TUXTLA GUTIÉRREZ GUIDED TOUR FIELD GUIDE
Two Days in the Lacandon: Riverboats, Painted Murals and a Night with the Lacandon Maya
A guided 2-day journey from Palenque that combines a boat ride on the Usumacinta, visits to Yaxchilán and Bonampak, jungle trekking and an overnight at Top Ché Ecolodge.
Two Days in the Lacandon: Riverboats, Painted Murals and a Night with the Lacandon Maya.
This compact, two-day expedition plunges you into the Lacandon Jungle to visit the riverside ruin of Yaxchilán and the famed painted walls of Bonampak, to ride the Usumacinta River by boat, and to spend a night in the community at Top Ché Ecolodge where you live alongside a Lacandon family before a morning interpretive trek to waterfalls and the lost city of Lacanjá.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
Bonampak’s Painted Walls
Bonampak — whose name means “Painted Walls” — is a Late Classic Maya site celebrated for exceptionally well-preserved murals that date to around 790 A.D., offering vivid scenes of ritual life, conflict and courtly detail.
Usumacinta River and Yaxchilán by boat
Part of the itinerary is a river approach to Yaxchilán: a boat trip on the Usumacinta gives access to the ruins that sit immersed in jungle vegetation and frames the archaeology with the region’s wild waterways.
An overnight in Lacanjá with the Lacandon Maya
The program includes lodging at Top Ché Ecolodge in the Lacanjá Chansayab community, where visitors spend the night and can learn directly from Lacandon Maya hosts about local jungle knowledge, customs and traditional uses of medicinal plants.
What the day feels like
What this two-day jungle experience feels like
The trip moves quickly: an early pickup in Palenque, a drive to the river frontier and a roughly two-hour boat approach to Yaxchilán, followed by visits to Bonampak, an evening at the ecolodge in Lacanjá living with a Lacandon family, and a morning interpretive trek through primary jungle to waterfalls and the lost city of Lacanjá before returning to Palenque.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who this trip suits — and who should think twice.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
No specific packing list was provided in the supplied materials; the program involves river travel, jungle trekking and an ecolodge overnight, so expect to need lightweight rain protection, sturdy walking shoes, insect repellent and personal essentials.
The experience runs for two days with hotel pickup in Palenque and return to Palenque after the second day.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
How long is the trip?
The program is a two-day experience.
Where is the meeting point?
Pickups are arranged at hotels in Palenque city.
Which archaeological sites are visited?
The itinerary includes visits to Yaxchilán and Bonampak.
Is there overnight accommodation?
Yes — the trip includes lodging at Top Ché Ecolodge in the Lacanjá Chansayab community for one night.
What wildlife or natural highlights will I see?
The route passes through the Lacandon Jungle with visits to waterfalls and jungle trails; the area is noted for its lush vegetation and local Lacandon knowledge of medicinal plants.
How long are the guided treks and boat segments?
The boat approach to Yaxchilán is listed at about two hours, and the morning jungle trek is approximately three hours.