NATURAL WONDERS
OF COSTA RICA W/ GUATEMALA PRE EXT.
Vacation
Overview
This incredible vacation lets you sample the scenic beauty of Guatemala
and Costa Rica. Your trip begins in Guatemala City with a transfer
to Antigua, Guatemala’s capital from 1543 until a devastating
earthquake in 1776. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Antigua is one
of the Americas’ oldest and most beautiful cities. Known for
its 16th-century Spanish Colonial architecture, your Antigua sightseeing
tour includes the Catedral de San José, Palace of the Capitanes
Generales, and ruins of churches and monasteries. Also, take a tour
of a jade factory. Travel to the highland town of Chichicastenango
to visit a colorful, open-air Indian market and Church of Santo
Tomás. Then continue to Lake Atitlán, where you enjoy
a cruise across the 900-foot-deep lake. Visit the Indian village
of Santiago Atitlán, where you can meet the Tzutuhil people,
one of Guatemala’s indigenous tribes. The Guatemala portion
of your vacation ends in Guatemala City with a tour and dinner.
Then,
fly to San José, the capital of Costa Rica, for a city tour.
Visit the National Theater, designed as the opera house at the beginning
of the 19th century, and the National Museum. Tour a banana plantation
before reaching Tortuguero National Park, Costa Rica’s national
park dedicated to protecting endangered turtles. During your stay,
cruise through the Tortuguero Canals, view amazing flora and fauna
in a remote section of the park, and enjoy a guided walk through
the rainforest. Your guide will help you spot freshwater turtles,
herons, toucans, monkeys, and more.
Next,
transfer by boat to Sarapiqui and tour the Corsicana Pineapple Farm.
Travel through Tilajari Rainforest Reserve en route to Tilajari
Resort, your home for two nights. Here, experience the Butterfly
Garden, relax in the pools of the Ecotemales Hot Springs, view Arenal
Volcano, or walk in the nearby tropical rainforest in search of
300- to 400-year-old trees, poisonous frogs, monkeys, birds, and
possibly small animals native to the reserve. Then on to Poas Volcano
National Park to see the magnificent La Paz Waterfall and Poas Volcano,
where you have up-close views of the enormous crater with its deep,
green lake. Learn about coffee production at the Doka Coffee Plantation
before returning to San José for the final night of your
unforgettable Costa Rica and Guatemala vacation.
These days will be added to the beginning of the basic tour itinerary:
| 7-06-10
(Tue.)
Arrive in Guatemala City, Guatemala–Antigua
Upon
arrival, meet your Local Host and transfer to Antigua, Guatemala’s
capital from 1543 until a devastating earthquake in 1776 when
it was moved to Guatemala City. The UNESCO World Heritage
Site of Antigua is one of the Americas’ oldest and most
beautiful cities, with pastel-colored buildings, wide cobblestone
streets, and a beautiful natural setting ringed by three volcanoes.
(D) |
7-07-10
(Wed.) Antigua
Our
morning tour of this magnificent highlands city, known for
its 16th-century Spanish Colonial architecture, includes lively
Plaza Mayor flanked by the impressive Catedral de San José
and Palace of the Capitanes Generales. We also see the ruins
of churches and monasteries, some with hidden underground
passages, destroyed by the earthquake of 1776. Take a tour
of a JADE FACTORY. (B) |
7-08-10
(Thu.) Antigua–Chichicastenango–Lake Atitlán
Today,
reach the whitewashed highland town of Chichicastenango to
visit the colorful, open-air INDIAN MARKET and the Catholic
CHURCH OF SANTO TOMÁS to witness ancient Mayan ceremonies
that have long been practiced there. Continue to the shores
of Lake Atitlán, surrounded by volcanoes and indigenous
villages. (B,L) |
7-09-10
(Fri.) Lake Atitlán–Guatemala City
This
morning, CRUISE across Lake Atitlán. Visit the Indian
village of SANTIAGO ATITLÁN and meet the Tzutuhil people,
one of Guatemala’s indigenous tribes. This afternoon,
head back to Guatemala City for a tour and a Guatemalan farewell
dinner. (B,D) |
7-10-10
(Sat.) Guatamala City–San José, Costa Rica
Fly
to San José to join Day 1 of the Costa Rican portion
of your vacation. (B) |
Notes:
Itinerary and hotels subject to change. Antigua Hotel: Porta Antigua.
Lake Atitlán Hotel: Porta del Lago. Guatemala City Hotel:
Biltmore Express. MEALS: Breakfast (B); Lunch (L), Dinner (D). PRICING:
Add the Guatemala pre-extension for an additional $860 per person.
Save $10 per person; add both the Guatemala pre-extension and the
Manuel
Antonio Post Tour for only $1300 additional per person. (Prices
are per person, and based on double occupancy.)
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