9-day Best of Chiapas Trip: Ruins, Rafting, and Lakes

Arrive at Tuxtla Gutiérrez Airport, where your Journey Mexico guide greets you for a private boat ride through Sumidero Canyon. Cruise between 3,000-foot canyon walls and look for crocodiles, monkeys, and tropical birds. Afterward, drive into the highlands to San Cristóbal de las Casas, a picturesque colonial town surrounded by pine-covered mountains
Overnight: Casa Del Alma Hotel Boutique & SPA

Venture into the highlands to visit the Tzotzil Maya villages of San Juan Chamula and Zinacantán. Learn about their ancient customs, weaving traditions, and rituals that blend Maya and Catholic elements. Return to San Cristóbal for a guided walking tour of its cobblestone streets, bustling markets, and historic plazas.
Overnight: Casa Del Alma Hotel Boutique & SPA

Travel south to Montebello Lakes National Park, home to nearly 60 crystalline lagoons with dazzling hues of blue, green, and violet. Optionally, take a rowboat or horseback ride around the lake (additional cost). Continue to Chinkultic, an atmospheric archeological site featuring ancient terraces, stelae, and sweeping views from El Mirador.
Overnight: Parador Santa Maria

Descend from the highlands to the rainforest, stopping en route at Las Nubes Waterfalls on the turquoise Santo Domingo River. Enjoy a short hike with panoramic views, followed by lunch at a local restaurant. Continue to Las Guacamayas, a community-run eco-lodge and birding sanctuary. In the afternoon, enjoy a guided walk in search of scarlet macaws and other tropical species.
Overnight: Las Guacamayas

Embark on a thrilling rafting adventure along the Lacanjá River, navigating gentle rapids beneath rainforest canopy. Stop along the way to visit nearby Maya ruins hidden in the jungle and spot monkeys, herons, and butterflies. After your river journey, unwind at your rainforest lodge.
Overnight: Explora, Exoturismos y Aventura, Ya’ax Cabin

Travel deep into the Lacandon Jungle to explore two of its most evocative Maya sites. At Yaxchilán, reached by boat on the Usumacinta River, walk among ancient plazas, temples, and sculpted lintels while howler monkeys echo overhead. Continue to Bonampak, famed for its vividly painted murals depicting royal ceremonies and daily life.
Overnight: Chan-Kah Resort Village

Join your guide for a private tour of Palenque, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Maya world’s most sophisticated cities. Visit the Temple of the Inscriptions, the Palace, and other monumental structures framed by lush jungle. In the afternoon, stop at Misol Há, a 35-meter-high waterfall where you can walk behind the cascade.
Overnight: Chan-Kah Resort Village

Travel to Villahermosa to visit La Venta Park Museum, which combines zoo and open-air archaeological exhibits. View colossal Olmec stone heads and sculptures dating back more than 3,000 years, surrounded by tropical vegetation and local wildlife.
Overnight: Marriott Villahermosa

Enjoy a private transfer to Villahermosa Airport for your flight home. Speak with your Journey Mexico Travel Planner if you wish to extend your stay in the Yucatán Peninsula or along the Gulf Coast.