In short: Guatemala has two seasons, set by rain, not temperature. In the highlands (Antigua, Lake Atitlán, Xela, Guatemala City) and on the Pacific coast, November to April is dry. May to October brings roughly 80-91% of the year’s rain, heaviest in June and September, with a drier spell in July. Petén (Tikal) is driest February to April and hottest then too. The Caribbean side and the Verapaz get rain in every month. How warm it is depends on altitude: 25°C days and 14°C nights in Antigua in January, 34°C highs at Tikal in April. For crowds, INGUAT’s 2025 figures put December first and September last.
We answer this with data, not a vague “it depends”. The temperatures and rain patterns come from a 30-year reanalysis series (1996-2025) we pulled for nine places. Visitor numbers are INGUAT’s official monthly count of non-resident visitors for 2025. Festival dates come from our own event pages. How we built the numbers, and their limits, is at the bottom. Choosing where to live by climate is a different question — our weather and climate page covers that.
Guatemala’s four climate zones, in one table
| Zone | Places | Dry months | Wet months | What it feels like |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highlands (1,500-2,400 m) | Antigua, Lake Atitlán, Guatemala City, Xela | Dec-Mar; Nov and Apr are transition | May-Oct, July drier | Warm days, cool-to-cold nights all year |
| Pacific coast | Monterrico | Dec-Apr | May-Oct | Hot all year (29-32°C highs) |
| Petén lowlands | Tikal, Flores | Feb-Apr | Jun-Oct; showers linger Nov-Jan | Hot; hottest in April, May close behind |
| Caribbean and Verapaz | Livingston, Semuc Champey (Lanquín) | None truly dry; least rain Feb-May in Livingston, Feb-Apr at Semuc Champey | Rain every month | Hot all year (see the temperature table) |
Average high and low, by month and altitude
Average daily high / low in °C, with °F in brackets, 1996-2025. Rounded to whole degrees.
| Month | Antigua (1,540 m) | Lake Atitlán, Panajachel (1,580 m) | Xela (2,360 m) | Tikal (300 m) | Livingston (sea level) | Monterrico (sea level) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25/14 (77/56) | 23/15 (73/58) | 19/10 (66/50) | 27/19 (81/66) | 25/21 (78/70) | 31/22 (88/72) |
| Feb | 26/14 (79/57) | 24/15 (75/59) | 20/11 (67/51) | 29/19 (85/67) | 27/22 (80/71) | 32/22 (89/72) |
| Mar | 27/15 (80/59) | 24/16 (75/60) | 20/11 (67/52) | 32/20 (89/68) | 28/22 (82/72) | 32/23 (90/74) |
| Apr | 27/16 (81/61) | 24/17 (75/62) | 20/12 (67/53) | 34/22 (93/71) | 30/24 (85/75) | 32/25 (90/76) |
| May | 26/17 (78/62) | 23/17 (73/63) | 19/13 (67/55) | 34/23 (93/73) | 30/25 (86/76) | 31/25 (87/77) |
| Jun | 24/17 (75/62) | 22/17 (72/63) | 19/13 (66/55) | 31/23 (88/73) | 30/25 (85/76) | 29/25 (85/76) |
| Jul | 25/16 (76/61) | 23/17 (73/62) | 19/13 (66/55) | 32/23 (89/73) | 29/24 (84/75) | 30/24 (86/76) |
| Aug | 25/16 (77/61) | 23/17 (73/63) | 19/13 (66/55) | 32/23 (90/73) | 29/24 (85/75) | 30/24 (86/76) |
| Sep | 24/16 (75/61) | 22/17 (72/63) | 19/13 (65/55) | 31/23 (88/73) | 30/24 (85/76) | 29/24 (84/76) |
| Oct | 24/16 (74/60) | 22/17 (71/62) | 18/13 (65/55) | 29/22 (84/71) | 28/24 (83/74) | 29/24 (84/75) |
| Nov | 24/15 (74/58) | 22/16 (72/60) | 18/12 (65/53) | 28/20 (82/68) | 27/22 (80/72) | 30/23 (86/73) |
| Dec | 24/14 (75/57) | 22/15 (72/59) | 18/11 (65/51) | 27/19 (81/66) | 26/21 (78/70) | 31/22 (88/72) |
The pattern that surprises visitors: the highlands barely change temperature through the year. Antigua’s average high stays between 24°C and 27°C in every month. What changes is the rain.
How wet is each month? Share of the year’s rain
Each cell is the percentage of that place’s yearly rain that falls in that month, 1996-2025. We show shares rather than millimetres on purpose — see how we built this.
| Month | Antigua | Guatemala City | Lake Atitlán | Xela | Tikal | Flores | Semuc Champey (Lanquín) | Livingston | Monterrico |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| Feb | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Mar | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Apr | 5 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| May | 13 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 12 |
| Jun | 19 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 18 |
| Jul | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 11 |
| Aug | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 8 | 10 | 13 |
| Sep | 19 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 11 | 11 | 19 |
| Oct | 14 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 17 |
| Nov | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 5 |
| Dec | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 1 |
Rounded, so a column may not add to exactly 100. The July dip between two peaks is the canícula, a midsummer dry spell. We track this year’s in the canícula 2026 guide.
Crowds: foreign visitors by month (INGUAT, 2025)
| Month | Non-resident visitors, 2025 | Rank (1 = busiest) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 279,639 | 7 |
| February | 229,077 | 11 |
| March | 282,000 | 6 |
| April | 312,062 | 3 |
| May | 250,631 | 10 |
| June | 257,496 | 9 |
| July | 283,091 | 5 |
| August | 290,521 | 4 |
| September | 220,474 | 12 |
| October | 267,881 | 8 |
| November | 318,808 | 2 |
| December | 370,164 | 1 |
Source: INGUAT’s 2025 annual bulletin, as compiled on our tourism statistics page. One caution: this counts all non-resident visitors, and that page attributes December’s peak to diaspora return travel rather than conventional tourism. A busy December on this table doesn’t mean every Antigua hotel is full.
Month by month
January
Dry in the highlands and on the Pacific coast (0-1% of the year’s rain in Antigua, Guatemala City, Lake Atitlán and Monterrico). The coldest nights of the year up high: about 14°C in Antigua and 10°C in Xela. Mid-table for visitors (7th of 12). Good for: volcano hikes, the lake, the beach. Petén is a little wetter than it will be in February-April.
February
Still dry across the highlands and Pacific (about 0-1%), with Petén drying out too (2%). The quietest dry-season month for foreign visitors — 11th of 12 in 2025. Good for: almost everything. Dry weather and, by INGUAT’s 2025 count, one of the quietest months for visitors.
March
Dry and warming: Antigua averages 27°C highs, Tikal 32°C. In 2027, Semana Santa falls in March (21-28 March, Good Friday 26 March). It is one of the most spectacular religious celebrations anywhere, with processions and carpets of dyed sawdust (alfombras) in Antigua. See our Semana Santa guide for the schedule. Good for: Semana Santa, Tikal before the peak heat.
April
The last dry-ish month in the highlands (4-8% of the year’s rain) and the hottest month in Petén: 34°C average highs at Tikal. Third-busiest month for visitors in 2025. Good for: the beach, lake swims, dry-season Tikal.
May
The rains start in the highlands (11-16% of the year’s rain) and on the Pacific coast (12%). Petén is still fairly dry (7-8%) and still near its peak heat (34-35°C highs). One of the quieter months for visitors (10th). Good for: travellers who don’t mind showers and want fewer other visitors.
June
One of the two wettest months almost everywhere: 16-20% of the year’s rain in the highlands, Petén and the Pacific. Petén’s rainy season starts. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season has been running since 15 May, and the Atlantic one starts on 1 June. Good for: green landscapes and fewer visitors. Build slack into road travel.
July
The canícula dip: about 10-11% of the year’s rain in the highlands, down from 16-20% in June. Busier than June for visitors (5th of 12). Cobán’s Rabin Ajaw festival is in late July — see our Rabin Ajaw guide. Good for: rainy-season travel in the highlands, during the canícula dip.
August
Wet again (11-14% in the highlands and Petén) and busy (4th of 12). Good for: summer-holiday trips.
September
The other wettest month (16-19% of the year’s rain in the highlands, Petén and the Pacific) and the least-visited month (12th of 12). Independence Day, 15 September, with torch runs on the 14th — see Independence Day. Both hurricane seasons are running; our hurricane tracker follows active storms. Good for: budget travellers who can be flexible.
October
Still wet (12-17% of the year’s rain in the highlands, Petén and the Pacific). Panajachel’s feria has its main day on Sunday 4 October 2026 — see Panajachel feria. 8th of 12 for visitors. Good for: late-month trips as the dry season approaches.
November
The switch month. Rain drops to 3-5% of the year in Antigua, Lake Atitlán and Guatemala City. The second-busiest month (318,808 visitors in 2025). 1 November, Día de Todos los Santos, brings the Sumpango giant kites and the Todos Santos Cuchumatán horse race. Antigua’s flower festival peaks 14-15 November 2026. Good for: festivals and the start of dry-season hiking.
December
Dry in the highlands and on the Pacific (about 1%). The busiest month in INGUAT’s 2025 count (370,164 visitors). Quema del Diablo on 7 December at 6:00 PM, then the Virgen de Guadalupe on 12 December — see Quema del Diablo. Good for: festive atmosphere and dry weather; book early.
Where to go in the rainy season
- Highlands in July. Highland rain is concentrated in June and September, with a July lull. If you are set on hikes like Acatenango in the wet season, July brings about 10-11% of the year’s rain in Antigua, Guatemala City and Lake Atitlán, against 18-20% in June. Check conditions before you go.
- Petén in May. Tikal is still relatively dry in May (7-8% of its yearly rain), just very hot. See the Tikal sunrise tour.
- Caribbean and Verapaz: accept the rain. Livingston and Semuc Champey get rain in every month, so no month is “safe”. The least-rainy stretch is February to May in Livingston and February to April at Semuc Champey.
How we built the numbers
- Temperature and rain: daily data for 1996-2025 from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, which serves the ERA5 reanalysis (a global model rebuilt from observations). We averaged it by calendar month for each place. Reanalysis is a model grid, not a weather station. Temperatures, adjusted to each place’s elevation, are reasonable guides. Rainfall totals in mountain terrain are not reliable enough to print: the series put Xela’s annual total implausibly high. So we publish only each month’s share of the year’s rain — the seasonal shape — never millimetres.
- Why not our own climate dataset: the monthly values in the climate file behind our weather page were compiled by hand and don’t carry per-value sources. We didn’t reuse them here.
- Visitors: INGUAT’s 2025 annual bulletin, metric “visitantes no residentes”, via our tourism statistics page.
- Festival dates: from our event pages, each of which cites its own sources.
Related
- This week’s forecast, not the season’s: Antigua weather, Lake Atitlán weather, Tikal weather, Acatenango summit weather and sunrise and sunset times
- Guatemala weather and climate: where to live
- Hurricane tracker
- Guatemala tourism statistics
- Is Lake Atitlán safe?
Sources
- Open-Meteo Historical Weather API (ERA5 reanalysis), daily series 1 January 1996 – 31 December 2025, for Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala City, Panajachel, Quetzaltenango, Flores, Tikal, Lanquín, Livingston and Monterrico: https://archive-api.open-meteo.com/v1/archive — pulled 2026-09-24.
- INGUAT — Boletín estadístico anual 2025 (visitantes no residentes by month), as compiled on our tourism statistics page — figures as of 24 August 2026.
Averages describe a typical year, not this year. For the current forecast and alerts, see our weather page. Information current as of 24 September 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best month to visit Guatemala?
For dry weather in the highlands — Antigua, Lake Atitlán, Xela — and on the Pacific coast, December through March. In our 30-year reanalysis series, each of those months brings only about 0-4% of the year’s rain there. February is also the quietest dry-season month for foreign visitors: INGUAT counted 229,077 non-resident visitors in February 2025, against 370,164 in December. If you want Semana Santa in Antigua, go in the Easter week, which falls on 21-28 March in 2027.
When is the rainy season in Guatemala?
May to October in the highlands and on the Pacific coast. In the 1996-2025 reanalysis series those six months carry about 85-91% of the year’s rain in Antigua, Guatemala City, Lake Atitlán and Monterrico, with the heaviest months in June and September and a drier spell in July, the canícula. The Caribbean side (Livingston) and the Verapaz (Semuc Champey) are different: rain there is spread across the whole year.
Is November a good time to visit Guatemala?
Yes, for most of the country it is the transition into the dry season. November brings about 3-5% of the year’s rain in Antigua, Lake Atitlán and Guatemala City, versus 13-15% in October. It is also a busy month: 318,808 non-resident visitors in November 2025, second only to December. It opens with Día de Todos los Santos on 1 November (the Sumpango giant kites and the Todos Santos Cuchumatán horse race), and Antigua’s flower festival peaks on 14-15 November 2026.
What is the best time to visit Tikal?
February to April is the driest stretch in Petén: each of those months brings only 2-3% of Tikal’s yearly rain in our reanalysis series. It is also the hottest. Average highs at Tikal climb from about 29°C (85°F) in February to 34°C (93°F) in April, and stay there in May. December and January are cooler, with highs around 27°C (81°F), but a little wetter than February-April. June to October is the rainy season there too.
How cold does it get in Guatemala?
It depends on altitude, not the month. In Xela, at about 2,360 m, average lows are around 10-11°C (50-51°F) from December to February. In Antigua, at about 1,540 m, they are about 14°C (56-57°F) in the same months. At sea level in Livingston or Monterrico, lows stay above 20°C (68°F) all year. Pack a warm layer for the highlands, whatever the season.
When is hurricane season in Guatemala?
Guatemala borders two basins. The Eastern Pacific season runs 15 May to 30 November, and the Atlantic/Caribbean season 1 June to 30 November. Storms matter mostly through heavy rain, landslides and road closures in the rainy months. Our hurricane tracker follows active systems live.
