On arrival at San Jose airport you will be met by a representative and transferred to Chayote Lodge.

 

Located in the central highlands, San Jose boasts a moderate climate. Like most cities, San Jose has its good and bad sides with beautiful parks and museums, but a few beggars on the streets. It is big and often noisy, but even from its crowded downtown streets you’ll often enjoy a view of the surrounding lush mountains. If you have time we recommend exploring the city centre, in particular the main plaza, which is a great place to people watch.

Day 2: Chayote Lodge - Arenal Volcano

This morning is at your leisure. This beautiful and diverse region holds an abundance of incredible experiences for all to enjoy, from adrenalin adventure activities to more relaxed, leisurely walks and hot springs.

In the afternoon you will enjoy a visit to the Arenal Volcano, where you will observe the natural beauty of flowers, lush vegetation, howler monkeys and exotic birds as you walk along the beautiful trails. Later, you will have the chance to unwind in the natural hot springs with views of the majestic Arenal Volcano. This experience finishes with a delicious meal before we transfer you back to your hotel.

After breakfast, a local guide will pick you up at your hotel and then take you on a great Ometepe Island Tour. Your local guide will take you to visit the main sites of Ometepe Island including “El Ceibo” the best archaeological and numismatic museum of Nicaragua. You will also visit the Green Puddles lagoon (El Ojo de Agua) a natural pool of clear water supplied by a river that originates from Conception Volcano. Another site to be visited will be Petroglyphs at Finca el Porvenir. These stones, found on the lower slopes of Madera’s volcano on Ometepe, still bear the ornate carvings of the first indigenous settlers of Nicaragua. Enjoy the great views that Volcano Conception and Volcano Madera have to offer. Enjoy lunch on the shores of Santo Domingo and after return to your hotel.  

 

Breakfast included.

Day 8: Ometepe Island to Granada

This wonderful outdoor experience begins when you are picked up at your hotel in a traditional Horsedrawn Carriage. You will start with a visit to La Casa de los Tres Mundos art gallery a cultural academy, then the convent of San Francisco church, built in 1529 decorated with elegant paintings and pre- Columbian statues from Zapatera Island. Then you will visit Iglesia La Merced taking stars up the tower from where you will have great views of the city.., after Iglesia La Merced you will go to the Old Train Station that has just been restored located in front of Sandino Park. The last place you will visit is La Polvora, a fort where the Spanish stored dynamite and weapons in the 17th and 18th century to repel the attacks of English and French pirates.

Later, you will leave Granada and will be transferred to the Masaya Areas. Transportation, bilingual guide (English-Spanish), lunch & entrances fees are included. 

Your tour will take you to Catarina, a small and characteristic village of Nicaragua where people work seedling nurseries, make handcraft and raise horses. Placed on top of the extict volcano 520 meters above sea level this presents a very agreeable climate. The temperature veries from 22 and 27 C° (72 & 77 F°) from here you can have a magnificent view of Apoyo lagoon, Mombacho volcano, Granada and Lake Nicaragua. Lunch included in a beautiful typical restaurant amidst nature.

After Catarina you will visit  the ancient highland villages of  "La Meseta" to visits the Mesa artisans workshops of San Juan de Oriente. This precious town has colonial period houses, churches and a hardworking native population. Then visit the finest Handicraft Market in Masaya where you will enjoy the creativity and a variety of Nicaraguan art at bargain prices.

Our day tour ends with a visit in the late evening to the First National Park created in Nicaragua in 1979, one of Nicaragua's most interesting and beautiful natural phenomena. It comprises an area of 54 km2 with more than 20 km of scenic roads and trails, leading to and around the one impressive volcano and five formidable craters; one of them currently displays gaseous activity and incandescent lava lake in its interior. As you approach it, you see an eerie, orange glow and swirling steam. Standing at the wall, you are able to peer into the crater and see the lava lake churning and splashing - an incredible thing to experience first-hand! A NATGEO team recently finished exploring the volcano… Eventually transfer back to Granada.

Please note that due safety restrictions, visitors are only allowed to stay 15 minutes near the crater.

Breakfast included.

Today you will be transferred to the international airport in Managua for your flight to Guatemala City. On arrival in Guatemala City you will be met by a representative and transferred to your hotel in Antigua 45 kms away.

Once the third largest city in all of Spanish America, Antigua served as Guatemala's capital city for more than 200 years until it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1773. Antigua today is a peaceful, partially restored colonial city that is a pleasure to explore.

Day 12: Antigua City Tour

Volcan Fuego rises to the roof of the world above the streets of Antigua. Once the capital of Guatemala and all Central America, Antigua resembles a living ruin. Mammoth churches and palaces tell the story of Antigua's past glory, and restored facades speak of a bright future for this wonderful city. This morning we’ll tour the city and admire Antigua's gilded  cathedrals. The afternoon is yours to rent mountain bikes to explore the countryside, visit a coffee finca or macadamia nut plantation, or simply people watch in the main plaza.

We travel into the heart of the Guatemalan Highlands to Lake Atitlán in the western highlands of Guatemala, which is often called one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. Located at over 1500 metres above sea level, the lake reaches depths of 324 metres and is surrounded by three majestic volcanoes - Tolimán, Atitlán and San Pedro. We’ll spend a night in beautiful Panajachel , considered the jewel of the highlands and inhabited by the Cachikel people for over eight hundred years. As we wander around Panajachel and its surrounding villages, you will observe this people’s daily life and be amazed by the skills of the women weavers.

 

Breakfast included.

Today you’ll take a small passenger boat across the azure-coloured waters of the lake to the charming village of Santiago Atitlán. Get ready for spectacular views of the surrounding volcanoes and insight into a thriving Mayan community. Villagers in Santiago Atitlán still adhere to the traditional lifestyle of the Tz'utuhil Maya and on our walk we'll see many people cloaked in brightly-coloured, hand-woven clothing. Art galleries filled with oil paintings line Santiago’s main street, depicting busy market scenes and typical life in the highlands. We may also visit Maximòn and leave an offering to this curious and revered deity before returning back across the lake to Panajachel.

A visit to Guatemala would not be complete without the chance to visit the famous market of Chichicastenango. This beautiful town, surrounded by valleys and shadowed by mountains, has many shamanistic and ceremonial overtones. Its large market brings villagers from throughout the region who often arrive the night before and sleep on blankets in the market square. Rising early, they set out their colourful fruits, vegetables and handicrafts. The market disperses in the early afternoon, so we will then travel back to Antigua where we’ll spend the night.

*Take note that market days are Thursdays and Sundays, however we can rearrange this itinerary to make sure you’re there on the correct day.

A representative will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to Guatemala City airport for your departure flight.

An early morning flight takes you to Flores in the tropical lowlands of the Petén Jungle and the home of the ancient Maya. After meeting up with your guide, you'll continue on to the ruins of Tikal and check in to your hotel located in the national park.

After lunch at your hotel you will enjoy a guided tour of the Tikal site, where you'll encounter towering pyramids rising above the thick jungle canopy and learn how the city thrived as an important religious, scientific, and political centre for fifteen hundred years. Today, the pristine forest engulfing the ruined city is home to howler and spider monkeys, white-lipped peccary, brocket deer, coatimundis, toucans, scarlet macaws, parrots, ocelots and the seldom seen jaguar.

The sheer scale of the ruins at Tikal may at first seem daunting; however by staying within the park you will have the opportunity to further explore the ruins beyond the central area. Wander endlessly into the maze of smaller structures and outlying complexes hidden in the jungle growth, and if your energy levels are high enough to make it to the top of Temple IV you won’t be disappointed! Amazing views of the surrounding jungle canopy will greet you from the top of the highest structure within the complex, and once the crowds have left the jungle animals comes to life.

For those interested, you can choose to take an optional morning tour of the park to enjoy the sun rising over the jungle. The tour is at your own expense and can be reserved at your hotel.

Later in the morning a representative will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you across the border into Mexico.

Transfer to the River Usumacinta, where we will navigate to the border line of Guatemala and Mexico, Bethel / Corozal, towards the archaeological site of Yaxchilán, spectacular for its jungle atmosphere. Next we’ll travel to Escudo Jaguar where we’ll have lunch (at your own expense). We’ll then continue on to Palenque where the evening is spent at your leisure.

Today we will visit the archaeological site of Palenque, a World Heritage Site, located 7km outside the town of Palenque. Overlooking the swampy plains that stretch northward all the way to the Gulf Coast, Palenque flourished between AD600 and 800, when its influence extended throughout the basin of the Usumacinta River. The site, surrounded by rainforests filled with toucans and howler monkeys, is made up of some five hundred buildings spread over 15 sq km. Only a few have been excavated.

We will explore the magnificent ruins, including the Temple of the Inscriptions (the tallest and stateliest of Palenque’s buildings), the Temple of the Sun (crowned with a prominent roof comb), and The Palace, with its maze of corridors and rooms. Many other beautiful buildings are also available for exploration.

*If you’d like to explore the rainforest ruins of Chiapas in more detail then we recommend adding an extra day and taking a tour of Yaxchilán and Bonampak, located deep in the rainforest.

A representative will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to Villahermosa airport for your departure flight.

Upon arrival at Merida airport you will be met by a representative and transferred to your centrally located hotel.

The afternoon is at your leisure to explore the city. Built more than four hundred fifty years ago on the site of T’ho, an ancient Mayan city, Merida is the social and economic centre, as well as the capital, of the state of Yucatán. Merida’s downtown area features a large, tree-shaded central square. The city’s main boulevard, Paseo Montejo, is home to impressive European-style mansions. Though a bustling city of about seven million, Merida retains its colonial charm and has a laid-back tempo that delights visitors. If you have extra time, we recommend adding a few additional days to visit the surrounding area. You’ll see pink flamingo sanctuaries and crystal-clear cenotes (sinkholes) that are easily accessible from Merida.

City	Comfort	Superior	Deluxe
San Jose Coffee Zone	Chayote Lodge	Chayote Lodge	Chayote Lodge
Arenal	Magic Mountain	Arena Springs Resort & Spa	Arenal Kioro Suites & Spa
Monteverde	Trapp Family lodge	El Establo	Belmar
Ometepe Island	San Juan del la Isla	San Juan del la Isla	San Juan del la Isla
Granada City	Hotel Patio del Malinche	Hotel Plaza Colon	Hotel Plaza Colon
Antigua	Lo de Bernal	Camino Real Antiqua	El Convento Boutique Hotel
Lake Atitlan	Hotel Regis	Porta Del Lago	Hotel Atitlan
Tikal	Tikal Inn	Jungle Lodge	Jungle Lodge
Palenque	Hotel Ciudad Real Palenque	Villa Mercedes	Quinta Chanabnal
Merida	El Castellano	Hotel Hacienda	Casa Lecanda Boutique
Tulum	Hip Hotel Tulum	Ana y Jose	Hotel Encantada