In short: Canada’s advice has a women’s-safety section, which advises avoiding travelling alone, with informal guides or with strangers. It warns of harassment or verbal abuse of women travelling alone, sexual assaults including on buses, and people posing as tour guides who build trust with female tourists and then assault them. Canada says drink spiking is a problem in tourist areas, especially in Antigua; the US says never leave drinks unattended and decline strangers’ invitations to private parties; the UK warns that fake police officers have committed theft, extortion and sexual assault. The homicide rate for women is 4.0 per 100,000 nationally (twelve months to June 2026). Save 1500 (tourist assistance, English and Spanish) and 110 (police).
This page collects what three governments say specifically to and about women travellers in Guatemala, read on 24 September 2026, with the sex-disaggregated series we found for every department. For the general picture, see our Guatemala safety page; for place-by-place rates, the safest places in Guatemala.
What each government says to women
| Risk | What the advisory says | Who says it |
|---|---|---|
| Harassment | Women travelling alone may be subject to some forms of harassment or verbal abuse. | Canada |
| Sexual assault on buses | Sexual assaults have occurred, including on buses. | Canada |
| Fake or informal tour guides | Some tourist service providers, including people posing as tour guides, build trusting relationships with female tourists and then sexually assault them. | Canada |
| Drink spiking | A problem in tourist areas, especially in Antigua; snacks, drinks, gum or cigarettes from new acquaintances may contain drugs that could put you at risk of sexual assault and robbery. | Canada |
| Drinks and parties | Never leave drinks unattended in bars and restaurants; decline invitations from strangers to private parties. | US |
| Fake police | Criminals posing as police officers have committed theft, extortion and sexual assault. | UK |
| Violent crime anywhere | Violent attacks, including sexual assault and gun crime, can take place anywhere and at any time of the day; there is a low arrest and conviction rate. | UK |
| Travelling alone | The UK’s listed precautions include not travelling alone or at night, especially near borders or in quiet areas. | UK |
The precautions, by situation
Guides and hikes. Canada: avoid travelling alone, with informal guides or with strangers, even if they appear friendly and helpful; use only reputable tour guides or buses; make sure the guide has a name tag with the tour company’s name. The US: do not hike trails or volcanoes without a qualified local guide, because robberies can happen and help can be hard to get.
Nights out. Canada: never leave food or drinks unattended or in the care of strangers, and be wary of accepting snacks, beverages, gum or cigarettes from new acquaintances. The US: never leave drinks unattended in bars and restaurants, and decline invitations from strangers to private parties.
Getting around. Canada: do not accept rides from new acquaintances or strangers, never share a taxi with a stranger, and do not hail taxis on the street; hotel taxis and Guatemala City’s yellow cabs are considered safe, white taxis dangerous. The US names Taxis Amarillo Express, Taxi Seguro and Uber as trusted services and the INGUAT-approved SAFE taxi stand at the airport. Canada and the UK both advise against the old repainted US school buses (the chicken buses).
Police stops. The UK warns that criminals have posed as police officers. Canada adds that fake officers may say they are drug-enforcement officers and take the victim to a side road. Canada advises not resisting an attack; the UK notes that attackers have killed and injured victims who resisted.
Photos. Canada advises against approaching or photographing children and women, especially in Indigenous communities, because of fears of child abduction that have led to violent incidents involving foreigners.
The numbers: homicide rate for women, by department
The Diálogos observatory’s June 2026 report gives the women’s rate for every department (killings of women per 100,000 women, twelve months to June 2026, from police data). Nationally it was 4.0, down 10.1% on a year earlier. It does not measure sexual assault or harassment, for which we did not find a department-level series to cite.
| Department (travel hub) | Women’s rate per 100,000 women | Overall rate |
|---|---|---|
| Baja Verapaz | 0.0 | 2.5 |
| Totonicapán | 0.4 | 0.6 |
| Alta Verapaz (Cobán) | 0.5 | 2.6 |
| Sololá (Lake Atitlán) | 0.7 | 3.9 |
| Chimaltenango | 0.7 | 7.3 |
| Huehuetenango (US Level 4) | 0.7 | 1.8 |
| Quiché (Chichicastenango) | 0.8 | 1.6 |
| Quetzaltenango (Xela) | 1.4 | 6.8 |
| Sacatepéquez (Antigua) | 2.3 | 11.9 |
| National | 4.0 | 16.2 |
| Petén (Flores, Tikal) | 4.2 | 28.1 |
| Guatemala (incl. Guatemala City) | 8.1 | 32.8 |
| Escuintla (Pacific beaches incl. El Paredón) | 8.4 | 40.0 |
| Izabal (Río Dulce, Livingston) | 9.1 | 26.8 |
| El Progreso | 12.8 | 28.4 |
Source: Diálogos, Informe sobre la violencia homicida en Guatemala, junio 2026, table by sex and department (PDF page 8). Place names in brackets are our orientation labels.
Who to call
| Need | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tourist assistance (PROATUR / ASISTUR), 24 hours, English and Spanish | 1500 from a Guatemalan phone, or +502 2290-2810 | UK FCDO, US State Department |
| ASISTUR by WhatsApp | +502 5188-1819 | US State Department |
| Police | 110 | UK FCDO |
| Security escort if your group feels unsafe | Ask ASISTUR | US State Department |
| Filing a criminal complaint | Ministerio Público: see how to file a denuncia | — |
ASISTUR works with the tourist police (DISETUR) in Antigua, Lake Atitlán, Tikal, Quetzaltenango, Puerto Barrios and Cobán, according to the US State Department.
Related
- The safest places in Guatemala by homicide rate
- Tourist scams in Guatemala
- Is Lake Atitlán safe?
- Antigua safety
- LGBTQ+ living and travel in Guatemala
- Is Guatemala safe for families?
Sources
- Government of Canada — Travel advice and advisories: Guatemala (Women’s safety; Spiked food, drinks and other items; Taxis; Photography): https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/guatemala — read 2026-09-24.
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office — Guatemala: Safety and security and Getting help: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/guatemala/safety-and-security and https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/guatemala/getting-help — read 2026-09-24.
- US Department of State — Guatemala Travel Advisory (issued 12 March 2026): https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/guatemala.html — read 2026-09-24.
- Observatorio de la Violencia, Asociación Civil Diálogos — Informe sobre la violencia homicida en Guatemala, junio 2026: https://dialogos.org.gt/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/InformeHomicidios-1.pdf — downloaded 2026-09-21; sex-by-department table read 2026-09-25.
Advisories change without notice; re-check them before you travel. Information current as of 25 September 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Guatemala safe for solo female travelers?
Canada’s official advice has a section on women’s safety. It advises avoiding travelling alone, with informal guides or with strangers, and says women travelling alone may be subject to harassment or verbal abuse, sexual assaults have occurred including on buses, and some people posing as tour guides build trust with female tourists and then sexually assault them. Canada also says drink spiking is a problem in tourist areas, especially in Antigua. The US says never leave drinks unattended and decline invitations from strangers to private parties. The UK says violent attacks, including sexual assault, can take place anywhere and at any time of day.
Is Antigua Guatemala safe for solo female travelers?
Antigua is where Canada’s advice places its drink-spiking warning: drink spiking is a problem in tourist areas, especially in Antigua, and food, drinks, gum or cigarettes from new acquaintances may contain drugs that could put you at risk of sexual assault and robbery. Sacatepéquez, Antigua’s department, had a homicide rate for women of 2.3 per 100,000 women over the twelve months to June 2026 (Diálogos), below the national 4.0.
What is the homicide rate for women in Guatemala?
4.0 per 100,000 women over the twelve months to June 2026, down 10.1% on a year earlier, according to the Diálogos observatory, based on police (PNC) data. By department it ranged from 0.0 in Baja Verapaz to 12.8 in El Progreso. It counts killings of women, not other assaults.
How do I avoid fake tour guides in Guatemala?
Canada advises women to avoid travelling alone, with informal guides or with strangers, to use only reputable tour guides or buses, and to make sure the guide has a name tag with the name of the tour company. The US advises hiking trails and volcanoes only with a qualified local guide.
Who do I call if something happens to me in Guatemala?
The tourist-assistance line PROATUR/ASISTUR: dial 1500 from a Guatemalan phone, or +502 2290-2810; it works 24 hours in Spanish and English (UK and US governments). ASISTUR also takes WhatsApp messages at +502 5188-1819 (US). Police: 110. To file a criminal complaint, see our page on the Ministerio Público’s denuncia. Your embassy’s emergency line is the other call to make.
