| Mesoamerica |
 |
 |
 |
|
MEXICO -Â GUATEMALA - HONDURAS November 13, 2009
January 15, 2010
March 12, 2010
12 days / 11 nights
Day 1:Â Arrival to Mexico City. Transfer to the hotel (30-40 min).
Day 2:Â Â Mexico City Tour - National Museum of Anthropology - Teotihuacan (10 hours)
Impressive megapolis with its anthrological symbiosis: Indians, Mestizos, Creoles and Europeans. Cultural and archeological center of the most interesting country of the American continent. The city of mixed emotions, splendid colors and of spicy tastes. You will see: "Zocalo", the main square of the country, the ruins of the ancient Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, the National Palace. See the murals of Mexico's greatest artist, Diego Rivera. These colorful murals cover Mexico's pre-Columbian Indian history, the colonial period and the Revolution.
Visit Mexico City's National Museum of Anthropology in Chapultepec Park. See archaeological treasures of pre-Hispanic civilizations, including the Toltec, Mexica, Aztec, Zapotec, Mixtec, Olmec and Mayan. See the immense Aztec Calendar Stone.
Than visit Mexico's grandest archaeological site, ancient Teotihuacán (80km away from the Mexico City), built by the Nahua. The sixth largest city in the world in 400 A.D., Teotihuacán was mysteriously abandoned 300 years later, centuries before the Aztec occupation. Visit the Jaguar Palace and the Temple of the Plumed Conch Shells. See the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon. Walk the Avenue of the Dead, flanked by temples and palaces. Return to the hotel.
Day 3:Â Â Mexico - 125 km - Puebla - 363 km - Oaxaca
Your journey toward Caribbean cost starts. Morning drive to visit the historic center of colonial Puebla, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Puebla is the city of the clean air and of a quality of life, the city of the legendary chocolate sauce of "mole". Further travel to Oaxaca. Arrival to the hotel.
Day 4:Â Oaxaca - 10 km - Monte Alban - 250 km - Tehuantepec
Tour to Monte Alban. This city-state is strategically situated at 2000 m above the sea-level and used to be a religious center of the tribe of Zapoteks. Fascinating in its geometry, the city contains the ball games field, the observatory, the world-famous wall portrayals of the dancers etc. Arrival to the city of Tehuantepec. Check-in to the hotel.
Day 5:Â Â Tehuantepec - 370 km - San Cristobal de Las Casas To the famous Mexican Canyon of Sumidero by land, further - by the water boats. The exotic plant figures, caves and altars - Canyon of Sumidero is one of the most fascinating places in Mexico. Again by land to the most Indian city, the former capital of the state of Chiapas, the city of San Cristobal de Las Casas. Check-in
Day 6:Â San Cristobal de las Casas - La Mesilla - 241 km Atitlan (Mexico & Guatemala)
Arrival to Guatemala, transfer to the Lake of Atitlan, the Lake most beautiful of the World, according to the English novelist Aldoux Huxley on his visit to Guatemala, this natural beauty is surrounded by three spectacular Volcanoes, Toliman, San Pedro and Atitlan, at night transfer to the Atitlan hotel for their lodging.
Day 7:Â Â Atitlan - Antigua (Guatemala) 120 km
Transfer to Antigua Guatemala . Unesco declared this charming colonial style city a Heritage of Humanity. You will visit the central square and its unique Mermaid Fountain, the Cathedral and other stunning landmarks. Check in.
Â
Day 8:Â Â Antigua - Copan (Guatemala & Honduras) 290 km
Visit the Archaeological City Copan Honduras. We will transfer them to the Archaeological place that stand up for its Astronomers and Sculptors of those times, they visited the Great Square, famous for the Steles and Altars that are decorating it, its Acropolis and temple that it opens us a window to the past. Hotel
Day 9:Â Â Copan - 190 km Quirigua - 253 km Flores (Guatemala)
Quirigua is a Maya city famous for its spectacular and gigantic stelae, including stele E, the tallest stele ever found. Arrival to Flores.
Â
Day 10:Â Â Flores - 60 km Tikal - 210 km Bethel - 167 km Palenque (Guatemala & Mexico)
Â
Capital of the Mayan Empire, TIKAL, in this impressive place visits the main buildings like the temples I and II, The North Acropolis, The Great Jaguar, as well as a great quantity of steles and altars that relate part of the history of the Mayan Civilization in Tikal, National park that was declared Patrimony of the Humanity by the UNESCO, lunch in the park. Arrival to Palenque
Day 11: Â Palenque - 365 km - Campeche
Visit to the archeological center of Palenque, one of the most magnificent places of Mayan civilization. This City-Gallery contains the stone portraits of the priests and of the emperor Pakal II, as well as a dynasty chronicle, the temple of the Sun and the Cross, "spaceman" image on the wall of the Emperor Pakal sarcophagus etc. This City- Mystery is drowning in lianas of the tall jungles of Chiapas. Traveling through the picturesque road along the gulf of Mexico you will arrive to the city of Campeche, famous by its 17th century walls. Check-in to the hotel
Day 12:   Campeche - 164 km Merida - 107 km Chichen Itza - 180 km Cancún
Having traveled through the fields of henequen, natural fiber, which used to be the foundation of economy of Yucatan, you arrive to Chichen-Itza, a NEW WORLD WONDER, a representative of Mayan - Tolteque culture. The magicians, scientists, and the ball players - only the selected ones were able to access to this special landscape of the white stone and of the "eyes" of the earth - the underground lakes. Temples, which are considered as belonging to the classical and post-classical periods did not arrive to see Spanish as were abounded by its population because of unknown reasons. Arch-astronomy was born in one of such cities. Philosophy and history as one. View the Pyramid of Kukulkan, "the feathered serpent", of the ball games field, of the observatory etc. Swimming in the cenote of Ik-Kil, "a place where the wind is being born", and the Yucatan most beautiful karsts lake. Arrival to Cancun
Â
Prices p/pax US$:
DBL - US$2585Â p.pax SGL - US$2975 Â p.pax TRP - US$2395Â p.pax Child (2-11) US$1489 Â (sharing room with parents) |
