Mayan Cultural Tour Guatemala:

Begin your day with a guided visit to the bustling Antigua market. Accompanied by a Mayan chef, you’ll select fresh local ingredients and learn to prepare traditional dishes such as pepián (a spiced meat stew), jocon (chicken in tomatillo sauce), or tamales wrapped in banana leaves.

In the afternoon, head to a local women’s cooperative for a traditional backstrap weaving workshop. Learn how Indigenous women use natural dyes, ancestral patterns, and symbols to create huipiles (traditional blouses) that tell stories of lineage, spirituality, and identity.

Cultural Insight: Participate in meaningful exchanges that support women’s empowerment and preserve ancient knowledge.

Travel to the highlands of Lake Atitlán, surrounded by three dramatic volcanoes and home to several Indigenous communities.

Take a private boat across the lake to Santa Catarina Palopó, where homes are painted with symbolic Kaqchikel patterns in a unique cultural preservation project. Then continue to San Antonio Palopó, where local artisans practice centuries-old ceramic techniques. You’ll visit a family-run pottery studio, try your hand at the wheel, and hear how art helps sustain their economy.

Highlights: Symbolic art projects, scenic boat rides, community-based tourism.

In San Juan La Laguna, meet the Tz’utujil Maya women who lead cooperatives focused on medicinal plants, natural dye techniques, and ancestral healing.

Then visit Santiago Atitlán, the spiritual and political heart of the lake region. You’ll visit Maximón—a cigar-smoking folk saint—and explore the historic Church of St. James the Apostle.

End the day with a homestay hosted by a Mayan family. Share a traditional dinner, hear stories passed through generations, and gain a deeper understanding of daily life and Indigenous worldview.

Highlights: Folk religion, traditional medicine, immersive homestay.

Travel to Chichicastenango, one of the largest and most colorful Indigenous markets in the Americas. Browse stalls of handwoven textiles, ceremonial masks, herbs, and sacred candles.

Observe rituals at Santo Tomás Church, where Mayan shamans perform ceremonies on ancient stone steps. For deeper spiritual insight, visit Pascual Abaj, a sacred hilltop altar used for fire offerings.

Afterward, return to Guatemala City for a domestic flight to Flores, a charming lakeside town in the Petén region.

Highlights: Spiritual syncretism, Indigenous commerce, cultural rituals.

Wake up early for a full-day tour of Tikal, one of the most powerful cities of the ancient Maya world. Hidden in the jungle, this UNESCO site features towering pyramids, expansive plazas, and sacred altars.

With your expert guide, uncover the cosmological importance of the site, the function of its temples, and the daily lives of its people. Wildlife abounds: spot howler monkeys, toucans, and coatis along jungle paths.

Highlights: Temple IV climb, Great Plaza, ancient astronomy, and biodiversity.

Explore the tranquil site of Yaxhá, once a thriving ceremonial center. Nestled between twin lakes and surrounded by rainforest, it offers a serene counterpart to Tikal.

Your guide will explain the site’s urban planning, its ball courts, and its role in regional politics. Climb Temple 216 for sweeping views of jungle and lakes.

In the afternoon, fly back to Guatemala City for a relaxing evening.

Highlights: Remote ruins, panoramic views, peaceful setting.

Begin with a visit to Guatemala City’s Historic Center. Explore the Palacio Nacional, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, home to treasures from Tikal, Kaminaljuyú, and more.

Optionally, visit the Ixchel Museum of Indigenous Textiles and Clothing to see how clothing tells the story of Guatemala’s diverse Maya groups.

End your journey with a farewell dinner that fuses modern techniques with ancestral Mayan ingredients.

Highlights: National heritage sites, textile traditions, cultural cuisine.

Enjoy breakfast and a private transfer to La Aurora International Airport. Your guide will assist with check-in and share a final goodbye.