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Journey into Guatemala’s most anticipated celebration and witness the deep traditions and customs during Semana Santa (Holy Week) at Antigua. Holy Week is the week leading up to Easter Sunday, commemorating the passion, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
With grand processions, lavish floats and intricately designed sawdust carpets, Antigua, Guatemala hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year who yearn to be a part of the religious and cultural festivities–a mix of Spanish tradition and indigenous cultural beliefs.
Come be a part of this incredible holiday and immerse yourself in a cultural exchange. Visit Antigua, plus the top destinations of the Guatemalan Altiplano: Iximche, Chichicastenango, Lake Atitlan and more on this incredible experience of a lifetime!
Day
1
Your shuttle awaits outside the La Aurora Airport, ready to take you to your starting point – hotel near Zona 10, Guatemala City’s business district.
No activities are planned for today, just remember to meet downstairs for your Orientation Talk to meet your guide and the rest of the group and discuss details of your expedition.
Meals: none
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Day
2
Today we begin our expedition – strong, we depart westbound to the Guatemalan Altiplano where you will visit first an ancient Mayan settlement named Iximche. After climbing and exploring through the ruins, we will arrive at Chichicastenango to enjoy a delicious meal and talk about the history of this fascinating town. Chichicastenango is considered one of the few Mayan communities where the people have mixed traditions with Catholicism, and as a result, Mayan witch doctors or shamans, are permitted to perform cleanses, fortune telling and all sorts of Mayan rituals within the Catholic churches.
After exploring the town, we depart to Panajachel to spend the night and enjoy our view of Lake Atitlan and the Toliman and San Pedro Volcanoes. On this night you may also head into town and enjoy the famous Santander Avenue – the main drag of Pana, where you can catch dinner in town or simply walk along dozens of shops and local stores.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
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Day
3
On this day, we wake up to the beautiful sound of the birds and enjoy a magnificent sunrise at Lake Atitlan. After enjoying breakfast, we depart on a boat and disembark on a cruise on the lake – headed to the most significant villages around the crater – San Juan, San Pedro, and Santiago Atitlan. At each village, we will hop on a Tuk-tuk and stop at a series of Co-ops of local tradespeople.
We will learn how local honey is harvested, we will see how chocolate is made, we will learn about medicinal plants and many other educational activities. We will then enjoy lunch at Santiago Atitlan.
After spending the day exploring the lake and the villages, we the depart from Panajachel to Antigua to spend the following 3 nights in town and get ready to experience the celebration for Holy Week.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
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Day
4
On this day, we will enjoy a walking tour of Antigua and visit the most Iconic sites of the city such as La Merced Church, El Arco de St. Catalina, the ruins of the Cathedral Metropolitana and explore the dungeons and catacombs of the church, San Fransisco Church, Santo Domingo Museum, the Jade Museum, and last but not least, we finish our tour visiting the Cerro de la Cruz, the perfect viewpoint of the city from the top of a hill to see the cross that locals consider to be the protector of Antigua.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
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Day
5
Today is the most special day of the Holy Week Celebration, the day tradition names “Viernes Santo”. Today we will enjoy a series of parades, floats, and processions throughout the entire city representing the crucifixion of Christ and we will visit many landmarks of Antigua to get the full experience of Holy Week.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
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Day
6
Today we depart from Antigua and direct ourselves back to the City of Guatemala. Upon our arrival, we begin a tour of the highlights of the city. We begin with Kaminaljuyu, an ancient Mayan settlement which dates back to the 800’s B.c, next, we are off to the Museum of Anthropology; where we continue to learn more about the Mayan culture and many artifacts found during recent excavations. Next is the Downtown square, here we will visit the National Palace (White House), the NEW Metropolitan Cathedral, Mercado Central and more. We say goodbye to Guatemala City and conclude our amazing trip having a delicious farewell dinner at Zona 10.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
(Farwell dinner not included)
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Day
7
The day has finally come, it’s time to return home and dive back to life after concluding an epic journey to Guatemala. Our shuttles back to the airport are scheduled every hour, so just make sure you don’t forget anything and to be at the airport on time.
Meals: Breakfast available at the hotel after 6:00 am
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