The Ultimate Copán & Antigua Tour

A Visit to Copán, Honduras, and Returning to Explore Antigua, Guatemala, and Other Nearby Sites and Pueblos.

December 9–17, 2026. Nine Days and Eight Nights.

The Maya ruins of Copán are the most exquisite example of Maya culture that you will ever have the opportunity to see. The sculptured stelae are one of a kind, with amazing, almost three-dimensional details. The site is not very large, but there is so much to appreciate. I have experienced guides and drivers who take care of everything for us. The site is just over the border from Guatemala into Honduras. We have ample time to explore and then return to Antigua, Guatemala, to stay in another magnificent colonial city. This is not one of my trips where we go jungle trekking for a week... we will be there to enjoy!

Highlights of the Trip

• Arrive in Guatemala City

• Before we drive to Copán, we will have time to visit the National Museum of Archaeology in Guatemala City.

• Three nights in Copán

• Visit the Copán and El Puente archaeological sites

• Visit the Copán Site Museum

• Explore the tunnels (if you want to) underneath some of the structures

• At the Copán site, there is also an active guacamaya (large parrot) breeding program. You will see many.

• Return to Guatemala for three nights in Antigua. It is a beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• Walking tour of Antigua to see many of the abandoned churches and convents with their Baroque architecture

• Visit Chichicastenango, famous for its market days

• Visit the Late Classic Maya site of Iximché

• Our last night is in Guatemala City before your return home

Copán and Antigua Tour – Day by Day

Day 1: Arrive in Guatemala City. Overnight: Hotel Barceló.

Day 2: Morning visit to the National Museum of Archaeology in Guatemala City before we drive to Copán. Sleep in Copán.

Day 3: All day to visit the Copán archaeological site, tunnels, and world-class museum. There is a lot to take in, and we will do it at whatever pace is required. Plus, the guacamaya birds (large parrots) are here. There is another smaller museum in the center of the town of Copán that we can visit. It is within walking distance of our hotel. Sleep in Copán.

Day 4: Another Maya site that is worth visiting while we are in Honduras is El Puente. Architectural and ceramic similarities with Copán suggest that El Puente was founded by that city to control the crossroads of two trade routes that met in the valley. It became a regional center during the Late Classic period and remained closely allied with the great city of Copán. The site contains more than 200 structures, including tombs, religious buildings, and living quarters.

Day 5: We will return to Guatemala and make our way to beautiful Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sleep in Antigua.

Day 6: After our long drive yesterday, we'll stay in Antigua for the entire day. We have the whole day to explore the city. Antigua was strategically built following a grid pattern inspired by Italian Renaissance urban planning, making it one of the earliest examples of organized urban design in Latin America. There is so much to see.

The city was a showcase of Spanish Baroque architecture, but it was always susceptible to earthquakes. Architects and builders adapted their designs to the region's seismic reality.

These adaptations helped, but they weren't enough to withstand the Santa Marta earthquakes. The city was struck by three more earthquakes during the 1700s, and the final earthquake, on July 29, 1773, proved to be beyond what the architecture could survive. The colonial government declared the city uninhabitable and ordered the capital relocated to where Guatemala City stands today. Antigua was virtually abandoned.

But not everyone left. What they left behind, and what they rebuilt, created the architectural landscape that makes Antigua one of the most visually distinctive cities in the Americas. There is plenty to see, and also time to relax at our comfortable hotel.

Day 7: We will leave Antigua early this morning, around 7:30 a.m., and drive to Chichicastenango. (Three hours is enough to visit the cemetery, market, and churches.)

Next to the market is the 400-year-old Church of Santo Tomás. It was built atop a pre-Columbian platform, and the steps that originally led to a temple of the pre-Hispanic Maya civilization remain venerated today. K'iche' Maya priests still use the church for their rituals, burning incense and candles. Chichicastenango holds a special place in the culture of the local Maya.

We will then return to Antigua with a stop along the way to visit Iximché. It is a Late Postclassic Maya city, once the capital of the Kaqchikel Kingdom, featuring pyramids, plazas, ball courts, and a small museum. Sleep in Antigua.

Day 8: Our last day in Antigua. This morning is our last chance to see anything that we might have missed. Maybe a visit to a coffee plantation? In the afternoon, we will return to Guatemala City, check into our hotel, and enjoy our farewell dinner.

Day 9: Flights home.

Almost Everything Is Included

As with all of our group tours, we take care of almost everything so you can relax and enjoy the journey through Honduras and Guatemala.

Included: transportation during the tour, lodging, guides, meals, entrance fees, and tips.

Not included: airfare to and from Guatemala City, airport transportation (our Guatemala City hotel also offers an airport shuttle), alcoholic beverages, souvenirs, personal expenses, and travel insurance.

Travel insurance is strongly recommended.

Join Us in Honduras & Guatemala

December 9–17, 2026 | 9 Days, 8 Nights

Experience the magnificent Maya city of Copán, explore ancient temples and underground tunnels, discover the colonial beauty of Antigua, visit the famous market town of Chichicastenango, and walk through the remarkable ruins of Iximché on this unforgettable archaeological and cultural adventure.

For pricing, availability, and more information, contact Dan Griffin at xtobodos@hotmail.com.