Maya Textiles Tour - 7D/6N

Guatemalan Weavers photo courtesy of Guatemalan Tourist BoardGuatemala treasures its colonial past. Primarily Spanish, its strutures can be found in most major cities and villages throughout the country. The folklore of Guatemala is possibly the most interesting and varied in the world; a natural result of the country’s rich pre-Columbian and Spanish colonial past. One of the best expressions of traditional Guatemala can be seen in its textiles, with more than 325 different variations of style and color, each with its own historical meaning. Tour Antigua, Ixchel, Lake Atitlan, and the Chichi Market to learn more about the unique tradition of Guatemalan textiles.

Solola This department, and the town of the same name, are located in the highlands 84 miles from Guatemala City. Market days are Tuesday and Friday, and it is the major market in the area. Solola is the location of a women’s textile cooperation.

Lake Atitlan Volcanic in origin, is the main tourist attraction in the Department of Solola. The lake is 90 miles from Guatemala City, and has been described by experts as the most beautiful lake in the world. It is located 5,125 feet above sea level, covers an area of 50 square miles and has a depth of 1,600 feet. Its clear waters are home to several species of fish including the very edible black bass. Three spectacular volcanoes Toliman, Atitlan and San Pedro form a natural backdrop for the lake waters which change colors with the varying light. Lake Atitlan is a mecca for water sports: fishing, swimming, diving, water skiing and boating. The surrounding mountains are a natural springboard for hang gliding and competitions are often held there. A visit will bring you to the “poc”, another nearly extinct bird that spends its entire lifespan on the water. Efforts are also being made here to ensure the survival of this rare bird. The Monterrico Reserve is located in Santa Rosa, on the Pacific coast. Here, among the rich jungle vegetation, mangroves and beaches, there exist fruit trees and an amazing variety of marine life, including marine turtles.

Guatemalan Textiles photo courtesy of Guatemalan Tourist BoardChichicastenango Santo Tomas Chichicastenango is only 87 miles from Guatemala City. It is the commercial center of the Department of Quiche. At 2030 meters, this magical and misty town is surrounded by valleys and overshadowed by looming mountains. Though isolated, it’s always been an important market town. This is the market town of Guatemala, a twice-a-week bustling mass of highlands Indians who bring their produce, textiles and other handicrafts from the surrounding towns to sell. The market is on Thursdays and Sundays and is an absolute must if you are in the vicinity. Indians from throughout the region stream into town on market days to buy, sell, socialize and worship. Add the tourists attracted to the market from all over the world, and you have the colorful outdoor spectacle which has made Chichicastenango one of the world’s popular tourist destinations. The Sunday market is really the one to catch, as the cofradías (religious brotherhoods) often hold processions on that day. While buyers and sellers bargain for items such as produce, flowers and handicrafts (textiles, ceramics, carvings, basketry, wooden chests and traditional masks), Mayan-Christian rites are practiced by devout Indians on the steps of the Santo Tomas and Senor Sepultado del Calvario churches which face on either end of the market plaza. The Shrine of Pascual Abaj, where mystical and ancient rites dedicated to this stone idol of the Mayan earth god to ensure the continued fertility of the earth, are performed, is located on a nearby hilltop.

Santiago Atitlan This is the largest and most traditional of the lake towns. It is reached by boat from Panajachel. The inhabitants are of Tzutuhil origin with a demonstrated talent for the arts: oil and water paintings and carved sculptures. The women wear a distinctive halotype headdress created by winding a long ribbon around the crown of their heads. Other villages on the lake shore are San Lucas Toliman, San Pedro, San Juan, Santa Ana, San Pablo, San Marcos and Santa Cruz La Laguna. The inhabitants of these villages engage mostly in agriculture and fishing as well as the production of textiles and woven baskets.

Included: Services as specified in the selected level.
Not Included: Any airfare, passport and visa expenses, governmental arrival and departure taxes, cancellation and personal insurance (strongly recommended), excess baggage charges, all items of a personal nature and any services not specifically indicated as included.

Guatemalan Textiles photo courtesy of Guatemalan Tourist BoardAccomodations and Services

  • Superior Hotels • Panza Verde – Standard Suite in Antigua • Hotel Atitlan - Std Room at Lake Atitlan • Camino Real Tikal – Standard Room in Tikal Area • Westin Camino Real – Deluxe room in Guatemala City • Bonifaz – Standard Room in Quetzaltenango • Santo Tomas or Mayan Inn – Std Room in Chichi • Villa Caribe – Suite in Rio Dulce area • Unicornio Azul – Std Room in Huehuetenango Area • Hacienda San Lucas – Standard Room in Copan. Meals - American breakfast throughout. Meals - American breakfast throughout. Guides & Tours - Private minibus transfers at all times. Tours might not be private.
  • Mid-Range Hotels • Meson de Maria – Standard Room in Antigua • Posada de Don Rodrigo – Standard Room in Lake Atitlan • Casona del Lago – Standard Room in Tikal Area • Holiday Inn – Standard room in Guatemala City • Bonifaz – Standard Room in Quetzaltenango • Santo Tomas - Standard Room in Chichicastenango • Catamaran – Standard Room in Rio Dulce area • Unicornio Azul – Standard Room in Huehuetenango Area • Don Udos – Standard Room in Copan. Meals - Continental breakfast throughout. Guides & Tours - Private minibus transfers at all times. Tours might not be private.

Daily Itinerary

  • Day 1 Arrival, Antigua (Unguided) - Guests are met & transferred to Antigua. (1hr) Antigua 3N.

    • Guatemalan Market photo courtesy of Guatemalan Tourist Board

  • Day 2 Textile Day Trip Antigua & villages (B,L) (Guide FD) - Guests will be met by our Textile Expert for a full day tour of Antigua & surrounding villages to learn about the famous Guatemalan Textiles – weaving techniques, natural dyes, symbolism – and to see the back strap loom method of weaving ongoing in Maya homes. Lunch will be in one of the local restaurants in Antigua.
  • Day 3 Ixchel Museum and Azotea Coffee Farm & Maya Museums (B,L) (Guide FD) - Guests will be picked up from their hotel for the transfer to Ixchel Textile Museum in Guatemala City. Guests will learn about the history of textiles and the ongoing work of the museum to preserve this ancient craft. Lunch will be in a restaurant in Guatemala City. After lunch guests will be transferred back to the fabulous Azotea Coffee Farm & Maya Traditions Museums covering traditional music, costume & traditions.
  • Day 4 Transfer to Lake Atitlan and visit Textile Cooperation (B) (Guide FD) - Today guests will be met at their hotel and will be transferred to Lake Atitlan. On the way guests will stop in Solola to visit a women’s textile cooperation. Here guests will be showed the different weaving techniques etc. of the area. After the visit guests will transfer on to their hotel at Lake Atitlan. The afternoon will be free to relax. Lake Atitlan, 2N.
  • Day 5 Chichi Market (B,L) (Guide FD) - Today guests transfer approx. 1hr to the famous market at Chichi. Time for shopping in this fabulous craft market and an opportunity to see Maya rituals being performed in the Catholic Church. Guests will enjoy lunch in Chichicastenango before they will transferred back to their hotel.
  • Day 6 Lake Tour (San Juan, Santiago) (B,L) (Guide FD) - This morning guests will take a scenic boat ride across Lake Atitlan (30min) to the village of San Juan La Laguna where they will visit the women’s textile cooperative to see hand weaving and natural dye process. Guests will have lunch in a local restaurant. Guests can visit the studios / homes of the celebrated naïf painters. From here guests continue to the village of Santiago where they will visit another textile cooperation. After the tour guests will be transferred back to Antigua. Antigua, 1N.
  • Day 7 Departure (B) (Unguided) - This morning our driver will transfer guests to the airport (approx 10mins) in plenty of time to catch their flight.

    Possible Upgrades: -Informal lecture / discussion on background & history of Guatemala.

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    Also tagged with: Independent Journeys, Central America, Guatemala, Shopping, Cultural, Join-In Tour, Hosted Tours, Private Escorted Journey


    Vantage World Strongly Recommends Insurance for all your Travel Programs

    Insure My Trip We provide, through TravelSafe Insurance, one of the nation's largest and most respected providers of travel insurance, a TravelSafe Custom Plan, where you decide the benefits YOU want and the levels of protection YOU desire including access to their 24-hour emergency assistance service from anywhere in the world. Click the link below the Plan Benefits table for plan details.