DAY 1

Upon your arrival in Managua, you will be greeted at the Managua airport and escorted to the most famous colonial city in Nicaragua: Granada.

La Gran Francia Hotel, Granada

DAY 2

Walk through the historic center of Granada, the oldest town in the mainland Americas, visiting the most important monuments: the Cathedral, San Francisco convent and its pre-Columbian statues, the Merced Church and the famous “Casa de Los Leones.” Part of today’s city tour will be by horse-drawn carriage, still a typical mode of transport in this area. Relish the views and the cuisine as you eat lunch on the edge of the great Lake Nicaragua. Board a boat and take a trip to the scenic “Isletas,” an archipelago of about 350 islands formed by an ancient volcanic explosion, enjoying the tropical vegetation and bird watching en route.

La Gran Francia Hotel, Granada

DAY 3

From the edge of the Santiago crater, you’ll be able to observe the activity of the Masaya Volcano up close. Afterwards, visit the ecological museum to learn about the volcano and the seismology of Central America. At the Masaya Market, the most popular open-air market in Nicaragua, you can shop for handicrafts and observe the daily life of the Nicaraguan people.

La Gran Francia Hotel, Granada

DAYS 4 & 5

On arrival at Guatemala’s La Aurora Airport, you will be met and transferred to Lake Atitlán. Set in a deep crater, the crystal blue waters make this one of the most beautiful lakes in the world — cross Lake Atitlán by motorboat to fully appreciate its vistas. Twelve villages surround the lake; their inhabitants are descendants from the great Quiché, Cackchiquel and Tzutuhil Nations. This is an ideal place to witness Guatemalan folklore and watch the people weave their colorful textiles.

Hotel Atitlán, Panajachel

DAY 6

In the morning you will transfer to Chichicastenango. In the afternoon you will visit the town of Pascual Abaj, which contains the ancient Mayan shrine where the Mayan priests perform ceremonies and the townspeople come to make offerings and ask for blessings, as they have for centuries.

Mayan Inn, Chichicastenango

DAYS 7 & 8

Visit the most colorful and picturesque open-air market in the country, where hundreds of people from the surrounding countryside gather to barter their goods. Explore Antigua Guatemala via Iximché — founded by the Spaniards in 1543 — a beautiful blend of ruins, restored colonial buildings, and new buildings in colonial style. Other highlights of Antigua you will see include Cuidad Vieja, Guatemala’s first capital; San Antonio Aguas Calientes, an indigenous community that produces colorfully designed textiles; and a city tour of Antigua’s most interesting churches, monasteries and factories.

Hotel El Convento, Antigua

DAYS 9 & 10

In the morning you will transfer by plane to Flores and then on to Tikal. Explore the archaeological complex of Tikal, among the most stunning of the Mayan ruins and pyramids, “lost” for centuries amidst dense jungle. You’ll be able to see the original causeways, sculptures and hieroglyphs that this fascinating culture left behind.

Camino Real-Tikal Hotel, Tikal National Park

DAYS 11 & 12

You will be transferred to Flores Airport for your flight to Guatemala’s capital city. Depart Guatemala City on Day 12.

Vista Real Hotel, Guatemala City

Package price is per person, based on double occupancy. Single supplement applies. Intra-tour air pricing is subject to change. International airfare is additional. Other restrictions may apply. Contact us for complete journey details.

DAY 1

Arrive in Managua. You will be greeted at the Managua airport and escorted to the most famous colonial city in Nicaragua: Granada. Get your first taste of Central American cuisine this evening as you enjoy dinner at a local restaurant in the heart of town. 
Plaza Colon Hotel, Granada

DAY 2

Walk through the historic center of Granada, the oldest town in the mainland Americas, visiting the most important monuments: the Cathedral, San Francisco convent and its pre-Columbian statues, the Merced Church and the famous “Casa de Los Leones.” Part of today’s city tour will be by horse-drawn carriage, still a typical mode of transport in this area. Relish the views and the cuisine as you eat lunch on the edge of the great Lake Nicaragua. Board a boat and take a trip to the scenic “Isletas,” an archipelago of about 350 islands formed by an ancient volcanic explosion, enjoying the tropical vegetation and bird watching en route. Dinner at a local restaurant with folk dancing and marimba music will be the perfect end to this full day of exploration. 
Plaza Colon Hotel, Granada

DAY 3

From the edge of the Santiago crater, you’ll be able to observe the activity of the Masaya Volcano up close. Afterwards, visit the ecological museum to learn about the volcano and the seismology of Central America. At the Masaya Market, the most popular open-air market in Nicaragua, you can shop for handicrafts and observe the daily life of the Nicaraguan people. After a lunch of traditional Nicaraguan cuisine in a panoramic restaurant, you’ll visit two more towns where handicrafts are produced: Catarina specializes in ornamental plants and flowers, and in San Juan de Oriente you can observe artisans crafting delicate pottery. 
Plaza Colon Hotel, Granada

DAYS 4 & 5

On arrival at Guatemala’s La Aurora Airport, you will be met and transferred to Lake Atitlán. Set in a deep crater, the crystal blue waters make this one of the most beautiful lakes in the world — cross Lake Atitlán by motorboat to fully appreciate its vistas. Twelve villages surround the lake; their inhabitants are descendants from the great Quiché, Cackchiquel and Tzutuhil Nations. This is an ideal place to witness Guatemalan folklore and watch the people weave their colorful textiles. 
Hotel Atitlán, Panajachel

DAY 6

In the morning you will transfer to Chichicastenango. In the afternoon you will visit the town of Pascual Abaj, which contains the ancient Mayan shrine where the Mayan priests perform ceremonies and the townspeople come to make offerings and ask for blessings, as they have for centuries. 
Mayan Inn, Chichicastenango

DAYS 7 & 8

Visit the most colorful and picturesque open-air market in the country, where hundreds of people from the surrounding countryside gather to barter their goods. Witness the captivating religious ceremonies held on the steps of the 400-year-old Church of Santo Tomás. Explore Antigua Guatemala via Iximché — founded by the Spaniards in 1543 — a beautiful blend of ruins, restored colonial buildings, and new buildings in colonial style. Other highlights of Antigua you will see include Cuidad Vieja, Guatemala’s first capital; San Antonio Aguas Calientes, an indigenous community that produces colorfully designed textiles; and a city tour of Antigua’s most interesting churches, monasteries and factories. 
Casa Santo Domingo Hotel or Camino Real-Antigua, Antigua

DAYS 9 & 10

In the morning you will transfer by plane to Flores and then on to Tikal. Explore the archaeological complex of Tikal, among the most stunning of the Mayan ruins and pyramids, “lost” for centuries amidst dense jungle. You’ll be able to see the original causeways, sculptures and hieroglyphs that this fascinating culture left behind. 
Camino Real-Tikal Hotel, Tikal National Park

DAYS 11 & 12

You will be transferred to Flores Airport for your flight to Guatemala’s capital city. You can return home or continue on with an extension to the Yucatán. 
Camino Real-Guatemala Hotel, Guatemala City

Package price is per person, based on double occupancy. Single supplement applies. Intra-tour air pricing is subject to change. International airfare is additional. Other restrictions may apply. Contact us for complete journey details.

Hotel Plaza Colon
Granada, Nicaragua

Hotel Plaza Colon is ideally located right in front of Parque Colón, Parque Central. Set in an elegant antique colonial house, the hotel has been restored to its original style and architecture, with external courtyards and balconies overlooking Central Park and the Cathedral. The current facade of the hotel is the same it had back in 1905.

Hotel features and services include a swimming pool, as well as a business services and restaurants offering both national and international cuisine.

The guestrooms rooms are large and well‐equipped, with all the amenities of a modern hotel in the center of a historical city: The hotel rooms feature air‐conditioning, ceiling fans, cable TV, closets, high‐speed Internet access, hairdryers, alarm clocks, minibars and National and International Phone Calls.

La Gran Francia Hotel
Granada, Nicaragua

Located right off the main square of the historical colonial city of Granada, La Gran Francia is a splendid ancestral building whose existence historians argue dates back to the years immediately following the founding of Granada, in 1524. This architectural jewel was restored during the decade of the 1990's, recovering the majesty and splendor of its heyday and today housing Granada's finest hotel. La Gran Francia Colonial Boutique Hotel offers 21 air-conditioned rooms with all modern comforts and amenities, a pool, a restaurant, two bars, and banquet hall facilities. At La Gran Francia you will be able to enjoy the best of Nicaraguan hospitality and all the comforts of modernity while surrounded by the rustic elegance of colonial Granada.

Hotel Atitlan
Panajachel, Guatemala

The Hotel Atitlan is located along the shores of Lake Atitlan outside the town of Panajachel, with views of three 10,000 ft. volcanoes—the Toliman, Atitlan and San Pedro. Hotel Atitlan boasts of award winning gardens, fine cuisine, hand carved wooden furniture and gorgeous ceramic tiles. The restaurant has an elegant ambiance serving local and international culinary delights, with a bar adjacent to the restaurant. The hotel also features a lakeside beach, swimming pool, tennis courts and offers laundry service, room service and a currency exchange.

All of the 63 tastefully decorated rooms enjoy a view of Lake Atitlan. Each room has its very own character and includes a balcony, air‐conditioning, telephone, hair dryer and cable television.

Mayan Inn
Chichicastenango, Guatemala

A modern inn, in the center of town, the hotel features one‐of‐a‐kind accommodations, fine dining, intimate lounge, lush patios, and gardens. Enjoy a walk through our many small patios with flowers, shrubs, sculptures from ancient Maya, exotic birds and other treasures. The hotel offers a laundry service.

The rooms have antique furnishings, a private bathroom with tub, in‐room safe and a fireplace.

Casa Santo Domingo Hotel
Antigua, Guatemala

This is a world-class museum hotel, featuring an art gallery, museums, a chapel and attention to the detail in all its decoration. The Casa Santo Domingo was the stronghold of one of the grandest convents of America: the one that sheltered the followers of the order of Santo Domingo de Guzmán. Casa Santo Domingo is an important part of the beautiful colonial reliquary that preserves the treasures from the baroque period of ancestral America. Each corner of the house, each stone, image and piece that compose this unique whole of works becomes a lost page in time, one by one all elements are joined together, forming a beautiful chapter in the grand book of our history. The Casa Santo Domingo hotel opened in June 1989.

Hotel features include a heated pool, sauna, massage room, indoor Jacuzzis, Colonial Art Museum, Archaeological Museum and a selection of exclusive shops. Email service and Internet connections are also available, as well as shoe shines and laundry. The restaurants are delightful – offering excellent international cuisine in an historic atmosphere.

The 125 rooms are individually unique, with each having a private bathroom, mini‐bar, chimney, cable TV, telephone, hair dryer and safety deposit box.

Hotel El Convento
Antigua, Guatemala

Situated on one of Antigua’s famed cobblestone streets, in front of the superb 18th century Capuchin convent, El Convento is a sanctuary from which to discover the city’s magnificent sites. The all-suite El Convento gracefully marries the ancient with the modern. Combining artisanal brick vaulted ceilings, exposed stone walls and hand-crafted doors with the simple elegance of contemporary design. Whether unwinding in the deep-set living room sofas or stopping by for a glass of wine beneath the domed cupula of the bar, staying in can be just as tempting.

Camino Real‐Tikal Hotel
Tikal, Guatemala

The hotel inside the Cerro Cahuí Natural Reserve and on the banks of Lake Petén Itzá; The hotel features a pool and Jacuzzi, gym, kayaks, Mayan steam bath, game room and gift shops. The hotel is also adjacent to El Remate, a farmersʹ village where you can watch them carve the hardwood souvenirs they sell.

The two restaurants and lounge offer a variety of local and international cuisine, as well as views of the lake.

The 72 rooms have a balcony with a view to Lake Petén Itzá. All rooms are equipped with cable TV, telephone, mini bar and an in‐room safe.

Westin Camino Real
Guatemala City, Guatemala

The Westin Camino Real is an exquisite mixture of elegance and comfort, with the honor of being the leading luxury hotel in Guatemala City. The Hotel has recently been redecorated with marvelous pieces of art and wonderful classic European architectural details. The hotel features and services include a complete gym and spa, tennis courts, business center, bank, barbershop, beauty salon, and an extensive arcade of shops.

Westin Camino Real offers all types of international and local cuisine and drinks in any of its three restaurants, one coffee shop and two bars. The more than 200 elegant deluxe rooms offer all the usual Westin luxury touches and amenities. All the rooms are air‐conditioned and equipped with cable TV, direct dial telephone, safety deposit box, mini bar, coffee maker, iron and ironing board, hair dryer and high speed internet access.

Vista Real Hotel
Guatemala City, Guatemala

The hotel provides complimentary parking, security gate for vehicle entrance and exit, and a staff with plenty of experience in hotel safety. Hotel Vista Real Guatemala has 123 luxurious suites surrounded by luscious gardens distributed as: 44 Master Suites, 26 Grand Class Suites, 50 Business Class Suites, two Governor Suites and one magnificent Presidential Suite. Hotel Vista Real Guatemala invites you to enjoy the splendor of an architectonic poem and a service that will make your visit One Genuine Grand Class Experience.

John Wootton

After years spent aboard ships and traveling in South Africa, John joined the Travcoa family. He has been leading our journeys for 30 years, in which time he has traveled on most itineraries, covering all seven continents.

Travel Dates: August 30, 2010