Guatemala

Guatemala, in a few days

From colonial Antigua to Lake Atitlán and its ring of volcanoes, then north to the temples of Tikal in the jungle: the map, what is worth booking, everything that costs nothing, and where to sleep at three budgets.

Day by day

1

Antigua

Days 1-3

The colonial capital until earthquakes in 1773 moved the government away, leaving cobbled streets and ruined churches between three volcanoes. UNESCO-listed since 1979.

🎟️ Worth booking

• Acatenango volcano climb (2 days)2 days · from €80
  A steep climb to a camp at around 3,600 metres, then a night watching neighbouring Fuego throw up lava, and the summit at dawn.
• Colonial centre and ruins, guidedHalf day · from €15
  The churches and convents the earthquakes brought down, and the story of the city that was rebuilt around them.

✦ Free to visit

• The Santa Catalina Arch
• The central plaza
• The ruined convents
• The craft market

📲 Book things to do in Antigua on GetYourGuide

2

Lake Atitlán

Days 4-5 · 🚐 Shuttle 2h30

A deep lake in a volcanic crater at over 1,500 metres, watched by the San Pedro, Tolimán and Atitlán volcanoes. Maya villages line the shore, most reached by boat.

🎟️ Worth booking

• Boat tour of the Maya villagesFull day · from €25
  A day hopping by launch between the lakeside villages, each with its own weaving, market and way of dressing.
• Sunrise kayak below the volcanoesHalf day · from €20
  Out on the water at first light, when the lake is flat and the volcanoes are clear, before the afternoon wind rises.

✦ Free to visit

• San Juan and San Pedro La Laguna
• The weaving and coffee markets
• Tolimán and Atitlán volcanoes
• The trails between the villages

📲 Book things to do in Lake Atitlán on GetYourGuide

3

Tikal (Petén)

Days 6-7 · ✈️ Flight 1h

One of the great cities of the Classic Maya, abandoned over a thousand years ago and taken back by the Petén forest. Its temple pyramids rise above the canopy; the tallest, Temple IV, is about 65 metres high.

🎟️ Worth booking

• Tikal, guidedFull day · from €25
  A full day in the ruins with a guide who can tell a temple from a palace and spot the wildlife in the trees.
• Sunrise over the templesMorning · from €30
  An early start to climb Temple IV and watch the forest wake up below you, often in mist, with howler monkeys for a soundtrack.

✦ Free to visit

• Temples in the jungle
• Howler monkeys and toucans
• The Great Plaza
• Sunset over the canopy

📲 Book things to do in Tikal (Petén) on GetYourGuide

Worth sorting before you go

Shuttles, and a flight north · Tourist shuttles run door to door between Antigua and Lake Atitlán. For Tikal, fly from Guatemala City to Flores rather than spend a day on the road.

📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly

🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta

🚗 Car hire
Compare the agencies before you land.
Compare · Booking

💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut

🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer

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Flavours & local habits

🍽️ Worth tasting

• Pepián: a thick, spiced stew of meat and vegetables in a sauce of roasted seeds and chillies, one of the national dishes.
• Tamales and chuchitos: maize dough filled with meat or sauce, steamed in banana or corn leaves.
• Black beans and corn tortillas: on the table at every meal.
• Rellenitos: mashed plantain stuffed with sweetened black beans, sometimes with a little chocolate, then fried.
• Highland coffee: grown on the volcanic slopes around Antigua and Atitlán, and among the best in Central America.

⚠️ Best avoided

• Use tourist shuttles rather than the old chicken buses between towns.
• Do not travel by road after dark, and avoid empty streets at night outside the tourist areas.
• Drink bottled water, and give yourself a day to adjust to the altitude in Antigua and at Atitlán.
• Climb volcanoes only with a registered agency and a guide.

Words that help

English ↔ Spanish

✈️ Flight delayed by 3 hours or more, or cancelled? You may be owed up to €600. Check your flight on AirHelp.

The practical page

Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/guatemala

Packing checklist

Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.