The Giant Kites of Sumpango: Day of the Dead Maya Guatemala Cultural Tour

The Giant Kites of Sumpango
Day of the Dead Maya Guatemala Cultural Tour
October 29 - November 7 2023
10 days -- $2,075 (inclusive)

INSPIRATION, BEAUTY, CULTURE, CONNECTION & FUN

The kites are made entirely of colored tissue paper and glue, mounted on bamboo. The largest are the size of six story buildings.

Let
Your Spirit
Fly
with the
Giant Kites
of Sumpango

on this Extraordinary Tour!

"The Day of the Dead-tour with Louise was the highlight of our stay in Guatemala. The fact that the tour visits Sumpango for 3 days makes it posible to totally experience this tradition. Not just being a spectator, but being a part of it. Understanding the tradition, knowing the amount of logistics and work involved in constructing a giant kite, seeing the villagers walking up towards the festival. It was a splendid tour that we strongly recommend to you to experience too."
Judit & Chris, Holland

The tradition of flying Giant Kites to honor Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, is practiced in only two Kachiquel Maya pueblos in Guatemala. In Sumpango, The Festival of los Barriletes Gigantes on Nov. 1 is the culmination of months of work by over 600 residents who come together every night and every weekend for over four months to create remarkable kites which will be seen only on this day. Even up close it is hard to imagine that they are not paintings but rather are made entirely from colored tissue paper. Tradition in Sumpango says that the kites both keep away evil spirits and carry messages to the ancestors. Increasingly the kites also carry messages of peace meant for the world

With master Sumpango kitemaker Julio Asturias and experienced guide Louise Wisechild, The Day of the Dead Maya Cultural Tour takes you behind the scenes of both the Giant Kites and the other traditions surrounding the Day of the Dead in Sumpango. The creative accomplishment of these kites and the excitement of their flying are only one of the many highpoints of this tour.

From colonial Antigua to the Maya pueblos rich with art and tradition around Lake Atitlan, this tour explores the rich cultures of Maya Guatemala and facilitates cultural exchange. Workshops with local people are an exciting part of BFGT's programs. On this tour, participants make chocolates, constuct and fly a traditional Guatemalan kite, concoct herbal shamboo and cook up a Guatemalan dinner. Chocolate making, exquisite museums, beautiful murals, memorable meals, kites you have to see to believe, incredible views, laughter, learning, and new friends. This tour will live with you forever and renew your spirit!

"Actually, the time spent in Sumpango was nothing less than a steady stream of 'WOW's, including being able to witness the finishing touches by a team of boys piecing together the segments of a GIANT kite that filled the entire floor of a gymnasium, and the next day watching them hoist it up to the height of 6 stories. The artistry and skill and messages demonstrated in these kites can take your breath away. To me it ranked as one of the selected Wonders of the World. . . . more
~ D'vorah Kost, USA

"The Giant Kites of Sumpango and Day of the Dead Maya Cultural Tour was a highlight trip for me. The tour included three major activities: colonial Antigua, the Day of the Dead celebration and the Giant Kites of Sumpango and the villages of Lake Atitlan. Those are the listed highlights, the tour includes so much more of the life experience that it would be hard to say which I loved the most. Was it the food, the people, the music, the art, the laughter shared by the group? I can’t say. I highly recommend this tour. The guide Luisa lives in San Pedro and her connections with the area and people creates a special experience, she is articulate and thoughtful, and always open to adventure." Leeann Jorgensen, USA

Read last years tour itinerary here!

2022_day_of_the_dead_itinerary.pdf
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Small Group, Community-Based, Cultural Tourism

Antigua

Agua Volcan, Antigua

Preparing the cemetary, Sumpango

Tombs decorated for Dia de los Muertos, Sumpango

Our homestay hosts in Sumpango

Lake Atitlan

Embroidery Santiago Atitlán

The 2022 tour begins in colonial Antigua, a UN Heritage city framed by spectacular volcanic mountains, Spanish colonial churches, a lively zocolo and endless cobblestone streets of colorful houses, art galleries and tiendas. Our introduction to the Maya begins here with tours of some of Guatemala's finest museums. Followed by a hands on experience with one of the great gifts of the Maya -- a chocolate making workshop. Guarenteed to delight all chocolate afficiandos!

On Oct. 31, we head to Sumpango , for three amazing days of experiencing this Maya Kachikel Maya pueblo's tradition of Giant Kites to honor the Day of the Dead. The group stays two nights with a friendly family in Sumpango gaining a unique insight into life in the pueblo as well a chance to attend Day of the Dead festivities that other tourists don't see. This includes visiting the special Day of the Dead market, watching the kitemakers put the finishing touches on their giant kites, being welcomed as participants in the shamanic ceremony of blessing the kites, and arriving at the festival early, able to enjoy the whole day without hours of traffic. On the third day, each participant makes their own 8 sided Guatemalan kite to fly in the traditional way, in the cemetery, with Julio and his family.

From Sumpango we travel through Guatemala's magnificent green mountains to Lake Atitlan, one of the world's most stunning lakes. San Pedro is one of the 13 T'zutujil and Kachikel Maya pueblos, each one known for distinctive artesania and Maya culture.
Participants will stay in a comfortable hotel for the six days of our exploration of Lake Atitlan.
In San Pedro, we will explore the local market, visit the weaving tiendas, tour the"intervenciones" which cover entire walls of the pueblo, and sample some of Guatemala's best restaurants and live music. In San Juan we will make shampoo from local herbs and feast on our creations in a traditional guatemalan cooking class as well as visit the women weavers who are reviving the ancient tradition of natural dyes. In Santiago, we will meet the Maya diety Maximón and discover their colorful embroidery and ancient churches. And of course, there will be time for lying in a hammock or exploring some of the areas' many trails.