The Maya Route: Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras

First breakfast with your guide and the group, then the road to Tulum : the Maya city perched on its cliff is the only one overlooking the Caribbean sea — an unforgettable setting to open the trip. After a typical lunch, on to Cobá, buried deep in the forest: from the top of the great Nohoch Mul pyramid, one of the tallest in the Maya world, the canopy stretches as far as the eye can see. End of the day in Valladolid, a charming colonial town, with a visit to the Zací cenote, its stalactites and cool waters. Night in a charming hotel with pool.

The big day: a guided visit of Chichen Itza — El Castillo, the great ball court, the sacred well… your guide makes every stone of the most famous Maya city speak. Lunch in the village of Pisté, then a stop in Izamal, a “magical village” painted entirely yellow, where convent and pyramids blend into the streets. In the evening, you sleep a few meters from the Uxmal site — tomorrow, you'll be among the first to enter.

At 8am, the Uxmal site opens for you: the oval Pyramid of the Magician, unique in the Maya world, the vast Governor's Palace and its stone friezes carved with Chac masks and undulating serpents — the Puuc style in all its finesse. The day continues with a long, beautiful crossing to Chiapas (about 6h by road), lunch on the way in the Campeche region. Evening arrival in Palenque and hotel check-in.

Dawn departure for Corozal, on the Guatemalan border, then boarding on the Usumacinta river: 45 minutes of navigation between two jungle banks to reach Yaxchilán, a grandiose city still half-buried, where the cries of howler monkeys accompany the visit. Lunch back in Corozal, then the road to Bonampak and its 8th-century frescoes — rituals and battles of the Maya court, among the best-preserved murals in Mesoamerica. Back to Palenque in the evening: a true expedition day.

In the morning, your guide opens up Palenque : set in the jungle at the foot of the mountains, the city of 500 buildings has revealed only a fraction of its secrets. Then the road to the highlands via Agua Azul: limestone terraces where the river cascades into turquoise pools — swimsuit recommended, the swimming is delicious. Lunch by the water, then the climb to San Cristóbal de las Casas, which welcomes you for two nights in the mountain cool. Free dinner among the many tables of the center — your guide has his addresses.

A morning on foot in San Cristobal, the oldest colonial city in Chiapas, perched at 2,100 m: arcades, ochre and violet facades, lively markets and squares. After lunch, the road to the village of San Juan Chamula, whose church strikingly blends Christian rituals and Maya spiritual practices. In the evening, follow your guide to the zócalo to taste the local cinnamon punch, served hot facing the illuminated baroque cathedral.

A day of great crossing: about 7h30 by road and a border passage take you from Chiapas to the Guatemalan Altiplano — change of vehicle and driver at the border, your guide stays with you and handles all the formalities. On arrival, Chichicastenango is already coming alive: Quiché vendors converge from across the country for tomorrow's market. Check-in at a charming inn in the heart of town.

This morning, dive into one of the most colorful Indigenous markets of the Americas: embroidered huipils, dance masks, incense, flowers, pottery, and machetes change hands in a joyful hubbub, all the way to the whitewashed steps of Santo Tomás church, where Maya and Christian prayers have answered each other since the 16th century. In the afternoon, a short drive to Panajachel and your first face-to-face with Lake Atitlán, ringed by volcanoes. Dinner at a typical restaurant steps from the inn.

A day by boat on the waters of Lake Atitlán, from village to village: in San Juan la Laguna, an organic, fair-trade coffee cooperative opens its doors — plantation, roasting, tasting — and, if you feel like it, a workshop of weavers keeping natural dyes alive. Back to Panajachel in the afternoon, then the road to Antigua and check-in at a charming hotel in the former capital.

A morning strolling through Antigua, considered Guatemala's most beautiful city: the Santa Catalina arch, baroque facades, volcanoes as a backdrop — your guide recounts three centuries of colonial history across squares and multicolored markets. In the afternoon, transfer to Guatemala City airport and an evening flight to Flores, at the gates of the Petén jungle. Night in a charming hotel.

An early start to reach Tikal as the forest wakes: temples over 60 meters tall emerge from the canopy, parrots cross the great plaza, coatis and spider monkeys wander the trails. The site is so vast you sometimes find yourself alone before the pyramids — one of the trip's great thrills. Back to Flores at the end of the day: pool and sunset over Lake Petén Itzá.

Heading south: a day of scenic driving (about 7h30, plus border formalities) through the landscapes of the Río Dulce and Zacapa, to the village of Copán Ruinas, in Honduras. Afternoon arrival, hotel check-in and free time to wander the cobbled streets or scout the small archaeological sites on the outskirts. Your guide remains available to recommend a dinner spot.

A morning at the site of Copán, famous for the finesse of its carved stelae and its Hieroglyphic Stairway — the longest engraved Maya text ever found, step after step. The ball court and the acropolis are among the best preserved in the Maya world. After lunch near the site, return to Guatemala City (about 4h and one last border crossing). Night in a charming hotel in the capital.

Breakfast, then transfer to Guatemala City international airport, coordinated with your flight time — at any hour. Fifteen days, three countries, and a head full of temples, markets, and volcanoes. Hasta pronto!

Want to extend? Two nights in Antigua or a snorkeling extension on Honduras's Caribbean — talk to our team (see “Extend the adventure”).