After a delicious breakfast at your hotel, we will enjoy a two hour Spanish class. During this class, we will highlight important events in Guatemala's history as well as give you additional context for understanding current events and modern-day life in Guatemala. 

After this Spanish warm-up, we will hit the town for a brief walking tour that strikes a balance between Antigua's historical past while also giving you some insider tips about the here and now in Antigua, with a particular emphasis on the small business scene. We will stop for lunch at a local eatery loved by visitors and locals alike before taking an afternoon break for rest, relaxation, or independent exploration. 

In the early evening, we will enjoy a jade workshop where you will learn more about this beautiful stone's history and its importance in Guatemala's culture and economy. Plus, you'll even get to take a small piece home! 

After another delicious breakfast at your hotel, we will meet for an approximately 1-hour long Spanish class. Here, we will discuss coffee and its role as a top commodity in Guatemala's export economy. We will also discuss the challenges faced by small coffee producers in Guatemala as well as discuss possible ways that we, as consumers, can call for great equality in the industry. 

We will then make the 30-minute journey to the town of San Juan Alotenango, an area that was heavily impacted by the 2018 eruption of the Fuego volcano. Here we will meet with Don José and his family in their home. Don José is the kind of person you could spend hours talking to and never grow tired of listening to. He's lived a long and fascinating life and has a captivating and engaging way of sharing his story with others. 

One of Don José's primary sources of income comes from the relatively small plots of lands he owns and grows coffee on. Today, we will get the chance to visit his land, learn about the different processes involved in the cultivation and production of coffee, and discuss the industry as a whole. 

Once we've finished our outdoor adventure we will return to Don José's home for a home-cooked meal and continue what is sure to be an interesting and inspiring conversation! 

With a day full of adventure behind us, we will then head to the Guatemala City airport to catch a late afternoon flight to Flores. This short flight is about 50 minutes long and we will land with plenty of time to grab a bite for dinner and take in the views of Lago Petén Itza before getting to bed early. 

We will wake up early for a light breakfast as the sun comes up over Lago Petén Itzá. With full bellies, we will begin the 45-minute drive from Isla de Flores to the Tikal National where our local guide, Oliverio, will be waiting for us. 

Once inside the park, you’ll be able to appreciate all different kinds of wildlife such as spider monkeys, howler monkeys, orange-breasted falcons, woodpeckers, parrots, and many other unique species. In addition to the impressive flora and fauna, you’ll visit various temples, as well as the Central Acropolis, The Palace of Windows, and the Lost World. For our adrenaline seekers, upon exploring the park, there will be an opportunity to zipline through the jungle which costs approximately $50 extra. 

Upon wrapping up our tour of Tikal we will enjoy lunch in the small, lakeside town of El Remate. From there we will make the 3.5 - 4 hour journey, via our private shuttle, to Río Dulce where you can unwind by the pool, enjoy a meal or catch up on some rest in your wooden, over-water bungalows! 

Our day begins with a delicious breakfast overlooking the water before boarding our private boat for a day on the river and ultimately onto the Atlantic! 

Our first stop is Castillo San Felipe, an old “mini” castle that once served as a fortress to protect the land from pirate invasions. Next, we will continue on to the Island of the Birds and then take a dip in the hot springs before the river meets the Caribbean Sea, giving us a view of neighboring Belize. We will then enjoy a late lunch in the small Caribbean town of Livingston. 

This is the only part of Guatemala that you find a strong presence and influence of the Afro-Guatemalan culture which is made up almost entirely of people who identify as Garifuna The food here is unique and delicious, loaded with seafood and rich with distinct Caribbean flavors and the town is known for its African drumming. This portion of our tour will be done in collaboration with Garifuna Queens a non-profit organization based out of Queens, NY who has assisted us in creating stronger ties to the community so you can have a deeper and off the beaten path experience led by someone from the Garifuna community in La Buga Livingston. 

We will then return to our hotel, arriving around 5:30 pm, for a relaxing evening by the pool! 

Once again, we will enjoy breakfast at the hotel overlooking the river and taking in the final hours of our time in this magical place. 

After breakfast, we will enjoy a two-hour Spanish class where we will have the opportunity to share our experiences, thoughts, and opinion from our time in the highlands as well as answer any questions or dive deeper into topics covered during our time in Flores, Tikal, Río Dulce, and Livingston. 

After class, you will have around 30 minutes to finishing packing and gather your things before beginning our 6-hour drive back to Antigua Guatemala. We will be sure to make plenty of stops along the way for bathroom breaks, to stretch our legs and of course to eat! 

Once in Antigua, you will have a free evening to rest, relax or explore independently. 

Our only scheduled activity for the day is a two-hour Spanish class. Students can choose to attend a class from 9:00 to 11:00 am or from 4:00 to 6:00 pm, depending on how they'd like to spend their free time. Today's class will provide an opportunity for students to enjoy and discuss Latin American poetry and lyrics from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. 

You will have the rest of the day free, however, your tour leaders are more than happy to accompany you on any activities or assist in making arrangements and reservations.

We will meet at your hotel entrance to board our private shuttle for a 1-hour drive to the nearby farming town of Tecpán. Around 8:30 or 9:00 am we will arrive in Tecpán to enjoy a traditional breakfast in this cozy mountain town. Here, we can also spend some time looking at the artisan crafts. After departing Tecpán we will continue driving to the famous Lake Atitlán.

We will arrive in Lake Atitlán around noon to take a short boat ride to San Juan La Laguna. Here we will spend the day learning about the crafts and traditions of the Tzutujil people. This mellow lakeside town has escaped the commercialization of its neighboring town and has built an impressive and successful cultural/experiential tourism micro-economy that does not rely on Western influence or heavy investments from foreigners. You’ll see this when we tour their cooperatives to learn about agriculture, weaving, textiles, chocolate making, and more. In short, the people of San Juan are pioneers of community-based cultural tourism in the country. 

We will spend the entire day and night in San Juan exploring, eating, and interacting with individuals from the community who have graciously opened up the doors to their home for you. Lunch and dinner are provided and meals are a great time to interact with your host family! 

After breakfast with our host families, we will wave goodbye and return to our boat. We will spend the morning and early afternoon stopping at some neighboring towns, including San Pedro La Laguna to check out the art scene there and Santiago Atitlán to visit their market, church, and the Maximón shrine.

Later in the afternoon, we will arrive at our hotel. From here, you can visit the local nature reserve, rent a kayak, explore the nearby town of Panajachel, and much more! Just let your tour leader know what you’re interested in doing and we can arrange it for you!