Day 4  School Visit
We’ll bid farewell to Antigua and take a short bus ride to visit a rural school where we’ll share a snack and conversation with locals and understand the importance of education to end the cycle of poverty in countries like Guatemala. We’ll then set our sights on Guatemala’s highlands where Mayan culture and volcanoes rule. We’ll have dinner and sleep in a lovely hotel fronting glorious Lake Atitlán.

Day 5  Lake Cruise; Weaving Coop; Chocolate; Civil War & Current Issues
Let’s devote this day to exploring the magnificent lake and its villages. We’ll take a 30 minute boat ride to the lively town of San Juan La Laguna, where we’ll visit a weaving cooperative and learn about the importance of this Mayan art. We’ll also learn about the art of chocolate at a cacao producer. After free time to explore this picturesque village and have lunch, we’ll return to our hotel with time to savor its lush gardens, view terraces and pool. We’ll meet before dinner to learn about the particularly heavy impact the Guatemalan Civil War had on this region from friends who worked for the United Nations during the conflict and discuss current politics in Guatemala.

Hotel Atitlan (2 nights) https://www.hotelatitlan.com/

Day 6  Travel; Lake Cruise
Today is primarily a travel day. We’ll drive over the hills and through valleys to Guatemala City’s airport where we’ll catch an early afternoon flight to the scenic island city of Flores in northern Guatemala. This afternoon we’ll take a boat ride around our island, then have dinner together.

Day 7  Tikal
Today is devoted to exploring the magnificent ruins of Tikal. A local guide will join us as we drive into the jungle to Tikal, home to the most spectacular Mayan temples in the Americas. Our guide will explain the howler monkeys and other fauna we’ll encounter on our walk to the astonishing site of Tikal, once the most important city in Mayan civilization. After a guided walk among the ruins, you’ll have ample free time to explore and photograph on your own before we return to our hotel in Flores.. You’ll have free time to explore our island town and have dinner on your own.

Hotel Isla de Flores (2 nights) https://hotelisladeflores.com/

Day 8  Safe Passage School Visit
A morning flight returns us to Guatemala City. We’ll view (from a distant overlook) the city’s infamous garbage dump from which thousands of people make a living through scavenging. Here you’ll witness some of Central America’s worst poverty, then be inspired with a visit to Safe Passage school, funded in part by the University of Washington, for the scavenger’s children. We’ll return to our hotel for some free time before celebrating our experiences at a final dinner together. 

Day 9  Tour over after Breakfast Imprint will assist with airport transfer arrangements.

La Inmaculada (1 night) https://www.inmaculadahotel.com/