Mayan Jungle Highlight Tour - Mexico - Guatemala Departs from Playa del Carmen and Cancun Airport Overview
Leaves from Playa del Carmen, Mexico. 8-day tour Medium physical demand.
From Mexico through Belize and into Guatemala, this jungle adventure gives you the best of Tri-National Tri-Sport adventure tours and the opportunity to see two very popular Mayan sites: Tikal and Yaxha. We take bicycles or horses on a 2-day off-road trip that rewards us with intense jungles. More of the trip’s highlights include a visit to the well-hidden Mayan site, Nakum, and an exclusive crocodile tour. Before we return to Mexico’s beautiful Caribbean coast, we will take a special cave adventure in Belize.
Day by Day Itinerary Day 1: Travel to Bacalar, visit Cenote Azul. Day 2: Travel to Yaxha, night walk. Day 3: Visit Topochte Island in the morning, sunset from Yaxha ruins in the afternoon, camp in Yaxha. Day 4: Cycle or horseback ride* to Nakum, see ruins in Nakum, camp in Nakum. Day 5: Cycle or horseback ride* back to Yaxha, sleep in Tikal. Day 6: Visit Tikal, transfer to San Ignacio. Day 7: Cave tour in Belize, transfer to Corozal. Day 8: Travel to Tulum.
Day 1 You will meet your group and guide in Playa Del Carmen from where we travel 5 hours south by firstclass bus to Bacalar. Once at Bacalar we will spend the remainder of the day exploring the surroundings area and enjoying a swim in Bacalar´s Cenote Azul. The Yucatan Peninsula has many cenotes, which are natural sinkholes connected to an endless system of underground-rivers. One of the most impressive cenotes is the 90 meter deep clear blue water Cenote Azul. In the days of Spanish occupation, Bacalar was an important defense point as pirate ships used to visit the lagoon. Nowadays the old Spanish fort holds an interesting museum about the history of piracy. We’ll spend the night in typical Cabanas in preparation for the upcoming journey.
Day 2
These next days will be dedicated to Mayan ruins and incredible sights. We travel across Belize and into the jungles of Yaxha, Guatemala. We have the convenience of having camp and lunch set-up before our arrival to the Yaxha National Park site. Before calling it a night, we take a night walk through the Yaxha National Park to explore the jungle’s nocturnal flora and fauna. Day 3 We set-out on boat or canoe across Lake Yaxha to Topoxte Island to explore a very peculiar Mayan phenomenon: miniature Mayan ruins. The Guatemalan locals claim that these ancient pyramid miniatures were built to pay homage to the duendes, or spirits, of the Mayan jungle. After our trip to Topoxte we head back to our camp and relax at the lake's shore or explore its surroundings. Late in the afternoon we walk to the Yaxha ruins and climb the site’s tallest temple for an awe-inspiring sunset view.
Day 4
Today we follow a jungle road that leads us 17 km (11 miles) deeper into the Mayan world en route to another archaeological site, Nakum, Guatemala. For those that have off-road cycling experience this is a very enjoyable and challenging ride*. Another option is horseback riding (no experience needed) to reach this amazing destination. After arriving to Nakum's beautiful campsite we explore the remote Mayan ruins hidden deep inside its protected jungle. Few people ever reach this ancient Mayan site where, to this day, excavations still continue.
Day 5
We saddle-up and leave Nakum, heading back to Yaxha, where we enjoy a refreshing break at Lake Yaxha before a private van will bring us to Tikal. Once in Tikal, we check-in at the Jaguar Inn hotel, just a minute's walk away from the entrance of Tikal’s archeological site. Spending the night in the Tikal National Park allows us to see the park at sunset and sunrise; an unforgettable experience of beautiful colors and abundant wild life.
Day 6 We start the day with an amazing guided tour of the Tikal ruins and National Park. We climb Tikal's highest pyramids and indulge in the spectacular views over the vast Mayan jungle. And to top it all off, we enjoy the company of exotic jungle wildlife like toucans, coatis and monkeys. In the afternoon private transportation will take us to the Cayo District in Belize, just across the border from Guatemala. We will spend the night in a typical Belizestyle hotel on a beautiful riverbank just outside Cayo's main town, San Ignacio.
Day 7 The Cayo District is world famous for its natural beauty and magnificent caves. We take full advantage of these natural wonders by touring through what the Mayans considered to be the underworld! At the end of this impressive cave tour, we travel north to Corozal, Belize and spend the night at a local hotel.
Day 8 At the end of our journey we cross the Belize Mexico border and travel up the Riviera Maya, where, depending on departure schedules, we can explore coastal ruins and pristine beaches of Tulum, scuba dive in the world famous reefs of Cozumel, or sightsee in Playa Del Carmen or Cancun.
*Off-road cycling option available during dry season and when road conditions allow this activity. When roads are too muddy for cycling, horseback riding or hiking will be the alternative.