A One-Week Itinerary To Guatemala

So you want to visit Guatemala but you can’t spend longer than a week. What should you see and do on a short itinerary?

Don’t miss out on the capital

Assuming you’re starting in Guatemala City, take a day to explore the central districts of Zone 1 and Zone 4. The former is home to the presidential palace, historic bars including El Portalito, and great galleries such as the 9.99, while the latter is the beating heart of Guatemalan hipsterism. You can’t move for innovative restaurants such as Mercado 24, and boundary-pushing coffee shops including Paradigma and Rojo Cerezo.

Next up is the colonial city of Antigua, the former capital. Take two days here to look around the picturesque cobbled streets, enjoy a meal in the market, and have a night out at Café No Se, Cantina Royal or The Londoner. Everything in the town is within easy walking distance, so you can visit all three bars and more if the feeling takes you.

Visit Guatemala’s mystical lake

From here head to the amazing Lake Atitlan, a mystical body of water ringed by volcanoes. Visit the villages around the edge, including San Marcos and San Pedro, and hike up the Indian’s Nose in San Juan to get a great view over the lake.

Time your trip for market day in Chichicastenango, a traditional town in the highlands an hour or so from Panajachel on Lake Atitlan. Here you can stock up on handicrafts for amazing souvenirs, or take photos of the incredible traditional dress of the indigenous locals.

On your last day, explore the second city of Quetzaltenango. It’s home to some interesting architecture and a large student population, so the bars and clubs can get raucous. Now that your week is over, continue north to Mexico or head back to Guatemala City for your flight.

Alternative “routes” available

An alternative route for those traveling on to Belize and the Yucatan peninsula is to head east from Antigua to Rio Dulce, make a day trip to the Garifuna town at Livingston, and then head north to see the Mayan ruins at Tikal. Take a look around Flores before continuing your journey.

Those of you with some knowledge of Guatemala might be wondering why there is no mention of the incredible rock pools of Semuc Champey in this itinerary. Simply put, the journey takes too long for it to be viable on such a short trip. After all, you wouldn’t want to spend two days out of seven getting to the site and back, with one to explore.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.