Yaxha Archaeological Focus Afternoon and Sunset Tour with Monkeys Spotting

What's included

What you'll see and do

1. Yaxha

   We 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 During the transfer to the tour, we'll stop for one hour for our cultural lunch included at Portal de Yaxha.

   5 minutes here · Admission not included

2. 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.

   45 minutes here · Admission not included

3. 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).

   45 minutes here · Admission not included

4. 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 here · Admission not included

5. Cultural Triangle Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo National Park

   Yaxha 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 here · Admission not included

6. 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. Yaxha is a different archaeological site because it is located between two lakes, Lake Yaxha and Lake Sacnab, this site started in the Pre-Classical period (3000 BC to 300 AD), during its peak in the Classical period (300 AD to 900 AD) worked as an important lake port.

   15 minutes here · Admission not included

7. 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.

   45 minutes here · Admission not included

8. We'll visit the East Acropolis, where the tallest structure of 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, where we'll wait for sunset while we enjoy the surrounding wildlife. The earliest sunset is in November at 5:24 pm and the latest sunset is in July at 6:38 pm and this is related to our latitud, since we are located 17° North. We'll moderate the walking tour in order to always wait for sunset no more than 30 minutes no matter what month you come. A good sunset depends on the weather. We see a good sunset 80% of the time, the main attraction here is the behavior of the wildlife at that time. 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 here · Admission not included

Where it starts and ends

Options you can book

• From San Ignacio, Private

  Private just for your party: From Hotels and Airbnbs in San Ignacio Belize (Chaa Creek, Kaana, Cahal Pech, Sweet Songs Jungle Lodge, Gumbo Limbo, etc.) Pickup included

• F/San Andres Peten Small Group

  Maximum 9 participants: From Hotels and Airbnbs in San Andres Peten (Bolontiku, Nitun, G Boutique Hotel, etc.) Pickup included

• From Tikal hotels, Small Group

  Maximum 9 guests: From hotels in Tikal (Jungle Lodge, Jaguar Inn and Tikal Inn or Tikal Campsite) Pickup included

• From El Remate, Small Group

  Less than 9 guests per guide: From hotels and Airbnbs in El Remate (Casa de Don David, Gringo Perdido, Mon Ami, Posada del Cerro, Alice Guest House, etc.) Pickup included

• From San Ignacio, Small Group

  Maximum 9 visitors: From Hotels and Airbnbs in San Ignacio Belize (Chaa Creek, Kaana, Cahal Pech, Sweet Songs Jungle Lodge, Gumbo Limbo, etc.) Pickup included

• F/ the Belize Border, Private

  Exclusive guide just for you: From Melchor de Mencos/Benque Viejo (Border between Belize and Guatemala) After you stamp at the Belize side, we'll meet you. Pickup included

• F/San Jose Peten, Small Group

  Maximum 9 passengers per guide: From Hotels and Airbnbs in San Jose Peten (La Lancha Village, Camino Real Tikal, etc.) Pickup included

• F/ Belize Border, Small Group

  Maximum 9 guest/participants: From Melchor de Mencos/Benque Viejo (border between Belize and Guatemala) after you stamp on the Belize side, we'll meet you. Pickup included

• From El Remate, Private

  Exclusive guide for your party: From hotels and Airbnbs in El Remate (Casa de Don David, Gringo Perdido, Mon Ami, Posada del Cerro, Alice Guest House, etc.) Pickup included

• F/ Flores surrounding, Private

  Private guide for you: F/ San Benito, Santa Elena & Flores Hotels & Airport. Guests staying in San Miguel must come to Raices Rest. in Flores Island Pickup included

• From San Jose Peten, Private

  Private guide for your party: From Hotels and Airbnbs in San Jose Peten (La Lancha Village, Camino Real Tikal, etc.) Pickup included

• F/ Flores surrounding, S Group

  No more than 9 guests: F/ San Benito, Santa Elena & Flores Hotels & Airport. Guests staying in San Miguel must come to Raices Rest. in Flores Island Pickup included

Before you book

Cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Languages

en, es

Ticket

Mobile Only

Runs on

Every day

Group size

Up to 15 travelers per booking

Operated by

Gem Trips

Know before you go

• 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

Photos