DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY: Extreme Visit excavated and mysterious, unexcavated sites in the depths of the Maya Jungle. See the archaeological sites of Tikal, Uaxactun, Naachtun and El Manantial, visit chiclero camps and the Dos Lagunas Biotope Nature Preserve. DAY 1. Transfer to Guatemala City airport or meet the expedition at the airline's counter, at 6:00 am. Fly to Santa Elena International Airport in the Peten region and transfer to the Hotel Mansión del Pájaro Serpiente to have breakfast. Proceed to the Tikal National Park. Explore a part of the ruins and after lunch proceed to the village of Uaxactun, where we will visit another archaeological site 23 kilometers north of Tikal. Check in at Campamento El Chiclero. Time to explore Uaxactun for the sunset. Overnight at Campamento El Chiclero. DAY 2. Early in the morning visit Doña Neria Herrera's private collection turned into the village's Maya Museum. Leave to El Sibal, where lunch will be served. Proceed to Dos Lagunas Biotope, where we will spend the night. DAY 3. Early start after breakfast by foot and mule to El Suspiro (CAMP 1), en route enjoy the jungle setting while crossing over steep hills (La serranía). After lunch we will set up camp. You may explore the jungle with our real chiclero muleteer, who will take the mules to their feeding grounds (ramonear). Time for an eco-shower. Overnight at El Suspiro. (The hike today is approximately 3 and a half hours long on good weather conditions.) DAY 4. Proceed to El Espinero (CAMP 2) for a longer jungle trek (about 5 and a half hours) than yesterday. Set up camp at El Espinero. Enjoy crossing dense jungle and chiclero stories as well as all the incredible things that happen around this jungle. Eco-shower, dinner and overnight at El Espinero. DAY 5. Full day exploration of the Naachtun archaeological site. Return to El Espinero for dinner and overnight. DAY 6. Trekking and riding through the jungle we shall return to El Suspiro, where we will set up camp and enjoy our last night in the deep jungle. DAY 7. In the very early hours of the morning we shall lift camp and start heading back towards Dos Lagunas. We will have a quick lunch, bid farewell to our muleteer and jump in the truck to head back to El Sibal and Uaxactun. On our way we will make a quick stop at the archaeological site of El Manantial to see a stella that has hyeroglyphs on all four sides. Depending on weather and road conditions we will decide which is the best place to spend the night, el Sibal or if we should carry on to Uaxactun. DAY 8. We will proceed to Campamento El Chiclero if we have spent the night in El Sibal. From Uaxactun we will return to the Tikal National Park and check in at the Jaguar Inn. Time and energy permitting we will enjoy the sunset in Tikal or we shall save our energy to enjoy time in Tikal to see some of the places we still haven't visited before. Overnight at the Jaguar Inn. DAY 9. Time to leisurely enjoy Tikal and the Sylvannus G. Morley Museum. After lunch transfer back to Santa Elena International Airport to catch your flight back to Guatemala City.
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