Complete Guatemala

The whole of Guatemala on one thoughtfully designed journey. Colonial Antigua, the villages of Lake Atitlán, the great market of Chichicastenango, and the towering Maya cities of Copán, Quiriguá, Yaxhá and Tikal - ending on a wild Caribbean shore.

from £4650


'Complete Guatemala'

What makes this trip special?

Antigua

Antigua

The heart of Guatemala's identity

Guatemala's old colonial capital, and still its soul. Cobbled streets of low pastel houses run between baroque churches and the romantic ruins of others, all beneath the perfect cone of Agua and the smoking summit of Fuego. A UNESCO World Heritage jewel, shaken by earthquakes down the centuries and rebuilt time and again — today an unhurried town of courtyard cafés, craft shops, fine restaurants and some of the best coffee in the Americas.

Lake Atitlan

Lake Atitlan

The most beautiful lake in the world

Ringed by three volcanoes and cradled in the western highlands, Atitlán fills a vast collapsed caldera with astonishingly blue water. Aldous Huxley famously thought it "too much of a good thing"; most visitors simply fall for it. Days here are spent out on the water, wandering the lakeside villages, or doing very little at all before one of Central America's finest views.

Atitlan Lake Villages

Atitlan Lake Villages

Maya life around the shore

Scattered around the lake, each reached most easily by boat, are traditional villages with their own dress, dialect and crafts. In Santiago Atitlán the Tz'utujil Maya keep age-old customs alive, including devotion to the folk saint Maximón, while San Juan la Laguna is known for its weavers' co-operatives and natural dyes. A window onto highland Maya life.

Chichicastenango

Chichicastenango

Where the people of the highlands come together

Twice a week the highland town of "Chichi" fills with one of the largest and most colourful markets in the Americas. K'iche' Maya traders come down from the surrounding hills to sell textiles, masks, pottery and flowers, while copal incense drifts from the steps of the whitewashed church of Santo Tomás, where Maya and Catholic ritual meet. A feast for the senses.

Western Highlands

Western Highlands

Into the Ixil country

Few travellers reach the Ixil country, high in the Cuchumatanes - the highest non-volcanic range in Central America. Around the town of Nebaj, Ixil Maya communities keep their language, dress and traditions strong amid a landscape of steep green valleys, terraced fields and cloud-wrapped peaks. Warm welcomes, fine walking, and a real sense of the road less travelled.

Cobán

Cobán

Green heart of the coffee highlands

Set in the misty cloud-forest hills of Alta Verapaz, Cobán is coffee-and-cardamom country, lush and green the year round. Nearby, the Orquigonia reserve shelters hundreds of native orchids, and the surrounding forests are among the best places to glimpse the resplendent quetzal, Guatemala's dazzling national bird. A cool, verdant change of pace.

Semuc Champey & Lanquin caves

Semuc Champey & Lanquin caves

Where the river hides

Semuc Champey - "where the river hides" in Q'eqchi' Maya - is a natural limestone bridge carrying a staircase of turquoise pools above the churning Cahabón river. Swim in the warm, clear water, then climb to the viewpoint for the full picture. Nearby, the Lanquín caves run deep into the hillside, home to bats that pour out in clouds at dusk.

Lake Petexbatún

Lake Petexbatún

Jungle lake in the Petén

Reached only by boat and fringed with dense rainforest, Lake Petexbatún is a tranquil, wildlife-rich corner of the Petén lowlands. Herons, kingfishers and howler monkeys share the shores, and the water mirrors the forest at dawn and dusk. From your island lodge it is a short boat ride to remote, rarely-visited Maya ruins hidden in the trees.

Aguateca

Aguateca

The city frozen in time

Perched on a clifftop above the lake and split by a dramatic natural chasm, Aguateca was a fortified Maya stronghold - abandoned so suddenly, under attack around AD 810, that everyday objects were left where they fell. That abrupt end preserved a rare snapshot of Maya life, and the jungle-clad ruins remain wonderfully atmospheric and little-visited.

Tikal

Tikal

The great city in the rainforest

The most magnificent of all Maya cities, and rightly the climax of any journey to Guatemala. Once a superpower of the Maya lowlands, Tikal's steep temple-pyramids rise more than sixty metres above the forest floor, their roof-combs breaking clear of the canopy. Toucans and spider monkeys move through the trees, and the dawn roar of howler monkeys is unforgettable.

Yaxhá

Yaxhá

Maya temples above the lagoons

Less visited than Tikal but unforgettable, Yaxhá stands on a ridge between two shining lagoons deep in the Petén forest. Climb its great pyramid, Temple 216, in the late afternoon and watch the sun sink over the water and the endless canopy, howler monkeys roaring in the distance — one of the most magical sunsets in the Maya world.

Rio Dulce

Rio Dulce

Through the jungle gorge to the sea

The Río Dulce carries you by boat from the wide waters of Lake Izabal towards the Caribbean, through a spectacular gorge where sheer limestone walls draped in jungle rise straight from the river. Herons and cormorants line the banks, warm springs bubble at the water's edge, and the old Spanish fort of San Felipe guards the lake behind. One of the loveliest journeys in the country.

Livingston

Livingston

Caribbean Guatemala, reached only by boat

Cut off from the road network and reachable only across the water, the little town of Livingston is Guatemala with a Caribbean accent. This is the heartland of the Garífuna — descendants of African and Indigenous islanders — with their own language, their own punta rhythms, and a coconut-and-seafood cuisine crowned by the famous tapado stew. Somewhere else entirely.

Quiriguá

Quiriguá

The tallest carved stones the Maya ever raised

A small site with an outsized legacy. Set among the banana plantations of the Motagua valley, Quiriguá holds the tallest stelae in the entire Maya world — slender sandstone monuments over eight metres high, densely carved with rulers and glyphs, alongside boulder-like "zoomorphs" of great imagination. In the 8th century it broke free of mighty Copán, and carved its triumph in stone.

Itinerary map for Guatemala 'Complete Guatemala' holiday

Itinerary

  • Day      Overnight
  • 1 Antigua
  • 2 Antigua
  • 3 Antigua
  • 4 Lake Atitlan
  • 5 Lake Atitlan
  • 6 Nebaj
  • 7 Nebaj
  • 8 Coban
  • 9 Semuc Champey
  • 10 Lake Petexbatun
  • 11 Tikal
  • 12 Tikal
  • 13 Yaxha
  • 14 Rio Dulce
  • 15 Rio Dulce
  • 16 Guatemala City
  • 17 _FlightPathOUT_GT
  • For the detail of each day click the ‘Day-by-day’ tab above.

Day-by-day itinerary for 'Complete Guatemala'

DAY 1

Arrive in Guatemala, to Antigua Guatemala

You are met on arrival at Guatemala City airport and transferred to Antigua, the beautiful historical and cultural capital of Guatemala. Here you stay for the next 3 nights at a characterfully restored hotel in the heart of the city.

DAY 2
B

a.m Antigua walking tour p.m free

This morning you will be taken on a walking tour of Antigua, one of the most impressive colonial cities in all of the Americas - a UNESCO world heritage site due to its well preserved Spanish Baroque architecture. After your tour you have the rest of the day free to wander and enjoy Antigua at your leisure or do one of the many optional excursions available locally.

DAY 3
B

a.m Antigua community coffee tour

Today you are taken to the outskirts of Antigua and the community of San Miguel Escobar located at the base of the Agua volcano, for a coffee tour run by an organisation that works with local coffee farming communities to create economic opportunity that improves the quality of life for their families and communities. Enjoy a walk through a plantation and learn about the processes involved in turning bean to cup, ending with a coffee in the farmers home. After your tour you have the rest of the day free to wander and enjoy Antigua at your leisure

DAY 4
B

Lake Atitlan via Chichicastenango market

Today travel towards Lake Atitlan, nestled within Guatemala's dramatic western highlands, the heartland of the country's Maya population. Stop on route to visit Chichicastenango or "Chichi" as it is known to locals to visit one the largest indigenous markets in Guatemala. This small town comes alive on its Thursday and Sunday market days, its streets a riot of colour and hustle and bustle, filled with stalls selling everything from Guatemalan handicrafts and textiles to fish, flowers and domestic animals. Then continue on to Lake Atitlan, one of the most picturesque destinations in all Guatemala, surrounded by three impressive volcanoes on its southern shores and small Mayan villages backed by steep verdant hillsides. On arrival in Panajachel, the main settlement at Atitlan, you will be transferred to a lakeside hotel where you stay for 2 nights.

DAY 5
BL

Atitlan lake villages

Enjoy a boat excursion around the lake, visiting two of Atitlan's most interesting lakeside communities. San Juan La Laguna, an authentic, artistic local village where the population is almost exclusively Tz’utujil Maya, and Santiago Atitlan, the biggest and most important lakeside village in Atitlan, a commercial and traditional town where the majority of residents are also Tz’utujil Maya.

DAY 6
B

Western highlands and Nebaj

Today travel up into the Guatemalan highlands or 'altiplano' in the Cuchumatanes mountains and the 'Ixil region' which comprises the three municipalities of San Juan Cotzal, Santa Maria Nebaj and San Gaspar Chajul, as well as smaller villages. This area is very much off the main tourist grid and is home to a number of different Mayan groups with unique beliefs, dress and customs who maintain strong cultural traditions. Stay for the next 2 nights at a working dairy farm set at 1,900masl located on the outskirts of Nebaj.

DAY 7
BL

Exploring/walking in the Nebaj area

Full day with your guide/driver to explore the farm, enjoy countryside walks and/or visit villages/towns in and around Nebaj and perhaps stop in at local markets

DAY 8
BL

Coban via Orquigonia orchid farm

Today you jounrye eastwards to Guatemala's central highlands with lush green valleys, mountainous pine forests and cloudforests and the small highland town of Coban, the capital of Alta Verapaz state. Coban is a small, commercial town with a provincial/alpine feel and damp mountain climate which provides ideal conditions for coffee, cardamom and orchids to flourish. On arrival in Coban you will be taken to visit a family-run orchid farm which started life as a natural reserve dedicated to the conservation of orchids and nowdays also operates as a research and education centre into the study of orchids After the tour you will be taken to a family-run hotel in the centre of town where you stay for the next 2 nights.

DAY 9
BL

Semuc Champey

Today visit Semuc Champey, or the ‘place where water hides’ in Qe’chi Maya, which was a declared a 'Natural Monument' by the Guatemala government in 1999. Here a stunning limestone ‘bridge’ is set within a verdant forest reserve where the powerful Cahabon river splits in two – most of it plunges under the bridge, the rest feeds the paradisiacal blue-green hued stepped pools that sit atop the bridge. You will have time to enjoy the pools and surroundings, before returning to Coban.

DAY 10
BD

Peten state and Chiminos Island

Travel north to the lowland jungles of Peten and Sayache from where you will be taken by boat along rivers and through swamps to Lake Petexbatun, staying for the night at a simple thatch roof bungalow lodge overlooking the lake. The Petexbatun Wildlife Refuge here protects a diverse range of wildlife including howler monkeys, anteater, deer crocodiles and over 200 species of birds including falcons, manakins and warblers. Rest of the day free at the lodge to enjoy the secluded forest setting.

DAY 11
BL

Aguateca site, to Santa Elena/Flores

Morning visit to Aguateca, a significant Maya archaeological site known for its well-preserved ruins and strategic hilltop location. After a picnic lunch here, travel by boat then road to the Santa Elena/Flores area, home of Tikal, a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the largest, most impressive complex of ruins in the Maya world. Here you stay for 3 nights at a lodge set in extensive grounds overlooking Lake Petenchel.

DAY 12
BL

Tikal archeological site

Today enjoy a tour of Tikal. It is extremely impressive and atmospheric site - majestic palaces, tombs and stelae are dotted through the jungle, huge soaring limestone temples, over 60m high burst up through the forest, the temple-tops offering spectacular views out over the canopy, which is teeming with wildlife. After a lunch at a restaurant within the National Park, return to your hotel where you have the late afternoon free.

DAY 13
B

a.m free p.m Yaxha archeological site

Morning free to relax at your hotel and enjoy its grounds and facilities or for optional tours or exploring locally In the late afternoon visit the Yaxha archeological site, the third largest in Guatemala with more than 500 structures, 40 stelae, around 7 times smaller than Tikal. Remail until sunset, which you can enjoy from the top of one of the temples for stunning views out over the forest and lake.

DAY 14
B

Rio Dulce

Today travel to Rio Dulce area, where the freshwater Rio Dulce river begins its journey at Lake Izabal and flows eastwards to meet the Caribbean sea. There is a ‘lake’ feel with mini-harbours dotted around the waterside, and it is a popular retreat for wealthy Guatemalan City dwellers who have their second homes here. Here you stay for 2 nights at a waterside lodge.

DAY 15
BL

Rio Dulce/Livingston

Today you will be taken on a boat tour through the Rio Dulce canyon to reach the laid-back Garifuna town of Livingston on the Caribbean coast. The journey weaves through gorges with soaring limestone rock faces dripping in dense green foilage, passing by Bird Island, the Castillo de San Felipe Fort and stopping to visit Ak'Tenamit, an indigenous community development organization. After visiting Livingston, with its unusual fusion of Guatemalan and Caribbean culture, laid-back atmosphere and sliver of Caribbean coastline and havng lunch here, return by boat to the Rio Dulce area.

DAY 16
B

Quirigua archeological site, to Guatemala City

Today visit the Quirigua archeological complex, a UNESCO world heritage site once an important trading post between Copan and Tikal but mainly a ceremonial centre. It is best known for its various stellae (the tallest in the Mayan world). After the tour you are transferred to Guatemala City and a hotel in the city's shopping/entertainment district where you stay for the night.

DAY 17
B

Depart Guatemala

Today you will have a private transfer to Guatemala City airport in time to catch your onwards international flight Depending on the time of your flight today, you might choose to visit some of the city's excellent museums dedicated to indigenous textiles and clothing and preservance of Maya heritage

Guide prices for 'Complete Guatemala'

options based on all year low season mid season high season peak season other season
Guide price 2 people sharing £4,650
Prices are per person and include:
  • all travel in Guatemala
  • all accommodation
  • meals as indicated (B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner)
Prices do not include:
  • international flights
  • travel insurance
  • airport and departure taxes if these are not included in the flight ticket
  • items of a personal nature such as drinks, tips, laundry, etc
  • any optional excursions you may buy locally

Customer reviews for 'Complete Guatemala'

Recent reviews are shown here from holidays based on this initial design. In each case the itinerary may have been modified (a little or a lot) to suit the individual traveller.

Average

Seasonal information for 'Complete Guatemala'

Along this route in January

Day Location Max °C Monthly rainfall
1 Antigua 21°C rainfall 4mm
2 Antigua 21°C rainfall 4mm
3 Antigua 21°C rainfall 4mm
4 Lake Atitlan 25°C rainfall 4mm
5 Lake Atitlan 25°C rainfall 4mm
8 Coban 21°C rainfall 117mm
9 Semuc Champey 20°C rainfall 142mm
11 Tikal 26°C rainfall 66mm
12 Tikal 26°C rainfall 66mm
13 Yaxha 26°C rainfall 74mm
14 Rio Dulce 27°C rainfall 188mm
15 Rio Dulce 27°C rainfall 188mm
16 Guatemala City 23°C rainfall 2mm
17 _FlightPathOUT_GT 27°C rainfall 123mm

Typical weather for January

rainchart

Max °C figures are the average daily maximum temperatures for the month. Rainfall is the average precipitation for the month.

Hotels for 'Complete Guatemala'

Days 1 - 3

Meson de Maria

Meson de Maria
Days 4 - 5

Hotel Atitlan

Panajachel area

Hotel Atitlan
Days 6 - 7

Hacienda San Antonio

Hacienda San Antonio
Days 8 - 9

Casa Gaia

Casa Gaia
Day 10

Chiminos Island Lodge

Chiminos Island Lodge
Days 11 - 13

Villa Maya

Lake Petenchel

Villa Maya
Days 14 - 15

Hacienda Tijax

Rio Dulce

Hacienda Tijax
Day 16

La Inmaculada

Zona 10

La Inmaculada