The Capital Cities of the Ancient Maya: Copán, Quiriguá, Tikal, Yaxchilán, Bonampak, Palenque

Day 1: Fly to San Pedro Sula

Fly to San Pedro Sula, Honduras and drive to Copán Village. Spend the next two nights in a charming, colonial-style hotel in Copán village with lovely gardens and a swimming pool. Gather for our festive welcome dinner at Hacienda San Lucas, nestled in the hills overlooking the village. (L/D)

Day 2: Art and architecture of Copán

Upon viewing the stunning art and architecture of Copán, archaeologist Sylvanus Morley proclaimed it the Athens of the New World. This UNESCO World Heritage Site represents one of the most spectacular cultural achievements of antiquity. Recent work has helped restore the magnificent hieroglyphic stairway to its former grandeur, and art historians are presently reconstructing the elaborate facades on the buildings. Throughout the site, finely chiseled writing tells us the story of the powerful kings in the Copán lineage, from Yax K'uk Mo', the founder, to Waxaklajuun Ubaah K’awill, one of the greatest of the rulers. (B/L/D)

Day 3: Copán /Rio Dulce

After a private introductory talk by archaeologist David Sedat, Field Director of the Copán Acropolis Project, we will tour the Copán Village Museum located in the town square. Then we depart Honduras and cross the border to Guatemala and Quiriguá, a lovely site near the shores of the Motagua River. Quiriguá’s stelae are the tallest and most intricately carved in the Maya world. The Great Plaza contains zoomorphic sculptures and elaborately carved stone monuments honoring K’ahk’ Tiliw Chan Yopaat (commonly known as Two-Legged Sky), who freed his city from Copán when he captured 18 Rabbit in 738 AD. Drive to the Rio Dulce and overnight at Banana Palms Resort, overlooking the river. (B/L/D)

Day 4: El Castillo de San Felipe/Flores/Tikal

This morning we will take a short boat ride to El Castillo de San Felipe, located at the point where Rio Dulce becomes Lake Izabal. Built in the late 16th century, this fort was erected by the Spanish in order to prevent the pirates from stealing caravans and pillaging villages along the lake’s shores. After lunch at a local restaurant, transfer to Flores with time to shop and explore the brightly painted buildings of this charming island town. Continue to Tikal and overnight for two nights at the Jungle Lodge, located within the national park. (B/L/D)

Day 5: Tikal

For the last 25 years, Tikal has been a national park. Wild pigs, native to Central and South America, walk the jungle paths, and brilliantly colored turkeys parade through the forest. Here, in the shadow of the magnificent pyramids, discover the royal families of Tikal through their stories on the carved stone monuments. Learn about the wars of conquest that rocked the region for centuries and begin to understand how the ties of blood created an allegiance between this impressive city and the other sites we will visit, and how these ties were often frayed by battles between the powers that ruled the jungle cities. (B/L/D)

Day 6: Tikal/Village Bethel/Village of Frontera Corozol

Spend the morning in the Tikal’s two museums where the finest monuments are preserved along with other artifacts from the years of excavation. After lunch, drive to the village of Bethel, located on the banks of the Usumacinta River, the largest river in Central America and the border between Guatemala and Mexico’s Chiapas state. Here, we board local lanchas (boats) to travel down the river to the village of Frontera Corozol. Overnight for two nights in a remote, simple jungle lodge. (B/L/D)

Day 7: Yaxchilán

Journey by boat down the mighty Usumacinta River. Located deep within the rain forest on an oxbow of the river, Yaxchilán was until very recently almost inaccessible. Here, the rulers Itzamnaaj Bahlam (known as Shield Jaguar) and his son Yaxuun Bahlam (Bird Jaguar) built towering memorials to themselves in the 8th century. There are more than 125 carved monuments at Yaxchilán, including altars, thrones, steps, walls, and stelae. However, the door lintels are the site's claim to fame. Sheltered from the elements, these great stone slabs span the tops of 56 doorways, and on many of them, the incised hieroglyphs are still fresh after more than 1,200 years. The howler monkeys hanging from the trees, scarlet macaws soaring overhead, and the rushing river make the overall experience at Yaxchilán very special, even for the seasoned traveler. In the afternoon, return upstream to our jungle lodge. (B/L/D)

Day 8: Bonampak

To reach Bonampak, travel through the Lacandon Rainforest, some of the last of the uncut jungle in this area. Here, within a palace, are three rooms containing remarkable murals telling of the accession of a new king of Bonampak in 790 AD, whose un-translated name is “Man-eating Jaguar.” The city collapsed about this time and these vivid colored paintings were never completed. Bonampak is well known for its murals, but the immense stelae here are equally lovely as they tell of the center's close relationship with nearby Yaxchilán. Transfer to Palenque and overnight for two nights at the Chan Kah Resort, where private bungalows are situated amidst a pristine jungle environment and clustered around an immense, free-form swimming pool. Dinner is on our own tonight. (B/L)

Day 9: Explore Palenque

Set like a jewel in the lush jungle-clad emerald foothills of the mountains of Chiapas, Palenque is certainly one of the most beautiful of the Maya sites. The tomb of the great ruler, Lord Pakal, was hidden deep inside the Temple of Inscriptions until 1952 when, after four years of excavations, Mexican archaeologist Alberto Ruz discovered it and raised the 4 1/2 ton sarcophagus lid with truck jacks to uncover the king wearing his mosaic jade death mask. Palenque is unusual in having almost no carved monuments, but stucco sculptures depicting the city’s royalty decorate many of the buildings while lengthy hieroglyphic texts can be found on tablets inside the palaces and temples. The three temples in the Group of the Cross are the most magnificent buildings in the city. Built high on the side of a mountain, these beautifully decorated sanctuaries dominate the site. In their interiors, massive, finely carved hieroglyphic panels tell the history of the kings and the glorification of their gods. Dinner will be at one of Palenque’s finest restaurants. (B/L/D)

Day 10: Futher Exploration in Palenque

This morning we will return to the ruins and walk along a delightful trail following a series of waterfalls that flow past the homes of the people of ancient Palenque. After lunch, we will tour the Palenque Museum containing an outstanding collection of artifacts. These include breathtakingly beautiful incensarios, or ceramic incense burners, some as tall as three feet high and richly adorned with masks of Maya gods. We will then transfer to Villahermosa for our farewell dinner and overnight at the Villahermosa Hilton. (B/L/D)

Day 11: Flight back to the USA

Transfer to the airport for our flight back to the USA. (B)