WHAT TO DO IN GUATEMALA - OUR GUATEMALA TRAVEL GUIDE
GUATEMALA TRAVEL GUIDE
THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD TRAVEL TO GUATEMALA
When we were planning our trip to Guatemala one of the first things that came to our mind was…Is Guatemala a safe country? We just knew that the borders with Mexico could be dangerous, but anyway, the same rules apply as in any other country: be cautious wherever you go. The next questions we asked to ourselves was ‘What to do in Guatemala and why should we go there?’. Well Guatemala has so much to offer. If you’re seeking adventure or interested in a country’s culture, and you don’t mind long shuttle rides then you should definitely consider a trip to Guatemala.
ULTIMATE 3-WEEK ITINERARY
Our first destination in Guatemala was Antigua—well, not exactly. We flew in from Peru and landed at La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City. The ideal time to visit Guatemala is during the dry season, from November to April. We visited Guatemala in July and, unfortunately, had several rainy days.
Although Antigua is only 40 kilometers from the airport, it took us almost 2.5 hours by shared shuttle to get there. For $21.00 USD per person, we booked a shared shuttle directly at the airport, and it was actually just a regular taxi. Find out now what to do in Guatemala now in our Guatemala travel guide!
ANTIGUA
1. WHERE TO STAY IN ANTIGUA
Antigua has approximately 100,000 inhabitants, making it a very manageable city. We recommend staying near the “Parque Central de Antigua Guatemala.” From here, you have a great starting point to reach sightseeing highlights, such as the Arch of Saint Catherine, on foot.
We stayed at Barbara’s Boutique Hostel, which is rated 9.4 on Booking.com. A bed in a six-bed dorm costs around $30.00 USD per night, while private rooms start at about $150 USD per night. The hostel offers a delicious breakfast, seamless check-in, and towels can be rented for a small fee. Additionally, the hostel has a small rooftop terrace.
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2. WHAT TO DO IN ANTIGUA
Join a free walking tour
Something we always recommend doing on the first day is a ‘free’ walking tour. It gives you an immediate overview of the city, allows you to ask the guide for tips, and provides a chance to meet other travelers you can spend the rest of the day with. We booked our free walking tour in Antigua with Guru Walk and gained many interesting insights.
Visit McDonalds and Starbucks
A very unusual recommendation when it comes to what to do in Guatemala that we will probably only make once in our lives. The good news is, it’s not about the food or coffee, but rather the buildings where these places are located. In old colonial buildings, you’ll find the most beautiful McDonald’s and Starbucks in the world! It’s definitely worth a visit. Be sure to check out the courtyard!
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McDonalds Address:
Poniente 4A 21, Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala
Starbucks Address
Centro histórico, 5a Avenida Norte 15, Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala
Markets in Antigua
Markets offer a great way to see many locals and get a better insight into how they live. Within a small area with a seamless transition, you’ll find the handicraft market and the central market that are definitely worth a visit. You can also find affordable souvenirs here.
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Handicraft market:
Handicraft Market, Poniente, Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala
Central market
Antigva, Gvatemala, Poniente 4, Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala
Viewpoint Cerro de la Cruz
The best view of Antigua is right here! It’s just a short walk up, and there’s no entrance fee to enjoy this stunning view. By the way, if you find this little hike challenging, you might want to reconsider whether Acatenango is the right choice for you.
3. WHERE TO EAT IN ANTIGUA
Around the previously mentioned “Parque Central de Antigua Guatemala,” you’ll find excellent street food! At midday, food is sold from various barrels, bowls, and boxes, with locals lining up. In the evening, corn is sold here, and ice cream is offered from small carts that resemble local buses. You can also find fresh fruit, which can be made into juice.
Another great street food spot in Antigua is by the Iglesia de La Merced, where you can find local specialties. But not enough yet about ‘Where to Eat in Antigua’.
Although Guatemala is close to the Caribbean, its food is more similar to Mexican cuisine. Tacos, nachos, and other delicacies can be found everywhere. We also dined at a great Pappys BBQ. The best tacos in Antigua are at Tortys Taco. We received friendly service, and the prices are more than fair—three tacos for just $3.50 USD. We hope you enjoyed the first insights on what to do in Antigua! However, the most adventurous activity you can experience is hiking a volcano.
The best place to enjoy a cold beer with an amazing sunset view is the Antigua Brewing Company. We tried a sampler of their six beers and really enjoyed it. Make sure to check it out! Plus, if you book your Acatenango tour with CA Travelers, you’ll get a free drink there afterward.
ACATENANGO HIKE
We are currently working hard on our article about the volcano hike to provide more detailed insights. As mentioned, it was our highlight. Here are a few details in advance!
Tour Booked: CaTravelers
Challenging? Yes, definitely, as we had to carry our own food and supplies.
Start and End of the tour: Reachable on foot from the Barbara Boutique Hostel.
If you’re interested in another hike we did, we highly recommend checking out our Salkantay Trek Review – Best Hike to Machu Picchu, which was a 4-day, 3-night adventure!
LAKE ATITLAN
A Guatemala travel guide wouldn’t be complete without including Lake Atitlán. First, we need to clarify how to get to Lake Atitlán and where to stay at Lake Atitlán. We booked a shared shuttle online with Marvelus travel operations, which picked us up at our hostel and took us to Panajachel. The cost per person is around $17.00 USD and the ride takes roundabout 3 hours. We divided our stay at Lake Atitlán into two parts. We spent the first part in Panajachel before taking a boat to San Pedro la Laguna.
1. PANAJACHEL
Panajachel is somewhat like the capital of Lake Atitlán. With 15,000 inhabitants, it is the largest town around the lake. Due to the rainy season some restaurants and bars were closed. We stayed at the Selina Hostel, but despite the bad weather, we still had a highlight during our time in Panajachel: the visit to the Atitlán Nature Reserve.
Atitlán Nature Reserve
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Address:
Antigua Finca San Buenaventura, Panajachel 07010
Entrance Price
$10.00 USD
Opening hours
Monday – Sunday
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
SAN PEDRO LA LAGUNA
From Panajachel, several taxi boats operate daily to various towns around Lake Atitlán for $2.00 USD. We chose San Pedro, known for its reputation as a backpacker party town. Alternatives include San Marcos and San Juan. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay, and the choice of hostel was also excellent. Our accommodation, Amigos, was very well located, included breakfast, and offered both dorms and private rooms. Breakfast was served on the rooftop, providing a perfect view of the lake. What to do in San Pedro at Lake Atitlan?
Walk around and find Street Art
One thing that will surely stay in our memory is the street art in San Pedro la Laguna. Beautiful graffiti can be found everywhere.
Take a tuk-tuk along the mirador to San Juan la Laguna.
A tuk-tuk tour from San Pedro Laguna to San Juan la Laguna is a cool experience that offers stunning views of the lake. We started our tour near to the ferry terminal, and our first stop was the Church of St. Peter. After that, the tuk-tuk made its way up the hill. Along the way, we stopped at a honey shop and various photo spots. We explored San Juan on foot and were glad we chose to stay in San Pedro. For the return trip, we took a taxi boat.
Important: To avoid getting scammed, make sure to negotiate the tour price in advance and confirm whether the quoted price is per person or for the entire group.
If you’re unsure where to stay at Lake Atitlán, we recommend doing what we did: change cities! It’s affordable and easy, allowing you to experience different parts of the lake.
SEMUC CHAMPEY
Only small mini-vans travel to Semuc Champey. We started in the evening from San Pedro la Laguna at Lake Atitlán, and we had to pick up more passengers in Antigua, we arrived in Semuc Champey exhausted the next morning. The journey took about 12 hours, and day trips can last up to 16 hours due to traffic! We booked the transport again with Marvelus travel operations for $65.00 USD per person.
Alternatively, if you decide to skip Semuc Champey you can return from San Pedro la Laguna to Antigua and then fly to Flores.
BEST HOTEL SEMUC CHAMPEY
Greengos hotel was recommended to us by the owner of the hostel in San Pedro la Laguna. It was beautiful, had a pool, a cool evening program, and everything we needed, but you can only book a room there for a minimum of two nights. Due to the isolation, you’re reliant on buying food and drinks there, which obviously can be a bit more expensive. The drop-off for the minivans is in Lanquín, but not in the town itself—it’s in the middle of nowhere. Early in the morning, there are no tuk-tuks or other transportation options available. To get to Greengos, you should organize a shuttle with them in advance, and you’ll be picked up by a 4WD.
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SEMUC CHAMPEY
Just a 15-minute walk from Greengos is the crystal-clear water. The advantage of staying there becomes clear quickly: you arrive before the day tours from Lanquín do. Once there, you can swim and hike up to a viewpoint. Be sure to bring hiking shoes for the trek. We were wearing flip-flops and even spotted a snake along the way!
In conclusion, we want to say that Semuc Champey is a great experience, which is why we included it in our Guatemala travel guide. We aim to be honest and authentic, and looking back, the travel challenges weren’t worth it for us.
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Opening times Semuc Champey:
Monday – Sunday
8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Entrance fee Semuc Champey
$7.00 USD
FLORES
After the exhausting journey to Semuc Champey, you’ll need to continue your travels. For us, the next stop was Flores, which meant another 9-hour mini-van ride during the day. As mentioned earlier, you can avoid this long trip by flying from Antigua to Flores, and perhaps use the saved days to explore Belize instead.
WHERE TO STAY IN FLORES
After our visit to Flores, one thing was clear: staying at a hotel on the Island of Flores is definitely important. One evening, we walked across the bridge to Flores and quickly turned back. The Island of Flores is safe, with many colorful houses and a great selection of restaurants. We stayed at the nice Los Amigos Hostel. It had a top restaurant, pool tables, a jacuzzi, and was clean and well-located. We didn’t need anything more—and neither will you!
WHERE TO EAT IN FLORES
Yes, we can recommend some taco spots here, as well as a really cool rooftop bar. Near the drop-off point, you’ll find several taco places, and in the evenings, there’s also very affordable street food on the bridge! Our top taco recommendation isn’t listed on Google Maps, but the pictures alone should convince you to check it out.
Another highlight was a modern rooftop bar from the Hotel Isla de Flores. The food looked great, though it was a bit pricier.
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Taco Address:
The location is approximately here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/vohTw99nQFRkjzvcA
Rooftop Bar
W4J5+23C, Calle, Flores, Guatemala
WHAT TO DO IN FLORES
TIKAL
Just before we arrived in Flores, a representative from Getaway Travels joined us and gave us information about the different tours. We chose the 6 AM tour. You’re probably wondering when the best time to visit Tikal is. Especially during the rainy season, it’s best to visit Tikal in the morning, as afternoon rain is common.
WHY TO VISIT TIKAL
Tikal has many reasons to visit. It offers a unique experience of exploring ancient pyramids surrounded by nature. You not only learn about the Mayan culture, but also get the chance to see wildlife like monkeys, coatis, toucans, and maybe even snakes or spiders. Plus, you can still climb some of the pyramids, which is a rare and exciting opportunity you won’t find in many other places. Chichen Itza in Mexico doesn’t allow that!
WHERE TO BOOK THE TIKAL TOUR
As we already mentioned, we booked our tour with Getaway Travels. The meeting point is on the island, and once you arrive, you can choose between an English or Spanish tour. When we visited Tikal, it wasn’t crowded, partly because we took the 6 AM tour. The tour costs $20.00 USD and includes both transport and the guided tour. Once you arrive, you’ll need to pay an additional $20.00 USD for the entrance fee, which is cash-only on site. Alternatively, you can purchase your ticket online in advance.
WHAT TO TAKE WITH YOU
There are only a few things you need to bring with you. After we arrived, we were able to have breakfast at an onsite restaurant.
What to take with you to Tikal: Water, Snacks, Sunscreen, Mosquito Spray, Cash for the entrance, Passport.
While walking around we saw one stand, where you could purchase water and snacks.
TIKAL OR CHICHEN ITZA?
The main difference between Tikal and Chichen Itza is the overall experience each site offers. For us, Tikal is a much more exciting to visit. There’s simply more to see, as Tikal is spread across a larger area with multiple pyramids, temples, and structures. You can actually walk up the pyramids in Tikal, which adds a unique sense of adventure and offers nice views over the surrounding jungle.
In contrast to Chichen Itza, Tikal is nestled in nature, giving it a more authentic atmosphere. There are fewer tourists, making it much less crowded and offering better opportunities for photos without large groups in the background. Tikal’s wildlife, ruins, and fewer crowds makes it a better experience overall.
HOW TO END / CONTINUE
Three amazing weeks have come to an end, and we did so many things during our time there. The question of what to do in Guatemala has been answered! To return from Flores to Guatemala City, you can take a direct night bus or a direct flight. Alternatively, you can continue your trip to Belize, as we did. We went to Caye Caulker, and we can’t wait to share this adventure with you!
This Post Has 2 Comments
Great itinerary. Thanks for sharing. I can’t wait to go!
Thank you, Dustin! We’re really glad to hear that the information provided value for you, and congratulations on being our first commenter🥳