Ruinas de Uaxactun

After pickup at the airport or your hotel, you’ll be driven to the archeological site for your guided tour of Uaxactun. Discover the significance behind the ruins of this ancient Mayan city, located in Guatemala’s southern lowlands, just 12 miles (20 km) north of Tikal. Your guide will enlighten you about the site’s ongoing excavations, which were the first to establish Mayan ceramic styles from approximately 300 BC to the end of the Classic Period (around 900 AD). The artwork at Uaxactún is among the finest in the Mayan world, and a private collection of Mayan ceramics is housed in the onsite museum.

Flores

Visit a number of ceremonial buildings, including Temple of the Masks, where giant stucco masks decorate a pyramid with stairways on all four sides. Representing jaguars, turtles, eagles, parrots and other animals sacred to the ancient Maya, the sculptures depict individual rulers and guardians of the region. Admire the impressive stelae carved in the four sides of the stairway, where you’ll also find original red paint. Also known as an important astronomical site, Uaxactun boasts an observatory in Complex E—built to mark the summer and winter solstices until the city was abandoned in the 10th century. You’ll have plenty of time to explore the ruins, including the ball court, before lunch on site. After your meal, return back to Santa Elena Peten or Flores, with drop-off at your hotel or the airport in the afternoon.