The Best of Guatemala in 9 Days - Touch the Culture, Explore its Highlights, Travel for a Purpose with Global Visionaries

Global Visionaries, long respected for its student leadership work in Guatemala now offers a world-class tour to Guatemala for all ages. Combining the well respected travel experience of Rick Steves with Global Visionaries' in-depth understanding of Guatemala, this tour is designed to blend the best of both worlds - exciting sightseeing and meaningful learning. Peppered with volcanoes, jungles, Indian villages and dazzling Mayan ruins, Guatemala offers an unforgettable travel experience. Join us and see the highlights of this exceptional country tucked between the Caribbean and the Pacific. Immerse yourself in local culture by visiting a woman's weaving cooperative, touring GV's rural school projects and picking coffee beans with Guatemalan farmers.

Next Available Trip Dates:

Saturday November 19th - Sunday November 27th

Trip Cost: $2290 double occupancy (+$400 for single travelers) Because all proceeds from this tour go to Global Visionaries, about half of your tour price is entirely tax deductible.

Price Includes: All accommodations, admissions, tips and transportation in Guatemala, all breakfasts and half of your lunches and dinners.

To register: Please send an email to camronmcdonald@global-visionaries.org or janslack@global-visionaries.org.

Go here to download Registration forms

- General Agreement Form

- Forms Checklist

- General Photographic Release

- Medical Form and Authorization for Treatment

- Release from Liability

Day 1: Welcome to Guatemala.
A Global Visionaries staff member will meet you upon your arrival and drive you to your hotel in lovely Antigua - a short, 40 minute drive. Meet your guides here in Antigua, have an orientation, and finish the evening with a walk and dinner together. Sleep centrally in Antigua (4 nights).

Day 2: All day in Antigua.
Today we explore Antigua, a UNESCO world heritage site of pastel colored buildings where volcanoes loom around every corner. Start the day with a walking tour and see the town's beautiful Spanish colonial architecture. Learn about Antigua's tragic history - and unlikely rebirth. You are free this afternoon and evening to explore more of the city's intriguing museums and backstreets on your own. Walking: Moderate

Day 3:  Reforestation and Coffee - From Nuts to Beans
Spend the morning touring an experimental macadamia nut tree farm. Learn how the trees are providing a better livelihood for poor farmers and about their potential to help with reforestation. Take a drive up the Volcán Agua to meet with sustainable coffee farmers and participate in the fascinating process of coffee production. This evening, learn about Guatemalan cuisine and enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal at a private residence. Bus: 40 min., Pickup: 20 min., Walking: light to rigorous (your choice)

Day 4: Guatemala City Dump and visit to the School.
Travel to Guatemala City's infamous garbage dump where thousands of people make their living by scavenging. Meet with representatives of Safe Passage, a remarkable organization that provides schools for children of families living off the dump. We will share lunch with the children then see first hand that one person's garbage is another person's treasure as artisans show examples of jewelry crafted from the rubbish! This afternoon and evening is free for enjoying Antigua. Bus: 2 hours, Walking: light

Day 5: Visit to a Rural School, then to Lake Atitlán
Today we bid farewell to Antigua and head north to visit a rural school built by GV. Learn about the importance of education in ending the cycle of poverty and meet with families whose children attend the school. This afternoon, we'll continue on to Lake Atitlán and take a ferry ride to our hotel. Have dinner with the group this evening while enjoying one of Guatemala's most magnificent landscapes. Sleep Lake Atitlán (2 nights). Bus: 5 hrs., ferry: 30 min., Walking: strenuous (350 steps to the hotel from the ferry dock)

Day 6: All day on Lake Atitlán.
Today we explore the lakefront villages of Lake Atitlán and meet with native Tzutuhil Indians. Hear first-hand accounts of Guatemala's 36 year-long civil war and the devastation this region experienced. Learn about the Tzutuhil's fascinating blend of religious practices and how women are empowering one another with their traditional arts. Return to the hotel mid-afternoon with time to enjoy the view from your deck, swim in the pool or hike on nearby trails. Dinner is on your own this evening. Ferry: 45 min., Walking: moderate.

Day 7: From Lake Atitlán to Tikal - Mayan capital in the Jungle.
Today begins with a drive to Guatemala City and a short charter flight north to the lakeside city of Flores. From Flores we drive to Tikal, home of the most revered Mayan temples in the Americas. Relax and get settled into your hotel bungalow, a quiet retreat in the middle of nature, only a short walk from the ruins. Ramble in the forest this afternoon then relax poolside before having dinner with the group. Fall asleep to sounds of the jungle tonight. Sleep Tikal (1 night). Bus: 5 hrs., Flight: 50 min., Walking: light.

Day 8: Day at Tikal, late afternoon flight to Guatemala City.
Rise and Shine! Wake up early and join your guide to admire the sunrise from the top of a Mayan temple. After breakfast, take a guided tour through the ruins of Tikal, once the most important city in the two thousand year old Mayan civilization. Enjoy some time to wander through the magnificent complex on your own before catching an afternoon flight to Guatemala City. Tonight we celebrate our spectacular trip with a final meal together. Sleep Guatemala City (1 night). Bus: 1.5 hrs., Flight: 50 min., Walking: moderate - rigorous (your choice).

Day 9: Return to the United States.
The Guatemala City airport has several flights to the U.S. and easy international connections for additional side trips to one of the coasts or one of the many natural or archeological sites. Whatever your final destination, your guide will help you get on the right track.

Click here to view an Experience Guatemala group journal, reflecting personal perspectives from the words of our 2010 travelers

College Credit

Up to 13 SCCC college credits available. For more information, contact Executive Director, Chris Fontana at chrisfontana@global-visionaries.org