28 Days of Adventure in Central America

Trip to Cancún

Tours & Activities

Viator Tours

Day 1Discovering the Mysteries of Xel-Há Park and El Rey Archaeological Zone

+

$350

·

$ 3

Sprawling natural aquarium offering activities such as snorkeling & swimming with dolphins.

8:00 AM - 2:00 PM

•

$312

86 - 104 min

~

Directions

Excavated Mayan ruins date to 250 A.D., comprising 47 buildings, including a pyramid-shaped temple.

2:30 PM - 4:00 PM

•

$38

Day 2Unleashing Your Inner Explorer at Xcaret Park and Museo Maya de Cancún

+

$401

·

$ 3

Waterfront eco-archaeological park offering attractions such as snorkeling & cave exploration.

8:00 AM - 2:00 PM

•

$363

67 - 81 min

~

Directions

Museo Maya de Cancún y Zona Arqueológica de San Miguelito

Important collection of Mayan archaeological artifacts housed in a sleekly designed setting.

2:30 PM - 5:30 PM

•

$38

Budget breakdown: $1327 In total

Activities & Food:$1290

Transport:$38

Trip to Guatemala City

Tours & Activities

Viator Tours

Day 1Discovering the Mysteries of Xel-Há Park and El Rey Archaeological Zone

+

$0

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

•

Free

5 - 8 min

~

Directions

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

•

Free

Day 2Unleashing Your Inner Explorer at Xcaret Park and Museo Maya de Cancún

+

$0

Museum with a sizable collection of Guatemalan & ancient Mayan art & cultural artifacts.

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

•

Free

3 - 4 min

~

Directions

Cultural history museum with a collection of traditional Guatemalan clothing, textiles & ceramics.

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

•

Free

Day 3Exploring the Fascinating Museo Numismático de Guatemala and Military Museum

+

$0

·

$ 2

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

•

Free

15 - 18 min

~

Directions

Railway museum & cultural center with train cars, photographs & other historic artifacts on display.

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

•

Free

Day 4Immerse Yourself in the Rich Heritage of Museo Popol Vuh and Museo Ixchel del Traje Indígena

+

$0

·

$ 2

University venue featuring natural history exhibits & a botanical garden with 400+ plant species.

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

•

Free

8 - 11 min

~

Directions

Landmark steel tower built in 1935 to honor Justo Rufino Barrios, a former president of Guatemala.

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

•

Free

12 - 15 min

~

Directions

Archaeological museum displaying ancient Mayan artifacts & textiles in contemporary surrounds.

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

•

Free

Day 5Unveiling Contemporary Art at Numu and Railway Museum

+

$0

Iconic, ornate building housing a museum of Guatemalan artwork, culture & history.

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

•

Free

7 - 10 min

~

Directions

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

•

Free

Day 6Journeying Through History at Museo de Historia Natural USAC and Museo Miraflores

+

$0

·

$ 4

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

•

Free

14 - 17 min

~

Directions

9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

•

Free

16 - 20 min

~

Directions

Nacional Museum of Archeology and Ethnology

Stately Guatemalan history & culture museum, with educational displays & Mayan artifacts.

11:30 AM - 1:30 PM

•

Free

Budget breakdown: $1327 In total

Activities & Food:$1290

Transport:$38

Trip to San José

Tours & Activities

Viator Tours

Day 1Discovering the Mysteries of Xel-Há Park and El Rey Archaeological Zone

+

$0

This stately cathedral built in 1871 blends Greek orthodox, neoclassical and baroque architecture.

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

•

Free

12 - 18 min

~

Directions

Established in 1895, this iconic park features the bronze National Monument of Costa Rica.

9:30 AM - 1:30 PM

•

Free

Day 2Unleashing Your Inner Explorer at Xcaret Park and Museo Maya de Cancún

+

$45

50+ species of butterflies on view in a park-like environment with waterfalls & greenery.

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

•

$26

16 - 23 min

~

Directions

Indoor-outdoor museum showcasing contemporary art & design from Central America & around the world.

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

•

$19

8 - 12 min

~

Directions

Popular public square with a fountain & some greenery sitting atop the Museum of Pre-Columbian Gold.

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

•

Free

4 - 6 min

~

Directions

Busy square & meeting spot with park benches & occasional fairs, concerts & other events.

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

•

Free

Day 3Exploring the Fascinating Museo Numismático de Guatemala and Military Museum

+

$30

·

$ 9

Cultural center in a restored 1800s building offering concerts, lectures, workshops & more.

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

•

Free

27 - 33 min

~

Directions

10:30 AM - 11:30 AM

•

Free

9 - 14 min

~

Directions

Cultural center with theaters & a museum housed in a 19th-century former liquor factory.

12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

•

Free

14 - 21 min

~

Directions

Historical Museum Dr. Rafael Angel Calderon Guardia

Museum since 1991 with tours & a permanent exhibit on former Costa Rican President Calderón Guardia.

2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

•

$30

Day 4Immerse Yourself in the Rich Heritage of Museo Popol Vuh and Museo Ixchel del Traje Indígena

+

$72

Museum featuring historic gold artifacts, including figures & coins, in a modern, underground space.

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

•

$56

7 - 10 min

~

Directions

Lively, mazelike market with vendors for produce, fish, coffee, hot snacks & traditional crafts.

10:30 AM - 12:30 PM

•

Free

10 - 15 min

~

Directions

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

•

$15

Day 5Unveiling Contemporary Art at Numu and Railway Museum

+

$57

Prominent active volcano featuring hiking trails in the rainforest, lava fields & hot springs.

8:00 AM - 2:00 PM

•

$56

Day 6Journeying Through History at Museo de Historia Natural USAC and Museo Miraflores

+

$19

·

$ 9

Museo Histórico Cultural Juan Santamaría

Exhibits on Costa Rica's military & cultural history housed in a former barracks & prison building.

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

•

$19

27 - 33 min

~

Directions

Small protected area with native forest, plants & birds, plus a historic farm museum with animals.

10:30 AM - 12:30 PM

•

Free

Day 7Unveiling the Cultural Gems of Palacio Nacional de la Cultura and Museo de La Merced

+

$38

Indoor-outdoor museum in a historic building showcasing the works of Latin American artists.

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

•

$23

7 - 10 min

~

Directions

This 72-hectare park features the National Stadium & other sports facilities, plus an art museum.

10:30 AM - 1:30 PM

•

Free

14 - 21 min

~

Directions

Natural history museum with animal dioramas, dinosaur replicas & mounted butterflies.

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

•

$15

Day 8Diving into Art and History at Museo Carlos F. Novella and Post and Telegraph Museum

+

$0

Budget breakdown: $1327 In total

Activities & Food:$1290

Transport:$38

Trip to Panamá

Tours & Activities

Viator Tours

Day 1Discovering the Mysteries of Xel-Há Park and El Rey Archaeological Zone

+

$38

·

$ 2

Founded in 1519, the archaeological ruins of old Panama include a museum & a bell observation tower.

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

•

$38

20 - 24 min

~

Directions

Cafe-filled plaza dating from colonial times, renamed in 1883 for independence hero Simon Bolivar.

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

•

Free

Day 2Unleashing Your Inner Explorer at Xcaret Park and Museo Maya de Cancún

+

$75

·

$ 2

Panama Canal visitor center with exhibits, food & decks for watching ships pass through the locks.

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

•

$75

23 - 28 min

~

Directions

Original town square, now French Plaza dedicated to France's role in building the Panama Canal.

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

•

Free

Day 3Exploring the Fascinating Museo Numismático de Guatemala and Military Museum

+

$75

·

$ 2

Whimsical museum structure by the renowned Frank Gehry with 8 galleries on Panama's biodiversity.

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

•

$56

24 - 29 min

~

Directions

Museum housing pre-Hispanic & Hispanic-era finds from the adjacent Panama Viejo archaeological site.

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

•

$19

Day 4Immerse Yourself in the Rich Heritage of Museo Popol Vuh and Museo Ixchel del Traje Indígena

+

$38

·

$ 2

Modest contemporary-art museum showcasing works from Panamanian & Latin American artists.

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

•

$38

8 - 10 min

~

Directions

Small Casco Viejo church whose circa-1680 baroque facade is one of the city's oldest structures.

9:30 AM - 10:00 AM

•

Free

Iconic baroque church, built from 1605–1765, known for its elaborately carved, gilded interior.

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

•

Free

Day 5Unveiling Contemporary Art at Numu and Railway Museum

+

$38

Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Santa Maria the Ancient

Large stone church completed in 1796 after a century of construction, with looming twin bell towers.

8:00 AM - 8:30 AM

•

Free

3 - 4 min

~

Directions

This stately museum offers exhibits on the building of the Panama Canal that joined two oceans.

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

•

$38

4 - 6 min

~

Directions

Time-tested remains of a church built by Dominican friars featuring an iconic stone archway.

10:30 AM - 11:15 AM

•

Free

Budget breakdown: $1327 In total

Activities & Food:$1290

Transport:$38

Trip to Lima

Tours & Activities

Viator Tours

Day 1Discovering the Mysteries of Xel-Há Park and El Rey Archaeological Zone

+

$0

·

$ 2

Animal enclosures including big cats & primates, plus an aquarium & dinosaur attraction.

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

•

Free

44 - 53 min

~

Directions

Landscaped park overlooking the ocean with a huge kissing sculpture, mosaic walls & a snack stand.

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

•

Free

Day 2Unleashing Your Inner Explorer at Xcaret Park and Museo Maya de Cancún

+

$0

Arched bridge named for sighs of prisoners crossing it en route from the Palazzo Ducale to prison.

8:00 AM - 8:30 AM

•

Free

Home to Peru's national football team, this open-air stadium also hosts major concerts.

9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

•

Free

Day 3Exploring the Fascinating Museo Numismático de Guatemala and Military Museum

+

$0

Large urban gathering space offering a central José de San Martín monument, green space & benches.

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

•

Free

11 - 16 min

~

Directions

This church with a mural of the Crucifixion is the starting point of a yearly religious procession.

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

•

Free

Day 4Immerse Yourself in the Rich Heritage of Museo Popol Vuh and Museo Ixchel del Traje Indígena

+

$12

·

$ 2

This zoo features animals from around the world, plus a botanical garden, museum & ancient ruins.

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

•

$12

25 - 30 min

~

Directions

Known as the birthplace of Lima, this plaza featuring a fountain is bordered by iconic palaces.

10:30 AM - 11:30 AM

•

Free

Day 5Unveiling Contemporary Art at Numu and Railway Museum

+

$0

Sizable urban park with a stadium, skate park & monuments, plus lawns, a pool & sports facilities.

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

•

Free

13 - 20 min

~

Directions

Large park featuring gardens, lakes & an amphitheater, plus buildings such as an art museum.

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

•

Free

Day 6Journeying Through History at Museo de Historia Natural USAC and Museo Miraflores

+

$6

·

$ 2

Picturesque neighborhood park known for its fountains & evening laser light shows off the water.

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

•

$6

18 - 22 min

~

Directions

Triangular urban park offering trees, landscaped lawns & paths, plus an amphitheater & a playground.

10:30 AM - 11:30 AM

•

Free

Day 7Unveiling the Cultural Gems of Palacio Nacional de la Cultura and Museo de La Merced

+

$0

Vast water fountain complex known for choreographed light displays with sound & music at night.

8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

•

Free

Budget breakdown: $1327 In total

Activities & Food:$1290

Transport:$38