Good Morning Antigua! Your day will start with a welcome breakfast where you will meet your fellow Offbeaters and Tour Leader, who will tell you about all the excitement to come, followed by a walking tour that will take you on a journey of Antigua’s past glory as the Capital of Guatemala. You will visit crumbling ruins, glorious Cathedrals and find surprises abound every corner and through every welcoming doorway. You will also visit Cerro de la Cruz which translates to “Hill of the Cross” for superb views of Antigua.

After a hand at tortilla making and a traditional Guatemalan lunch you will have an afternoon to further explore the city as you wish, whether this is enjoying the cafe culture, a chocolate-making workshop in the ChocoMuseo or Hobbitenango, a site at an elevation of 7,800 feet above sea level inspired by the Lord of the Rings.

Guatemala has 37 officially named volcanoes, three of which that are still active. We didn’t think the trip would be complete without hiking a volcano so today, get your hiking boots ready as you will be hiking Volcan Pacaya. Volcan Pacaya is an active volcano which looms at an incredible 8,373 feet above sea level. At present you are unlikely to see lava flowing (even though it was in 2021!) but you may see smoke coming out of the crater or fumaroles. Bucket list item alert, following an hour’s hike to the top you will have lunch consisting of pizza cooked on the heat of the volcanic rock and toast your own marshmallows overlooking the volcanic landscape.

After your hike, you will be taken to Santa Teresita Thermal Spa to relax your post hike body.

Guatemalan coffee is considered to be some of the finest in the world. Today you will be taken to a small predominantly Mayan community on the flanks of Agua Volcano where local farmers work together as a co-op to grow, pick and process their own coffee for export and you will learn about the entire process from bean to cup and how to identify aromas and flavours with the help of the coffee taster’s flavour wheel. After lunch with the local farmers you will be on your way to Iximche (?).

Another day, another three volcanoes. Lake Atitlan is surrounded by three volcanoes: Atitlan, Toliman and San Pedro, also known as the Three Giants. It will feel like you are in another world as you have dinner overlooking a lake which was formed after a volcanic eruption and considered to be one of the most beautiful in the world, so much so that it was nominated to be one of the Seven Wonders.

This morning you will take advantage of the stillness of the volcanic crater lake and head out on kayaks. After a spot of lunch to replenish the calories you would have burnt, you will head to a quaint Mayan lake village called, San Juan la Laguna. San Juan is famous for its artists and murals depicting aspects of Tz’utujil and Kaqchikel life & legend and many co-operatives showcasing their mastery in weaving and textiles, use of plants and weeds for alternative medicine and expertise in agriculture, from flowers, nuts to honey. You will visit one of these co-ops, many of which support women empowerment, then browse the vibrant markets and head to Mirador de le Cruz for stunning views of the lake characterised with San Juan’s touch.

Today you are going on a quest to seek out Guatemala’s National Bird, the Resplendent Quetzal in a nature reserve in Santiago Atitlan. People travel far and wide to find this elusive bird but not many know that it is possible to see this flying dragon from right here. Santiago Atitlan is the most traditional and secluded village on the lake and given that the local birding experts are attempting to attract tourism to eliminate or at least reduce deforestation in the reserve, we have decided to incorporate this special birdwatching activity between February and April which is the best viewing season. We cannot offer a guarantee of sighting this bird but you will also have the opportunity to sight other endemic birds such as the Northern Emerald Toucanet. Alternative Atitlan Nature Reserve.

After this, you will head to Guatemala City (with a stop for lunch) to catch a flight to Flores, the gateway to Tikal.

Today you can have a much deserved lie-in, enjoy a book or the facilities at the hotel or explore the charming town of Flores. Be sure to enjoy the local delicacies or if you’re missing the food from home, some of the international eateries.

You will head to the Yaxha Archaelogical site after lunch, it is lesser known than Tikal but still impressive; Yaxha, stands on a hill between two sizeable lakes, Lago Yaxha and Lago Sacnab. The setting, the sheer size of the site, the number of excellently restored buildings which you can climb for excellent panoramic views during the sunset and the abundant jungle flora and fauna all make it particularly stunning.

We will then continue on to Tikal to overnight on the border of the park in readiness for the morning adventure.

Tikal is the greatest spectacle of the Mayan Civilisation and the heart of the empire that ruled most of Mesoamerica (Mexico & Central America) ahead of the Spanish conquest in the 1500s, surrounded by unrelenting nature, it is a place like no other. You will wake up to the jungle coming alive with the sheer abundance of wildlife, from howler monkeys to exotic birds, ready to feel like you are on a filmset of Indiana Jones or Apocaypto (Tikal was used as a model for this Mel Gibson’t classic film) as you walk ancient trails deep into the jungle and discover the Mayan superpower site which includes temples and pyramids that covers a whopping area of 575.83 kilometres. You will also decipher secrets such as their bloodthirsty rituals and human sacrifice and climb a temple for mystical views of the jungle canopy and temples rising above the trees. You may also get an eye level view of the wildlife.

After this, you will catch a flight for your farewell dinner in an affluent area of Guatemala City.

Offbeaters, until next time! What a trip it has been, a time for reflection – you’ve hiked an active volcano and roasted marshmallows on the heat of the volcanic rock and then bathed in a hot spring, you’ve learnt the process of coffee bean to cup from local farmers, kayaked on the crater of the deepest lake in Central America, learnt about the healing herbs and weeds from the indigenous people of Maya descent and created your own cream, uncovered the mysteries of an ancient civilisation and climbed temples to soak in jungles views.

Now it’s up to you whether you head home or carry on with your adventure for which we have several suggestions. Either way, it’s been a pleasure!