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Classic Maya of the Rainforest
7 night visit of the breathtaking Mayan ruins, lush
jungle and spectacular views of Palenque and Tikal.
Spring Special: 10-25% off all private tours
booked by April 1, 2010 for travel between March 15 and
July 1st, 2010!
Contact us for a discounted
price quote.
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Day 1: The nearest airport to Palenque is in Villahermosa, which is 2.5 hours away. If your flight arrives by 1 pm you can eliminate one day from this schedule, visit La Venta Olmec Museum when you arrive and go directly to Palenque. Otherwise, you will need to spend your first night in Villahermosa. The hotel shuttle will be waiting when you arrive to take you to the Hilton Hotel Villahermosa where you'll overnight.
Day 2: In the morning you'll be met at your hotel in Villahermosa and go directly to La Venta Olmec Museum in Villahermosa. There are 28 Olmec carvings at this beautiful outdoor museum with interesting zoo and lake. Each piece was set carefully for optimum viewing with benches placed for those wishing to meditate or ponder
the huge and amazingly well crafted Olmec heads, intricate altars, intriguing stele and statues.
Then you'll be transported to Palenque. The town of Palenque is 5 miles from the archeological site. Like its Mayan ruins, it exudes character, charm and an energy all its own. Against the backdrop of the rainforest, with all the modern conveniences (banks, pharmacies, laundry, photo development, internet cafes), Palenque gives off the feel of a fun, wild-west frontier town. You'll have some free time in the afternoon and evening relaxing in the lush jungle rainforest or exploring the sights, sounds and cuisines of Palenque. Overnight at Maya Tulipanes Hotel in Palenque.
Day 3: Today you have an entire day to visit the spectacular ruins of Palenque.
A UNESCO historical monument, Palenque is considered a world treasure. Ancient structures rise out of the lush rainforest on multiple terraces set against the mountains. There are many major buildings to explore and new buildings are now being uncovered and studied. Many wonderful examples of Maya art and history are carved into the building´s facades, some of them the most famous depictions from the ancient Maya world.
Palenque is exciting because of the vast amounts of information that has been painstakingly brought to light by archeologists over the years. Here you will find the unique building styles that caused early explorers to think that the builders of Palenque were influenced by Eastern or Asian architectural concepts.
You'll also visit the Palenque archaeological museum
with its extensive collection of jade masks, well
preserved carvings and stele and incense burners. Overnight at Maya Tulipanes
Hotel.
Day 4: Today you journey to Yaxchilan and Bonampak. First you go to Bonampak, home of famous Mayan murals. Their ancient colors remain clear and vital, making them an excellent representation of Mayan art. Bonampak also has some very well preserved stele that detail important historical moments.
Then
you travel by boat down the mighty Usamacinta River to the mysterious ancient Maya site of Yaxchilan. This incredible boatride through the rainforest with its huge trees and abundant wildlife makes you feel like you´re in an Indiana Jones movie! The tremendous archeological site of Yaxchilan, situated on the riverbanks, rises in levels to temples with breathtaking views of the rainforest stretching far into Guatemala. You'll hear stories of ancient Mayan Queens who exerted great power and about the modern Lacandon Indians (of whom there are only 450 people remaining) who still use Yaxchilan as a place of worship. See howler monkeys and many exotic birds as you roam this well organized ancient Maya city. You'll overnight at the Escudo Jaguar jungle lodge near Yaxchilan.
Day 5: Travel by boat and private vehicle to Tikal.
This afternoon you visit of the ruins at
Uaxactun. Uaxactun (which means “eight
stones”) got its name from archeologist Sylvanus
Morley who named it that because of an inscription
he deciphered on one of the stelae there.
Archeologists have determined that the four major
structures there 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. You’ll have lunch at the
chiclero camp there and time to enjoy the paradisal
jungle environment. Then you visit the Sylvanus
Morley archeological museum. At the end of the
day you'll have time to relax and enjoy lovely Lake
Peten. Overnight at Camino Real Peten where luxury 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 Lake Peten Itza and has magnificent views from the private balconies.
Day 6: 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 Petan where one can observe spider and howler monkeys and numerous bird species such as toucans, parrots and macaws. 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. Overnight at Camino Real Peten.
Day 7: Today you visit the Maya ruins on Lake Yaxhá (where "Survivor Guatemala" was filmed). On the banks of its beautiful lagoon is the Maya ruin 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.
You'll also 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 Chichen Itza. At the end of the day you go to Flores. You'll have time in the evening to explore this interesting city. Overnight at Hotel Esplendido in Flores.
Day 8: Transfer to Flores airport for departure.
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Tour Specifics
Cost per person for a private tour:
2 people $2,150 per person (double occupancy)
4 people $1,415 per person (double occupancy)
6 people $1,295 per person (double occupancy)
8 people $1,175 per person (double occupancy)
Contact us for pricing for private groups of 9 or more people.
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.
Tour includes:
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7 nights hotel and tourist taxes (Hilton Hotel in Villahermosa, Maya Tulipanes Hotel in Palenque, Escudo Jaguar in Corazol, Camino Real Peten near Tikal, Hotel Esplendido in Flores)
- All land and boat transportation (in private fully insured air-conditioned vehicle with licensed chauffeur)
The all day services of a professional licensed guide on the days you tour the ruins
- Private boat trip to/from Yaxchilan, across the river to the Guatemala border, and to/from Topoxte Island
- 4 breakfasts
and 3 lunches per person
- Tourist transit at Bonampak
- All other entry and guide fees for activities listed on the itinerary
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Spring Special:
10-25% off all private tours
booked by April 1, 2010 for travel
between March 15 and
July 1st, 2010!
Contact us for a discounted
price quote.
|
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Does not include airfare. For this itinerary you need to fly into Villahermosa (Mexico) and out of Flores (Guatemala).
The schedule can also be reversed to start in Flores and end in Villahermosa.
Price is based on medium range lodging. If you would prefer less expensive or more deluxe accommodations please contact us about the price difference.
Prices for Thanksgiving week, Dec. 18-Jan. 6 and Easter week may be slightly higher depending on hotel policies.
Tikal is also a very good connecting point for these other parts of the Maya world:
-- Nearby Maya ruin sites on the Passion River such as Aguateca, Ceibal, Cancuen, El Peru (Waka), Dos Pilas and Altar de Sacrificios.
-- By land or air you can travel to Quirigua and Copan in Honduras.
-- By land or air 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.
-- By air you can fly non-stop to Cancun to visit the Yucatan sites (Chichen Itza, Tulum,
Coba, Uxmal, etc.).
-- By helicopter you can fly to the newly excavated El Mirador and nearby Nakbe.
Palenque also connects easily with these parts of the Maya World:
-- By land or air you can go to the Yucatan sites (Chichen Itza, Tulum, Uxmal, etc.).
-- By land you can go to San Cristobal de las Casas for a deeper immersion in the modern Maya culture.
-- The nearby waterfalls at Miso Ha and the ruins at Tonina.
See our MayaMap page for locations.
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For more information or to make a reservation call MayaSites Travel Services
U.S. office toll free 877-620-8715
Outside of the U.S. (1) 505-255-2279)
Or e-mail us at mayasites@yahoo.com
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