Planning Your Trip
All our Guatemala itineraries are entirely tailor made and, as such, there are many thousands of options available to clients.
What follows therefore are just some very broad ideas and options for itineraries to Guatemala lasting anything from 7 to 21 nights and incorporating the country’s key highlights as well as a number of destinations very much off-the-beaten track. Exactly how long you spend in Guatemala is entirely down to you, as is how you spend your time. Put simply, we advise, you decide.
In practical terms, all our Guatemala itineraries are all arranged on a private basis with the services of an experienced, English-speaking Driver / Guide.
In a world of AI & Chatbots, you can also rest assured that you will only ever communicate with real people, all of whom have travelled extensively within Guatemala.
7 Night Guatemala Itinerary
If you only have 7 nights in which to explore Guatemala, well, you are only going to touch on its many attractions although there are a variety of great, week-long itineraries we can suggest, starting with this one week itinerary.
Flying into Guatemala City, we strongly recommend that visitors skip the capital altogether and head straight to lovely Antigua where we would suggest 3 nights. This will give you time to explore Antigua and perhaps include a day-hike up a nearby volcano such as Mount Pacaya.
From Antigua, we then suggest an early start to visit the world-famous market at Chichicastenango before continuing to Guatemala’s second largest city, Quetzaltenango.
A couple of nights in Xela (as Quetzaltenango is abbreviated to) is plenty of time to explore both the city itself and the surrounding countryside.
From Xela, you then head back the way you came, via a quick detour to San Andres Xecul and its iconic church, to Lake Atitlan and the last 2 nights of your holiday.
With 2 nights in Lake Atitlan, you will have time to take a boat trip on the lake, perhaps visit another local market and to simply take in the breathtaking views.
It’s a good 3 hour plus drive back to the airport in Guatemala City so, if your flight times allow it, we would suggest including the magnificent ruined Mayan city of Iximche on the way back.
- The market at Chichicastenango only takes place every Thursday & Sunday so the itinerary above may need to be tweaked.
- It is also possible to spend the night in Chichicastenango.
- If you wish to cut down on packing and unpacking, you might consider skipping Xela.
- Trying to include Tikal in such a short stay is, in our opinion, a mistake.
What do 7 night Guatemala itineraries cost? The answer of course depends on the exact itinerary and inclusions, the time of year and where you stay but will start from £1500 pp based on 2 adults travelling together and sharing the same room. International flights are not included but can be booked for travellers based in the UK.
10 Night Guatemala Itinerary
Adding just 3 nights to your Guatemala itinerary might not sound like much but it does open up a number of options.
There is masses to see and do in and around Antigua and, with an extra day, instead of a simple day-hike up a volcano, you might consider an overnight expedition to Acatenango volcano.
From Antigua, we would suggest sticking with the same 2 nights in Lake Atitlan, visiting Chichicastenango and Iximche on the way there and back (or vice verse) and skipping Xela.
After 4 nights in Antigua and 2 nights at Lake Atitlan, you will then have time to transfer back to the airport for the late afternoon / evening flight to Flores in the north of the country, your base for the next 3 nights.
With 2 full days, you have time to visit the great Mayan cities or Tikal & Yaxha as well as having time to relax in beautiful Flores.
You will then fly back to Guatemala City and spend your final night in the capital before flying back home the following day.
- If you want to stick to the southern Highlands for your 10 nights, that’s no problem, there is still plenty to see and do.
- Perhaps have 4 nights in Antigua, 1 night in Chichicastenango, 2 nights in Xela and 3 nights at Lake Atitlan.
- If you’re interested in Mayan sites, you can visit Takalik Abaj from Xela.
- With the extra time at Lake Atitlan, perhaps consider a kayaking excursion on the lake.
- Assuming you go with our suggested 3 nights in the north of the country, there are also hotels at Tikal.
- Tikal is a must if you are in the area but there are alternatives to Yaxha.
- Your last night can either be in Guatemala City or back in Antigua.
What do 10 night Guatemala itineraries cost? The answer of course depends on the exact itinerary and inclusions, the time of year and where you stay but will start from £2000 pp based on 2 adults travelling together and sharing the same room. International flights are not included but can be booked for travellers based in the UK.
Two Week Guatemala Itinerary
Without stating the obvious, the longer you stay in Guatemala the more options and permutations there are for exploring this fascinating and diverse country.
As with the original 7-night itinerary, we would suggest a similar start to this 14 night itinerary with 3 nights in Antigua, 2 nights in Xela and 2 nights in Lake Atitlan, including the visits to Chichicastenango and Iximche. For night 8, we suggest heading back to Antigua.
From Antigua, we then suggest heading north by road to Puerto Barrios on the coast and, from there, a short speedboat ride to the fascinating Garifuna settlement at Livingston.
After 2 nights chilling out in Livingston, including a potential day at the beach, it is then a spectacular 2-hour boat ride along the Rio Dulce, one of the highlights of any holiday to Guatemala.
From the Rio Dulce, it is an approximate 2-hour drive to Flores, your base for the next 3 nights. As with the 10 night itinerary, Flores acts as a base from which to visit the Mayan sites of Tikal & Yaxha although there is also accommodation at Tikal itself.
You will then fly back to Guatemala City and spend the last night of your holiday either there or nearby Antigua.
- Enroute from Antigua to Puerto Barrios, we suggest breaking your journey with a visit to the small Mayan site of Quirigua.
- At the end of the boat journey along the Rio Dulce, set aside 30 minutes to visit the San Felipe de Lara fort.
- After visiting Tikal in the morning, we strongly recommend visiting Monkey Island on the way back to Flores.
- While in Flores, as a possible alternative to exploring Mayan sites, Ixpanpajul Natural Park is a popular nearby outing.
What do 14 night Guatemala itineraries cost? The answer of course depends on the exact itinerary and inclusions, the time of year and where you stay but will start from £2750 pp based on 2 adults travelling together and sharing the same room. International flights are not included but can be booked for travellers based in the UK.
Three Week Guatemala Itinerary
What will a 14 night Guatemala itinerary cost? The answer of course depends on the exact itinerary and inclusions, the time of year and where you stay but will start from £2750 pp based on 2 adults travelling together and sharing the same room. International flights are not included but can be booked for travellers based in the UK.
While there are plenty of options for exploring Guatemala for anything between 2 & 3 weeks, this full, 21 night itinerary allows visitors to take in the country’s most famous destinations – Antigua, Lake Atitlan, Tikal etc – as well as getting off the beaten track and exploring roads less travelled.
As this itinerary essentially starts and finishes in Guatemala City and performs a loop, it can be done either clockwise or anti-clockwise.
For the sake of simplicity, we will stick with the above 14 night itinerary as far as the penultimate night in Flores.
Then, instead of flying, you will begin the overland journey back to Guatemala City by means of a more westerly, much less travelled route than the one followed on the way down.
First up will be a couple of nights at beautiful Laguna Petexbatun, a destination in its own right as well as a jumping off point for visiting the nearby Mayan site at Aguateca.
It is then a long but picturesque drive to Candelaria, with yet more beautiful countryside and the opportunity to explore part of the vast, surrounding cave network.
After a night at Candelaria you will proceed to one of the most beautiful natural spots in all of Guatemala, Semuc Champey, and a couple of nights relaxing in the river and natural pools.
Departing Semuc Champey, you continue your climb south as you climb back into the Highland region of Guatemala and the small market town of Coban, originally settled by German farmers and famous for its coffee, orchids and cardamon.
Continuing still further south, you will spend your penultimate night at the Biotopo de Quetzal where, fingers crossed, you may be lucky enough to spot Guatemala’s national bird, the Quetzal.
You will then spend your final night back in either Antigua or Guatemala City before returning home the following morning.
- In addition to Aguateca, it is also possible to visit the Mayan site of Ceibal enroute to Laguna Petexbatun.
- In addition to the natural pools at Semuc Champey, it is worth visiting the nearby Lanquin Caves.
- After Coban, an alternative option is to head to the Ixil Triangle, home to a number of traditional Mayan villages.
What will a 21 night Guatemala itinerary cost? The answer of course depends on the exact itinerary and inclusions, the time of year and where you stay but will start from £4500 pp based on 2 adults travelling together and sharing the same room. International flights are not included but can be booked for travellers based in the UK.
