Yaxha Archaeological Focus Day Tour with Monkeys Spotting
Things to know
About the Activity
Extensive tour, with enough time and flexibility, excellent for photographers. Guaranteed departure, we operate only with 1 guest with no extra charge. If we go over 9 people, we make 2 groups Premium tour visiting the best spots to photograph the monuments Hassle free entry fees, those are not included because price varies according to nationality and age, but available in advance, we pay those for you, then you reimburse our guide during the service. Excellent English-Spanish bilingual guide with deep knowledge of local history, flora and fauna and with service attitude to give a meaning to each monument visited. Enough food included: water refill and lunch at Portal de Yaxha (gluten-free and vegan options available) We will walk approximately 2.5 to 4 miles during this tour, but not consecutively. The longest walk between two stops is around 20 minutes. Bring your camera! We love taking photos, we will show you the best spots.4 hours
Pickup offered
Instant Confirmation
Mobile ticket
Availability and Prices
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Travel Date
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Travelers
Inclusions & Exclusions
Mosquito Repellent Application
Yaxha Map
Food and drink : Lunch. Lunch at Portal de Yaxha, 5 options
Transportation amenities : In-vehicle air conditioning. Air-conditioned vehicle
Professional bilingual tour guide
Water Refill in the Vehicle
Entry fee of US$11 per person, only payable for guests 6 year old and on.
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Travel Itinerary
Locations in the itinerary
1
Yaxha
National Park, Peten, GuatemalaWe start when we pick you up at your hotel or Airport, when booking, please choose the time according to your pickup location. In case you don't know the location of your hotel yet, just book the cheapest tour option, later you let us know your pickup location and if there is a price difference, you can pay it to our guide.
The walking tour begins at Gate 2 of Yaxha Mayan Site.
DURATION OF EACH WAY OF TRANSFER BY LOCATION WHERE WE PICK YOU UP
a. Melchor de Mencos, the Belize Border: 01h: 00m
b. El Remate: 01h: 30m
c. Tikal, San Jose Peten, San Benito, Santa Elena Flores or Flores Island or Airport: 02h: 00m
d. San Ignacio Town, Belize: 02h: 00m
e. San Andres Peten and San Ignacio Out of Town, Belize: 02h: 30m
Yaxha is a different archaeological site because it is located between two lakes, Lake Yaxha and Lake Sacnab, this site started in the Pre-Classic period (3000 BC to 300 AD), during its peak in the Classic period (300 AD to 900 AD) worked as an important lake port.5 minutes • Admission Ticket FreeView Location2
We'll visit the Minor Astronomical Observatory, this was built by the ancient Mayans to commemorate the equinoxes and solstices, there is an observation building and three reference buildings, the reference buildings are to see the sunrise behind them and this way, mark the change of the seasons, which was relevant for agriculture, as this was the city's source of food.
We'll walk on the Causway of the Quarry, so called because it is a Mayan road built next to a quarry, from that quarry came a large part of the material used to build the buildings of the city.
We'll also visit the North Acropolis, it's the center of this city, it is a plaza with a triadic pattern, a particular style of the oldest Mayan cities, it's a group of three temples forming a triangle, one temple to the East, another to the West, they represent the twin brothers who, according to Mayan mythology, were the creators of humanity. To the North is the temple representing the god of corn, the father of the twins.30 minutes • Admission Ticket FreeView Location
A thousand years later after Yaxha was abandoned, a German explorer named Teobert Malher exploring the area, managed to find the lost city in 1904, the Malher Group was the first complex of buildings discovered by Malher.
The Malher group has a building with hybrid Mayan-Teotihuacan architecture, the first platforms are Mayan-style and the last platform has Teotihuacan architecture, which shows the intense cultural exchange that existed between the Mayans and the cultures of Central Mexico.
To get to this group of buildings, we walk along the causeway of the reservoirs, which is a 100 feet wide road, used by the Mayans to receive rainwater and store it in reservoirs for later use to supply the city with water, in addition the causways were used as sacred paths to make processions from one temple to another.
Along the tour we will have the opportunity to closely observe various groups of spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) and/or howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra).View Location
3
Yaxhá, along with its neighbors Nakum and Naranjo and after much management, were declared the Yaxhá-Nakum-Naranjo National Park in 2006, just after being the setting for the Reality Show called "Survivor" filmed in Guatemala in 2006.
We'll visit the Major Astronomical Observatory, it is a pyramid with a flat top but still covered with trees. We will climb and from above we'll be in the middle of the treetops, it is a viewpoint over the forest, the lake and the other structures. In front of the observatory there is a palace, which possibly functioned as the residence of the main astronomer of the city.
We will pass by the causeway of the lake, which functioned as the main access to the city, most of the trade reached the city by lake, since the city functioned as a lake port.
We will explore the residential palace of the Yaxha royalty, which consists of five courtyards, one of which is restored. Inside the palaces, archaeologists found pre-Hispanic graffiti.45 minutes • Admission Ticket FreeView Location
4
Cultural Triangle Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo National Park
Parque Nacioal Yaxha, Guatemala, 17001Yaxha has a ball game court, a game called Pok Ta Poc, very popular in ancient Mesoamerica, as a ball they used rubber that they got from the resin of a tree, we will explore this building surrounded by structures that served for the inhabitants of the city to observe sporting events.
We'll walk on the Square of the Birds, probably used as the market squere of the city.
We will walk on the causway of the residential area, next to thisone, the archaeologists found a housing complex possibly for the middle class of the city.
As this is a very young National Park, it is little known, like few archaeological sites, in Yaxhá the visitor feels completely in the middle of a Mayan city, because when it was not yet a national park, it was allowed to cut a lot of weeds that covered the palaces, temples, ball courts, pyramids, roads and squares, so the viewer can see more than 300 yards around. Many visitors, after visiting several Mayan sites, conclude that their favorite place is Yaxhá.45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free5
We'll walk on rectangular platforms, which once had many wooden structures but only the stone bases prevail.
In the year 900 AD Approximately when the Mayan collapse occurred, for still inexplicable reasons, this city was abandoned and the jungle was responsible for burying it with earth, a product of the dry leaves of the vegetation over time.
We will explore the complex of twin pyramids, Tikal's own architectural style, however due to the constant diplomatic relationship with this city, in Yaxha they built a complex of twin pyramids in commemoration of Tikal.15 minutes • Admission Ticket FreeView Location
6
The Square of the Columns was one of many public squares in the city, used for religious and government meetings, the Mayan cities had a theocratic government system, the government was in charge of the religious institution and the government was involved in all the activities of the city including astronomical activities.
Public squares like this one were the ideal places to place the political propaganda monuments of the rulers, placed in the form of stelae, which consist of stone monuments with sculpture. In this square there is a stele with the portrait of the Teotihuacan general who came to the Mayan world in the year 378 AD. with plans to militarily conquer the Mayans.
In front of this square is the East Acropolis, where the tallest structure in Yaxha is located, it is the temple of the Red Hands, which we will climb at the end of the tour to get the best panoramic view of the Mayan world.45 minutes • Admission Ticket FreeView Location
7
The activity ends when we drop you off at the location we picked you up, or it can be to a different location, but for this, you need to let us know in advance, if it's cheaper, we refund you some money or if it's more expensive, you pay us the difference when you're here.5 minutes • Admission Ticket FreeView Location
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup details
Tour operator will pick up all customers from their respective locations- Travelers can choose a custom pickup or meeting location.
- When booking, please make sure you pick the right price option according to the desired pickup location. We pick up from the door of any hotel or Airbnb in Flores, Tikal, El Remate, Santa Elena, San Benito, San Andres, Melchor de Mencos (Belize border), San Jose Peten and San Ignacio Belize. Guests staying in San Miguel come by boat to Raices Restaurant in Flores Island for pickup.
Pickup points
Additional Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Wheelchair accessible
- Seat belts available
- In case you don't know yet the location of your hotel, just book the cheapest tour option, later you let us know your hotel location and if there is price difference, you can pay it to our guide.
- If you are the only adult in your group and you pick a small group option and at least one more adult reserves for that same schedule, we’ll include the cost of the entry fees for you and in addition to that, we'll refund USD50, which reduces the price for USD61 for you.
- Bring the best walking shoes
- Bring a raincoat just in case
- Bring the best clothes for hot weather
- Bring a canteen to refill water
- If you have a Guatemalan local ID (DPI) send us a picture of it, in this event your entry fees will be only USD 6
Language And Guide
Tour Guide Available In
- English
- Spanish
Ticket Details
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- One per booking
Ticket Redemption
No redemption point. This is a direct entry ticketYour guide or driver will come to the door of your hotel to pick you up, then you show him your digital or printed ticket.Cancellation & Refunds
Cancellable up to 24 hours before the travel date (local supplier time) for a full refund. A 100% cancellation penalty applies for cancellations submitted less than 24 hours before the start time.- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- Cancel at least 1 day before activity starts in America/Belize time to receive 100% refund.
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No reviews found!Operated by Gem TripsCreated on 19 Oct 2019Created on 06 Aug 2024
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