December 1 - 10, 2020
This itinerary is subject to change.
Afternoon Flights into Merida, transport to hotel
6:00 pm Informal meet and greet in bar at hotel
6:30 pm Orientation and presentations by trip leaders
7:00 pm Dinner party in a private room
Overnight at the Hotel Mision de Fray Diego
7-8:30 am Breakfast anytime at hotel
9-11 pm Double-decker bus historical tour of Merida
12-2 pm Lunch break
2-4 pm Tour of the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya
6-7 pm Lecture: The Maya Calendar
Evening Free time to explore Merida
Overnight at the Hotel Mision de Fray Diego
7-8 am Breakfast at hotel and check out
9-12 pm Tour of Dzibilchaltun and its museum
12-2 pm Transport to and lunch at Izamal
2-4 pm "Convent" and pyramid at Izamal
4-5 pm Transport to Chichen Itza
Evening Free time
Overnight at the Villas Arqueologicas
7-8 am Breakfast at hotel
8-12 pm Tour of Chichén Itzá
12-2 pm Lunch at Cenote Ik'il (swimming optional)
2-5 pm Free time (return to the ruins option)
6-7 pm Lecture: Maya Archaeoastronomy
Evening Free time
Overnight at the Villas Arqueologicas
7-8 am Breakfast at hotel and check out
8-10 am Transport to Tihosuco
10-12pm Caste War Museum and bombed out church
12-1pm Lunch in Tihosuco
1-3pm Exploring an abandoned 18th century hacienda
3-4pm Transport to Valladolid
Evening Free time in Valladolid
Overnight at the Meson de Marques
7-8 am Breakfast at hotel and check out
11-12 pm Transport to Mani (church where Maya books were burned)
12-2 pm Lunch break in Mani
2-3 pm Transport to Uxmal
5-6 pm Lecture: Ancient Maya Geometry
Evening Free time
Overnight at the Hotel Hacienda Uxmal
8-9 am Breakfast at hotel
9-12 pm Tour of Uxmal
12-2 pm Lunch at hotel
2-4 pm Choco-Story Museum
Evening Free time
Overnight at the Hotel Hacienda Uxmal
7-8 am Breakfast at hotel
8-11 am Tour of the Kabah ruins
11-12 pm Lunch in Santa Elena
12-2 pm Guided tour of Loltun Caves (10,000 ybp)
2-4 pm Tour of Labna ruins
5 pm Return to hotel
Evening Free time
Overnight at the Hotel Hacienda Uxmal
7-9 am Breakfast at hotel and hotel check out
9-12 am Transport to Muna and Pottery demonstration
(Patricia Morales is famous for her amazing reproductions of Maya pottery)
12-2 pm Lunch in Muna - Yucatec traditional food
2-3 pm Return to Merida
3-7 pm Free time
7-9 pm Final dinner together (location TBD)
Overnight at the Hotel Mision de Fray Diego
Morning Group 1 transport to airport
Afternoon Group 2 transport to airport
The Archaeology Channel Tours: Ancient Maya Cities of the Yucatán Peninsula
An Educational Tour Designed for Archaeological Legacy Institute (ALI)
Led by archaeologist Dr. Edwin Barnhart
This 9-day tour will lead you through the Yucatán Peninsula to some of the most iconic cities of the ancient Maya. Every night you will stay in a 3 or 4 star hotel at one of the three main nodes of this tour.
The journey will begin in Merida, the old and charming provincial capital of Yucatán, with orientation and presentations and a visit to the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya, a striking, modern Maya cultural museum with many exhibits of art, handicrafts and history. From there you venture out to Dzibilichaltun, the longest functioning city in the Maya world, with 3000 years of continuous occupation up to Spanish times. Heading east, the tour stops to see the convent and the grand pyramid at Izamal, the largest Maya city on the northern Yucatec plain.
Day 4 is devoted to Chichén Itzá, with its massive step pyramid and the largest ball court in Mesoamerica. Then it's off to Tihosuco-a location new to the 2020 tour! In Tihosuco, you will visit the Caste War Museum and explore an abandoned 18th century hacienda. On Day 6, we head westward to Mayapan, enclosed by city walls and once the political and cultural capital of the Yucatán, and then on to Maní, which holds the church in which the Maya books were burned, and finally Uxmal. Day 7 features Uxmal, one of the most important sites of Maya culture, with many impressive buildings and art works.
Day 8 holds in store a tour of the nearby Puuc Region, including the Kabah ruins (quite large, with its "Palace of the Masks"), a guided tour of Loltun Caves (Maya cave paintings and more than 10,000 years of human use), and Labna ruins (including "El Palacio," almost 400 feet long). Your last full day includes a stop at Muna, with an amazing Maya pottery demonstration by Patricia Morales, before we return to Merida for some free time and our final dinner together.
Total Price: $3400 - $3600 depending on number of participants. (assuming double occupancy; single lodging fee $500 will be added)
Registration fee: $1500 to ALI by registration deadline of September 1st, 2020. (included in total price)
Pricing includes: Lodging, private ground transport, archaeologist guide, evening lectures, breakfasts and lunches.
Costs not included: Airfare to/from Merida, dinners, travel insurance, and gratuities for guides, drivers, and maid service.
Date: December 1 - 10, 2020
Fill out this form to start the reservation process: