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ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS WITH BOTH EXTENSIONS

Day 1 - Arrival in Managua, Nicaragua. (Wed.) Upon your evening arrival you will be met by your Local Guide who will help you check into your hotel. Enjoy dinner at the hotel. (D)

Day 2 - Managua - Granada. (Thu.) Begin the day with a guided Managua city tour highlighting the old city center where you see the ruins of the old Presidential Palace, the Park of Peace, and Lake Managua. Visit the MUSEUM OF ACAHUALINCA to see the ancient fossilized human footprints made 6,000 years ago in volcanic ash. After a drive through the new city center, continue to Nicaragua's first national park, MASAYA VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK, to see the active Santiago Crater. Learn about the volcanic activity as well as the flora and fauna of the region, including the small parakeets that nest in the toxic crater walls. (B,L,D)

Day 3 - Granada. (Fri.) This morning, embark on a relaxing BOAT RIDE around some of the islands of Lake Nicaragua. Formed by the impressive Mombacho Volcano, the lake has a history of Caribbean pirates and plays host to freshwater sharks! This afternoon, your guided sightseeing introduces you to the colonial city of Granada, which was founded by Captain Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba in 1524. See "La Merced" church, the house of the Zamora family, the famous "Casa de Los Tres Mundos," and the San Francisco convent. Learn the history of the city, including the adventures of filibuster William Walker, who invaded the city in the year 1855. Due to the historical and cultural value of the city, it is in the process of being declared a UNESCO Heritage of Mankind Site. (B,L)

Day 4 - Granada'San Salvador, El Salvador. (Sat.) After some time at leisure this morning, transfer to the airport for a flight to San Salvador to join your Mayan vacation. (B)

Day 5 - San Salvador - Joya de Cerén - Copán, Honduras. (Sun.) Depart this morning for UNESCO World Heritage Archeological Site JOYA DE CERÉN, a pre-Columbian Maya farming community that, like Pompeii and Herculaneum in Italy, was buried under a volcanic eruption around 600 AD. The exceptional condition of the remains provides insight into the daily lives of the Central American populations who worked the land at that time. Continue to Copán, Honduras, and enjoy a welcome dinner hosted by your Tour Director at the hotel. (B,D)

Day 6 - Copán. (Mon.) Today's guided tour introduces you to COPÁN, the site of a once major Maya kingdom and considered "the Athens of the Maya world." From the moment you step inside the archaeological zone, you will see elaborate stone sculptures everywhere. Walking into the dramatic expanse of the Great Plaza, become witness to the cultural achievements of the ancient Maya. This principal Copán plaza contains the greatest collection of Mayan sculptures anywhere in Central America. Learn about the majestic temples and the intricately carved stelae, representing past rulers of the city and the power, politics, and ideology of the times. (B,L)

Day 7 - Copán - Quiriguá"Antigua, Guatemala. (Tue.) After breakfast, cross into Guatemala to visit the archaeological site of QUIRIGUÁ with the largest stelae in the Mayan world, weighing more than 65 tons. The site also boasts a number of enormous and unexplainable carved monoliths sculpted into the forms of mythological animals (zoomorphs). Later this afternoon, head 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. (B,D)

Day 8 - Antigua. (Wed.) 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. See the ruins of churches and monasteries, some with hidden underground passages, destroyed by the earthquake of 1776; and take a tour of a JADE FACTORY. The remainder of the day is at leisure to explore on your own. (B)

Day 9 - Antigua - Chichicastenango - Lake Atitlán. (Thu.) Today, reach the whitewashed highland town of Chichicastenango where we 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 (Place of Great Water), surrounded by three volcanoes and numerous indigenous villages. (B,L)

Day 10 - Lake Atitlán. (Fri.) This morning you will embark on a CRUISE across 900-foot-deep Lake Atitlán, renowned for its beauty and many colorful Mayan towns and villages along the shores. Learn how an enormous caldera formed after a volcanic eruption thousands of years ago to form what is known as Lake Atitlán today. Next, visit the Indian village of SANTIAGO ATITLÁN where you have the chance to meet the Tzutuhil people, one of Guatemala's indigenous tribes. (B,D)

Day 11 - Lake Atitlán - Guatemala City - Flores. (Sat.) Depart for Guatemala City today and enjoy a city tour upon arrival. After some free time to explore the city, transfer to the airport for your flight to Flores. (B)

Day 12 - Flores. Excursion to Tikal. (Sun.) A full-day excursion today takes you to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of TIKAL, the largest of the ancient Maya cities. With artifacts dating as early as 7th century BC, it wasn - t until circa 200 AD that Tikal became the leading political, economical, and military power of the Maya region. Your guide will explain the significance of the major temples and monuments in the park, of which only a fraction have been excavated. Lying within a rainforest, it is common to see spider monkeys, howler monkeys, toucans, and parrots cavorting in the dense canopy enveloping the ruins. You might want to keep an eye out for jaguars and coatis, as they are said to roam the park as well! (B,L,D)

Day 13 - Flores - Yaxhá"San Ignacio, Belize. (Mon.) This morning, depart Flores for the site of YAXHÁ, second in importance behind Tikal. Unlike Tikal, this ancient civilization consisting of more than 500 structures is in its preliminary stages of excavations. Continue into Belize, which was granted independence from Britain in 1981 and is the youngest nation in the Western Hemisphere. We head through the beautiful countryside past limestone mountains and miles of uncharted forests to San Ignacio in the Cayo District in Western Belize. (B)

Day 14 - San Ignacio. Excursion to Caracol. (Tue.) CARACOL is the largest known Mayan archaeological site in Belize, and one of the great Mayan city-states of the Classic Period. During its heyday, Caracol was home to more than 140,000 people - twice that of Belize City's current population. Located deep within the Chiquibil Forest Reserve, the ruins cover 30 square miles of thick, high-canopy jungle rich in flora and fauna. Your guide will point out some of the most important buildings, including the Caana Pyramid ("Sky Palace"). Standing over 140 feet high, it is the tallest Mayan building in Belize and the tallest man-made structure in the country. This evening, enjoy a special farewell dinner hosted by your Tour Director. (B,L,D)

Day 15 - San Ignacio - Belize City - Ambergris Caye. (Wed.) Fly to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, Belize's largest island at 25 miles long. This narrow strip of paradise in the Caribbean is most notably known for running parallel with the 190-mile-long Belize Barrier Reef'second largest behind Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Spend time over the next several days getting to know the island's enchanting combination of mangrove forests, tropical savannahs, lagoons, and sparkling white beaches. (B)

Day 16 - Ambergris Caye. (Thu. & Fri.) Enjoy two full days at leisure exploring on your own. (B daily)

Day 17 - Ambergris Caye. (Thu. & Fri.) Enjoy two full days at leisure exploring on your own. (B daily)

Day 18 - (Sat.) Transfer to San Pedro Airport for your homebound flight. (B)