Things to Do in Guatemala

Ancient Maya ruins rising from jungle canopy. Volcanoes you can hike to the summit and roast marshmallows over lava. A lake surrounded by indigenous villages where each town has its own traditional dress. Caribbean coast with Garifuna drumming and coconut seafood stew. Highland markets where thousands of Maya vendors sell textiles.

I grew up here and I am still finding new places. Every department has something worth the trip, and the distances are short enough that you can be swimming in a jungle river in the morning and eating ceviche on the Caribbean by evening. Here is what to do, organized by the kind of experience you are looking for.

Adventure and Outdoors

Guatemala has 37 volcanoes, three of them currently active, and a landscape that ranges from sea level mangrove coast to 4,220-meter alpine peaks. The adventure options are genuinely world-class, and the prices are a fraction of what you would pay for comparable experiences in Costa Rica or Patagonia. For a full picture of daily expenses beyond activities, see our cost of living breakdown.

Volcano Hikes

Acatenango (3,976m) is the trek that puts Guatemala on every adventure traveler’s list. It is an overnight hike — you camp near the summit and watch Volcan de Fuego erupt across the valley, sometimes every 15-20 minutes, with lava glowing against the night sky. The hike itself is demanding: about 6 hours up, steep switchbacks through farmland, cloud forest, and finally exposed volcanic terrain. Base camp sits around 3,600m where the temperature drops to near freezing at night. Guided treks from Antigua cost Q350-600 depending on the operator, and you can also book directly with guides at La Soledad (the trailhead village, in the municipio of Acatenango, Chimaltenango) for around Q200-250, which includes tent rental and basic meals. Bring layers, a headlamp, and do not underestimate the altitude. For a full breakdown, see our volcano hiking guide.

Pacaya is the easier option and works as a half-day trip from Guatemala City or Antigua. The hike takes about 90 minutes each way. On a good day, you can see red lava flows up close and roast marshmallows over volcanic vents (the guides sell marshmallows for Q10 at the top). Entry fee is Q50 for nationals, Q100 for foreigners, plus Q50 for a mandatory guide. INGUAT (Guatemala’s tourism board) has improved the trail significantly in recent years.

Tajumulco (4,220m) is the highest point in Central America. It is a two-day trek from the town of San Marcos near Quetzaltenango. The summit offers views across the entire volcanic chain on clear mornings. Less crowded than Acatenango and more of a real mountaineering experience. You will need warm gear — it can drop below 0C at the summit camp.

Water Adventures

Semuc Champey in Alta Verapaz is a natural limestone bridge with a series of stepped turquoise pools on top, while the Cahabon River rages through caves underneath. The drive from Guatemala City is about 8 hours (take the Coban route), or 4 hours from Coban. Entry is Q50 for foreigners and Q30 for Guatemalan adults (CONAP tariff, retrieved 13 August 2026). Do not skip the mirador — it is a brutal 30-minute climb up wooden stairs, but the view from above looking down at the pools is one of the most photographed spots in the country. The caves at the site (K’anba) are a separate tour (we found no published price, checked 25 September 2026) and involve swimming through underground river passages with a candle — not for the claustrophobic, but unforgettable.

Around Cobán, four more sites each have their own guide: the Grutas del Rey Marcos cave (Q80 guided with gear, operator card June 2026), the Orquigonia orchid reserve at km 206, the Hun Nal Ye pools (Q100, Wednesday to Sunday, book ahead), and further north the Candelaria Caves, a 22 km system with five entrances in Chisec and Raxruhá.

Rio Dulce connects Lake Izabal to the Caribbean at Livingston. The boat ride down the river canyon is one of Guatemala’s most scenic journeys: towering limestone cliffs draped in tropical vegetation, hot spring waterfalls spilling directly into the river (Finca El Paraiso, Q20 entry), and the eventual opening into the wide expanse of the Amatique Bay. The colectivo lancha from Río Dulce town to Livingston is Q125 per person and takes 1.5-2 hours, with only two scheduled departures a day — fares, times and the last-boat trap. Time it for the morning when the canyon is misty.

Lake Atitlan offers kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and cliff jumping at spots like the rocks near Santa Cruz. Operators in Santa Cruz La Laguna and San Pedro La Laguna publish kayak rentals at $10-$12 for the first hour (checked 1 October 2026) — operator by operator, with the guided trips, in our Lake Atitlán kayaking guide. Paddle early: the lake’s afternoon wind, the Xocomil, generally comes after midday (see the Lake Atitlán wind forecast). Below the surface, a PADI dive centre in Santa Cruz runs freshwater altitude dives from $55 — see scuba diving Lake Atitlán. For a complete guide to the lakeside towns, read our Lake Atitlan towns guide.

Hiking Beyond Volcanoes

The Lake Atitlan rim trails connect villages along the caldera’s edge with views straight down to the water 600 meters below. The trail from Santa Cruz to San Marcos is a local favorite — roughly 4 hours through coffee farms and small Maya villages. Our Lake Atitlan hikes guide covers six trails with distances, times, and free miradors along the way.

For something completely different, the El Mirador trek in Peten is a 5-day jungle expedition to an ancient Maya city. La Danta pyramid at El Mirador has more volume than the Great Pyramid of Giza. Treks depart from the village of Carmelita and cost around Q3,000-5,000 through local cooperatives, including guides, mules, meals, and camping. This is not a casual hike — you will walk 6-8 hours per day through dense jungle, but it is the most remote and rewarding archaeological experience in the Americas.

Cultural Experiences

Antigua Guatemala

Antigua deserves at least three full days. Beyond the obvious photo stops (the Santa Catalina arch, the cathedral ruins), dig deeper: visit Iglesia de San Francisco to see the tomb of Hermano Pedro. Walk up Cerro de la Cruz for the classic postcard view of the city with Volcan de Agua behind it — go early morning for the best light and fewer people. The Museo de Arte Colonial inside the old University of San Carlos (Q40 entry) has a courtyard that alone is worth the visit.

Skip the overpriced tour agencies on 5a Avenida. For city walking tours, the free tours that depart from Parque Central at 10am and 3pm daily are better than most paid options; a tip at the end is voluntary (see tipping in Guatemala). For Spanish schools, Antigua has over 70 to choose from, with one-on-one instruction starting around Q800-1,200 per week (20 hours). See our Spanish schools comparison for detailed pricing.

Coffee Plantation Tours

Guatemala produces some of the world’s best coffee, and the farms are open for visits. The Antigua valley, Huehuetenango highlands, and the slopes around Lake Atitlan each produce distinct flavor profiles because of differences in altitude, soil, and microclimate. Finca Filadelfia outside Antigua publishes no price (travellers reported US$20 at the farm in 2025, and tours were still running in August 2026), but for a more authentic experience, look for community-run tours in San Juan La Laguna on Lake Atitlan or the cooperatives around Huehuetenango. Our coffee tours guide compares farms across three regions.

Chocolate Workshops

Cacao was currency for the ancient Maya, and Guatemala still grows fine cacao in Alta Verapaz and the Pacific lowlands. In Antigua, ChocoMuseo offers a 2-hour bean-to-bar workshop for $30 per adult / $21 per child under 12 (checked 24 September 2026) where you do every handicraft step of transforming the cacao — see our chocolate workshop guide. In San Juan La Laguna on Lake Atitlan, small cooperatives run similar workshops with women’s groups; we have not found a published price for them.

Weaving Cooperatives

Guatemala’s textile tradition is a living art. Each of the 22 Maya linguistic communities has distinct patterns and color palettes on their huipiles (blouses), and a trained eye can identify which town someone is from by their clothing. In San Juan La Laguna on Lake Atitlan, women’s associations show visitors cotton spinning, natural dyeing and backstrap-loom weaving: one cooperative offers a free 20-minute tour and workshops from Q65 (1 hour) to Q275 (4 hours, you keep a small scarf), per prices read 25 September 2026. See our San Juan La Laguna weaving guide for the formats, the associations and their phone numbers. In the highlands, Zunil near Quetzaltenango and San Antonio Aguas Calientes near Antigua are also known for weaving.

Market Days

Chichicastenango hosts its market every Thursday and Sunday. Thousands of vendors fill the town’s streets and plazas selling textiles, carved masks, pottery, produce, flowers, and religious items. The market starts early — get there by 7am to see vendors setting up and to shop before the tour buses arrive from Antigua around 10am. Inside the Iglesia de Santo Tomas on the main plaza, you can witness a syncretic ceremony where Maya rituals coexist with Catholic mass on the same church steps, with copal incense filling the air.

Other market days worth visiting: Solola (Tuesday and Friday, less touristy than Chichi and more authentic), San Francisco El Alto (Friday, the largest textile wholesale market in Central America — locals come from across the country to buy), and Zunil (Monday). Every town in Guatemala has at least one market day; ask locally.

Nature and Wildlife

Guatemala sits at the intersection of Nearctic and Neotropical ecological zones. We have over 750 bird species, including the Resplendent Quetzal — our national bird and the namesake of our currency.

Biotopo del Quetzal (also called Biotopo Mario Dary Rivera) on the road between Guatemala City and Coban is the most accessible spot to see quetzals in the wild, especially from February to May, when CONAP says the quetzal nests and the chance of seeing one is high. Entry is Q60 for foreigners and Q20 for Guatemalans (CECON, read 3 October 2026). Go at dawn, walk quietly on the Sendero Los Helechos trail, and listen for their distinctive two-note whistle. Our birdwatching guide covers seven top sites for spotting quetzals and other species.

Monterrico on the Pacific coast is the center of Guatemala’s sea turtle conservation efforts. Olive ridley nesting runs roughly July through October, with hatchling releases from about September into November. No current release price is published and CONAP’s written rules have visitors observe rather than handle hatchlings — the full rules, season and hatchery system are in our turtle release guide. Outside turtle season, Monterrico is a quiet beach town with mangrove boat tours and excellent seafood.

Whales pass the Pacific coast in the northern winter: humpback trips leave from Puerto Quetzal, Monterrico and Sipacate, and boats must keep 100 m from the animals under CONAP’s rules — season, departures and prices in our whale watching guide.

Peten’s forests hold the five wild cats UNESCO lists at Tikal (jaguar, puma, ocelot, margay and jaguarundi), howler and spider monkeys, Baird’s tapir and the ocellated turkey; WCS says most of Guatemala’s scarlet macaw nests are in Cantemó trees, particularly in eastern Laguna del Tigre and surrounding areas. Which animal lives where, species by place with the source for each, is in our wildlife watching guide.

Food and Markets

Guatemalan food goes far beyond beans and tortillas.

Guatemala City has the most diverse food scene. Cayala (Zona 16) is the upscale dining hub with restaurants ranging from Guatemalan fusion to Japanese to Italian, most with mains in the Q120-250 range. Zona 4 has transformed into the city’s creative district with craft breweries, taco joints, and street food markets — Mercado de la Democracia and the food stalls near 4 Grados Norte are where young capitalinos eat. For traditional food, Mercado Central behind the Catedral Metropolitana has comedores (lunch counters) serving pepian, jocon, and caldo de res for Q25-40 a plate.

Antigua punches above its weight culinarily. The Mercado Municipal (4a Calle, open daily) is where locals eat — look for the comedores upstairs for a full almuerzo (soup, main, drink, tortillas) for Q20-30. On the fancier end, restaurants like Hector’s and Cafe Sky offer volcano views with their meals.

Street food highlights: chuchitos (tamales with tomato sauce, Q5), tostadas (Q3-5 each), rellenitos (plantain stuffed with sweetened black beans, Q3), atol de elote (sweet corn drink, Q5-10), and elotes locos (corn on the cob with mayo, ketchup, mustard, and chili, Q10).

For a deeper dive into the food scene, see our Guatemala food guide.

Day Trips and Iconic Destinations

Tikal Sunrise Tour

Getting up at 3:30am to enter Tikal before dawn is one of those experiences that sounds miserable until you are standing on top of Temple IV watching the sun rise over the jungle canopy while howler monkeys roar in the distance and toucans fly between the temples. The sunrise tour costs an extra Q100 on top of the Q150 park entry (foreigners) and requires a certified guide. For the full archaeological site guide, see our Maya ruins guide.

Lake Atitlan Circuit

A proper Lake Atitlan visit involves more than just Panajachel, although Panajachel itself has the Reserva Natural Atitlán, with hanging bridges, a butterfly dome and zip lines (adult entry Q80, per the reserve in September 2026). Take the public lanchas (Q25 per ride) to hop between towns: San Pedro for the backpacker scene and Indian Nose sunrise hike, San Juan La Laguna for art galleries and weaving cooperatives, San Marcos for yoga retreats and cliff jumping, Santa Cruz for hiking, and Santiago Atitlan to visit Maximon and see the traditional Tz’utujil culture. You can circuit the main towns in two days, but a week lets you settle in. Read our Lake Atitlan towns guide for what each village offers.

Quetzaltenango (Xela)

Guatemala’s second city is colder, quieter, and more authentically Guatemalan than Antigua. The Fuentes Georginas hot springs (Q60 foreigners, Q40 Guatemalans) sit in cloud forest above Zunil; Zunil also has the cheaper Aguas Amargas pools and the Las Cumbres sauna hotel, compared on our Zunil hot springs page. The nearby towns of Zunil (textiles, market) and Almolonga (vegetable market, plaza days Tuesday and Friday per Deguate’s 2016 profile; see our Almolonga market page) make half-day trips. Xela is also the base for hiking Santa Maria and Chicabal volcanoes and has some of the most affordable Spanish schools in the country.

Practical Tips

Best season: The dry season (November to April) is ideal for hiking, volcano treks, and outdoor activities. December through February has the clearest skies. For detailed monthly breakdowns, see our weather page. The rainy season brings afternoon storms but also lower prices, fewer crowds, and lusher landscapes.

Costs at a glance:

How to book: For volcano hikes and day tours, you can book through agencies in Antigua or Guatemala City, or directly with guides. For Acatenango, contact guides in La Soledad directly. For Tikal, book your sunrise tour through your hotel in Flores or El Remate — they all work with the same certified guides. For Lake Atitlan, just show up — lanchas run constantly and towns are easy to explore independently.

Safety for adventure activities: Always use certified guides on active volcanoes — Acatenango and Pacaya both require them by law. Bring layers for altitude (it gets genuinely cold above 3,000m), carry water, and start early. On Lake Atitlan, respect the Xocomil wind — do not take boats after early afternoon when the water gets rough. For caves at Semuc Champey, only go with guides who provide life jackets and flashlights. See our Guatemala safety guide for general safety advice.

What to bring: Comfortable hiking shoes (not sandals) for volcanoes and ruins, layers for highland cold, rain gear during rainy season, sunscreen for lake and beach activities, and cash in small bills — many rural attractions and markets do not accept cards. ATMs are available in all major towns.

Browse all 112+ activities below, filter by department, or explore activities on our interactive map.

Book Tours & Activities

Many of the activities listed above can be booked in advance through tour platforms, which is especially useful during peak season (November-April) when popular treks like Acatenango sell out. You can browse Guatemala tours and reserve spots ahead of time:

• Browse Guatemala tours on Viator – volcano hikes, day trips, cultural tours, and multi-day packages
• Browse Guatemala activities on GetYourGuide – guided experiences, transfers, and adventure tours

Compare booking directly with guides at the trailhead or through your hotel against online platforms. But for complex multi-day trips or during holidays like Semana Santa, advance booking through these platforms can guarantee your spot.

Detailed Activity Guides

Looking for in-depth information? Our data-driven guides cover costs, logistics, and local tips:

• Hiking Volcanoes – 7 volcanoes with trail details, costs Q20-400, difficulty ratings, and gear lists
• Maya Ruins & Archaeological Sites – 9 sites from Tikal to Kaminaljuyu with entry fees and logistics
• Guatemala City Museums – Popol Vuh, Ixchel and the national museums, with hours and fees for Guatemalans and foreigners (read 3 October 2026)
• Kaminaljuyú – the Maya city inside Guatemala City: Q5 for Guatemalans, Q50 for foreigners, guided walks Thursday to Sunday
• Aguateca and Biotopo Cerro Cahuí – the boat-only cliff city near Sayaxché and the lakeside forest reserve at El Remate, Petén
• Coffee Farm Tours – Antigua, Huehuetenango, Atitlan regions with farm comparison tables
• Adventure Sports – paragliding, zip lines, rafting, surfing, and caving with price comparisons
• Rock Climbing – climbing gyms in Antigua, Guatemala City and San Marcos La Laguna with their published prices (day entry Q50-Q85 in Antigua and San Marcos, read 2 October 2026), plus the crags at Lake Amatitlán and Xela’s Cerro Quemado
• Birdwatching – 7 top birding sites, Quetzal spotting guide, and 750+ species
• Hot Springs & Natural Pools – Fuentes Georginas, Semuc Champey, and 5 more natural bathing spots
• Lake Atitlan Hikes – 6 trails with sunrise views, free miradors, and swimming spots
• Cycling & Mountain Biking – routes, rentals Q100-300/day, and multi-day touring itineraries
• Spanish Schools – Antigua vs Xela comparison, 1-on-1 lessons from $130/week
• 39 Free Things to Do – hikes, markets, festivals, and viewpoints that cost nothing