Grand Tour of Guatemala: Volcanoes, Ruins, Pools & Caribbean

Today you explore colonial Antigua, one of the loveliest cities in the Americas and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With your guide you wander the grid of cobbled streets, lined with low pastel houses, flower-filled courtyards and grand baroque churches, many left as romantic ruins by the great earthquakes of the past. You take in the central Parque Central with its cathedral and fountain, the government palaces, the famous yellow arch of Santa Catalina framing Volcan Agua, and beautiful ruined convents such as Santo Domingo and La Merced. You visit a jade workshop and a coffee house, learning about the region's crafts and famous coffee. The beauty and atmosphere are captivating. As the day ends, you return to your hotel. This evening, savour Antigua's superb restaurants. Rest well, for tomorrow you hike active Pacaya volcano.

Today you experience Guatemala's dramatic volcanic landscape on a hike up active Pacaya. You drive out from Antigua to Pacaya, one of the country's most active volcanoes, and hike (or ride a horse part-way) up through pine forest onto vast fields of black, hardened lava, crunching across the surreal moonscape with spectacular views over the surrounding volcanoes, including Agua, Fuego and Acatenango. On active days you feel the warmth of the ground and see steam and glow from vents, and your guide may roast marshmallows over the natural volcanic heat. Returning towards Antigua, you might visit a highland coffee farm. The volcanic scenery is captivating. As the day ends, you return to Antigua. This evening, relax in a candlelit restaurant. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey to Chichicastenango and Lake Atitlan.

Today you journey into the western highlands, taking in the great Maya market and the stunning crater lake. You drive up through beautiful mountain scenery to Chichicastenango, where (on Thursdays and Sundays) one of the most famous indigenous markets in the Americas fills the town with dazzling colour; you wander a labyrinth of stalls piled with handwoven textiles, masks, pottery and produce, and visit the whitewashed church of Santo Tomas, where Maya and Catholic ritual blend amid incense. You then continue to Lake Atitlan, descending to the shore of this stunning volcanic crater lake ringed by three soaring volcanoes and traditional Maya villages. As the day ends, you settle into your lakeside hotel. This evening, savour the beauty and calm of the lake. Rest well, for tomorrow you explore the lake by boat.

Today you explore the stunning crater lake of Atitlan and its traditional Maya villages by boat. You cross the deep blue water, ringed by soaring volcanoes, to visit artistic San Juan La Laguna, with its weaving cooperatives and natural-dye workshops, and Santiago Atitlan, the largest Tzutujil town, with its busy market, colonial church and the revered folk saint Maximon. You take in the bustling lakeside town of Panajachel and its craft market, and enjoy the ever-changing views of the volcanoes across the water. The scenery and living culture are captivating. As the day ends, you return to your lakeside hotel. This evening, watch the sunset paint the volcanoes and lake, and enjoy a lakeside dinner. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey into the remote mountains of Alta Verapaz towards Semuc Champey.

Today you journey deep into the lush, remote mountains of Alta Verapaz towards Semuc Champey, one of Guatemala's most beautiful hidden corners. It is a long but scenic drive through the changing landscapes of the highlands, past cloud forest, coffee and cardamom plantations and Qeqchi Maya villages, descending into a world of dense green jungle and rivers. You arrive at your lodge near Lanquin, set amid the forest above the Cahabon river, as the day cools into evening. The sense of reaching a remote, beautiful wilderness is thrilling after the highlands. As the day ends, you settle into your jungle lodge, surrounded by the sounds of the forest. This evening, dine at the lodge and rest amid the jungle. Rest well, for tomorrow you swim in the turquoise pools of Semuc Champey.

Today you explore Semuc Champey, a staircase of turquoise limestone pools hidden deep in the jungle. With your guide you hike up to the spectacular El Mirador viewpoint, high above the pools, for a breathtaking view of the turquoise staircase spanning a natural stone bridge, with the Cahabon river thundering through a gorge beneath it. You then descend to swim in the cool, clear, turquoise pools, tumbling gently from one to the next amid the jungle, an idyllic and refreshing experience. You can also explore the remarkable K'anba river caves by candlelight and float the river on an inner tube (optional). The beauty of this hidden paradise is magical. As the day ends, you return to your lodge. This evening, dine amid the jungle. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey north to the Peten and the ruins of Tikal.

Today you journey north from the mountains to the tropical Peten jungle and the charming island town of Flores. You drive down out of the lush mountains of Alta Verapaz into the vast lowland rainforest of the Peten, the landscape flattening into an endless green expanse dotted with villages. You arrive at Flores, a charming little island town on the turquoise Lake Peten Itza, its red-roofed pastel houses and cobbled lanes crowded onto an islet linked to the mainland by a causeway. You settle into your hotel as the tropical heat softens into evening, and explore the island's pretty streets and waterfront. The laid-back charm and lakeside setting are captivating. As the day ends, you enjoy a Flores sunset over the lake. This evening, dine on the waterfront. Rest well, for tomorrow you explore the towering temples of Tikal.

Today you explore Tikal, one of the greatest of all Maya cities, rising above the jungle canopy. You drive from Flores into Tikal National Park and, with your expert guide, walk jungle paths between the towering grey temple-pyramids of this once-mighty city. You take in the vast Great Plaza, framed by Temples I and II and lined with palaces and carved stelae, climb to a lofty viewpoint such as Temple IV where the crowns of distant pyramids break through an endless green canopy, and explore the acropolises and causeways of the ancient metropolis. All around, the jungle teems with howler and spider monkeys, coatis, toucans and parrots. The scale, history and wildlife are breathtaking. As the day ends, you return to Flores. This evening, relax by the lake. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey east towards the Caribbean coast.

Today you journey east from the Peten towards the Caribbean, to the beautiful Rio Dulce. You drive southeast through the lowlands to the Rio Dulce, a broad, jungle-lined river that flows from the vast Lake Izabal to the Caribbean Sea. You settle into a riverside lodge, set amid tropical forest on the water, and take in the beautiful setting, perhaps visiting the old Spanish colonial fort of San Felipe, built to guard against pirates, or watching the birdlife and river traffic as the sun sets over the water. The change to a warm, watery, jungle world is captivating. As the day ends, you relax at your riverside lodge, surrounded by the sounds of the forest and river. This evening, dine on the water. Rest well, for tomorrow you cruise the spectacular Rio Dulce gorge to the Caribbean town of Livingston.

Today you cruise the spectacular Rio Dulce gorge to the Caribbean coast at Livingston. You board a boat and travel downriver, and soon the river narrows into a breathtaking gorge where sheer walls draped in dense tropical forest rise straight from the water, festooned with vines and orchids; you pass hot springs bubbling into the river, colonies of waterbirds, and fishermen in dugout canoes. The river opens out and you reach Livingston, a steamy, laid-back town at the river mouth on the Caribbean Sea, unreachable by road and unlike anywhere else in Guatemala. Here you meet the Garifuna people, with their own Afro-Caribbean language, drumming, dance and coconut-rich cuisine. The journey and culture are captivating. As the day ends, you settle into your hotel in Livingston. This evening, savour Garifuna cuisine and rhythms. Rest well.

Today you enjoy the Caribbean flavour of Livingston before returning towards the capital. You spend the morning soaking up the town's unique Garifuna culture, perhaps sampling tapado (a rich coconut seafood stew), listening to drumming, and taking in the laid-back Caribbean atmosphere, or visiting a nearby beach or the Siete Altares waterfalls. You then travel by boat back across the water and by road (or a short flight, depending on timings) towards Guatemala City, watching the landscapes change once more. You settle into your city hotel, reflecting on the extraordinary variety of your journey, from highlands and volcanoes to jungle, ruins and the Caribbean. As the day ends, you gather your impressions of the whole of Guatemala. This evening, enjoy a fine farewell dinner in the capital. Rest well ahead of your departure tomorrow.

After a final morning in Guatemala City, perhaps some last souvenir shopping for textiles, jade or coffee, you are transferred to La Aurora International Airport for your onward international departure. You leave having experienced the whole of Guatemala, colonial Antigua and active Pacaya, the crater lake of Atitlan and the market of Chichicastenango, the turquoise pools of Semuc Champey, the jungle temples of Tikal, and the Rio Dulce gorge and Caribbean at Livingston, all warmed by the genuine warmth of the Guatemalan and Maya people. The images stay vivid long after you land, the ruined churches of Antigua, the volcanoes over Lake Atitlan, the turquoise pools of Semuc Champey, the grey temples of Tikal, and the jungle gorge opening onto the Caribbean. Guatemala offers beauty, colour, adventure and culture in extraordinary variety, and you depart already dreaming of a return to this beautiful and welcoming land.