Highlights Tour North / South CA

Destinations Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama
Category Cultural
Duration 22 days / 21 nights
Location Central America

Day 1 - Belize: Arrival - flight to Ambergris Caye
Day 1 - Belize: Arrival - flight to Ambergris Caye

Arrival in Belize City Airport, where our local representative will meet you and assist you to check into your flight to Caye Ambergris. Welcome to La Isla Bonita! Overnight in San Pedro town.

Day 2 - Belize: Hol Chan Tour
Day 2 - Belize: Hol Chan Tour

Breakfast. Today, have a snorkel adventure at Hol Chan & Shark Ray Alley Marine Reserve! A 30-minute boat ride will bring you to your first stop. Hol Chan in the Mayan language means “little channel”. Hol Chan is home to over 160 species of fish, nearly 40 species of corals, 5 sponges, 8 algae, 2 sea grasses, 3 marine mammals and 3 species of sea turtles. Shark Ray Alley, lying just 3 minutes from Hol Chan, is home to an abundant number of Nurse Sharks and sting-rays. These creatures politely greet you as you arrive to visit them.

Meals : Breakfast
Day 3 - Belize: San Pedro – San Ignacio
Day 3 - Belize: San Pedro – San Ignacio

After breakfast, you will be taken to the water taxi terminal where you will take a water taxi to Belize City. Upon arrival your driver will meet you to take you to San Ignacio town, a hot spot for tourism. On the way you will stop at the Jaguar Paw park to do a tour en route, in the clear waters for the Caves Branch River. Jump into your tube, and feel the excitement as you float into mysterious limestone archways beckoning you into the mouth of centuries old caves, holding untold stories of Maya rituals. After caving tubing, experience the adrenaline rush on an aerial adventure, zip-lining through the tree tops of the tropical rainforest. Overnight in San Ignacio.

Meals : Breakfast
Day 4 - Belize – Guatemala: San Ignacio - Yaxhá
Day 4 - Belize – Guatemala: San Ignacio - Yaxhá

After breakfast, your driver will meet you at the lobby of your hotel to take you to Melchor de Mencos, the Western Border with Guatemala, where your driver will be waiting for you. You then will be transferred to Yaxhá Archeological Site. Your guide will show you the layout and main temples. After the tour, enjoy lunch at local restaurant and then, you will be transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Petén.

Meals : Breakfast
Day 5 - Guatemala: Tikal
Day 5 - Guatemala: Tikal

After breakfast your tour guide will meet you in the lobby of your hotel and transfer you to Tikal National Park. Your guide will show you the layout of the temples, architecture, history, some theories of why the Mayans disappeared and if you are lucky a few monkeys, coatimundis, parrots, macaws and toucans will be on site. After the tour, enjoy lunch at a restaurant in the middle of the jungle. After lunch, you will be transferred back to your hotel. Overnight in Petén.

Meals : Breakfast
Day 6 - Guatemala: Río Dulce
Day 6 - Guatemala: Río Dulce

Breakfast at hotel. Afterwards, transfer to Rio Dulce for private boat tour. Lunch in Livingston a famous Garifuna settlement of former African slaves who settled in Guatemala at the end of slavery and still maintain their culture today. After lunch the boat will transfer you back to your hotel. Overnight in Rio Dulce.

Meals : Breakfast
Day 7 - Guatemala – Honduras, Corinto to Tela - Croc night watch
Day 7 - Guatemala – Honduras, Corinto to Tela - Croc night watch

Breakfast. Transfer to Corinto, in Honduras. Pickup at Corinto at around noon, and transfer to Tela. In the evening you will enjoy an exciting Crocodile Night watch, kayaking through the maze of mangrove creeks and rivers making up the Río Plátano and the Río Hicaque Lagoon, located in the core zone of the Park. This exciting tour gives you the chance to see the crocodiles that inhabit the canals and mangroves. Normally, wildlife in mangroves can be seen mostly at sunrise or sunset, so this tour allows you to see more species of birds and the excitement of sighting crocodiles. Transfer back to Tela at around 9pm. Overnight in Tela.

Meals : Breakfast
Day 8 - Honduras: Day tour to Punta Sal
Day 8 - Honduras: Day tour to Punta Sal

Breakfast. 8: 00 a.m. the boat ride from Tela to Punta Sal is 45 minutes long. The hour long walk through the National Park will give you the opportunity to see monkeys, spiders, and butterflies. You will also have a couple of hours for snorkelling and the rest of the day simply relax and enjoy the beach! Enjoy a typical lunch at Cocalito Beach. Overnight in Tela.

Meals : Breakfast
Day 9 - Honduras: Copan Ruinas – Hotsprings
Day 9 - Honduras: Copan Ruinas – Hotsprings

Breakfast. Transfer to Copán, approximately 5 hour long. Relax in the nearby natural streams of hot and cold water of the various beauty spots that make up the area. A great way to end a busy travel day. Overnight in Copan.

Meals : Breakfast
Day 10 - Honduras – El Salvador: Copan - Suchitoto
Day 10 - Honduras – El Salvador: Copan - Suchitoto

After breakfast, enjoy a tour to the mystical Mayan ruins and Sculpture Museum, where you will be able to witness the ancient Mayan culture. Copan, with its temples, plazas and terraces, comprises a type of architectural complex among the most characteristic of the Mayan civilization. At around noon, transfer to Suchitoto, a charming town in the Northeast of El Salvador. Guided walk in Suchitoto, visiting the church, market and corn mill, see the sun go down at Lake Suchitlan. Overnight in Suchitoto.

Meals : Breakfast
Day 11 - Joya de Ceren - San Andres
Day 11 - Joya de Ceren - San Andres

Breakfast. Indigo is a natural colorant extracted from the Xiquilite plant. It was a very important element for the Mayans since they used it for magical/religious rituals, as a medical plant, for pottery and for painting. During an Indigo workshop you will learn all about the process and enjoy designing your own scarf! In the afternoon you will visit the archeological site of Joya de Ceren which was declared world heritage by UNESCO in 1993 for being the only location in the whole Mayan Worls where you can appreciate the day to day living styles of the popular pre-Columbian inhabitants. You take off to one of El Salvador’s Mayan ruins, San Andres, which was inhabited by Mayans between AD 600 and 900. There is nice small museum on site. Overnight Suchitoto.

Meals : Breakfast
Day 12 - El Salvador: Suchitoto - Bahia de Jiquilisco- El Cuco
Day 12 - El Salvador: Suchitoto - Bahia de Jiquilisco- El Cuco

Breakfast. Jiquilisco Bay, a natural treasure in the Eastern part of the country that is home to abundant biodiversity, declared a RAMSAR site and a Biosphere Reserve. Visit to Puerto Barillas where you visit the Cacao plantation. Transfer to hotel around the beach of El Cuco. Around El Cuco you will find the most beautiful and remote beaches of El Salvador. Overnight around El Cuco.

Meals : Breakfast
Day 13 - El Salvador – Nicaragua: Transfer to Nicaragua
Day 13 - El Salvador – Nicaragua: Transfer to Nicaragua

Breakfast. Transfer to the small port of La Union. After migration procedures you enter the boat that will take you across the Gulf of Fonseca, to Nicaragua. Continue on to León, a cultural-historical city with an authentic atmosphere where visitors can easily connect with the locals. León offers a quiet, relaxed and pleasant atmosphere that comes to life at night owing to the city´s large student population. In the evenings you can enjoy parties, live music, folkloric performances and much more. The center with its colonial buildings, beautiful churches and the cathedral which has been declared as a UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site, are only some of León´s many attractions.

Meals : Breakfast
Day 14 - Nicaragua: León – Masaya – Granada
Day 14 - Nicaragua: León – Masaya – Granada

After breakfast you can explore on foot the fascinating history of one of Nicaragua’s oldest and most influential cities, considered to be Nicaragua’s historical, cultural, educational and religious capital. You continue your journey to Granada, one of Central America´s oldest and best-preserved Spanish-colonial cities. En route you visit the Nicaraguan folklore cradle: Masaya. The first stop is Masaya Volcano National Park. Your driver will take you to the summit of the volcano, where you can have a look inside the active crater. The next stop is Masaya´s artisan market, where you can purchase quality Nicaraguan handicrafts. Overnight in Granada.

Meals : Breakfast
Day 15 - Nicaragua: Las Isletas and Granada
Day 15 - Nicaragua: Las Isletas and Granada

In the morning you take a tour by bike and boat visiting some of the 365 little islands of volcanic origin that were formed when the Mombacho volcano blew much of its cone into the lake thousands of years ago. The adventure begins in Granada’s Central Park and heads through the colonial city towards the port. Here, the bikes are loaded onto your boat and you take off for a boat tour of Las Isletas. In the afternoon you visit the most interesting places of the city. No visit to Granada is complete without a tour of the city’s beautiful historic center and there is no better way to do it than in a traditional horse-drawn carriage. On this guided walking/carriage tour, you will explore the San Francisco Church and neighboring San Francisco Convent built in 1529. Throughout the excursion your guide will provide you with an informative and unique perspective of this beloved colonial city.

Meals : Breakfast
Day 16 - Nicaragua – Costa Rica: Granada – Peñas Blancas
Day 16 - Nicaragua – Costa Rica: Granada – Peñas Blancas

Breakfast. Transfer to Peñas Blancas, the border with Costa Rica. After clearing customs in Peñas Blancas, you will be transferred to La Fortuna near Arenal Volcano. Later you will hike an old lava flow and look for wildlife in the rainforest. The lava flow trail begins off the main road near the Arenal Volcano and crosses an open area rapidly reverting back to forest on the northwest side of Arenal Volcano. The flow left an impressive pile of blocky lava rocks that rises about 60 feet high and now offers a panoramic view of the surrounding forests, mountains, nearby Lake Arenal and Arenal Volcano itself. During the walk you may see troops of monkeys, sloths and coatis, also some tropical birds like toucans, parrots and motmots! Overnight in La Fortuna.

Meals : Breakfast
Day 17 - Costa Rica: La Fortuna – Arenal Volcano
Day 17 - Costa Rica: La Fortuna – Arenal Volcano

Breakfast. In the morning you will have the opportunity to enjoy a canopy tour with incredible views of Arenal Volcano. This excursion starts in two different ways; Either a comfortable tractor cart that lasts about 20 minutes, or horseback riding approximately 45 minutes. Upon arrival to the observation deck, a naturalist guide will give you a 30 minute walking tour to the first platform to start the canopy tour. Each cable offers a different sensation and experience crossing canyons, observing waterfalls, over the tops of trees or leaving from a spectacular observation tower of 18 meters (62 feet) . Later walk down La Fortuna Waterfall, which receives its cool clear waters from the pristine forested mountains of Arenal Volcano National Park. The waterfall is located in a small canyon surrounded by lush forest. Overnight in La Fortuna.

Meals : Breakfast
Day 18 - Costa Rica: Puerto Viejo de Limón
Day 18 - Costa Rica: Puerto Viejo de Limón

Today you will leave early from Arenal and the transferred to the Province of Limón on the Caribbean coast. Day at leisure. Overnight in Limón.

Meals : Breakfast
Day 19 - Costa Rica – Panama: Limón – Bocas del Toro
Day 19 - Costa Rica – Panama: Limón – Bocas del Toro

Breakfast and transfer to Sixaola, the border with Panama. From here you continue to a harbor in Almirante where a public water taxi will take you to Isla Colon , in Bocas del Toro. The Islands of Bocas del Toro are the essence and the mirror of Caribbean Panama. This archipelago has the perfect combination of nature and history and cultural traditions, with a charming variety of aquatic species, coral reefs, mangroves, tropical forest and beaches with crystal clear water. Overnight in Isla Colón.

Meals : Breakfast
Day 20 - Panama: Bocas del Toro
Day 20 - Panama: Bocas del Toro

"Day at leisure. Optional tour (not included): Excursion by boat exploring the archipelago of Bocas Del Toro. There is no better way to explore the archipelago than by boat. You will be picked up by your captain and proceed to visit the Mangrove forests and learn about their importance, and always be on the lookout for dolphins. Visit the popular Red Frog Beach, named after the tiny poisoned dart frog that lives on the island and explore the area. Take advantage of the on board snorkel equipment to get up close and personal with the local marine world. Entrance to Red frog are not included at the end of the day you will return to the main Island. Overnight in Bocas del Toro."

Meals : Breakfast
Day 21 - Panama: Panama City
Day 21 - Panama: Panama City

Breakfast. Today there is an early transfer planned from your hotel to the Bocas del Toro airport. Once you arrive in Panama City you will be transferred to the Hotel. Panama City is rich in culture and history and there are many places to visit to gain a better understanding of the country as it is today and also to revisit its rich past. Tropical forests around Panama, are vital for the functioning of the Panama Canal. The construction of the Panama Canal was of great benefit to the infrastructure and economy of the country. Overnight in Panama City/

Meals : Breakfast
Day 22 - Panama: Transfer out
Day 22 - Panama: Transfer out

Breakfast. Transfer to Panama International Airport Tocumen. End of services.

Meals : Breakfast

Included

  • Accommodations as mentioned in itinerary
  • American Breakfast
  • English speaking guides
  • Entrance fees to sites - parks - etc.
  • Entrance Tkt to places of interest
  • Local flights mentioned
  • Private Transportation by land
  • Taxes
  • Transportation by boat where mentioned in itinerary

 


 

Not Included

  • Any optional /additional/extra tours or park fees
  • Any other service not mentioned in the “included” list or the itinerary
  • Extras at hotels
  • International Flights
  • Late check-out or early check-in
  • Personal and/or medical expenses
  • Visa and Inmigration Taxes