The Best Weekend Trips From Antigua

Antigua Guatemala is chock-full of interesting museums, unique galleries and top quality restaurants, and visitors to this charming colonial city certainly won’t be short of things to do. But Guatemala as a whole is utterly captivating, and if like many travelers you’re basing your visit around Antigua, that doesn’t mean you have to miss out. Taking a few days to visit another part of the country will add another dimension to your visit. Here are the best weekend trips to take from Antigua.

Izabal

On the eastern side of Guatemala is the Izabal region, a sultry area that’s usually thick with humidity. The rainy season can render sections of Izabal off-limits, but during the drier months (November – May), this wildly beautiful region opens up. Head to the Río Dulce and the Lago de Izabal areas, where you can explore rich wetlands, hot springs, Mayan villages, dense rainforest and the Caribbean coastline. About a five hour bus journey from Antigua, it’s an ideal destination for a long weekend break.

Monterrico

Lake Atitlan

Lake Atitlan is the type of place you could spend weeks at and never want to leave, but for most of us, a weekend trip might have to suffice. Situated in the Sierra Madre mountains and bordered by fern-covered valleys and towering volcanoes, it’s achingly beautiful, and there are countless things to do here too. With seven traditional Mayan towns around the lake perimeter, the mighty San Pedro volcano to climb, and bubbling hot springs to soak in, a weekend might not be enough…

Tikal

Tikal is Guatemala’s most popular tourist attraction, and it’s not hard to see why. As the capital city of the Mayan classic period, Tikal’s vast causeways and towering pyramids draw visitors from all over the world. These jungle-cloaked limestone buildings are still veiled in mystery, and at an almost eight hour drive from Antigua, it’s just about close enough for a long weekend break. However, if that’s too far for you, you can also fly here.

Flores

The lovely island town of Flores is only about 1.5 hours drive from Tikal, so it’s ideal to stop off on your way to or from Antigua. With copper-colored rooftops, cobbled streets and bright painted buildings, Flores is an incredibly charming town, and deserves much more than just being a jumping-off point for exploring Tikal. If you have time, spend a day or two enjoying Flores’ peaceful atmosphere and beautiful lake.

Acatenango Volcano

Acatenango is the third-highest volcano in Guatemala, and if you’re serious about trekking, scaling the summit should definitely be on your Guatemala to-do list. However, because this hike takes eight hours at the very least, many visitors prefer to take a couple of days exploring this region. The summit is the best lookout point to the active Fuego Volcano, and on a clear day you can enjoy views of Pacaya and Agua Volcanoes too.

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.