Journey through the heart of Central America with Lake Atitlan Extension

The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. The schedules of the domestic airlines in country are subject to frequent changes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. The driving times listed are point to point and do not include the duration of excursions or stops en route. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however, order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.

If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £295.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.

Panama

It is your responsibility to check your passport validity. To enter Panama your passport must: have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive and have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the day you plan to leave. Sources of information include; https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.

A visa is not required for your trip to Panama, however further advice should be sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities and for general queries. We strongly advise you check your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding passport validity

Costa Rica

It is your responsibility to check your passport validity. To enter Costa Rica your passport must: have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive and have an ‘expiry date’ at least 1 day after the day you plan to leave. Sources of information include; https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.

A visa is not required for your trip to Costa Rica, however further advice should be sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities and for general queries. We strongly advise you check your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding passport validity

Nicaragua

It is your responsibility to check your passport validity. To enter Nicaragua your passport must: have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive and have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the day you plan to leave. Sources of information include; https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.

A visa is not required for your trip to Nicaragua, however further advice should be sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities and for general queries. We strongly advise you check your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding passport validity

Arrival and departure tax

You must pay an arrival tax of 10 US dollars in cash. There is also a departure tax of 35 US dollars, which is normally included in the price of your air ticket.

El Salvador

It is your responsibility to check your passport validity. To enter El Salvador your passport must: have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive and have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the day you plan to leave. Sources of information include; https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.

A visa is not required for your trip to Nicaragua, however further advice should be sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities and for general queries. We strongly advise you check your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding passport validity

Honduras

It is your responsibility to check your passport validity. To enter Honduras your passport must: have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive and have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the day you plan to leave, as well as 2 blank pages. Sources of information include; https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.

You must have a visa to visit Honduras, further advice should be sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities and for general queries. We strongly advise you check your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding passport validity

Guatemala

It is your responsibility to check your passport validity. To enter Guatemala your passport must: have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive and have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the day you plan to leave, as well as 2 blank pages. Sources of information include; https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.

A visa is not required for your trip to Guatemala, however further advice should be sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities and for general queries. We strongly advise you check your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding passport validity

Travelling between El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua

Visitors can travel between El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua for up to 90 days, under the Central America Border Control Agreement (also known as CA-4). However, from 15 August British nationals are required to have a visa. Check with the Honduran Embassy https://hondurasembassyuk.com/visa/ in London for information on how this CA-4 agreement would be applied to you.

Please note that final flight details, including terminal, airline and baggage allowance, will be confirmed on your final documentation which will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you.

If you wish to arrange Airport car parking or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extras on 0871 360 2000, quoting HX313

We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras. To arrange your travel insurance with Holiday Extras, please call 0800 781 4237 and quote 'WK830' for preferential rates. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24-hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.

It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include www.fco.gov.uk, www.travelhealthpro.org.uk, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.

Important: Nicaragua requires the yellow fever vaccine for any passenger who stays one night or more in Panama. Passengers over 60 years old are exempt, but minors must have their yellow fever vaccination card. A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for travellers over 1 year old arriving from countries with a risk of yellow fever transmission. You must get the vaccine at least 10 days before traveling to an endemic area (tropical regions of Africa and Latin America), as protective immunity may not be achieved until this period has passed.

This tour is accessible to most people with a good level of fitness and normal mobility. It involves climbing steep stairs and getting on and off transport such as coaches and trains. This tour is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.

Panama

The currency in Panama is the balboa. However, Panama doesn’t print its own paper currency and instead uses the US Dollar as legal tender. Therefore, US dollars are used as its main form of currency. Credit cards are also accepted as a form of payment

Costa Rica

The currency in Costa Rican is the colon. Prices in Costa Rica are frequently listed in US dollars, especially in hotels and restaurants, where you can expect to pay international prices. US dollars are widely accepted, and some ATMs dispense dollars. Credit cards are also accepted as a form of payment

Nicaragua

The currency in Nicaragua is the Nicaraguan Cordoba, however US dollars are widely accepted in stores and restaurants. Credit cards are also accepted as a form of payment.

El Salvador

El Salvador used the US Dollar. Most shops and restaurants in the major cities, particularly shopping centres accept major credit cards, but you will be required to display an ID card when you pay.

Honduras

The currency in Honduras is the Honduran Lempira. If you plan to take cash with you, you’ll need Honduran Lempiras. US Dollars are commonly accepted in Honduras, however in some establishments you may need to exchange them before using them, or you may be given Honduran Lempiras as change. Most major credit cards are also accepted as a form of payment, however some establishments may charge an additional fee or impose a purchase limit.

Guatemala

The currency in Guatemala is the Guatemalan Quetzals. The US Dollar is widely accepted in Guatemala; however, it is still recommended to have Guatemalan Quetzals on hand at all times, particularly smaller bills if you are visiting smaller towns, local restaurants and government operated tourist sides. Credit cards are also accepted as a form of payment in larger cities, restaurants and major tourist attractions; however some smaller stores, supermarkets and restaurants may only accept cash.

As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels as well as American Express.

You will need to take money with you to cover any personal purchases such as souvenirs, laundry, any meals not included in the itinerary as well as drinks and any additional snacks. Approximately £800/£900 per person will be sufficient for the duration of the tour. It is a good idea to try and maintain a supply of small notes and change in the local currency for tipping or small purchases.

Tipping

It is at your customary to tip both your driver and guide. We would recommend to tip approximately US$5.00 (£3) per person per day for the tour guide and US$3.00 (£2) per person per day for the driver. As tipping is at your discretion, please tip as and when you feel appropriate. Tips are accepted in any currency.

It is important that you budget carefully and ensure you have the right form of currency before you arrive. There are foreign exchange offices and cash machines available in most places during your tour. Your tour guide can assist you in each country with currency exchange. Credit and debit cards are accepted in most hotels and some shops and restaurants; a charge is sometimes added for using them.

The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 10, and the maximum will be 35. If in the unlikely event there are less than 10 people booked on your tour date, we will endeavour to reduce any disruption to your holiday and try to operate your tour with lower passenger numbers. If we are not able to operate your departure date then you may be asked to change to a different date and a full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.

This is an escorted tour meaning that you will have an English Speaking Guide who will greet you in each of the cities that you visit, during coach transfers and excursions, ensuring that you always have first-hand knowledge.

For your extension, all transfers are included, you will be with accompanied by English speaking driver and a local guide will be with you during excursions.

Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist between the UK and Central America. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where needed. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs.

Breakfast is always western style and served in the hotel each morning. Dinner (when included) will be taken in local restaurants or at the hotel. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours.

It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way.

Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information.

On your arrival in Panama, you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Best Costa Rica, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/ Best Costa Rica representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your national guide will be on hand 24 hours a day should you have any queries.

If you need to contact your representative during your stay the details are:

Best of Costa Rica:

Contact number: 00506 2290 1302

E-mail: ventas@bestcostaricadmc.com

Please find below the emergency contact details for Best of Costa Rica Contact details:

24 hour telephone: 00506 8936 1212

24 hour email address: info@bestcostaricadmc.com