Cut Ruinas Copán?

Agree with the others..if you like temples,Copan is almost unmisseable.

You could cut Xela without missing too much.

Cut Xela unless you have to drive thru it going to Mexico. 6 weeks is more than enuff time to do EVERYTHING on your list. You could easily fit in Semuc Champay also in that 6 weeks.

lot of places to stay in Copan and most are NOT on the web.

Don't waste your time and money on a dawn tour of Tikal--usually foggy.

Agree with Hopefulist, go to Copan, don't miss it. As well, there are plenty of hotels available in Copan not listed on the web.

I have gotten to see the sun rise a few times at Tikal but love the golden-misty-jungle-coming-alive versions, too (for what it's worth).

Thanks everyone for all the great advice.

We have Copan on the must-see list and I have an inquiry email off to Comedor Mary about rooms. No answer yet and it has been 3 days, but I figure that is not unusual.

We arrive in GC January 8 and start from there.

I have done a few timeline sketches and there is no way we can do everything in 5 weeks. At least, not the way we travel. It seems to only get us about 2/3 through what we want to see, which means we really have to cut some areas out. I think the whole Guatemala section would only work if we limited ourselves to no more than 1 or occasionally 2 days in each place and I know we won't be happy with that. It also feels like it is too over-planned doing it that way, no possibilities of just hanging out somewhere for 2 or 3 days longer if we find we really like it. We are hoping to cross the border at La Mesilla/Ciudad Cuahtemoc. But, we can be a little flexible there as long as we cross into Chiapas. That being the case, we will need to be in that general area at the end of the Guatemalan portion of the trip.

It's going to take more research and thought. In the end we may just toss it all in the air, head to Copan and see where we end up after that.

Another vote for don't miss Copan. It is one of the big ones on the Mayan Temple scene.

Good idea to keep Copan on the list for several reasons. The ruins are all these beautiful shades of greenish, blue and white limestone and are very well preserved. They are not just the dark grey color of most Maya ruins. I am thinking that there might be less rain, maybe less acid rain or something so they don't erode as much. The whole thing can be seen in an afternoon with a nice short walk from town. I would recommend the museum but the tunnel trip is a waste of money. The town itself is so nice that we spent about 7 days there. Good rooms for cheap, great meals for around five dollars, bars, language school and generally just a neat colonial town with cobblestone streets. Then you can take a Tuk Tuk for a few dollars to the Macaw refuge and coffee plantation in the hills as well as many other easy day trips. Have Fun! Greg

Ditto what Greggo said above. Loved the town....and the Macaw mountain bird park....and the ziplining....and the hotsprings....well you get the picture. Such a lovely town. Nice people. Great coffee shops.

We stayed at Hotel Mary after checking out early from another place that we just couldn't take any longer, very nice and quiet, family run. One double bed room was about $30 per night. You could probably just arrive without a reservation, the tuk tuk driver from the bus station will know where to take you.

Copan ruins were not my favourite (don't even compare to Palenque, which is my top pick), but are nice and the museum is really quite beautiful. Nice to be able to walk there from town.

Greggo, the stone is actually quite eroded I thought. Did you view the staircase and then the photos of it (photo exhibit downtown) when it was uncovered almost 100 years ago? Good thing they took great photos of it back then.
I bought a little carved frog from a guy, he told me that it was the same stone used to do the carvings at Copan. Said it was quite soft at first and then hardens up over time. I keep poking at my frog to see if this will be true!

Ha, Yes but they are all weathered. Maybe the different colors give a better contrast? Yes, Palenque has always been my favorite as well.