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Mexico

Chiapas’ Civilizations: An Archaeological Dive in Southern Mexico

Program No. 23356RJ
Study the archaeological wealth that lives in Chiapas through ancient site explorations, meeting locals, venturing to important museums and immersing yourself in Indigenous culture.
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Small Group
Length
10 days
Rating (4.71)
Activity Level
Starts at
2,749

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Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
10 days
9 nights
What's Included
24 meals ( 9B, 8L, 7D )
3 expert-led lectures
13 expert-led field trips
An experienced Group Leader
9 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
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Activity Note
Hotel check-in from 2:00 p.m.
Afternoon:
After arriving at the hotel, checking in and getting rooms, take some time to unpack, freshen up, and relax.
Dinner:
In the hotel restaurant, we’ll enjoy a welcome dinner. A plated 3-course meal, plus coffee, tea, fruit water, water; other beverages available for purchase. Dinner will be saved for those arriving late to the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow participants, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the days ahead.
Activity Note
Getting on/off bus. Driving about 37 miles, around 1 hour. Walking up to 2.5 miles throughput the day on uneven paths.
Breakfast:
At the hotel restaurant, we’ll enjoy a buffet including a variety of hot dishes, bread, pastries, yogurt, and fruit, plus coffee, tea, juice, water. Other beverages available for purchase.
Morning:
Orientation, 8:30 a.m.: The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. All transportation will be provided via bus unless specified otherwise. An instructor will conduct all sessions in a classroom; a certified expert will lead field trips. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Afterwards, we will board the bus and depart for a ride along the Cacao Route. We’ll begin with a visit to Comalcalco archaeological site, a Maya city inhabited from 800 BCE to about 850 CE, peaking around 500 CE. 432 structures have been identified in the 2.7 square miles of the site.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant, we will enjoy a two-course plated meal with water, tea, coffee, fruit water; other beverages available for purchase.
Afternoon:
We will then drive to La Luz Cacao Hacienda to witness a demonstration of the harvest by an expert from the hacienda, cleaning and drying the cacao seed. We’ll learn the process of making chocolate from the cacao and other chocolate-based dishes, as we discover how the Mayas cultivated the cacao. Tabasco is the most important state for the cultivation of cacao, generating the largest share of the national product. We’ll then return to the hotel to meet at our private meeting room for a social hour, an opportunity to learn more about your fellow travelers.
Dinner:
We will walk accompanied by our group leader to a local restaurant for dinner, a two course meal plus dessert with water, fruit water, coffee, tea; other beverages available por purchase
Evening:
At leisure
Activity Note
Getting on/off bus. Driving about 92 miles, around 2 hours. Walking about 3.5 miles, around 2 hours; uneven terrain. Don’t forget to apply mosquito repellent.
Breakfast:
Hotel buffet.
Morning:
We will visit La Venta Museum Park in Villahermosa and walk the sculptured trail, admiring the colossal Olmec heads. Our local expert will explain how this park was created in 1958 with sculptures from the La Venta archaeological site some 80 miles to the east. Petroleum was found at La Venta site and, as a result of the refinery that now sits on the site, the colossal heads were transported to the park for protection. We’ll then return to our hotel for lunch and depart to Palenque City.
Lunch:
At the hotel, we will enjoy a plated, two-course meal, including coffee, water; other beverages available for purchase.
Afternoon:
We’ll then check out of the hotel and board our bus for transfer to Palenque in Chiapas, following 92 miles of beautiful scenery out our windows. We’ll arrive and check into our hotel.
Dinner:
At the hotel restaurant, we’ll enjoy a three-course meal with water, tea, or fruit juice; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off bus, driving about 3 hours. Walk up to 2 miles on uneven surface.
Breakfast:
At the hotel restaurant, we’ll enjoy a plated hot breakfast consisting of eggs, fruit, bread, coffee, water.
Morning:
We’ll board the bus to visit Cascadas de Agua Azul, a series of waterfalls. The blue- turquoise water amidst the deep-green forest is a stunning sight. In 1980, the area was declared a “Zone of Forest Protection and Wildlife Refuge.” Viewing areas are situated to watch falls tumbling down into cool, natural pools.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant, we’ll enjoy a plated meal, plus fruit water, coffee; other beverages available for purchase.
Afternoon:
We will continue to Misol-Ha waterfall, just 12 miles from Palenque and one of the most visited waterfalls in the state. It comes plummeting down from 119 feet, in what is one of the most impressive images in all of Chiapas. Both Agua Azul and Misol-Ha are perfect spots for observing exotic local animal species like tapirs, macaws, and toucans. We will transfer back to our hotel for a lecture in our private conference room, we will learn about Mayan Region and Archaeology.
Dinner:
At the hotel restaurant, we will enjoy a plated two-course dinner with lemonade, coffee, tea; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off bus. Driving about 100 miles, around 2.5 hours. Walking about 4.0 miles, around 2 hours; uneven terrain.
Breakfast:
At the hotel restaurant, we’ll enjoy a plated hot breakfast, consisting of eggs, fruit, bread, coffee, water.
Morning:
We will then board our bus, accompanied by a local expert, to visit the Palenque archaeological site, where we’ll explore some of the many different limestone temples and other structures that were built on natural hills, following the contours of the terrain. This was the most densely populated of all Maya cities.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant, we’ll enjoy a buffet featuring Mexican and regional cuisine with a variety of salads, soups, main dishes, and dessert, with water and fruit water included; other beverages available for purchase.
Afternoon:
We’ll continue exploring the area of Palenque and after the archaeological site we’ll have an opportunity to visit the on-site museum, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia. It is considered one of the most important museums for the Maya culture, containing around 234 pieces that were collected in different areas of Palenque, from small clay figures to the large limestone sculptures showing the sensibilities and strengths of the local artistic tradition. We’ll then board our bus for transfer to Villahermosa in Tabasco, following 92 miles of beautiful scenery out our windows. We’ll arrive and check into our hotel.
Dinner:
Plated three-course meal.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off bus, driving about 5 hours.
Breakfast:
At the hotel restaurant, we will enjoy a buffet meal, consisting of eggs, fruit, bread, and coffee.
Morning:
After checking out of the hotel, we’ll board the bus to travel to San Cristobal de las Casas, with a stop along the way.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant, we’ll enjoy a plated lunch with coffee, tea or water; other beverages available for purchase.
Afternoon:
We will continue to our hotel in San Cristobal de las Casas, arriving with time to rest before dinner.
Dinner:
Plated three-course meal.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off bus, total driving 1.5 hours. Walk up to 2 miles on flat surfaces.
Breakfast:
Hotel buffet.
Morning:
We will begin this day with a lecture in our private conference room. Learning about the Indigenous communities, traditions, customs, and religion. After the lecture, we will board the bus with our local expert. We will travel to two Tzoztil Maya communities; San Juan Chamula and Zinacantán, at the top of the Chiapas Mountains. One-third of the state’s indigenous community are Tzoztil Maya. Then on to Zinacantán. Where, in pre-Columbian times, this community traded salt frequently with the Aztecs, as well as other products. Zinacantán, meaning “Place of Bats” in Tzoztil, is surrounded by hills and is home to the church of San Lorenzo. It is also known for its colorful embroidery. We will admire the work of weavers with a demonstration of their traditional methods at a local shop.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant, we’ll enjoy a two-course lunch with coffee, fruit water; other beverages available for purchase.
Afternoon:
Free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Dinner:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Walk up to 3 miles; standing in museum.
Breakfast:
Hotel buffet.
Morning:
We will begin our day with a lecture, the focus will be The Zapatistas Movement. After lecture, we will continue with a walking field trip to visit some of the most important buildings in San Cristobal de las Casas, such as the Santo Domingo Convent, built in 1547 by Dominicans and restored in 2006. It has two courtyards, which have been restored for use as a community and cultural center, and a distinctive baroque façade. We will continue to San Cristobal Church, built in 1528. It is a humble building located in the vibrant main square. We’ll also visit the local craft center and central plaza.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant, we’ll enjoy a plated lunch with coffee, tea or water; other beverages available for purchase.
Afternoon:
We’ll continue to Na-Bolom, a museum and research center dedicated to the studies of the indigenous cultures and conservation of the Lacandon Jungle. After our field trip there will be free time. Take this opportunity for personal, independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Dinner:
On your own to enjoy what you want.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off bus, boat; driving about 1 hour. Boat ride 1 hour. Walk about 2 miles on flat surfaces.
Breakfast:
At the hotel, we will enjoy a plated breakfast including eggs, bread, fruit, with coffee, tea, water, juice.
Morning:
After we check out from the hotel, we will board our bus for a transfer to Chiapa de Corzo. Before arriving there we will stop at the breathtaking Sumidero Canyon a truly impressive spectacle, with steep canyon walls rising as high as 3,000 feet, cut by the Grijalva River over 12 million years ago. A variety of butterflies and birds live in this tropical rainforest climate, including white herons, cormorants, and kingfishers, as well as monkeys, raccoons, iguanas, and perhaps as many as 400 alligators, sunning themselves on the banks of the river.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant in Chiapa de Corzo, known for its exquisite cuisine, we will enjoy a traditional meal including cochito baking, sweets, and a traditional drink called pozol. Water, fruit water, coffee included; other beverages available for purchase.
Afternoon:
We will continue to Chiapa de Corzo and check into our next hotel. We’ll have some time to rest before leaving to explore the 16th-century colonial town on foot. From there we will visit another Convento de Santo Domingo, built in the 16th century. We will first visit the Museo de la Marimba, dedicated to the official state musical instrument which was developed in Chiapas. We will have the chance to play a giant electronic marimba and visit the audio visual room, where we will hear many famous pieces using the marimba, led by a local expert. We will then visit La Pila Fountain, said to be unique in Latin America, and decorated in a mixture of Moorish and Renaissance styles.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant, we’ll enjoy a plated dinner with coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Hotel check-out by 12:00 Noon.
Breakfast:
At the hotel restaurant, we will enjoy a plated meal, with eggs, bread, fresh fruit, and more, plus coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase. This concludes our program Boxed breakfast will be available for early departures.
Morning:
If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on another rewarding program in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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