Our guide Rubin, was on time and at first very interesting. He certainly has been studying history of the area.
So according to Viator, we purchased their product 26325P78. I confirmed this when we got back. I have copied the itinerary below from Viator
Our first stop was at Casa Blanca. a coffee farm. Ok sort of interesting but the primary purpose was to sell us coffee. Trust me you will not find it on the itinerary from Viator, Next we drove through Antigua to what I believe is San Juan del Obispo which I believe is item 4 on the What to expect list" We were taken into a chocolate shop. Well not really interested in buying chocolate, so I walked out and took in the church, square and view. After a few minutes, I walked in to the shop to move this tour along and there is Rubin giving a history lesson to some other woman. WOW. A private $300 tour and you are giving lessons to someone else??????? We drove past (was supposed to be a stop) Ciudad Vieja. And then to a Macadamia nut farm, which is also missing from the itinerary. By this time it is about noon and we head into Antigua (what happened to San Cristóbal El Alto #5 below??? where we were supposed to have lunch??) We were taken on a rather extensive tour by Rubin through a church/convent. Ah good, this is what we wanted. After that we took a little walk. We passed a shop that had something I wanted to buy/look at and was told to come with Rubin to a "better" market. Well maybe it was a better market but we walked in and were immediately surrounded by about 6 people wanting to sell us stuff and holding it in our face, Like we were fresh meat for the starving. I again walked out and told Rubin I would meet him back there. He followed me.
SO let me recap so far. It is now 1PM. We have had a nice tour of the church and the rest was pretty much nothing but shopping (which I would never have picked this tour if I knew that was what we were getting) After the chocolate stop I told Rubin that we were there for the history not to shop and reminded him that I was the one that paid him for the day. We still went to the Nut Farm
Next we went to have lunch. Nice place, food was good. Chicken with Veggies and a rice bowl. As we sat down Rubin told us he would meet us at 230. Frankly I did not pay much attention to the time until after he left. It was 110. An hour 20 seemed a bit long for lunch but.... Well we were done by 150. Now as a travel agent and sometimes tour guide, my experience has been that the tour guide does not eat (even when invited) with the group, but the tour guide goes off in a corner and gets his free lunch but does NOT leave the restaurant. In my book that is a big NO. We now had 40 minutes to sit and wait for Rubin as we had no idea where he was. And to make this more exciting he did not arrive back at 230 but 240. We then walked through the town square. He then asked if we wanted to have the car pick us up there or down the street at the Arch which Antigua is famous for. We chose the Arch. So apparently the tour was done. all of 15 minutes after he collected us from lunch. Really? we sat and waited and did NOTHING for about 50 minutes which could have been put to better use. What a waste. So according to the What to expect below, item 1, 2, 3, and 5 never happened. Now Rubin was nice, knew history and was pleasant. But apparently no one gave him this itinerary. So take this tour if you want a shopping experience. Otherwise look elsewhere
1) Jocotenango We'll walk through this beautiful town known for its talented craftsmen specialized in wood, jade and typical sweets. And the beautiful Colonial orange Church. Duration: 20 minutes
2) Pastores You'll get to know a little town with skilled people in saddlery and leather. And its famous giant Boot. Duration: 30 minutes
3)Stop At: San Antonio Aguas Calientes Central Park Fall in love with their famous traditional ancient Mayan waist weaving techniques, the downtown, the church, and the handicraft’s market. Duration: 30 minutes 4) Ciudad Vieja You won't want to miss Ciudad Vieja, is a picturesque town built around 1534 that holds centuries of Spaniard stories where the Agua volcano buried the city with a landslide. Duration: 20 minutes
4) San Juan del Obispo This town will boost your serotonin to a sweet level with the famous and delicious artisanal chocolate beverages. Duration: 30 minutes
5) San Cristóbal El Alto Enjoy nature in the Garden Town of San Cristóbal El Alto, get to know its botanical garden, landscapes of the valley that take your breath away, and a Lunch experience of a native dish considered gastronomic heritage. (Different options available)Duration: 2 hours
6) Antigua Guatemala And last but not the least walk around a XV century cobblestone City. Considered cultural heritage that will take you back in time. Duration: 1 hour
Ruben was amazing and tour guide (forgot his name)
Best experience!
Culture, beauty, knowledgeable!
Be sure to tip!!!