Panthera Conservation Tours

6 DAYS / 5 NIGHTS · MAXIMUM SIX GUESTS

Six days inside the wild Maya Forest

A private field expedition shaped by wildlife activity, weather, recent monitoring, and the rhythm of the forest.

THE EXPEDITION AT A GLANCE

A plan with purpose—and room for the unexpected

This is not a conventional tour built around a rigid checklist. Each day has a clear purpose, but routes and timing remain flexible so your guides can respond to wildlife movement, rain, trail conditions, and information from the field team.

6 daysFive nights at the remote Dos Lagunas base camp
≈ 6 hoursPrivate 4x4 transfer each way between Flores and camp
≈ 4 hoursTypical focused session inside a photographic hide
6 guestsMaximum group size for a quieter field experience
Private 4x4 expedition through Guatemala’s Maya Forest

GETTING THERE

The journey is part of the expedition

From Mundo Maya International Airport in Flores, the route travels by private 4x4 through Tikal and Uaxactún before continuing into increasingly remote forest toward Dos Lagunas.

  • Approximately six hours of travel in each direction
  • Private transport from and back to Mundo Maya International Airport
  • Movement inside the protected area on foot, by 4x4, or by ATV according to the site
  • Changing road, rain, and trail conditions are built into the daily planning

COMPLETE 6-DAY ITINERARY

What each day can reveal

The sequence below is the expedition framework. Your guides may change the order of field sessions when conditions create a better, safer, or more responsible opportunity.

DAY 1

ARRIVAL · PRIVATE 4X4 · FIELD ORIENTATION

From Flores into the remote forest

Early morning: Meet your host at Mundo Maya International Airport at approximately 6:00 a.m. After a final equipment check, begin the private 4x4 journey north through Tikal and Uaxactún.

Into the forest: The road gradually becomes more remote as the route continues toward Dos Lagunas. The complete transfer takes approximately six hours, depending on road and weather conditions.

At camp: Settle into your cabin, meet the field team, review camp and safety guidelines, and discuss recent conditions and monitoring information that may influence the first wildlife outing.

Field note: The priority is to arrive safely, become comfortable with the camp, and be ready for an early start the following morning.

DAY 2

WATERHOLES · PHOTOGRAPHIC HIDES · PATIENCE

Reading the forest from a wildlife hide

Morning: Travel on foot, by 4x4, or by ATV to a water source or monitoring area selected according to recent wildlife signs and field information.

Hide session: Spend approximately four hours inside a photographic hide. Quiet observation creates opportunities to watch natural behavior without calling, baiting, handling, or approaching animals.

Possible wildlife: Jaguars, tapirs, pumas, white-lipped peccaries, deer, monkeys, and forest birds use these landscapes, but every animal remains completely wild and free.

Field note: Sightings are never guaranteed. Waiting, listening, and noticing subtle movement are essential parts of the experience.

DAY 3

REMOTE TRAILS · CAMERA TRAPS · NIGHT EXPEDITION

Following signs through the deep forest

Daylight exploration: Follow remote trails and wildlife corridors while learning to recognize tracks, movement routes, feeding signs, water use, and other clues that help the team understand activity in the area.

Monitoring in practice: Visit selected camera-trap or monitoring stations when appropriate. Your guide explains how equipment placement, repeated observations, and local knowledge work together.

After dark: Weather and safety permitting, join a guided night expedition. The forest changes after sunset, and sound, movement, and limited light create a completely different way of observing it.

Field note: Monitoring sites always come first. Equipment and sensitive locations are approached carefully and never disturbed for a photograph.

DAY 4

BIRDWATCHING · FOREST ECOLOGY · PHOTOGRAPHY

A dawn devoted to Maya Forest birds

Early start: Begin when bird activity is strongest. The route may include forest edge, canopy openings, trails, and water areas depending on weather and recent observations.

Target species: Look and listen for Ocellated Turkey, Great Curassow, Orange-breasted Falcon, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Mayan Antthrush, Tropical Royal Flycatcher, Yucatan Flycatcher, Keel-billed Toucan, and many other forest species.

Beyond the list: Your guide connects bird behavior with fruiting trees, forest layers, water, seasonality, and habitat—turning each sighting or call into a broader ecological story.

Field note: The objective is ethical observation. Routes and time at each location adapt to bird activity and the comfort of the animals.

DAY 5

BEST FIELD OPTION · MAYA HERITAGE · CONSERVATION

Return to what the forest has revealed

A responsive final field day: Use the evidence gathered during the expedition to return to the most promising hide, trail, water source, or monitoring area. The choice is based on wildlife signs, weather, and access—not on a fixed script.

Optional archaeology: When access, timing, and park conditions allow, the day may include an archaeological visit that reveals how ancient Maya heritage and living forest share the same protected landscape.

Conservation briefing: Close the expedition with a clear explanation of current protection work, the roles of local partners and park authorities, and how 50% of Panthera’s profits are directed strictly toward conservation priorities.

Field note: A final evening or night activity may be selected when conditions make it appropriate and safe.

DAY 6

BREAKFAST · PACKING · RETURN TO FLORES

Leaving the forest, carrying its story

Morning: Have breakfast, pack your equipment, and say goodbye to the camp and field team.

Return transfer: Begin the approximately six-hour private 4x4 journey back through Uaxactún and Tikal to Mundo Maya International Airport in Flores.

Departure planning: The long road transfer is considered when coordinating the final day, and timing remains subject to road and weather conditions.

Field note: Keep water, rain protection, medication, and essential travel items accessible during the drive.

Wild jaguar documented in the Maya Forest
Wildlife monitoring
Ornate Hawk-Eagle in Guatemala’s Maya Forest
Birdwatching at forest pace
Dos Lagunas conservation base camp
Five nights inside the protected forest

THE RHYTHM OF A FIELD DAY

Early starts, quiet hours, flexible decisions

Early hours

Wildlife and birds often determine the departure time. Some mornings begin before the heat builds, with breakfast and equipment prepared around the selected activity.

Midday reset

Return to camp when appropriate for meals, rest, showers, battery charging, image review, and discussion of what the team observed.

Afternoon & night

A second field session may focus on another trail, hide, water source, sunset period, or night route. Weather and safety always guide the final decision.

EQUIPMENT & PREPARATION

Arrive ready for tropical field conditions

Comfort matters when days include humidity, rain, insects, uneven ground, long periods of quiet observation, and changing plans.

Clothing

Breathable long sleeves and pants, waterproof hiking boots, rain jacket, hat, and neutral colors.

Optics & photography

Binoculars, telephoto lens, extra batteries, memory cards, waterproof protection, and a headlamp.

Health & personal items

Personal medication, basic first aid, repellent, sunscreen, reusable bottle, and toiletries.

Fitness & mindset

Be comfortable walking approximately 3–6 km a day on uneven trails, waiting quietly, and adapting to warm, humid conditions.

PRIVATE OR SMALL-GROUP EXPEDITION

USD $2,450 per person

Six days / five nights · All-inclusive from Mundo Maya International Airport · Minimum two guests

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