DAY 1, Tuesday, March 31: We depart from Jacksonville Airport for our flight to Miami where we board our flight to Guatemala City International Airport on American Airlines. Upon arrival, we meet our driver who escorts us to Antigua, Guatemala, about a 2-hour drive. We have time to get settled and explore our hotel before our welcome dinner at Hotel Posada de Don Rodrigo that includes live marimba music and the folkloric dance, “Los Moros”. We return to our hotel for overnight. D

DAY 2, Wednesday, April 1: After a lovely breakfast, we meet our guide, Elizabeth Bell, at the fountain in Central Park for a cultural walking tour around this UNESCO World Heritage Site. We learn about the city’s history, cultural trends, and restoration efforts. We visit the City Hall Palace, the Royal Palace, and the San Jose Cathedral. We visit the Maya Jades Museum where we learn about Maya archaeology. We complete our tour at the best museum in town, Paseo de Los Museos. After lunch, we meet in the lobby of our hotel for a private bus tour to Escuela de Cristo to view the holy vigil for the Virgin Mary. We walk to Casa de Artes where we meet local painters and view old and new Guatemalan folk art. We continue to Colibrí Weavers, which offers fine quality hand-woven textile products crafted by more than 500 Maya women in 25 small villages throughout Guatemala. We enjoy dinner and overnight at our hotel. BD

DAY 3, Thursday, April 2: We board our motorcoach early and have breakfast at Restaurant Chichoy on our way to the shores of Lake Atitlan. At Panajachel, we take a boat across the lake to visit Santiago Atitlan, the largest town at the lake. We visit the local church built in 1547 and learn about Priest Stanley Francis Rother and his beatification efforts. We have some free time to explore and have lunch (bring cash because some places don’t take cards) before our return boat ride to Panajachel. We have dinner and overnight at the exquisite Hotel Atitlan, which offers stunning views of the lake. BD

DAY 4, Friday, April 3: We enjoy a delightful breakfast before heading to the Maya site of Iximche. Our guide explains the Maya calendar, the Maya ball game, and the history of this fortress city. We return to Antigua where we meet Elizabeth Bell who escorts us to marvel at the children’s procession from San Jose Cathedral around the main streets of Antigua. We have some free time to wander around and take in the festivities. We return to our hotel where we enjoy dinner and overnight in Antigua. BD

DAY 5, Saturday, April 4: After breakfast at our hotel, we have the option of a free day to explore and shop in Antigua, or we can choose one of the following tours at our own expense.

Option 1: Village and Textile Tour ($45 per person for 3 hours) - At 10:00 AM, we meet our guide at the Hotel Posada de Don Rodrigo for a guided tour of Antigua’s surrounding villages. A short drive takes us to spectacular views of the valley at the convent/museum of the Archbishop’s Palace in San Juan del Obispo followed by a scenic ride through pueblos and coffee plantations to the Maya town of San Antonio Aguas Calientes. We enjoy an expert presentation on traditional Maya textiles at Carolina’s Weaving Cooperative, famous for some of the best textiles, with time for shopping before returning to Antigua.

Option 2: Coffee Plantation Tour at Finca Filadelfia ($20 per person for 2 ½ hours) - At 10:20 AM, we meet at Capuchinas for a tour of one of the oldest and most established coffee estates in Guatemala. We follow the path of the coffee bean from the nursery to the cup. We conclude with a seated educational tasting before returning to Antigua.

At 6:00 PM, we all gather for an hour presentation by Elizabeth Bell at our hotel including fabulous descriptions and photos of carpet making, velaciones (vigils), and processions. Questions are encouraged and autographed books are available whose proceeds benefit educational programs in Antigua. We have dinner and overnight at our hotel in Antigua. BD

DAY 6, Palm Sunday, April 5: After breakfast, we meet Elizabeth Bell at Café Condesa for a guided walk as Holy Week begins with grandeur. We see carpets made at their best and watch the dazzling Palm Sunday La Merced Procession. We have lunch on our own before saying farewell to Antigua. We pack an overnight bag for our excursion to Tikal.  We depart by private shuttle to the Guatemala City Airport for our flight to Flores on TAG Airlines. We meet our driver, who stores our larger luggage, for our shuttle to Isla de Flores. We check into Hotel Isla de Flores for dinner and overnight. BD

DAY 7, Monday, April 6: After breakfast, we meet our shuttle to Tikal National Park, a Maya complex that was hidden in the jungle for centuries. Most of the structures that we see were built in the eighth century before the unexplained decline of the entire civilization in the ninth century. Tikal was rediscovered in 1848 and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1971. We explore Complexes Q and R, Temples I, II, III and IV, the Plaza Central, the Central and North Acropolis, and the Plaza del Mundo Perdido. We enjoy lunch in the park and a bit of time to soak in the history of this magnificent place. We return to our shuttle that takes us to the Mundo Maya International Airport in Flores. We fly to Guatemala City where we check into the glamorous Hotel Barcelo. We have dinner and an early night in preparation for our predawn departure in the morning. BLD

DAY 8, Tuesday, April 7: We have a very early morning breakfast before a short ride to the Guatemala City Airport for our flight to Jacksonville via Miami. B

B – Breakfast   L – Lunch   D – Dinner    M – Meals on Aircraft

Itinerary is subject to change due to local conditions or at the discretion of the leaders.

CT20019 DeFoor Guatemala

 Price is based on double occupancy:

15-20 participants: $3,300.00*

Single supplement: $600.00 (limited space)

*Pricing includes airline taxes & fuel surcharges and are subject to change until the tickets are issued. Optional activities and sites visited during your free time are not included in the cost of the pilgrimage and are to be paid for at the time of your visit. Tips for the driver and guide are payable upon completion of services.

Deposit of $1,000.00 per person due by November 1, 2019, with reservation form and a copy of passport

Final Payment Due December 15, 2019