ITINERARY

Dec. 4: Your adventure begins with your flight into Villahermosa (the nearest international airport to Palenque, which is 2.5 hours away).  Your flight can arrive any time. The Hilton Hotel shuttle will be waiting when you arrive at the airport to take you to the very comfortable Hilton Hotel Villahermosa (5 minutes from the airport) where you'll overnight.

Dec. 5: This morning we visit the La Venta Olmec Museum. There are 28 Olmec carvings at this beautiful outdoor museum with interesting zoo and lake. Each piece was set carefully for optimum viewing with benches placed for those wishing to meditate or ponder the huge and amazingly well crafted Olmec heads, intricate altars, and intriguing stele and statues.  Based on the earliest long count date inscriptions found at sites that combine both Olmec and Maya influences many scholars theorize that it was the Olmec who invented the long count calendar and initiated the Maya into the understanding of this system of calculating time.

Then we'll visit the Carlos Pellicer Museum of Anthropology with its interesting stela referencing the year 2012. Then to Palenque. The town of Palenque is 5 miles from the archaeological site. Your hotel is nestled in the forested "La Canada" area within walking distance of downtown.  You'll have free time to relax in the lush jungle rainforest or explore the sights, sounds and cuisines of Palenque. Enjoy a refreshment by the pool and upload your photos with the hotel's surprisingly fast wireless connection.  Overnight Hotel Maya Tulipanes Palenque.

Dec. 6:  Today we spend the day visiting the spectacular ruins of Palenque.  A UNESCO historical monument, Palenque is considered a world treasure. Ancient structures rise out of the lush rainforest on multiple terraces set against the mountains, many of them built by the great King Pacal in the 6th & 7th centuries AD. There are many major buildings to explore and new buildings are now being uncovered and studied. Many wonderful examples of Maya art and history are carved into the buildings' facades, some of them the most famous depictions from the ancient Maya world.  Palenque is exciting because of the vast amounts of information that has been painstakingly brought to light by archeologists over the years. We'll also visit the Palenque archaeological museum with its extensive collection of jade masks, well preserved carvings and stele and incense burners.  Overnight Maya Tulipanes.

Dec. 7: Today we journey to Yaxchilan and Bonampak. First we go to Bonampak, home of famous Mayan murals. Their ancient colors remain clear and vital, making them an excellent representation of Mayan art. Bonampak was a city of the Maya Early Classic period peaking from 200 to 400 A.D.  Bonampak also has some very well preserved stele that detail important historical moments.  The great plaza is astounding in its sheer mass and one of the largest in the region, measuring over 100 yards.

Then we travel by boat down the mighty Usumacinta River to the mysterious ancient Maya site of Yaxchilan. This incredible boat ride through the rainforest with its huge trees and abundant wildlife makes you feel like you are in an Indiana Jones movie! The tremendous archaeological site of Yaxchilan, situated on the riverbanks, rises in levels to temples with breathtaking views of the rainforest stretching far into Guatemala. You'll hear stories of ancient Mayan Queens who exerted great power and about the modern Lacandon Indians (of whom there are only 450 people remaining) who still use Yaxchilan as a place of worship.  See howler monkeys and many exotic birds as you roam this well organized ancient Maya city. Overnight Hotel Maya Tulipanes Palenque.

Dec. 8: Free time to explore Palenque on your own, take an optional excursion to waterfalls or just relax. 4 pm we return to Villahermosa. Overnight Hilton Hotel Villahermosa.

Dec. 9:  The Hilton Hotel shuttle will be available throughout the day to take you to the airport for your departing flight.

For more information or to make a reservation phone toll free 7 days a week at 877-620-8715, or if outside the U.S. (1)505-255-2279, Or e-mail us at [email protected].