Quick summary: In Guatemala only guides accredited by INGUAT, the national tourism institute, may work as tour guides, and each must carry an INGUAT carné where you can see it. INGUAT’s guide regulation sets no rates, so prices are whatever operators charge. Published prices checked on October 21, 2026 run from US$17 per person for a guided walk inside Tikal (ticket extra), through US$49-99 per guest for a 3-hour private walking tour of Antigua, to from US$175 per person for an 8-hour guided trip to Mixco Viejo ruins with transport and admission.
This page is about the guide: what one costs and how to tell a licensed guide from a tout. For the sites themselves, see Tikal at sunrise, Flores airport to Tikal and Mixco Viejo ruins.
Published guide prices
Each price is as the operator or booking platform showed it on October 21, 2026. Transport and entrance fees make most of the difference between them, so the table says which are included.
| Tour | Where it is sold | Price | What is included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guided walk inside Tikal (e.g. the 09:00-13:00 Mighty Tikal route) | Jungle Lodge, Tikal | US$17 per person | English/Spanish guide. Park entrance ticket not included |
| 3-hour Antigua walking tour, private | Trek Guatemala | US$99 for one guest; US$69 each for 2; US$59 each for 3; US$49 each for 4 or more | Bilingual English/Spanish guide, all entrance fees, a refreshment; groups up to 20 |
| Mixco Viejo or Jilotepeque Viejo half-day archaeology tour (8 hours) | GetYourGuide; provider listed as a Guatemalan tour guide | From US$175 per person | Private round-trip transport from Antigua, site admission, a guide the listing says is authorised by INGUAT; Spanish. Tips for guide and driver, food and drinks not included |
What a group actually pays
| Group size | Trek Guatemala, Antigua (3 hours) | Jungle Lodge, Tikal guided walk (ticket extra) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | US$99 | US$17 |
| 2 people | US$138 | US$34 |
| 3 people | US$177 | US$51 |
| 4 people | US$196 | US$68 |
Totals are our arithmetic from the per-person prices above.
Three things the tables show:
- At big sites the guide and the ticket are separate purchases. The Jungle Lodge price for a guided walk inside Tikal excludes the park entrance ticket (see our Tikal page for entrance fees).
- Private means per-guest prices fall with group size. Trek Guatemala’s walking tour costs a solo traveller about twice what each person in a group of four pays.
- Full days to less-visited sites cost more. The Mixco Viejo listing is an 8-hour day with private transport from Antigua and the site ticket included, from US$175 per person.
Of the three sellers on this page, none publishes a day rate for a freelance guide booked directly. Ask a guide for a day rate in writing, and say how many people and hours it covers.
The licence: what INGUAT’s rules say
Guides are regulated by INGUAT Acuerdo 187-2007-D, the Regulations for the Registration and Operation of Tour Guides (Regulaciones para la Inscripción y Funcionamiento de Guías de Turistas), issued under INGUAT’s organic law, Decreto 1701, and amended by Acuerdo 313-2011.
- Who may guide (Article 3). Only people with INGUAT accreditation may work as tour guides.
- The carné (Article 11). INGUAT issues a guide’s carné after the applicant pays the fee; it is the only valid document showing the bearer may work as a guide.
- How long it lasts (Article 12). The carné is valid for one year for the first five years, then for three years at a time, with an annual data update.
- Keeping it (Article 13, as amended in 2011). Renewal is requested 20 working days before expiry and needs a current criminal and police record certificate and proof of yearly training through INGUAT, INTECAP, a university or a related body: at least 25 hours a year for a community guide, 50 for a local guide, 75 for a general guide and 100 for a specialist.
- Carrying it. Among a guide’s duties is carrying the INGUAT carné in a visible place while working. Working without it visible, or with an expired carné, are both listed infractions.
- Who is not a tour guide (Article 6). The regulation lists people who are not considered tour guides when they do these activities without receiving pay for it: public employees accompanying visitors on official visits; teachers occasionally accompanying their students; staff of monuments, archives or places of natural, cultural, artistic and historic interest who inform the public as part of their duties without advertising their services; and, since the 2011 amendment, guides from other countries without INGUAT authorisation and accreditation, and tourist-transport drivers and helpers, group leaders and companions, and translators.
The four classes of guide
| Class (Article 4) | Where they may work | What Article 4 says about them |
|---|---|---|
| Guía comunitario (community guide) | The rural community where they live and work | Shows the customs and way of life of their culture and natural surroundings |
| Guía local (local guide) | Only the area INGUAT authorised | Has specific knowledge of a site or region of tourist importance |
| Guía general (general guide) | Anywhere in the country | Has broad knowledge of tourism topics across the whole country |
| Guía especializado (specialist guide) | Anywhere in the country | Holds a university degree and/or proven experience in subjects such as art, archaeology, flora, fauna or mineralogy, and is classified by that specialty |
Ask which class a guide holds. A local guide licensed for one site is the right person there, but is outside their authorised area if they offer to take you across the country.
How to hire a guide without getting burned
- Ask to see the INGUAT carné and check it is current. Under Article 3, only INGUAT-accredited guides may work as tour guides.
- Match the class to the trip: local for one site, general or specialist for a multi-region itinerary.
- Get the price in writing, per person or per group, and whether it includes transport, park or site tickets, and food.
- Ask the language before you pay. The Jungle Lodge and Trek Guatemala prices above are for English/Spanish guides; the Mixco Viejo listing names Spanish.
- Tips. INGUAT’s regulation says nothing about tips. The Mixco Viejo listing excludes tips for the guide and the driver; ask any operator whether its price covers them.
- Cancellation. The Mixco Viejo listing offers a full refund if you cancel 24 hours ahead; ask for the cancellation terms when you book directly.
For businesses that want to operate tours rather than hire a guide, the registration side is on our INGUAT tourism registration page.
Related pages
- Tikal at sunrise
- Flores airport to Tikal
- Mixco Viejo ruins
- Getting around Antigua
- INGUAT tourism business registration
- Service prices hub
Sources
- Jungle Lodge Tikal: tours, checked October 21, 2026
- Trek Guatemala: Antigua walking tour, checked October 21, 2026
- GetYourGuide: Mixco Viejo or Jilotepeque Viejo half-day archaeology tour, checked October 21, 2026
- INGUAT, Acuerdo 187-2007-D, Regulaciones para la Inscripción y Funcionamiento de Guías de Turistas, with the Acuerdo 313-2011 amendments (PDF on registro.inguat.gob.gt). The text on this page is from the Internet Archive copy of August 19, 2022, read September 24, 2026; INGUAT’s live file did not load on September 24 or October 21, 2026, so later amendments, if any, are not reflected here.
Prices are as published on the date shown, change often, and differ by season and group size. Confirm before you book.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a tour guide cost in Guatemala?
It depends on where and how you book. Prices checked October 21, 2026: the Jungle Lodge in Tikal sells guided walks inside the park at US$17 per person with an English/Spanish guide, entrance ticket not included; Trek Guatemala’s 3-hour Antigua walking tour runs from US$49 per guest for four or more people to US$99 for a single guest, entrance fees included; and an 8-hour guided trip to Mixco Viejo ruins from Antigua, with private transport, site admission and a guide the listing says is authorised by INGUAT, is listed on GetYourGuide from US$175 per person. INGUAT’s guide regulation sets no rates.
How much does a private tour guide cost in Antigua?
Trek Guatemala’s private 3-hour Antigua walking tour was US$99 for one guest, US$69 each for two, US$59 each for three and US$49 each for four or more, with a bilingual guide, entrance fees and a refreshment included (checked October 21, 2026). For a group of four that is US$196 in total (our arithmetic).
Do tour guides in Guatemala need a licence?
Yes. INGUAT’s guide regulation, Acuerdo 187-2007-D, says the activity of tour guide may only be exercised by people with INGUAT accreditation, and that the INGUAT carné is the only valid document showing a guide is authorised. Guides must carry the carné in a visible place while working; working without it visible, or with an expired one, is an infraction.
Does INGUAT set tour guide prices?
Not in its guide regulation. Acuerdo 187-2007-D covers registration, the guide classes, the carné and guides’ duties and infractions, but contains no price schedule. Guides and operators set their own prices, so the way to compare is the published prices of operators and booking platforms.
How much should I tip a tour guide in Guatemala?
INGUAT’s guide regulation does not mention tips, so there is no official amount. Check whether the price covers them: the Mixco Viejo listing on GetYourGuide states that tips for the guide and the driver are not included. If a tour price says the guide’s fee is included, ask the operator whether tips go to the guide.
Does a tour leader travelling with my group count as a tour guide?
Not when they are not paid for guiding. Article 6 of INGUAT’s regulation lists people who are not considered tour guides when they do these activities without receiving pay for it; a 2011 amendment added guides from other countries who lack INGUAT authorisation and accreditation, and tourist-transport drivers and their helpers, group leaders, companions, heads or directors of groups, and translators. The rule is written as an exception from the definition, so it does not say what such a person may or may not do at a site; for a guided visit, hire a guide with an INGUAT carné.
