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Iximché Ruins and Antigua City Tour: Explore Mayan History and Spanish Colonial Sites
4.8
21 Ratings
Tecpan
Immerse yourself in Guatemala’s rich history on a full-day tour of the Iximché Ruins and Antigua City. Discover Mayan heritage at the archeological site of Iximché, then explore the Spanish colonial charm of Antigua’s iconic landmarks. Perfect for families!
Immerse yourself in Guatemala’s rich history on a full-day tour of the Iximché Ruins and Antigua City. Discover Mayan heritage at the archeological site of Iximché, then explore the Spanish colonial charm of Antigua’s iconic landmarks. Perfect for families!
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Iximche - After pickup from your Antigua hotel, venture northwest approximately an hour to the dusty town of Tecpán. Here, explore the Mayan ruins of Iximché, once the Kaqchiquel Maya capital and a Guatemala must-see attraction. Upon entering the ruins, you’ll see four ceremonial plazas, which are surrounded by tall temple structures and…
- Iximche - After pickup from your Antigua hotel, venture northwest approximately an hour to the dusty town of Tecpán. Here, explore the Mayan ruins of Iximché, once the Kaqchiquel Maya capital and a Guatemala must-see attraction. Upon entering the ruins, you’ll see four ceremonial plazas, which are surrounded by tall temple structures and two ball courts. Tour the site with your knowledgeable guide and discover the ancient history of Guatemala.
- The Plaza Central Park - Stop for lunch at a local restaurant (own expense) before visiting the Central Plaza with your guide.
- Casa del Jade - Watch craftsmen turn stones into unique jewels and see the jade collection housed at the museum. After the tour, you’ll be taken back to your hotel.
- Iglesia de La Merced - Next, visit La Merced Church, which has a beautiful Baroque-style façade.
- Iglesia de San Francisco El Grande - Then, head back down to Antigua’s Central Plaza, where you’ll visit San Francisco Church, home to the shrine of Peter of St Joseph Betancur. See also the famous arch of Santa Catalina, built in the 17th century and once home to Santa Catalina Convent.
What's Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Professional guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Professional guide
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Experience Guatemala’s mixture of Spanish and Mayan influences on this full-day tour of Iximch and Antigua. Learn about Mayan history from your knowledgeable guide as you explore the archeological site of Iximch. Then, head to the Spanish colonial city of Antigua to visit some of its most famous sites, including San Francisco Church, Calle del Arco, La…
Experience Guatemala’s mixture of Spanish and Mayan influences on this full-day tour of Iximch and Antigua. Learn about Mayan history from your knowledgeable guide as you explore the archeological site of Iximch. Then, head to the Spanish colonial city of Antigua to visit some of its most famous sites, including San Francisco Church, Calle del Arco, La Merced Church and Plaza Central. This day tour is perfect for the whole family!
Location
Iximche
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(21 Ratings)
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Deanna_j
Oct 7, 2024
Perfect tour of Antigua & Iximche - Our guide Oscar was absolutely brilliant. His depth of knowledge about everything we saw was very impressive, and speaking as a history teacher and former archaeologist, that is hard to do.
Oscar was very kind and went out of his way to make us feel valued, and safe. One of the passengers on our tour became ill, and he made sure we stopped a few times when she needed a pharmacy.
I really felt like this trip was worthwhile, and would highly recommend it. We saw a lot and had a great time experiencing Iximche and Antigua.
Our driver Jorge also deserves praise, he drove very safely, and navigated alternative routes when the main road was under construction.
Review provided by Viator
Bryan_h
Sep 6, 2024
Good Tour With Lots To See, Made Better With A Great Guide - The tour guide picked us up from our hotel in Guatemala earlier than expected to do as much as possible before the rain came. (We went in late August during the rainy season.) We stopped at a large restaurant before the ruins for snacks and a clean bathroom. I really appreciated the tour guide. He was very knowledgeable about all the subject matter and conversed easily in both Spanish and English. We had excellent pictures of the Mayan ruins and even took pictures with some locals who were excited to see us (and they took their own pictures of us also). The city of Antigua was equally good. While dodging the heavy rain showers, we were able to see all the major sites: Iglesia de La Merced, Arco de Santa Catalina, Jade Museum, Parque Central, Catedral San José, Tanque La Unión, Iglesia de San Francisco (while a wedding took place there), and the Mercado de Artesanias. Our tour guide was very flexible. He allowed us to re-order the activities, skip lunch, and wait in some locations longer than we should have - so that we can minimize getting wet. I'm pretty sure we arrived back at the hotel at least an hour late because of us, so I appreciate the guide for his patience.
Review provided by Viator
Darvin_s
Mar 17, 2024
Definitely worth the time - Great private tour with knowledgeable guide. The ruins are a long way from Antigua so be prepared for an hour long ride. The guide was proud of his city and the Antigua tour was worth every minute. Antigua has a rich history and hearing from a local was exactly what I was looking for
Review provided by Viator
Luca_e
Jan 5, 2024
Knowledge makes a difference - Tour guide was excellent. Don José gave us a lot of information and explanations. Really enjoyed his knowledge and we felt very satisfied.
Review provided by Viator
Rebecca_j
Aug 30, 2023
Fantastic experience - We had a wonderful time on this tour. It was a good amount of time in both places. We got to see the beauty, history, and architecture of the city with time left to shop and eat, and then headed to the ruins. Our tour guide, Mirco, was fantastic. He was knowledgeable and very personable. We plan to use this group for future adventures.
Review provided by Viator
Elizabeth_p
Jan 30, 2023
A beautiful exploring ancient civilization - I thoroughly enjoyed my day of adventure with Jose. We were lucky enough to to get to see some Mayan rituals at Iximche. It was a great treat to have a private tour of such a special place.
Review provided by Viator
Xphile1067
Jun 21, 2022
Great company for solo travelers! - Carmen was my guide on this solo tour. She is a great story teller and gave me all kinds of historical information! Iximche was truly stunning, and we went there first before the rain started and saw a Mayan ceremony, too. Antigua was beautiful and all the locations we stopped in were very interesting! It was pouring by that time, so Carmen drove between stops and I truly appreciated that. Had a nice lunch and she gave me a couple souvenirs, which was so sweet! The magnet is on my refrigerator Carmen! Muchisimas gracias por todo!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Romelita_v
Mar 18, 2022
Amazing Trip - We had a wonderful trip! Our guide, Gustavo is so knowledgeable and ensured a very interesting trip. We were very lucky to also see and participate in a Mayan ceremony at iximche. Best meal at a restaurant called Katok as per guide recommedation. Highly recommend Gustavo - best guide ever!
Review provided by Viator
Debmatsu
Dec 16, 2021
Passionate Guide - We were fortunate to have Carmen as our Tour Guide. She was professional, palpably passionate about Mayan culture and possessed a wealth of Guatemalan historical knowledge. Throughout our day together, she demonstrated helpfulness, patience, and generosity toward us. Her personal stories and anecdotes truly illuminated our experience. We were blessed to witness several Mayan ancestral ceremonies behind the ruins in real time with her guidance of respectful observation. The Antigua afternoon was relaxed and fun with cacao tastings and a mini Jade tour, in addition to shopping, gelato, cathedrals and more historical tidbits. We highly recommend this tour and suggest you specifically request Carmen as your Guide. You will be grateful that you did.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
David_s
Jun 7, 2024
Walking tour through Maysn and post Maysn - Iximche was a special memory. So much history and incredible view into Maysn history. Antigua was special for its Italian engineer and Moor architecture. Ancient uneven cobblestone street is challenging for mobility impaired.
Review provided by Viator
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