Legacy of the Maya Tour

All Inclusive Guided Tour ~ 8 Days 7 Nights

Tour Begins in Tuxtla Gutierrez

DAY 1 ~ Tuxtla Gutierrez

You will arrive at Tuxtla Gutierrez the capital city of the State of Chiapas, once part of Guatemala. Tuxtla is a commercial center and the gateway to the state of Chiapas. Transfer to the hotel for dinner and overnight. (D)

DAY 2 ~ Sumidero Canyon - San Cristobal

We will have breakfast at the hotel this morning and depart on an unforgettable boat trip up the Sumidero Canyon, created by the mighty Rio Grijalva. Along the way through the canyon, with some of the walls towering more than 2,000 feet above you, you will witness an abundance of wildlife, rock formations, caves, and interesting vegetation populated by exotic birds, monkeys and crocodiles.

Lunch will be in Chiapa de Corzo, an attractive colonial town. The Town�s center of activity is within the arcaded plaza with a central fountain built in 1562 that resemble the Spanish Crown. After lunch depart to San Cristobal de Las Casas, where we will climb over 6,000 feet through the clouds to the temperate pine-clad Valley of Jovel. San Cristobal�s cobble stone streets, interesting markets, shops and art galleries are a treasure to explore. Dinner and hotel check- in for a two night stay in San Cristobal. (B L D)

DAY 3 ~ San Cristobal - Surrounding Villages

After breakfast at the hotel, we will learn about the indigenous way of life and customs as we visit the towns of San Juan Chamula and Zinacantan. San Juan Chamula is the center for some unique religious practices. Not too far is the next town of San Lorenzo Zinacantan where the citizens are know as flower growers, particularly geraniums, and producers of fine textiles and musical instruments.

We will return to San Cristobal for a leisurely afternoon to include lunch, city touring, shopping, and dinner. (B L D)

DAY 4 ~ Agua Azul - Misol-Ha - Palenque

Breakfast at the hotel, we begin our journey from the cool highland country to the low land jungle, stopping along the way at Ocosingo a place important for its cheese production. Next to Agua Azul and Misol-Ha; two stunning cascade attractions on a short detour while on our way to Palenque.

Palenque the ancient Maya city located in a lush jungle setting is a site built with an exquisite architecture and decorations, identified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site that flourished from 500 AD to 700 AD. The abandoned city remained relatively untouched for 700 years. Dinner and over night in Palenque. (B L D)

DAY 5 ~ Campache

Today begins with breakfast and a leisurely morning revisiting Palenque. Lunch en route to the city of Campeche, another World Heritage Site, located along the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Founded by the Spaniards, the wealthy families built lavish mansions of which many still stand. The same wealth also attracted pirates creating the necessity for several forts and defensive walls. Dinner and over night in Campeche.

(B L D)

DAY 6 ~ Uxmal - Merida

After breakfast we journey to the archeological site of Uxmal, a World Heritage Site considered one of the most important in the Maya culture. Uxmal was an active city with a large regional dominance, and its architecture is a great testimony of the engineering skills of the Maya.   This site flourished from 600 AD to 900AD, abandoned due to drought conditions, was rediscovered and excavated in 1929 and with many of its buildings yet to be excavated.

Lunch en route as our journey continues to Merida, the capitol of the state of Yucatan. The city combines the appeal and grace of old Europe with a large dose of modern cosmopolitan culture, boasting with beautiful government buildings and shady parks with music everywhere. Dinner and over night in Merida. (B L D)

DAY 7 ~ Chichen-itza - Riveria Maya

After breakfast at the hotel, we explore Chichen�Itza, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, and most famous and well restored Maya architectural sites. The city was abandoned in the 14^th century, for reasons unknown, but remained a continued site for Mayan pilgrimages.

As our tour ends and we leave you along the Riviera Maya on the Mexican Caribbean, with its spectacular white powder sand beaches. Overnight in Cancun.(B L D)

DAY 8 ~ Return Home

Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to the airport for a flight home. (B)

(Optional Post Nights and Tour Extensions Available.)

To many, the word “Maya” might bring to mind images of ancient cultures, echoing ruins and lost societies. In fact, the Mayan culture is very much alive, a part of the fabric that makes up the countries of Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and the southeastern states of Mexico, including Tabasco and Chiapas.

As old as it is, the Mayan culture was actually preceded by the Olmecs. Their stronghold in Tabasco was a city called La Venta, where the gigantic Olmec heads—so representative of Mexico—were found. The La Venta archaelogical site is located in the area of Huamangillo, though most of the statuary and monuments were removed and can now be seen in the Parque-Museo La Venta in the city of Villahermosa. The originals were replaced by fiberglass reproductions, but it is still an impressive place to visit. Also in Villahermosa, the Museo Regional de Antropología Carlos Pellicer Cámara offers another view of the Olmec.

Well-known to international travelers, the city of San Cristóbal de las Casas in Chiapas is one of the most beautiful colonial cities in Mexico. Its welcoming cobblestone streets are lined with churches, plazas and flower-filled houses with central courtyards and red-tile roofs. Diverse architectural styles can be viewed in the many beautiful buildings that were built between the 16^th and the 19^th centuries. The city is market central, with different ethnicities from around the state coming together to sell their food, textiles and pottery. It is an excellent base of operations for an exploration into the Mayan world.

Here in Chiapas, the lowlands and highlands abound in natural beauty and home to a wealth of tradition—names like Lacandón, Cakchiquel, Tzotzil, Tzeltal and others represent living, breathing cultures that hark back to pre-Hispanic days, the heirs of the majestic Maya. This green state also hides renowned archaeological sites, such as the great cities of Palenque, Bonampak and Yaxchilan, as well as striking natural attractions such as the Cañon del Sumidero National Park and the amazing waterfalls at Agua Azul (check out the biggest one, nicknamed the Licuadora, or Blender.) Ten minutes away from Agua Azul, the Misol-Ha waterfall has much less tourist traffic and plunges down into a spectacular deep pool. The Lagunas de Montebello National Park is also nestled within the Lacandon jungle, a collection of 68 lagoons that range in color from turquoise to red and bright green.

Palenque was one of the most important Classical period cities, and its impressive buildings hidden within the jungle include the Temple of the Inscriptions and the Palace. The sculptures found here are simply exquisite. At Yaxchilán, located on the banks of the Usumacinta River, most of the city is hidden among dense vegetation. This city remains to this day an important ceremonial center for the local Maya, who take part in pilgrimages that part from the Lacandón jungles of El Petén in Guatemala. Some 120 buildings have been identified to date. Located near a tributary of the same Usumacinta, Bonampak is truly one of the most breathtaking examples of the Classic Maya. Its magnificent murals are an eloquent description of the life and times of this glorious race of warriors. Painted at the end of the 8^th century though never completely finished, they were discovered in 1946 by a couple of American travelers guided by Lacandón Indians.

As mysterious as it is fascinating, the culture of the Maya remains alive and vibrant, awaiting new visitors within the cocoon of its emerald jungle.