Ladies Exclusive Tour:
Holy Week in GUATEMALA
March 23 - 31
This trip will be one of your favorites. You will have an insider's look, hands on experience, behind the scenes tour of the grandest Semana Santa / Holy Week celebration on earth. You will witness not only the religious processions unique to Guatemala but also a captivating collaborative process of creating elaborate carpets 'alfombras' on the streets that covers blocks. These are masterpieces of artwork, craftsmanships of families and neighbors, the community that take months of planning.
PHOTOGRAPH BY SAUL MARTINEZ
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 Hotel Eterna Primavera or similar.
Settle down. Depending on your arrival time. Options:
- Wander around this lovely city.
- Sunset Yoga
- Dinner at an agreed place (optional, pay your own).
March 24 Sunday:
Day Tour to CHICHICASTENANGO
Sunday is the best time.
MEET ARTISTS.
EXPERIENCE A MAYAN CEREMONY.
VISIT CHICHI CEMETERY.
Option: HAVE A PORTRAIT PAINTING OF YOURSELF.
6:00 - 8:30am Breakfast
9:00am Pick Up and Tour with Lunch
An immersive cultural tour of Mayan hand-crafted arts and crafts, textiles, paintings, pottery, masks, incense, flowers, produce..tucked away in a mountain village famous for outdoor markets.
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. K'iche' classes are sometimes offered, along with the chance to experience traditional Maya ceremonies (details will be emailed).
Back to Antigua
Dinner Included with Special Performance (to be confirmed). Drinks are yours.
March 25 Monday:
LAKE ATITLAN at San Marcos La Laguna
Lake Atitlan comprises of unique and small towns that surround the lake, and each has a completely different atmosphere than the other.
6:00- 9:30am Breakfast and Antigua Hotel Check Out.
10:00am - 1:00pm Transfer to Lake ATITLAN in San Marcos La Laguna
Check in at Hotel Lush Atitlan @https://www.lushatitlan.com/ or similar.
The rest of the afternoon is yours. Lunch and Dinner on your own.
Lake Atitlan is a cobalt blue lake and the views are absolutely incredible. There are plenty of activities to do such as a hikes, kayaking, or just hanging out on the docks and watch 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...
More suggested experiences will be emailed.
March 26 Tuesday:
Tour of Lake Atitlan and nearby villages.
From Lonely Planet: The Trickster
Perhaps the most peculiar aspect of the celebrations takes place in the small lakeside town, Santiago Atitlán, where believers pay homage to Maximón, also known as Rilaj Mam, a mischievous folk saint.
6:00 - 8:30am Breakfast
9:00 am Tour Pick Up
We will tour the volcano-fringed shores of Lake Atitlán in some of the villages for indigenous culture; its markets, artworks, stories that define the region and traditions. In particular, the town of Santiago is known for its quality artisanal crafts as well for being the home of the infamous Maya saint, Maximon.
Lunch included and water.
4:00pm Back to Hotel.
The rest of the evening is yours.
Dinner on your own.
March 27 Wednesday:
An Inside Tour, Behind The Scenes of Semana Santa in Lake Atitlan.
Mingle with locals, Say a prayer, Honor traditions.
6:00 - 9:00am Breakfast
9:15am Transfer Pick Up.
Details will be emailed. Lunch is included with water.
From guide: We will head out to a less touristy village to participate in carpet making for the procession of Jesus of Nazareth and the Virgin Mary. Feel the humble nature of this authentic procession as you intermingle with the faithful locals.
From routinelynomadic.com Admire the intricate and colourful alfombras (carpets) designed with coloured sand, sawdust and, presumably, love, covering the streets before large groups of men carrying the body of Jesus in a large coffin.
You may see women dressed in their most colourful finery followed behind carrying the holy man’s giant cross as though they were hauling it to court to be presented as evidence of cruel and unusual punishment came plodding deliberately along scattering and destroying the many hours of complex work they had put in all night long.
The rest are evening is yours and dinner.
March 28 Thursday:
Leave Atitlan. Back in Antigua.
Antigua City Tour.
More Holy Week Ceremony Tour.
6:00 - 8:30am Breakfast and Hotel Check Out in Atitlan and Transfer
12:00pm Antigua Hotel Check In and Lunch
2:00 Tour
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, testament to a time when Antigua was the country’s capital and its main religious centre.
We focus on the main sites and beautiful carpet making in progress for today’s San Francisco el Grande procession.
Dinner on your own.
March 29 Friday:
Good Friday EARLY MORNING Tour
This Day Is Yours.
5:30am or earlier (over two hours)
Enjoy the best route to view the most spectacular street carpets. We will see the La Merced procession and complete the tour near La Merced Church.
Breakfast after tour.
The rest of the day is yours.
Lunch and Dinner on your own.
March 30 Saturday:
Bye Antigua.
Hello Guatemala City.
Tour Guatemala City.
6:00 - 9:30am Breakfast, Hotel Check Out in Antigua.
9:45am Transfer to Guatemala City
12:00pm Check In at Hotel San Carlos or similar.
Lunch on your own followed by
2:00pm Afternoon Sightseeing Tour of Old Town (2-hr)
7:00pm Dinner Included with water (other drinks are yours).
March 31 Sunday:
Bye Guatemala.
Hello Home.
Thank You.
Have A Safe Flight!
Depending on your flight itinerary:
Breakfast, Hotel Check Out, Transfer to Airport.
Have a safe and fun flight back home.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
MORE SPECIFICS: EXCLUSIONS, WAIVER, etc.
WHAT'S EXCLUDED:
International Flights - Contact henna@culturalwanderer.com for referral
Passport, Visas, Other Travel Documents that may be required
Travel Insurance RECOMMENDED - please provide before the trip
Meals, Snacks, Drinks, not stated in the itinerary
Transportation outside of included tours/excursions and other fares
Tickets to museums and other tours not mentioned in the itinerary
Gratuities / Tips
And Optional Activities: Spa/Massage/Other Treatments to mention
Double Occupancy Shared Room: $3,998.00 include tax, minus card fees.
Each Person Pays $1,999.00
You must provide your own roommate if you want to share a room. Cultural Wanderer can't promise to provide you with one.
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.
Single / Solo (One) Occupancy Room: $2,950.00
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 13 nights 14 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.
Please note:
Non Refundable Deposit of $500.
Full or remaining balance is required on January 15, 2024 and non refundable.
Non Refundable Full Payment is required on January 15, 2024.
If cancellation takes place on or after January 15, 2024 One Hundred Percent (100%) of the trip price will be forfeited.
You may pay also Henna Fuller by cash, check, money order, Venmo @Henna-Fuller or PayPal to mahenna_2000@yahoo.com
Email henna@culturalwanderer.com for inquiries or Call / Text 816.591.3642
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.