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Honduras/Guatemala/Belize

The Maya and More: History and Culture of Copan, Tikal and Lamanai

Program No. 3217RJ
Learn the complex story of the Maya and their enduring legacy as you visit ancient monuments, traditional markets and indigenous villages where Mayan culture remains strong.

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Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
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Jan 18 - Feb 1, 2024
Starting at
3,699
Filling Fast!
Feb 1 - Feb 15, 2024
Starting at
3,699
Filling Fast!
Feb 15 - Feb 29, 2024
Starting at
3,699
Filling Fast!
Mar 7 - Mar 21, 2024
Starting at
3,699
Mar 14 - Mar 28, 2024
Starting at
3,699
Apr 11 - Apr 25, 2024
Starting at
3,449
May 9 - May 23, 2024
Starting at
3,449
Sep 19 - Oct 3, 2024
Starting at
3,449
Oct 17 - Oct 31, 2024
Starting at
3,449
Nov 7 - Nov 21, 2024
Starting at
3,699
Dec 5 - Dec 19, 2024
Starting at
3,699
Jan 16 - Jan 30, 2025
Starting at
3,899
Jan 23 - Feb 6, 2025
Starting at
3,899
Feb 6 - Feb 20, 2025
Starting at
3,899
Feb 20 - Mar 6, 2025
Starting at
3,899
Mar 6 - Mar 20, 2025
Starting at
3,899
Mar 13 - Mar 27, 2025
Starting at
3,899
Apr 24 - May 8, 2025
Starting at
3,899
May 15 - May 29, 2025
Starting at
3,899
Sep 18 - Oct 2, 2025
Starting at
3,899
Oct 9 - Oct 23, 2025
Starting at
3,899
Nov 6 - Nov 20, 2025
Starting at
3,899
Dec 4 - Dec 18, 2025
Starting at
3,899
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Jan 18 - Feb 1, 2024
Starting at
4,259
Filling Fast!
Feb 1 - Feb 15, 2024
Starting at
4,259
Feb 15 - Feb 29, 2024
Starting at
4,259
Filling Fast!
Mar 7 - Mar 21, 2024
Starting at
4,259
Filling Fast!
Mar 14 - Mar 28, 2024
Starting at
4,259
Filling Fast!
Apr 11 - Apr 25, 2024
Starting at
3,799
Filling Fast!
May 9 - May 23, 2024
Starting at
3,799
Sep 19 - Oct 3, 2024
Starting at
3,799
Oct 17 - Oct 31, 2024
Starting at
3,799
Filling Fast!
Nov 7 - Nov 21, 2024
Starting at
4,259
Filling Fast!
Dec 5 - Dec 19, 2024
Starting at
4,259
Jan 16 - Jan 30, 2025
Starting at
4,459
Jan 23 - Feb 6, 2025
Starting at
4,459
Feb 6 - Feb 20, 2025
Starting at
4,459
Feb 20 - Mar 6, 2025
Starting at
4,459
Mar 6 - Mar 20, 2025
Starting at
4,459
Mar 13 - Mar 27, 2025
Starting at
4,459
Apr 24 - May 8, 2025
Starting at
4,459
May 15 - May 29, 2025
Starting at
4,459
Sep 18 - Oct 2, 2025
Starting at
4,459
Oct 9 - Oct 23, 2025
Starting at
4,459
Nov 6 - Nov 20, 2025
Starting at
4,459
Filling Fast!
Dec 4 - Dec 18, 2025
Starting at
4,459

At a Glance

Delve into the history of a people whose sophistication in art, architecture and science rivaled the ancient Egyptians and Greeks. Journeying through the lands that are now Belize, Honduras and Guatemala, gain insight into the contemporary issues of each country and witness the impact of European colonization and the lifestyles and traditions of modern-day descendants of the Mayan people.
Activity Level
Let's Go!
Walking up to three hours at a time over varied terrain. Ascending and descending steep and irregular steps, without railings, in ruins. Elevations up to 6,500 feet.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Discover the extraordinary Maya ruins at Copán, Tikal, Cahal Pech, Iximche and Lamanai.
  • In Honduras, examine traditional chocolate production and visit a local school for insights into the educational system.
  • Embrace the old world charm of Antigua and learn about local handicraft traditions at the famous colorful indigenous market of Chichicastenango, filled with textiles, handicrafts and food.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Guatemalan Journey
by Stephen Connely Benz
Opening with a long chapter on life in Guatemala City, Benz’s memoir moves on to the remote highlands and other little-visited regions. An excellent account of Guatemala’s political history, traditions, and indigenous cultures.
Animals and Plants of the Ancient Maya, A Guide
by Victoria Schlesinger
A comprehensive guide to the natural and cultural history of 100 plants and animals of the Maya world, primarily those from the lowland tropical forest of Central America but also including savanna, mangrove and coral reef habitats.
The True History of Chocolate
by Sophie D. Coe, Michael Coe
This scholarly history of pre-Columbian chocolate by these married archaeologists reveals chocolate's origins as a ceremonial beverage in ancient Olmec and Maya society. The Coes trace the treat's evolution from a food of the gods to the salons of Europe down through the masses to Hershey Pennsylvania.
Birds of Tropical America
by Steven Hilty
An ornithologist and veteran leader of birding expeditions, Hilty serves up short essays on how to find and better appreciate the dizzying variety of neotropical birds, their habits and habitats, diversity and distribution in this well-loved book.
Antigua and My Life Before
by Marcela Serrano, Margaret Sayers Peden (Translator)
Set in Santiago, Chile, and the Guatemalan city of Antigua, this is the story of two women --- one a famous singer, the other an artist/architect -- and a tragic shooting that sparks off memories of their friendship.
The Code of Kings, The Language of Seven Sacred Maya Temples and Tombs
by Linda Schele, Peter Mathews
A vivid guided tour of seven Maya sites, including Palenque, Tikal and Chichen Itza. This outstanding book features photos and line drawings throughout, and introductory chapters with a succinct introduction to Maya history and culture.
Time Among the Maya, Travels in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico
by Ronald Wright
An account of travels among the contemporary Maya of Guatemala and Yucatan (with a side trip to Belize City). Organized geographically, it devotes chapters on Belize, the Peten, highland Guatemala, Chiapas and the Yucatan. Unlike most travelogues, this book includes a glossary, notes, bibliography and index. Wright (who also wrote the excellent Cut Stones and Crossroads, set in Peru) combines journalism, archaeology and a fine ear for dialogue in this engaging account.
Central America Map
by ITMB
A detailed map of the Central American isthmus at a scale of 1:1,100,000.
Maya Art and Architecture
by Mary Ellen Miller
An illustrated overview of the art and architecture of the Maya, making use of the latest discoveries at Tikal, Copan and Palenque to demonstrate the range of Maya artistic influence. With 200 illustrations, 50 in color, including site plans, maps, strikingly rendered reconstructions and color photographs of key temples and buildings.
The Copan Sculpture Museum, Ancient Maya Artistry in Stucco and Stone
by Barbara W. Fash
Director of the Corpus of Maya Hieroglyphic Inscriptions Program & Mesoamerican Laboratory at the Peabody Museum, Fash brings insight and an on-the-ground perceptive to this illustrated overview of Copan, both a museum catalog and an introduction to the Maya.
Moon Handbook Honduras & the Bay Islands
by Moon Handbooks
A comprehensive guide to Honduras, its history, culture and attractions.
An Album of Maya Architecture
by Tatiana Proskouriakoff
Scholar, artist and architect Proskouriakoff presents breathtaking artistic reconstructions of what Maya cities may have looked like in their heyday in this classic work, first published in 1946.
The Guatemala Reader
by Greg Grandin (Editor)
A lively, literate sourcebook on the politics, economy and society of Guatemala, aimed at students, travelers and scholars.
Belize, Travellers' Wildlife Guides
by Les Beletsky
An all-around field guide featuring color illustrations of 200 birds, 50 mammals, 150 coral reef creatures and 80 reptiles and amphibians.
Insight Guide Guatemala, Belize & the Yucatan
by Insight Guides
This handsome guide gives a profusely illustrated overview of Guatemala, Belize and the Yucatan Peninsula, featuring concise essays by well regarded authors on natural history, politics and culture.
Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan: Volume One
by John Lloyd Stephens
The first volume of Stephens' 1841 account, an instant bestseller and still an excellent introduction to the people, culture and archaeology of Central America. It follows Stephens through Belize and Guatemala, with several chapters on Copan. With 127 engravings by Frederick Catherwood. We also carry Volume Two. ($14.95, Item MYA05)
Culture Smart! Guatemala
by Lisa Vaughn
A concise and practical guide to local customs, etiquette and culture.
Tropical Nature
by Adrian Forsyth, Ken Miyata
A lively, lucid portrait of the tropics as seen by two uncommonly observant and thoughtful field biologists. Its 17 marvelous essays introduce the habitats, ecology, plants and animals of the Central and South American rainforest
The Lost Cities of the Mayas
by Fabio Bourbon
The discoveries of British artist Frederick Catherwood and his American companion John Lloyd Stephens, the first Westerners to see the Maya cities of the Yucatan, are chronicled in this illustrated, oversized biography, featuring 200 color engravings of the monuments of Central America, Chiapas and the Yucatan.
The Maya
by Michael Coe
Coe's clear and concise illustrated survey of the Maya highlights the chronology, accomplishments and legacy of the Maya.
Popol Vuh, The Mayan Book of the Dawn of Life
by Dennis Tedlock (Editor)
The definitive, unabridged collection of creation myths and stories of the Quiche people, fundamental to understanding the worldview of the highland Maya.





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