GUATEMALA / BELIZE / MEXICO ~JAN 2024
After cancelling Borneo with , we decided to go back to Trailfinders and after a 2 hour call we booked central America again. This time a new adventure to see the Mayan ruins, tour from Guatemala, through Belize and end up for a couple of days in luxury in Mexico.
Trek through jungles to Mayan ruins and relax on white-sand beaches.
Get an authentic taste of Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico with an adventure that combines the mystery of ancient ruins with the crystalline waters of the Caribbean. Shop for treasures along colonial Antigua’s cobblestone streets and get to know the locals from communities where life sometimes moves at a reggae pace. Explore the ruins of Tikal, snorkel with stingrays, lounge in gorgeous Caye Caulker, and finish up in bustling Playa del Carmen. With accommodation and transport arranged by a Chief Experience Officer, this trip offers the perfect way to discover this region’s unique vibe.
Flight: London Heathrow T5 to Miami (reference QYHDST)
Date: 20‐Jan‐2024
Departs: 10:00
Arrives: 14:50
Flight time – 9hr 55min
Time difference ~ -5 hrs
Airline: British Airways, Baggage Allowance: TBC KG, Class Economy (extra legroom bubble)
Aircraft: Airbus A380-000 (Quad-Jet)
Flight No.: BA207 ~ Seats 70A / 70B
3 HOUR STOP OVER
Flight: Miami to Guatamala City (La Aurora Intl Arpt)
Date: 10‐Jan‐2024
Departs: 17:35
Arrives: 19:20
Flight time – 2hr 45min
Time difference – -7 hrs
Airline: British Airways (AA), Baggage Allowance: 23 KG, Class Economy
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800 (Twin-Jet)
Flight No.: BA4953 (AA 1027) ~ Seats 14A / 14B
Flight: Cancun Intl to Gatwick South
Date: 4‐Feb‐2024
Departs ~ 18:40
Arrives ~ 08:50
Flight time ~9hr 10min
Time difference ~ +6 hrs
Airline: British Airways, Baggage Allowance ~ TBC KG, World Traveller PLUS
Aircraft: Boeing 777-200 (Twin-Jet)
Class ~ World Traveller Plus
Flight No.: BA2202 ~ Seats 15A / 15B
Accomodation details
Hotel 1~ Posada Los Bucaros TA 4.0
20th-22nd Jan (2 nights)
///promises.shuffles.mobile
Phone: +502 5200 0090
Hotel 2~ Hacienda Tijax
TA 4.0
23-22rd Jan (1 night)
///nervously.tray.untalented
Phone: +502 3732 8104
Hotel 3~ Hotel Peten
TA 4.0
23-25th Jan (2 nights)
///slabs.barristers.sprayed
Hotel 4~ San Ignacio Midas Resort TA 4.0
25-27th Jan (2 nights)
///sunroof.bind.copper
Phone: +501 614-8387
Hotel 5 ~ Enjoy Hotel
TA 3.5
27-30th Jan (3 nights)
///hyper.isolator.coined
Hotel 6 ~ Hotel Nautilus
TA 3.5
30-1st Jan/Feb (2 nights)
///splendidly.freeing.disruption
Phone: +52 984 873 3708
Hotel 7 ~ Dreams Riviera (AI) TA 4.5
1-4th Feb (4 nights)
Address: México 307 Manzana K, 77580 Puerto Morelos, Q.R., Mexico
///dominion.largely.neutrally
Phone: +52 998 872 9200
Holiday Itinery
Day One ~ 20th Jan ~ Antigua Guatemala
There are no activities planned until an evening welcome meeting. We recommend booking pre-accommodation to fully experience this charming city.
Please note that Antigua’s nearest airport is Guatemala City, Guatemala. Don’t get caught flying into the Caribbean island nation of Antigua— it’s nowhere near the start of this tour!
Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Meeting – Meet Your CEO and Group
Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don’t forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.
Accommodation –
Posada Los Bucaros (or similar)
Day Two ~ 21st Jan ~ Antigua Guatemala/Rio Dulce
Travel to Rio Dulce and enjoy free time to explore.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle during this long travel day.
Free Time
Enjoy free time to explore the town.
Accommodation
Hacienda Tijax (or similar)
Day Three ~22nd Jan ~ Rio Dulce / Flores
Travel to the Caribbean town of Livingston by scenic boat ride from Rio Dulce. Enjoy free time to check out the town before continuing on to Flores. Located on Lake Petén Itzá, this is an excellent home base for exploring nearby Tikal.
Scenic Boat Ride to Livingston
Take a boat down the Rio Dulce toward the Caribbean Sea passing through El Golfete and El Canyon before arriving to Livingston. Float past mangroves and lily pads and the Boquerón Canyon, where a sheer limestone cliff rises 122m (400 ft) out of the river, covered in vines, trees and moss. Arrive at the small fishing village of Livingston known for its unique Afro-Caribbean Garifuna population, with their unique art, music and delicious coconut seafood soup, “tapado”.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Accommodation
Hotel Petén (or similar)
Day Four ~23rd Jan ~ Flores
Enjoy a guided tour of the nearby Mayan ruins of Tikal. In the afternoon, opt to relax on the lake or hang out at a café in town.
Private Vehicle
Enjoy the ride out to Tikal and return the same way in the afternoon (1-1.5 hrs one way).
Tikal Ruins Guided Tour
Put on your walking shoes and prepare for a tiring but memorable day walking through history at the impressive site of Tikal. The Mayan site is set in the heart of the jungle, in Tikal National Park, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Along with our bilingual guide, see some of the temples, plazas, carved stone monuments and public squares, more than 3,000 buildings in all, dating from as far back as 600 BC. Climb to the top of Temple IV, catch your breath, take photos, and then sit and contemplate the magnificence of the site and the tropical rainforest beyond. Look for monkeys, anteaters, armadillos, and deer, as well as macaws and eagles, snakes, and spiders.
Free Time
Explore the area anyway you like.
Optional Activities
Swimming
Grab your bathing suit and go for a refreshing swim.
Accommodation
Hotel Petén (or similar)
Day Five ~ 24th Jan ~ Flores/San Ignacio
Cross the border to Belize. Opt to visit the sacred Mayan cave Actun Tunichil Muknal, explore the Mountain Pine Ridge area, or see the lesser-known Mayan ruins of Xunantunich.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Border Crossing (Guatemala – Belize)
Ready for a little more ink in your passport? Grab your bags and get ready to check another country off your bucket list.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Free Time
Head out to start exploring this fun town. There’s a full free day tomorrow for anything you can’t get to this afternoon.
Optional Activities – Show
Accommodation
Day Six ~ 25th Jan ~ San Ignacio
Enjoy a free day to explore. Opt to check out nearby caves, some more Mayan sites or a local conservation project.
Your Discover Moment
Optional Activities –Show
Accommodation
San Ignacio Midas Resort (or similar)
Day Seven ~ 26th Jan ~ San Ignacio/Caye Caulker
Travel to Belize City and catch a high-speed water taxi to Caye Caulker. Later, explore Caye Caulker on a G Adventures-supported Bike with Purpose tour. Spend a few days enjoying this island paradise.
Caye Caulker is a relaxed and easy going island with friendly and welcoming local residents. There are dozens of activities around the island and surrounding coral reefs. Try your hand at fishing and barbecue your catch on the beach.
Local Bus
Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.
Water Taxi
Jump in and cross the water to the next stop.
Your G for Good Moment: Belize Bike with Purpose Tour
Take a leisurely bike tour around Caye Caulker with a guide from the G Adventures for Good supported Bike with Purpose project. See the island through the eyes of a local on this two-hour tour, and live the island’s motto of ‘Go Slow’. Feel the island breeze in you hair while knowing you’re supporting a program that helps youth from Caye Caulker build skills for tourism jobs upon graduation from high school.
Accommodation
Enjoy Hotel (or similar)
Day Eight ~ 27th Jan ~ Caye Caulker
Spend time enjoying this island paradise. Opt to go on a sailing trip to snorkel with stingrays, nurse sharks and green turtles at Hol Chan Marine Reserve. If the boats aren’t your thing, just relax, Belizean-style.
Your Discover Moment
There’s plenty to see and do in Caye Caulker, and we wanted to make sure that you had some time to take it all in. Feel free to relax or try optional activities like snorkelling, sea kayaking, and sailing. Your CEO has more ideas if you need them. Just ask!
Optional Activities – Show
Accommodation
Enjoy Hotel (or similar)
Day Nine ~ 28th Jan ~ Caye Caulker
Jump for joy that you get another full day to explore Caye Caulker! Do what you didn’t get to yesterday or take the day to just lay on the beach!
Your Discover Moment
There’s plenty to see and do in Caye Caulker, and we wanted to make sure that you had some time to take it all in. Feel free to relax or try optional activities like snorkelling, sea kayaking, and sailing. Your CEO has more ideas if you need them. Just ask!
Optional Activities – Show
Accommodation
Enjoy Hotel (or similar)
Day Ten ~ 29th Jan ~ Caye Caulker/Playa del Carmen
Say farewell to Belize, and travel by boat and private vehicle from Caye Caulker to Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
With plenty of options nearby, Playa is an excellent hub for exploring.
Water Taxi
Jump in and cross the water to the next stop.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Border Crossing (Belize – Mexico)
Ready for a little more ink in your passport? Grab your bags and get ready to check another country off your bucket list.
Transport
Settle in and scan the scenery as you journey to your next destination.
Accommodation
Hotel Nautilus (or similar)
Day Eleven ~ 30th Jan ~ Playa del Carmen
Enjoy a free day to explore the Mayan ruins of Tulúm, or visit one of the many cenotes. Enjoy dinner at a G Adventures-supported community restaurant with a youth-focused art program.
Your G for Good Moment: El Hongo Mexican Community Restaurant & Youth Art Program
El Hongo (which means ‘The Mushroom’) is a volunteer-run restaurant started as a means to create income to support a youth art program in the ‘real’ Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Across the highway from the commercial beach strip is where most locals live – cross onto the unpaved roads and enjoy a delicious home-style meal at the restaurant, while learning more about this much-needed program for the community.
Your Discover Moment
There’s plenty to see and do in Playa del Carmen, and we wanted to make sure that you had some time to take it all in. Feel free to relax or try optional activities like scuba diving, swimming in a nearby cenote, and visiting the Tulúm ruins. Your CEO has more ideas if you need them. Just ask!
Optional Activities – Day 11Show
Accommodation
Hotel Nautilus (or similar)
Day Twelve ~ 31st Jan ~ Playa del Carmen
Depart at any time.
Departure Day
Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.
Day Thirteen to fifteen ~ 1st to 4th Feb ~ RELAXXXXX
Average temps (High and Low)
360° stills (soon)
We try to take lots of 360° photos. It allows us to look around where we’ve been. They are the ultimate selfie’s, never missing and inch of the scene
360° stills
We try to take lots of 360° photos. It allows us to look around where we’ve been. They are the ultimate selfie’s, never missing and inch of the scene
360° videos (soon)
Like the 360° still, the 360° videos are an all round view. We can view them via a YouTube link, and even view them with the YT VR setting - wow-wow-wow
360° videos
Like the 360° still, the 360° videos are an all round view. We can view them via a YouTube link, and even view them with the YT VR setting - wow-wow-wow
The originals (soon)
A gallery of the best photos and videos for our trips. The YouTube video slideshow reduces definition but we try to create high resolution images. Often Nicky takes a photo of me taking a photo….
The originals
A gallery of the best photos and videos for our trips. The YouTube video slideshow reduces definition but we try to create high resolution images. Often Nicky takes a photo of me taking a photo….