Arrive To: Arrive at Ramon Villeda Morales International Airport in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

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.

Transfer to the hotel.

Please note that this is an international travel day; no meals or program activities are scheduled on this day. Hotel check-in usually begins at 3 p.m.

Lodging: Gran Hotel Sula

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.


Morning: Program orientation.

Excursion to Humuya River for rafting and kayaking.


Lunch: Picnic lunch by the river.


Afternoon: Transfer back to the hotel.
Arrive to the hotel and enjoy some time at leisure.


Dinner: Dinner at hotel.

Lodging: Gran Hotel Sula

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Copan -
Guamilito Market/Gourmet Coffee Plantation/Macaw Mountain Bird Park

Breakfast: Breakfast at local restaurant.


Morning: Field trip to Guamilito Market.
Site lecture: The Making of Tortillas.

San Pedro Sula's Guamilito Market is housed in a large covered building located approximately six blocks northwest of the city's main square. Once inside, visitors will find vendor stalls overflowing with all nature of Honduran handicrafts, from hammocks and weavings to carvings and paintings. Other stands sell vibrantly colored flowers, fresh vegetables and a wide selection of traditional food products. Enjoy the colors, sounds, tastes, and scents of this typical "mercado" and observe locals going about their daily business.

Transfer to Copan.

Copan is a small town with a population under 5000. Set in a fertile valley, it has remained virtually unchanged since the days when explorer John Lloyd Stephens first arrived in 1839. The quaint cobblestone streets and tile roofs are characteristic of colonial times. The town is quiet and a perfect place to relax.

Field trip to Santa Isabel Gourmet Coffee Plantation. During a guided walk of the plantation, learn how coffee is grown, harvested, and selected in preparation for the final roasting process.
Site lecture: The Life of a Coffee Plantation.


Lunch: Lunch at Coffee Plantation.


Afternoon: Arrive to Copan.
Time at leisure to enjoy the hotel and pool.

Afternoon transfer to Macaw Mountain Bird Park.

The Macaw Mountain Bird Park is a private bird sanctuary encompassing 9 acres of old growth forest near Copan. The park is a haven for rescued and endangered tropical birds that are no longer able to live in the wild. Visitors have the opportunity to interact with colorful parrots and explore the forest through a network of trails and elevated viewing platforms. Through education, the park hopes to promote awareness of these beautiful creatures' plight and encourage conservation of their habitats.


Dinner: Dinner at hotel.

Lodging: Marina Copan

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.


Morning: Field trip to Copan ruins.
Site lecture: The History and Mystery of the Copan Ruins.

Despite its small size, the Mayan city of Copan stands apart from other ruins of its kind due to its beautiful and well-preserved carvings and inscriptions. The Great Plaza, the ball court, several lesser courts, and amphitheater that lie near the base of the Hieroglyphic Stairway are symbolic of the boundaries between the actual and supernatural worlds as games were metaphors for the struggle between good and evil. The Stairway, which has 63 steps, is inscribed with a partial history of Copan and is the longest extant Mayan inscription. Unfortunately, repairs have allowed only small portions of the most spectacular hieroglyphics in Central America to be interpreted.

Learn about the complex writing system of the Maya while painting glyphs on paper and cloth.


Lunch: Picnic lunch.


Afternoon: Return to the hotel.
Time at leisure to enjoy the pool.

Excursion to the Copan school for soccer game with local students.


Dinner: Barbeque dinner poolside.

Lodging: Marina Copan

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.


Morning: Lecture and demonstration: "How Do You Make Chocolate?"

Transfer to Tela.

This sleepy Caribbean town with white sand beaches is 55 miles east of San Pedro Sula and was once the home base of the Tela Railroad Company, owners and producers of Chiquita bananas. Tela retains vestiges of its halcyon days as the banana capital of Honduras. It is also home to a thriving community of Garifuna fishermen, descendants of the Island Caribs, with their own brand of music.


Lunch: Lunch stop in San Pedro Sula.


Afternoon: Field trip to wood working factory.
Lecture on traditional wood carving techniques.

Time at leisure to enjoy the beach.


Dinner: Dinner at hotel.

Lodging: Villas Telamar

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.


Morning: Field trip to Garifuna community of Miami.
Site Lecture: Life in a Garifuna Community.

This small village is made up of approximately 25 thatched huts built on a sand bar. Visitors will have the opportunity to interact with members of the Garifuna community and learn about their traditions and way of living.

Excursion to Micos Lagoon for a "monkey safari" in boats. After the boat ride, children will be guided around the village by young Garifuna in order to see people and points of interest. Adults will have a table talk session with a Garifuna elder.


Lunch: All will meet for a lunch prepared in the village.


Afternoon: Transfer back to the hotel.
Time at leisure to enjoy the beach.


Dinner: Dinner at hotel.

Lodging: Villas Telamar

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

La Ceiba -
Lancetilla Botanical Garden/Cultural Interaction & Music Presentation/Cangrejal River, Forest-Hike and Swimming

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.


Morning: Field trip to Lancetilla Botanical Garden.

This botanical collection was established in 1925 by the famous American explorer and tropical botanist, Wilson Popenoe. He was given the task of establishing an experimental garden where fruit trees and ornamentals from around the world could be cultivated and eventually brought to market by the United Fruit Company. Today Lancetilla boasts over 630 species of plants and has one of the world's largest collection of Asian fruits and has become one of Honduras' protected areas.

Lecture: Fruits and Vegetables, the Journey to the Supermarket.

Transfer to Triunfo de La Cruz. Visit King of the Drums, a Garifuna leader, and his family.

Mid-morning transfer to La Ceiba.

La Ceiba is a port city situated 40 miles east of Tela. Its name comes from the shady ceiba tree which can be seen in great abundance in the area. The port is kept busy by the large volume of banana and pineapple exports that are shipped from La Ceiba by the Dole Food Company. Next time you eat a banana or buy a pineapple--check the sticker to see where it came from!


Lunch: Pizza lunch at local restaurant.


Afternoon: Excursion to forest near the Cangrejal River for a hike and a swim in the river.


Dinner: Dinner by the river.

Lodging: Hotel La Quinta

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.


Morning: Transfer to pier for ferry ride to Utila (Bay Islands).

Utila is located approximately 18 miles from La Ceiba and is one of the smallest islands in the Bay Islands group. This Caribbean Island has an interesting cultural flavor with traces of British, Spanish, Payan Indian, and even American influences. It is surrounded by one of the largest reefs in the world and has become well known as a prime diving and snorkeling destination.

Arrive at the hotel and check-in.


Lunch: Lunch at hotel.


Afternoon: Field trip to small populated islands.


Dinner: Dinner at hotel.


Evening: Lecture: The Coral Reefs of the Bay Islands.

Lodging: Utila Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.


Morning: Lecture: The Animals of the Reef.

Excursion to Water Cay area for reef snorkeling (equipment provided).

Return to the hotel.


Lunch: Lunch at hotel.


Afternoon: Afer lunch, enjoy a boating trip to a small cay for snorkeling (equipment provided).


Dinner: Dinner at hotel.

Lodging: Utila Lodge

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Utila/Bay Islands –
Optional Snorkeling & Kayaking/Ferry to La Ceiba/Return to San Pedro Sula

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel.


Morning: Enjoy your final morning in the Bay Islands. Time at leisure to take advantage of hotel amenities, do some snorkeling & kayaking on your own, or just kick back and relax.


Lunch: Early lunch at the hotel.


Afternoon: Transfer to the dock and board a ferry to La Ceiba.
Arrive to La Ceiba.
Stop en-route for a snack.
Transfer to San Pedro Sula.
Arrive at the hotel and check-in.


Dinner: Farewell dinner at local restaurant.

Lodging: Gran Hotel Sula

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Depart From: Transfer to airport for international flight to the U.S.

Note: Participants with independent travel arrangements and/or scheduled on later flights can keep their hotel rooms until check-out time on this day. Except for breakfast, all other meals are on your own on this day.


Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel (dependent on flight time).

Meals Included: Breakfast