Enquire About This Tour Code QYC Quetzal Highway
Duration: 10 Days Route: Antigua to Cancún Style: Adventure Tours Price: $1,080.00
Guatemala, Belize, Mexico
A short but sweet adventure taking in the highlights of Guatemala, Belize and Mexico. Enjoy wildlife spotting in the jungle surrounding the Mayan temple complex of Tikal. Get off the beaten track down Rio Dulce to explore the traditional fishing village of Livingston, then head for picturesque Flores in the centre of Lake Peten Itzá. Adventure options await in San Ignacio, then relax the island way on Caye Caulker before heading north for Cancún, the Mayan Riviera.
The tour that we operate in the reverse direction is Quetzal Highway (QYA).
Central America Apocalyptic 20% Off available
Tour Dossier Introduction
- Dossier Last Updated: 21-05-2012
- Tour Code: QYC
- Duration: 9 nights / 10 days
- Joining City: Antigua
- Departure City: Cancún
- Nearest Joining International Airport: Guatemala City La Aurora Airport (GUA)
- Nearest Departing International Airport: Cancun International Airport (CUN)
This dossier is designed for this particular tour and should be read in conjunction with the country dossier(s), regional pre-departure booklet and optional excursions guides relevant to your itinerary. You will also receive a joining letter in advance of your journey with further information, while last minute updates may be posted in the Latest News section of our website.
Tour Documents
Inclusions
- Accommodation: 9 night(s) in hotel(s), hostel(s) & guesthouse(s)
- Meals: No meals included
- Excursions: Livingston, Tikal ruins, Caye Caulker
- Transport: Local public bus, boat, taxi, on foot
- Age: 18-60, max. 70 (recommended)
- Group: Average 8-12
- Staff: Tucan Travel tour leader, local guides
Exclusions
International flights and departure taxes
Domestic flight taxes if applicable (approximately US$5 each)
Tips on included excursions, visas, travel insurance, personal items
Pre & post tour accommodation
Airport transfers
Spending money – allow approximately US$25-$30 per day to cover meals, snacks, drinks, limited souvenirs, laundry, tips and any extras
Optional excursions - Please see our optional excursions guide on the dossier page for a comprehensive list of optional activities and excursions available on this tour.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 to 1 - Arrive Antigua
The first day of your tour is simply an arrival day with no pre-organised activities. In order to allow time to relax and see some of the sights you may wish to add pre tour accommodation. On arrival please ask at the reception for information on when the pre departure meeting will be held.
Antigua is one of the most delightful colonial towns in Central America. The local indigenous can be seen throughout the cobbled streets and plazas of the city in their colourful costumes, selling their crafts and textiles. As the cultural centre of Guatemala, Antigua is an ideal place to experience the traditional music, architecture and art of the country. Rich in ornate churches, convents, parks, plazas, cafés, restaurants, bars and colourful street markets and surrounded by awe-inspiring volcanoes, Antigua is one place you will never forget.
Day 2 to 3 - Rio Dulce – Flores
We depart Antigua by mini van to the river town of Rio Dulce where we overnight in cabins right on the water. In the afternoon the boat tour along the 23 kilometre stretch of waterway to Livingston allows you to experience one of the most scenic areas of Guatemala. Livingston is situated at the mouth of the Rio Dulce, where it joins the Bay of Amatique, and is inhabited by the Garifuna people. This lively little town has a Caribbean atmosphere different to the rest of Guatemala and is a great place to try the delicious local specialty tapado (seafood coconut soup) and listen to the local African-style punta music.
From Rio Dulce we continue to the charming island-town of Flores, the last town to be conquered by the Spanish and situated in the centre of Lake Peten Itzá. Flores is our base for exploring the breathtaking Maya site of Tikal which is regarded as the greatest city of the Maya world and is nestled deep in the jungle. This complex is one of the biggest Maya sites discovered, and you will have most of the day to explore and learn about the flora, fauna, and amazing Mayan history with our knowledgeable local guide.
The area around Tikal has been declared as the Tikal National Park and the preserved area covers 570 square kilometres. The ancient city has been completely mapped and at its height covered an area greater than 16 square kilometres, with more than 3000 structures. Today the main centre covers an area of approximately two and a half square kilometres. As you wander the site, you will see several tall mounds which are temples that have not yet been excavated, and you will have the opportunity to climb some of the tallest Mayan temples.
The emphasis was on height when creating these imposing structures because the Maya believed the higher the building, the closer they were to the gods. Around Tikal there is a lot of animal life, and if you're lucky, you will have the chance to spot the noisy howler monkeys, pizotes (a racoon-like animal), exotic birds such as toucans, and much more!
Day 4 to 7 - San Ignacio – Caye Caulker
A short drive takes us to the Belize border and one of the smallest and most diverse countries in Central America. Formally known as British Honduras, the official language is still English, but most people also speak Spanish. Our first stop is San Ignacio referred to as "Cayo" by the locals, this agricultural centre is also known to be the 'adventure' and 'nature' capital of Belize. The surrounding jungle, wildlife, waterfalls, rivers and caves, have created the ideal location for the numerous optional excursions that are available, from canoeing downriver and tubing through caves, to visiting the famous caves Actun Tunichil Muknal, where they found untouched Mayan ceremonial and sacrificial remains.
Leaving San Ignacio, we take a local bus through the centre of Belize to Belize City, where we catch a water taxi out to the Cayes (mangrove islands). Belizeans know how to relax, and hopefully the locals' expertise on relaxation will be contagious during your stay on Caye Caulker. If not, there are signs to remind you to "Go Slow", "Take it easy", and even "No shirt, no shoes, no problem". We spend a couple of very laid back nights on Caye Caulker, where you can throw away your shoes to wander the sand filled streets, spend the evenings eating seafood, drinking cocktails, and listening to reggae music in one of the bars.
During the day we can organise a range of different optional snorkelling trips for you, such as to Shark and Ray Alley, where you can swim within a few feet of nurse sharks and majestic sting rays, or weather dependent, you may have the opportunity to swim with sea-cows! Another optional snorkelling tour takes you out to Hol-Chan Marine Reserve where you are guaranteed to see lots of colourful fish and interesting reef formations. Qualified divers can explore the so-called bottomless "Blue Hole", made famous by the explorer Jacques Cousteau (please note: this optional excursion does not go every day, check locally for availability). Other options include sunning yourself, riding a bike around the island, or trying your luck at fishing. If you are lucky, you can take your catch to one of the local restaurants so they can BBQ it for you.
Day 8 to 9 - Playa del Carmen – Cancún
Crossing into Mexico we travel up the coast to the beautiful beach resort of Playa del Carmen. Relax on a white sand beach or take advantage of one of the several interesting optional activities available in the area such as visiting the island of Cozumel or the amazingly located Maya/Toltec ruins of Tulúm. There are also many 'cenotes' in the area. Cenotes (se-note-tays) are fresh water swimming holes connected to underground limestone cave systems once sacred to the ancient Maya.
From Playa del Carmen it's only a one hour bus journey to Cancún.
Day 10 to 10 - Depart Cancún
Until 1970 Isla Cancún (Cancún Island) had only three residents, the caretakers of the coconut plantation with only 117 people living in nearby Puerto Juarez, a fishing village and military base. The island was home to some of the Caribbean's most beautiful beaches and with the advent of mass market tourism it was an ideal location. Due to the reluctance of investors to bet on an unknown area however, the Mexican government had to finance the first nine hotels.
Today over two million visitors a year, come to Cancún to relax on one of the beautiful beaches in what is now known as the 'hotel zone' and to swim in the crystal clear turquoise waters. If the activity of Cancún becomes too much for you, you can always take a ferry out to the more relaxed Isla Mujeres or arrange a snorkelling or diving excursion.
Your adventure of a lifetime comes to an end today, please confirm with the reception the check out time. If you have a late flight or have lengthened your stay by adding post tour accommodation you will have more time to explore the sights.
The itinerary listed above is to be used as a guide only. Occasionally we may need to update this document and it may be different to the information printed in our current brochure. Tour leaders may need to make adjustments due to unforeseen circumstances during the tour. It is very important that you visit our website and review a copy of this dossier as close as possible to your departure date in case of changes that may affect your plans. Any last minute changes may also be posted in the latest news section of our website.
About Adventure Tours
Adventure Tours are designed to suit travellers who love being able to travel on many different forms of transport and who prefer to stay in comfortable but basic accommodation. Visit the Adventure Tours dossier page for further information on the type of transport and accommodation provided on this style of travel, as well as group size, staff, meals, degree of difficulty and recommended age.
Don’t forget that Tucan Travel also offers Tailored Travel tours as well as other Group Travel tour styles.
Pre-departure Information
Once you have booked your tour, your travel consultant will provide you with our pre departure information booklet to help you prepare for your adventure (if you do not receive this, please ask your agent for a copy or you can download it from our website). It is very important that you read this document before you travel for valuable information on travel documents, insurance, health, money, budgeting, packing list, joining your tour, life on the road, accommodation, transportation, staff and meals.
Country Dossiers
This tour dossier is designed to be read in conjunction with the country dossiers which you can download from the website or obtain from your travel agent. The country dossiers contain essential information about visas, arrival transfers, spending money, taxes, tips, climate and local food.
Pre-departure Meeting
The address of your joining hotel can be found on the joining letter and tour voucher. On arrival you should look for a Tucan Travel information sheet and welcome note on the hotel notice board where you will find details of the pre-departure meeting. The tour leader or the Tucan Travel representative will normally hold the pre-departure meeting early in the evening of day one (assuming that all clients have arrived by then). You will be briefed about the tour, given an outline itinerary for the next few days and any questions will be answered. The tour leader will collect the local fund (Budget Expeditions only). After the meeting there is usually an option for everyone to go out for dinner and drinks to start to get to know one another.
Please note that you will need to bring the following items to the pre departure meeting:
1. The original copy and a photocopy of your passport
2. Vaccination certificates (if required)
3. Travel voucher
4. Details of your travel insurance policy number and their 24hr emergency contact number
5. Local fund in US dollars cash (Budget Expeditions only)
What You Need to Bring
You must be prepared to carry your own bags at all times. We therefore strongly urge you to use a backpack (or similar soft luggage) and limit your luggage to a maximum of 15-17 kilograms. Please see the relevant country dossiers for further information about luggage requirements and a full list of suggested equipment can be found in the pre-departure information booklet.
Optional Excursions
During your tour there will be free time to enjoy a range of optional excursions which are listed in the optional excursions guide. Your tour leader will be able to make recommendations and bookings in advance for most of these activities so you have more flexibility and control over your itinerary. Please note that you may not have time to do all of the optional excursions listed.
Extra Services – pre & post tour accommodation and airport transfers
Very little time is spent in each of the starting and finishing cities and you will need to allow a few days at the beginning or end of your tour if you want to explore them further. Airport transfers in joining and departing cities are not included in the tour price but can be booked through Tucan Travel at an additional cost. For details about how to book pre & post accommodation please refer to the Extra Services information page in our website. Price information can be found on the price page of each tour. If you would prefer to make your own way to and from your hotel, you can find further details on the joining letter for this tour.
Single Supplements
This package may offer single supplements that enable clients to stay in a single room. This single supplement must be paid prior to departure and applies to the whole tour for nights where single rooms can be made available. If there is no offer for a single room this is usually because you will be on an overnight train or bus, or camping.
In the day-by-day grid below an 'S' will indicate in which destinations single rooms are available to those who have purchased a single supplement.
Day by Day Itinerary
| Day | Activity | Country | Meals | Single Room |
| Day 1 | Antigua | Guatemala | S | |
| Day 2 | Rio Dulce | S | ||
| Day 3 | Flores | S | ||
| Day 4 | San Ignacio | Belize | S | |
| Day 5 | San Ignacio | S | ||
| Day 6 | Caye Caulker | S | ||
| Day 7 | Caye Caulker | S | ||
| Day 8 | Playa del Carmen | Mexico | S | |
| Day 9 | Cancún | S | ||
| Day 10 | Cancún |
(B - Breakfast, L - Lunch, D - Dinner included)
Please note the day to day itinerary above is given as a GUIDELINE ONLY.
Responsible Travel Tips
At Tucan Travel we are serious about our responsibility to care for the environment and people that we visit. Here are a few tips to help you to enjoy your tour while minimising your impact and enhancing your travelling experience. Visit the Responsible Travel Policy page to learn more.
- Offset a portion of the carbon of your Tucan Travel tour. Visit our Carbon Offset Scheme page to learn more about how your contributions make a difference.
- You could bring your own metal water bottle and fill it up at restaurants or treat your own water on tour instead of buying lots of plastic bottles. Bear in mind that there may not be recycling facilities available at some destinations.
- Cut out plastic – remove and recycle the packaging of new travel gear before you pack, and bring a light cotton or string bag for your shopping, so you can politely refuse plastic bags at shops and markets.
- Please don’t offer gifts to children as it encourages begging and promotes a culture of dependency. If possible, contribute money or supplies to a local school or charity organisation – talk to your tour leader about the options available.
- Learn a bit of the local language before you travel. Being able to say even a few words like hello, please and thank you will help you to connect with people in a positive way. Bring a phrase book on tour and keep practicing to improve your confidence.
Feedback
At the end of your tour we would greatly appreciate it if you could take the time to complete a questionnaire about your experiences. The tour leader will give you a paper copy and you can find a PDF version of the questionnaires on our website. We take feedback very seriously as it allows us to maintain and improve the very high standards we expect from our staff, local operators, hotels, transportation and excursion providers. We also use this information to improve our itineraries and optional excursions on offer.
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