Arrive To: Arrivals in Belize City, Belize.

Proceed through Immigrations, Baggage Claim and Customs before exiting the secured area of the airport. The Road Scholar representative will be waiting outside the exit door with a Road Scholar sign (only applies to Road Scholar group flights).

Transfer to the hotel.



Afternoon: Before dinner, enjoy a program orientation at the hotel.


Dinner: Welcome dinner at the hotel.

Lodging: Radisson Fort George Hotel and Marina

Meals Included: Dinner

Breakfast: At the hotel restaurant.

Morning: After breakfast, transfer to the New River dock and embark on a scenic boat ride (approx. 31 miles) upstream to the Mayan ruins at Lamanai. While navigating the calm waters of the New River, try to find and identify some of the many bird species found in the area, including: Black-collared Hawks, Northern Jacanas, Mangrove Swallows, Olive-throated Parakeets, American Pygmy Kingfishers, and Purple Gallinules, to name just a few. If lucky, we may even catch a glimpse of the rarely seen Jabiru Stork! Get close-up views of mangroves and virgin forests flanking the narrow waterway and try to spot the colorful orchids that grow along the river banks.

Disembark at Lamanai for a walking exploration of the more than 50 impressive structures found at the archaeological reserve.

This large Mayan ceremonial center is set in a tropical forest on the banks of the New River Lagoon in the north central region of Belize. Unlike most Mayan sites, the ruins found at Lamanai were built in layers; each generation adding on to the existing structures. Some of the site’s highlights include the Jaguar Temple, the High Temple, and the Mask Temple. A beautiful panoramic view of the lagoon and surrounding jungle can be seen from the top of the High Temple. It is believed that the ancient center was occupied during more than 3,200 years, and as recently as in the 18th century.


Lunch: At the ruins.


Afternoon: After lunch, continue exploring the archaeological complex at Lamanai.

Boat ride and bus transfer back to Belize City. Transfer to the port and embark on the ship.


Dinner: On board the ship.


Evening: Enjoy ship's evening entertainment.

Lodging: Yorktown

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board the ship.


Morning: Sail from Belize City in the morning to begin our passage through Belize's Great Barrier Reef. A vast coral formation extending more than 120 miles from the Yucatan to the coast of Guatemala, this reef is second in size to the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. The reef community constitutes the earth's oldest and most complex ecosystem, some two billion years old. Not visited by mega cruise liners and mass tourism, the area is a paradise for sailors, snorkelers, and nature lovers.


Lunch: Lunch on board.


Afternoon: Land at Half Moon Cay, a national reserve and sanctuary for nesting red-footed boobies. Magnificent frigate birds, seabirds and turtles also inhabit the island.

You will also discover the remarkable undersea world of the Blue Hole, a natural phenomenon that is part of an underwater national park. Elliptical in shape the entire hole is surrounded by a 1,000-ft coral rim that rises to the lagoon's surface. Jacques Cousteau spent a month here exploring the stalagmitefilled caves along the walls of the Hole. A local diving boat will take you to the reef system surrounding this remarkable site. A protected area teeming with marine life, this is an excellent spot in which to snorkel.


Dinner: Dinner on board.


Evening: Enjoy ship's evening entertainment.

Lodging: Yorktown

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board.


Morning: On arrival, drive to the nearby Mayflower Bocawina National Park, a lush forested area at the foothills of the Maya Mountains. Walking trails through the forest lead to waterfalls and Maya temples, including Mayflower, a Late Classic site. The forest is home to over 230 species of birds, howler monkeys, and other wildlife.


Lunch: Lunch on board ship.


Afternoon: After exploring this area of great beauty, return to Dangriga to learn about the Garifuna culture at the Gulisi Garifuna Museum, visit local artists’ galleries, and shop for fine crafts made by the Garifuna people. You may also relax and swim at a nearby beach.


Dinner: Dinner on board.


Evening: Enjoy ship's evening entertainment.

Lodging: Yorktown

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Santo Tomas de Castilla/Quirigua/San Felipe Fortress/Santo Tomas de Castilla, Guatemala.

Breakfast: Breakfast on board.


Morning: Located at the head of the spacious Amatique Bay, Guatemala’s port town of Santo Tomas de Castilla is our gateway to Quiriguá and the San Felipe Fortress, two of the country’s most interesting sites. Drive in the morning to Quiriguan ancient Maya site, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Quirigua is famed for its intricately carved stelae sandstone columns, some of which are over 30 feet tall. Completed in the 8th century a.d., the carvings depict the deeds of local rulers, mythical figures, and animals, and contain Maya glyphs.


Lunch: Lunch on board.


Afternoon: After exploring the site, drive to the waterside village of San Felipe for a visit to its fortress, which was built by the Spanish in the mid-17th century to protect their trade routes from British pirates. Set at the confluence of the Dulce River and Lake Izabal, the fortress offers splendid views of the lake and the surrounding forest.


Dinner: Dinner on board.


Evening: Enjoy ship's evening entertainment.

Lodging: Yorktown

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board ship.


Morning: Facing the tranquil waters of the Bahia de Amatique, the small port town of Punta Gorda was founded by the Garifuna, who emigrated here around 1830. Take an excursion to the Maya sites of Lubaantun and Nim Li Punit. Located on a high ridge, Lubaantun was a major Maya center that flourished around 700 A.D. The site includes five plazas flanked by buildings and ball courts. Nearby, Nim Li Punit was the ceremonial and religious center of the region, and it is known for its impressive stelae. Return to Punta Gorda to re-board Yorktown. br>

Lunch: Lunch on board.


Afternoon: Over lunch aboard, sail to the Snake Cays, where we enjoy swimming and snorkeling.


Dinner: Dinner on board.


Evening: Enjoy ship's evening entertainment.

Lodging: Yorktown

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board.


Morning: From Big Creek, drive to the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, a dense tropical rain forest set against the peaks of the Maya Mountains. This protected sanctuary that is home to a rich variety of wildlife, including tapir, armadillo, anteater, jaguar, and over 290 species of birds.


Lunch: Lunch on board.


Afternoon: After exploring this sublime place, return to the ship and sail just across the bay to Placencia, a small fishing village that is becoming one of Belize’s primary resort areas, thanks to its superb white sand beaches.


Dinner: Dinner on board.


Evening: Enjoy ship's evening entertainment.

Lodging: Yorktown

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast on board.


Morning: Depart in the morning for Laughing Bird Caye, part of the Belize Great barrier Reef Reserve System. Spend the morning discovering the fantastic marine world.


Lunch: Lunch on board.


Afternoon: Sailing north in the Inner Channel, we reach South Water Cay, whose waters constitute a veritable coral garden. Discover the magnificent coral formations and rich variety of tropical fish within these unexplored crystal-clear waters via memorable swimming and snorkeling. Late in the afternoon, sail to Belize City, arriving in the evening.


Dinner: Dinner on board.


Evening: Farewell party on board.

Lodging: Yorktown

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: On board the ship.


Morning: Disembark in Belize City and transfer to the international airport to check-in for the return flights to the U.S.

Meals Included: Breakfast