012
Tikal, Uaxactun, Yaxha,
Topoxte Island and more!

Tikal is a very good connecting point for these other parts of the Maya world:

By boat you can visit Maya sites on the nearby rivers such as Aguateca, Ceibal, Cancuen, El Peru (Waka), Dos Pilas and Altar de Sacrificios.
By land and boat you can cross over the river to visit Yaxchilan, Bonampak, Palenque and Tonina.
By land or air you can travel to Quirigua and Copan in Honduras.
By land you can travel to Belize to visit Xunantunich, Caracol, Cahal Pech, Lubaantun, Lamanai and numerous underground caves.
By air or land you can go to Guatemala City to visit the museums and the highland Maya villages of Antigua, Atitlán, Chichicastenango and Santiago de Atitlan (to name a few) and ancient Maya archaeological sites at Ixmiche and Utatlàn.
By air you can fly to Cancun to visit the Yucatan sites (Chichen Itza, Tulum, Uxmal, etc.).
By helicopter you can fly to the newly excavated El Mirador and nearby Nakbe.
See our MayaMap page for locations.

For FREE information about travel in the Land of the Maya
Phone our U.S. office toll free 1-877-620-8715
Outside of the U.S. (1) 505-255-2279
Or, e-mail us at mayasites@yahoo.com. See you soon!