Arrival greeting and transfer to your selected Guatemala City hotel. Stroll through this vibrant capital for excellent shopping and fine restaurants. Overnight.

Early morning departure from your hotel for a 2 1/2 hour drive to Chichicastenango's fabulous market (held every Thursday and Sunday) where you will see a stunning array of handicrafts, including textiles, wood carvings and ceramics. Within the market is the historic Church of Santo Tomas, built over 400 years ago on a Mayan temple site. The Church represents a blending of the Christian and Mayan religions. Overnight at the charming Mayan Inn in Chichicastenango.

After breakfast, depart for the village of Sololá, an important regional market center on Tuesdays and Fridays. Here you will be able to see the distinctive costumes from the nearby villages. Continue to the lakeside town of Panahachel on Lake Atitlan. This scenic lake covers 50 square miles and is surrounded by three volcanoes. Overnight at Hotel Atitlan.

After breakfast, drive from Lake Atitlan to the beautiful colonial town of Antigua. Founded by the Spaniards in 1543, Antigua was once the cultural center for all Central America.

You will see Ciudad Vieja, Guatemala's first permanent capital, destroyed in 1541 by earthquakes and a flood. Visit the city's famous churches, monasteries, museums and colonial buildings, all of which have contributed to the city being named Monument of the Americas in 1965. Among the most celebrated are La Merced Church, Las Capuchinas and Santa Clara Convent. After your tour, continue to Guatemala City for your overnight.

Morning transfer to Guatemala City Airport before a flight to Tikal. A representative will pick you up and take you to your tour of the ruins of the Mayan city of Yaxha. The city is contemporary to Tikal, and is located on the northeastern side of the Lake Yaxha. Over 1,400 monuments have been mapped and an excavation program has been taking place for the past ten years, exposing some of its magnificent architecture. The climb up one or more of the temples yields magnificent views of the surrounding rain forest, two lakes and a river. Close to Yaxha are the ruins of the Mayan settlement of Topoxte, located on an island in Lake Yaxha. Topoxte was an important trading center in the late Mayan period; it has several large buildings surrounding a central plaza. After completing these tours and having lunch, you'll continue on to your hotel in Tikal. Overnight.

Early morning departure for a full-day Tour of the Tikal Ruins. Visit the Twin-Pyramid Complexes Q and R; and the Lost World Complex where the Great Pyramid and Temple 5C-49 are the most important. Also visit Temple III and the Palace of the Windows, the Great Plaza squared off with the pyramids of the Grand Jaguar and the Masks, the Palace of the Nobles, and Pyramid IV - one of the highest of the Mayan pyramids; from its top a complete view of Tikal and its surrounding jungle can be enjoyed. Lunch is included.

After a full day of touring Tikal, you'll transfer to Flores airport for a flight to Guatemala City, where you'll spend the last night of your vacation.

Transfer to the airport for your return flight home or to your next Avanti destination!