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Lake Peten Itza
- All Day: Arrivals to Flores, Peten
- 6pm: Orientation meeting
- 6:30-7:30pm: Lecture: Tikal: Rome of the Maya World
- Overnight in Flores
May 9 - 16, 2026
The Maya Peten Wars - Ancient Enemies and Allies of Peten, Guatemala: Tikal, Naranjo, Yaxha, Seibal, and Dos Pilas --- An itinerary designed by Dr. Ed Barnhart
This one week journey will take you through the remote Maya ruins of Guatemala's Peten rainforest. Along your way, tour leader Zachary Lindsey will teach the group about ancient Maya history, hieroglyphics, and the chaotic wars that took place in the 7th century CE.
Participants will fly into Flores and attend the first lecture that evening on Tikal, the ancient Maya the powerhouse as the Peten Wars begin. After a day exploring the island of Flores and Lake Peten Itza, the group will spend every day at a different ancient Maya city, each playing an important role in the Maya civil war. The sequence of sites will go from north to south - Tikal, Naranjo, Yaxha, Seibal and finally Dos Pilas.
A final friday night group dinner will bring the adventure to a ceremonial close. Participants will fly out the next morning or stay to explore more on their own.
Tikal, Naranjo, Yaxha, Seibal and Dos Pilas
Itinerary
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Day 1: Saturday, May 9
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Day 2: Sunday, May 10
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Lake Peten Itza
- 8-9am: Breakfast at hotel
- 9-10am: Lecture: The Last Kingdom of the Maya - The Itza
- 10-12pm: Tour of Flores
- 12-1pm: Lunch break
- 1-4pm: Boat trip on the lake to Petencito Zoo
- 6-7pm: Lecture: Warrior Queen Lady Six Sky of Naranjo and the Peten Wars
- Overnight in Flores
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Day 3: Monday, May 11
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Tikal
- 7-8am: Breakfast at hotel
- 8-10am: Transport to Tikal
- 10-2pm: Exploring Tikal
- 2-3pm: Lunch break at entrance
- 3-4pm: Tikal's on site museums
- 4-6pm: Return to Flores
- Overnight in Flores
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Day 4: Tuesday, May 12
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Naranjo
- 7-8am: Breakfast at hotel
- 8-11am: Transport to Naranjo - bus and 4x4 trucks
- 11-2pm: Tour of Naranjo, picnic lunch
- 2-5pm: Return to Flores
- Overnight in Flores
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Day 5: Wednesday, May 13
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Yaxha
- 7-8am: Breakfast at hotel
- 8-10am: Transport to Yaxha
- 10-1pm: Exploring of Yaxha, picnic lunch
- 1-2pm: Picnic lunch
- 2-4pm: Topoxte Island
- 4-6pm: Return to Flores
- Overnight in Flores
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Day 6: Thursday, May 14
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Seibal
- 7-8am: Breakfast
- 8-11am: Transport to Seibal
- 11-2pm: Tour of Seibal, picnic lunch
- 2-5pm: Return to Flores
- Overnight in Flores
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Day 7: Friday, May 15
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Dos Pilas
- 7-8am: Breakfast
- 8-11am: Transport to Dos Pilas
- 11-2pm: Tour of Dos Pilas, picnic lunch
- 2-5pm: Return to Flores
- 6-7pm: Final celebration happy hour at the hotel
- Overnight in Flores
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Day 8: Saturday, May 16
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Departure
- Morning: Free time or transport to the airport
- End of Tour
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Lodging
Flores - Hotel Casona del Lago (or similar)
A classic Flores hotel on the lake
shore.
AC, private bath, restaurant, pool, telephone, cable TV and wifi
Price includes
All lodging
Private ground transportation
Private boat
transportation
All Breakfasts and 4 lunches
Archaeologist guide
Local guides
Evening
Lectures
All entry fees
Bottles of cold purified water in the bus
Price does not include
Airfare to/from Flores
2 lunches
and all dinners
Gratuities (maids, drivers, guides, etc..)
MEC strongly recommends travel insurance. If you don't have a trusted company, InsureMyTrip allows you to compare compare policies from many different companies and make your best choice.
This 7-day tour will bring you to the major players of the ancient Maya Peten Wars, learning about each on site.
Participants fly into the airport of Flores, Guatemala to begin their adventure. With Flores as their home base, day trips will visit some of the Peten's many ancient cities and learn about the civil war that raged in the 7th century CE.
LAKE PETEN ITZA, TIKAL, NARANJO, YAXHA, SEIBAL, AND DOS PILAS
- $500 deposit due upon registration
- 50% balance due 90 days before the trip
- Final balance due 30 days before
- 80% refunds for cancellations up to one month before the trip
- No refunds after 14 days until the trip