Antigua, Lake Atitlan, and nearby
GUATEMALA
2024 March 23-31
Some Highlights:
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Go behind the scenes and mingle with locals celebrating Semana Santa/Holy Week one of the most colorful celebrations on earth
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Enjoy colonial Antigua, a UNESCO Heritage Site
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Relax in the scenic Lake Atitlan and Explore nearby islands
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Meet artists and receive your own portrait painting as a gift from them.
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If there's more time, experience a Mayan ceremony
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The religious processions are unique to Guatemala and a captivating collaborative process of creating elaborate carpets 'alfombras' on the streets. These are masterpieces of artwork, the craftsmanship of families, and communities that take several months of planning.
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What's Included:
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8-N 9-D Lovely Hotel Accommodation​
Daily Breakfast, Lunches and Dinners as stated
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Transfers Hotel & Airport vv, Inland Transfers and Tour Transfers
Tours, Tickets as stated, Tour Guides
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​Yoga and Hikes are optional
Wi Fi and More!​
- Ample time for you, after all this is your vacation.
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What's Excluded:
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Flights / Airfares: United and American Airlines (United: MCI-Houston-La Aurora Guatemala)
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More information, exclusions, itinerary details at the bottom.
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Thank You! You are supporting a local charity,
Mil Milagros @ https://www.milmilagros.org/about-us Each participant's share is $15.00
Suggested Flight Information:
UNITED AIRLINES has flights from MCI (Kansas City) at 6:15 am and
return from La Aurora International Airport (GUA) at 12:34 pm.
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DELTA AIRLINES has flights from MCI (Kansas City) at 5:30 am and
return from La Aurora International Airport (GUA) at 1:39 pm.
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Photo by Paul Martinez
ITINERARY AND OTHER DETAILS
March 23 Saturday:
Departure from your city.
Arrival in Guatemala @ La Aurora Int'l Airport, IATA: GUA, ICAO: MGGT
Airport Pick Up and Transfer to Antigua (60-min drive)
Check in at Los Olivos or similar.
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Settle down. Depending on your arrival time. Options:
- Wander around this lovely city.
- Sunset Yoga
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- Dinner Included with water.
March 24 Sunday:
CHICHICASTENAGO - In the Guatemalan highlands, northwest of Guatemala City. It’s known for its open-air craft market (the world's largest handicrafts market) and indigenous Maya culture (where 99% of the population is indigenous Mayan K'iche and most of them only speak the Mayan language.
MEET ARTISTS and RECEIVE YOUR OWN PORTRAIT PAINTING AS GIFT from them.
VISIT CHICHI CEMETERY.
6:00 - 8:30am Breakfast
8:45am Pick Up and Tour with Lunch
More specifics will be emailed to participants.
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An immersive cultural tour of Mayan hand-crafted arts and crafts, textiles, paintings, pottery, masks, incense, flowers, produce...
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From Lonely Planet: On the way down the hill to the shrine at Pascual Abaj, we will visit Galeria Pop-Wuj. Developed as an art institute for local children with the backing of Project Guggenheim, it holds a small but important collection of oil paintings by the artist brothers Juan and Miguel Cortéz and their pupils.
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Optional and Pay Your Own: K'iche' classes are sometimes offered, along with the chance to experience traditional Maya ceremonies.
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Back to Antigua.
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The rest of the day is yours.
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CHICHI Cemetery
March 25 Monday:
Tour Lovely City of Antigua.
Go Behind Scenes of the Semana Santa Celebration and Meet the Community/Family for Pan 'Bread' Baking.
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6:00 - 8:45am Breakfast
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9:00 pm Tour with Lunch and Water
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The city is a colonial work of art, with cobbled streets, overhanging tiled roofs, and a beautiful, leafy central plaza. There’s an abundance of huge ruined churches, convents, and monasteries, a testament to a time when Antigua was the country’s capital and its main religious centre.
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Dinner on your own.
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March 26 Tuesday: Bye Antigua. Hello Lake Atitlan.
Lake Atitlan is a cobalt blue lake and the views are absolutely incredible. There are plenty of activities to do such as hikes, kayaking, or just hanging out on the docks and watching the glassy blue water drifting peacefully past local villages with huge volcanoes towering in the background. Rugged cliffs and lush greenery surround the lake, with tiny dwellings scattered amongst the jungle landscape...
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6:30- 8:45am Breakfast and Antigua Hotel Check Out.
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9:00am Transfer to Panajachel and be dropped off at the Muelle Tzanjuyú (san huyu). A boat should be waiting for us to take us to La Casa del Mundo.
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When you arrive at the hotel's dock, leave your luggage there and hotel staff will bring it up for you shortly.
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Note: Take it easy climbing up the steps to the hotel. Your effort will be paid off with the beauty waiting up.
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12:00pm Check in at Hotel La Casa del Mundo @ www.lacasadelmundo.com - a cliffside hotel overlooking the entire Lake Atitlan.
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Lunch is included with water in Panajachel.
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​The rest of the afternoon is yours. Note: Be sure to reserve in advance the wood-fired hot tub (pay your own).
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Dinner on your own.​
March 27 Wednesday:
Tour of Lake Atitlan and nearby.
We will tour the volcano-fringed shores of Lake Atitlán in two villages for indigenous culture.
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Explore on your own the most charming blue village of Santa Catarina Palopo.
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In particular, the town of Santiago is known for being the home of the infamous Maya saint, Maximon.
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6:00 - 8:45am Breakfast
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9:00am Tour Pick Up. Lunch included.
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From Lonely Planet: The Trickster
Perhaps the most peculiar aspect of the celebrations takes place in the small lakeside town, of Santiago Atitlán, where believers pay homage to Maximón, also known as Rilaj Mam, a mischievous folk saint.
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Santa Catarina Palopo has undergone a massive aesthetic transition to help alleviate poverty.
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You will have time to explore on your own. A few suggestions will be emailed.
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5:30pm Back to hotel.
The rest of the day is yours.
March 28 Thursday:
This Day Is Yours.
Options:
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- Morning Hike to Visit Another Village (Santa Cruz or San Marcos)
6:00 - 10:00am Breakfast
9:00am Hike (optional)
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Suggested Experiences will be emailed.
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Lunch and Dinner on your own.
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5:30pm Relaxing Yoga
March 29 Friday: Bye Lake Atitlan. Back to ANTIGUA!
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Weekend Holy Week Immersion - Nothing is quite like Semana Santa in Antigua. You can count on Holy Thursday and Good Friday to overwhelm your senses with the most spectacular processions, incredible carpets, vigils, and biblical re-enactments.
6:00 - 9:00am Breakfast and Check Out
9:15am Transfer to Panajachel
10:00am Transfer to Antigua
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Lunch and Dinner on your own.
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2:00pm Antigua Hotel Check In
The rest of the day is yours.
March 30 Saturday: This Day Is Yours.
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6:00 - 10:00am Breakfast
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8:00am or earlier Yoga and Hike (optional) details will be emailed.
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4:00pm Dinner at a Brewery
Drinks are yours.
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Note: Consider hotel check-out later in the day for the next day's departure.
March 31 Sunday:
BYE GUATEMALA. HELLO HOME!
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Note: Driving Time is 1.5 hours from Antigua to Guatemala Int'l Airport.
Thank You.
Have A Safe Flight!
Note: Please consider DRIVING TIME WILL TAKE 1.5 HOURS from Antigua to Guatemala Int'l Airport.
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PLAN ACCORDINGLY and depending on your flight itinerary:
Breakfast, Hotel Check Out, Transfer to Airport.
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Have a safe and fun flight back home.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
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MORE SPECIFICS, EXCLUSIONS, WAIVER, MORE:
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​Double Occupancy Shared Room Cost: $3,930.00 including tax and deposits
Each Participant Pays $1,965.00
Note: The use of credit cards will incur extra fees
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You must provide your own roommate if you want to share a room. Cultural Wanderer can't promise to provide you with one.
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DOUBLE Occupancy means there are two people maximum in the room.
- The two people are sharing the cost of the room for 8 nights, 9 days. They can share a King, Queen or Twin beds.
- These TWO are sharing in paying the entire cost of breakfast included for 9 days.
- EACH person is charged (individually charged) for every tour or event, for the transportation, for tickets to museums and, or events.
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Single / Solo (One) Occupancy Room Cost: $2,770.00
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SINGLE Occupancy means there’s only one person in the room whether the bed is King, Queen, etc.
- He / She is paying the entire cost of the room for 8 nights 9 days with breakfast included.
- He / She is paying for the cost of transportation for one person e.g. airport pick up, domestic transfers, etc.
- He / She is paying for tours, events for one person.
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Please note:
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Non Refundable Deposit of $500 per participant.
Full or remaining balance is required on December 30, 2023 and non refundable.
Non Refundable Full Payment is required on December 30, 2023.
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If cancellation takes place on or after December 30, 2023 One Hundred Percent (100%) of the trip price will be forfeited.
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You may pay also Henna Fuller by cash, check, money order, Venmo @Henna-Fuller or PayPal to mahenna_2000@yahoo.com
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Email henna@culturalwanderer.com for inquiries or Call / Text 816.591.3642
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CULTURAL WANDERER / Hegina A Fuller reserves the right to make any changes deemed necessary by the team, trip leaders, guides, travel agents, partners, etc. In the rare case of a cancellation on our part we will offer a refund deemed necessary. Email henna@culturalwanderer.com for more questions.
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Continuation ...
A waiver, disclosure, agreement will be emailed to participants a week or more before departure from this trip.
Please read it, sign and return by email or mail to HENNA A FULLER 4030 NW Claymont Dr. Kansas City, MO 64116 USA few days at least before the trip.
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Questions to henna@cultural wanderer.com, Tel: 816.591.3642
WHAT'S EXCLUDED:
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International Flights - Contact henna@culturalwanderer.com for referral
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Passport, Visas, Other Travel Documents that may be required
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Travel Insurance RECOMMENDED - please provide before the trip
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Meals, Snacks, Drinks, not stated in the itinerary
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Transportation outside of included tours/excursions and other fares
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Tickets to museums and other tours not mentioned in the itinerary
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Gratuities / Tips
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And Optional Activities: Spa/Massage/Other Treatments to mention.
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