Small group tour to Mexico and Guatemala
| country: | Guatemala, Mexico |
| departures: | 2010: 15 May, 24 Jul, 30 Oct, 18 Dec |
| price: | From £2298 (17 days) including flights from the UK. Minimum age 12. This trip can also be booked without flights |
| more info: | 2010 price: From £2428 |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Small group tour to Mexico and Guatemala
Small group tour to Mexico and Guatemala From the magnificent capital of the Aztec empire and now the modern bustling heart of Mexico, through the mountain towns of Oaxaca and San Cristobal de las Casas, to the Mayan heartland of Guatemala, one of Latin Americas most magical countries, which combines the colonial architecture of Antigua, the serenity of Lake Atitlan and the spectacular site of Tikal.
Highlights of our Small group tour to Mexico and Guatemala
Visit the historic and vibrant Mexico City. Including the vast Aztec site of Teotihuacan. Stay in the evocative colonial mountain towns of Oaxaca and San Cristobal de las Casas. Cross the border into Guatemala and relax by the enchanted waters of Lake Atitlan, ringed by volcanoes. Antigua, one of Latin America’s most beautiful colonial cities and the colourful Chichicastenango market. Play Indiana Jones at the fantastic ruins of Tikal, where gigantic pyramids pierce through the jungle canopy.
Style of travel: We stay in simple hotels and guesthouses with private facilities; transport is a mixture of private and public vehicles.
A few days to spare?
If you have a few days to spare, we can arrange extensions to the beginning or end of this tour, on a private basis. You may like to cross the border into Belize where you can relax in a jungle lodge or swim in the tropical waters of the Caribbean, the home of the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world.
Best time to go: Mexico and Guatemala can be visited all year round. However, the dry months are typically November to April and heavier rains can be expected between June and October.
Highlights of our Small group tour to Mexico and Guatemala
Style of travel: We stay in simple hotels and guesthouses with private facilities; transport is a mixture of private and public vehicles.
A few days to spare?
If you have a few days to spare, we can arrange extensions to the beginning or end of this tour, on a private basis. You may like to cross the border into Belize where you can relax in a jungle lodge or swim in the tropical waters of the Caribbean, the home of the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world.
Best time to go: Mexico and Guatemala can be visited all year round. However, the dry months are typically November to April and heavier rains can be expected between June and October.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly UK to Mexico City. |
| Day 2: | Guided tour of the city and visit to the world famous Museum of Anthropology. |
| Day 3: | Excursion to the vast Aztec site of Teotihuacan. |
| Day 4: | Bus to the colonial mountain town of Oaxaca. |
| Day 5: | Walking tour of the cobbled part of town and take an optional visit to the Zapotec ruins of Monte Alban. |
| Day 6: | Fly and drive to the cool city of San Cristobal de las Casas, exploring the wildlife haven at the Sumidero Canyon en route. |
| Day 7: | Soak up Indian cultures in the villages of San Juan Chamula and Zinacantan. |
| Day 8: | By road to the volcano rimmed Lake Atitlan. |
| Day 9: | Day trip to the famous artisan market at Chichicastenango. |
| Day 10: | Explore the villages around the lake, and absorb its magical beauty. |
| Day 11: | By road to the colonial showpiece of Antigua and enjoy a tour through the streets and plazas. |
| Day 12: | Day at leisure to shop or relax in the bars and restaurants or take a day trip out to local villages. |
| Day 13: | By road and air to the mighty Mayan site of Tikal, situated in the Peten rainforest. |
| Day 14: | Tour of the temples and pyramids, set in lush jungle inhabited by monkeys and tropical birds. |
| Day 15: | Return by air and road to Antigua. |
| Day 16: | UK clients depart. |
| Day 17: | Arrive UK. |
small group adventure holiday
This trip is run by a company which specialises in only Central and South America holidays. Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip and how many others are booked on it) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone, with your partner or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places, whilst being led by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic leader. how this holiday makes a difference
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Community
We work with the charity Safe Passage which provides education and care for children who live on the Guatemala City rubbish dump. For those who are interested, your tour leader can arrange to visit the charity whilst in Antigua to see the wonderful work the charity carries out to improve these children’s lives and provide them with opportunities for a better future. If you wish to take gifts of clothing or similar to Guatemala, we would be delighted to arrange for them to be delivered to Safe Passage. This tour visits many indigenous towns such as Chichicastenango, San Juan Chamula and Zinacantan. Here the local populations benefit greatly from the much needed economic boost that tourism brings to their towns. Our tour leader will accompany you to local arts and crafts markets where you can purchase goods directly from the artisans, helping to put money back into the communities. On this tour we work with small privately owned ground agents who live in the area, have established RT policies in place, and employ local guides and staff. A number of journeys on this tour use public transport, the hotels are small, individual properties often run by the owners and their families, we eat in local restaurants serving locally grown produce – our style of travel ensures that as many local people as possible benefit by our being there. Environment This tour runs with a maximum of 16 people which helps to minimise the impact on delicate environments. The ruins of Teotihuacan, Monte Alban and Tikal are all UNESCO world heritage sites. The entrance fees we pay helps to maintain and preserve these important sites. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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