KIRAN GOES PLACES
Destination Guide
Guatemala Travel Guide
Guatemala doesn't get the crowds its neighbours do, which is most of the appeal: Tikal's Mayan ruins rising out of jungle, Lake Atitlán ringed by three volcanoes, and Acatenango, where you camp on one volcano to watch another, Fuego, erupt through the night. Antigua's colonial streets make a good base for all of it. A week covers the essentials, two gets you further.
Quick Facts
Recommended trip time
7, 10 or 14 days
Popular Spots
Antigua, Acatenango, Lake Atitlán (San Pedro, San Juan), Semuc Champey, Tikal
Currency
Guatemalan quetzal
Best time for Acatenango
Dry season for clearer skies (colder nights); wet season is warmer but risks rain and fog
Main Language
Spanish
Daily budget
$25-40 (independent/backpacker travel)
Best season
November to April, the dry season, for easier roads and clearer views.
Watch: Guatemala
7, 10 or 14 Days: How I'd Actually Plan a Guatemala Itinerary
A 9.5 Out of 10 Sunset and a Volcano That Wouldn't Erupt On Cue: Climbing Acatenango, Guatemala
The Sound They Used for Jurassic Park's Dinosaurs Was Real: 24 Hours in Tikal, Guatemala
All Guatemala Posts
28 October 2025
A 9.5 Out of 10 Sunset and a Volcano That Wouldn't Erupt On Cue: Climbing Acatenango, Guatemala
Volcanic sand, hot chocolate by a fire facing an active volcano, and a 5am sunrise hike to the rim. 24 hours on Acatenango, Guatemala.
1 November 2025
My Weak Ankles vs an Active Volcano: What I Wish I'd Known Before Hiking Acatenango, Guatemala
Altitude sickness at 3,976 metres, a headlamp you can't hike without, and companies that'll carry your bag. Ten things to know before Acatenango.
2 September 2025
A Chocolate Anthem, a Coffee Farm Straight Out of Narcos and a Volcano at the End of Every Street: 48 Hours in Antigua, Guatemala
A chocolate making workshop, a coffee farm that felt like a scene from Narcos, and the arch on every Guatemala postcard. 48 hours in Antigua.
9 September 2025
Rumbles You Can Feel in Your Chest: Top Things To Do in Antigua, Guatemala
Green jade masks once buried with the dead, and a volcano hike opposite an erupting neighbour. The quick version of what to do in Antigua.
30 September 2025
Free Beer, a Tent With Four Beds and a Scorpion Next Door: The Best Hostel We've Stayed At in Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
Free beer, family dinners with strangers who become friends, a disputed cliff jump height in San Marcos, and a tiny scorpion in the tent next door.
4 November 2025
Erupting Volcanoes and a Bee That Bites Instead of Stings: The Best of Guatemala
Volcanoes, chocolate anthems, turquoise pools and a lake with five different personalities. Looking back at everything Guatemala threw at us.
8 November 2025
7, 10 or 14 Days: How I'd Actually Plan a Guatemala Itinerary
Two days in Antigua, an overnight on an erupting volcano, and a lake with a 5pm boat curfew. How to structure a trip, whether a week or two.
7 October 2025
One Lake, Five Completely Different Towns: Why Atitlán Isn't Just One Place, Guatemala
Sunrise hikes, hippy streets, a horse ride and cliff jumps. Why Lake Atitlán is really a handful of places sharing one volcano-ringed lake.
16 September 2025
A Solo Horse Ride, a 4am Sunrise Hike and Free Honey Until It Hurt: 48 Hours in San Pedro, Guatemala
A horseman who trusted me with his horse alone in the forest, a pitch black hike to Indian's Nose, and a bee sanctuary with twelve honeys to taste.
23 September 2025
Are You Really On a Lake If You Haven't Been Out On It: Top Things To Do in San Pedro & San Juan, Guatemala
The quick version of San Pedro and San Juan around Lake Atitlán, plus the one thing that's easy to forget, actually getting out on the water.
21 October 2025
Butts Up, a Coconut Halfway Up a Mountain, and the Prettiest Water in Guatemala: Semuc Champey, Guatemala
Standing on the back of a moving jeep, a slippery hike to the postcard viewpoint, and tubing down the Cahabón River. 24 hours in Semuc Champey.
14 October 2025
The Sound They Used for Jurassic Park's Dinosaurs Was Real: 24 Hours in Tikal, Guatemala
A flooded island, a restaurant with a fireman's pole, a 4:20am wake up call, and a 2,000 year old Mayan city still mostly buried underground.
Common Questions
How many days do I need in Guatemala?
A week covers the core route: Antigua, Acatenango and Lake Atitlán. Ten to fourteen days lets you add Semuc Champey and Tikal without rushing. Two days in Antigua alone is enough for the markets, churches and a chocolate making workshop.
Is climbing Acatenango hard?
It's split into two real climbs: a 4 to 7 hour slog to base camp on day one depending on fitness, then an entirely dark, pre-dawn summit push on day two. Altitude sickness is a real risk since Antigua itself sits around 1,500 metres, so a couple of acclimatising days there first helps.
Do I need to carry my own gear up Acatenango?
No. If hauling 10 to 15 kilos up a mountain sounds miserable, some companies will carry your bag up for you, and it's money well spent. Base camp comfort varies a lot depending on which company you book with.
What's the best time to climb Acatenango?
Dry season gets you colder nights but clearer skies for watching Fuego erupt opposite your camp. Wet season is a bit warmer but comes with a real risk of rain and fog blocking the view entirely.
Why is Lake Atitlán described as five different towns rather than one place?
Each town around the lake has a genuinely different personality: San Pedro is the backpacker anchor, San Juan leans into Mayan crafts and a stingless bee sanctuary, and others range from hippy to horse-riding to sunrise-hike focused. Basing yourself in just one misses most of what the lake actually offers.
What's Semuc Champey?
A limestone bridge hiding a series of turquoise pools in the jungle near Lanquín, sacred to the Maya. Getting there usually involves standing on the back of a moving jeep, and tubing down the Cahabón River is a common add-on.
Is Tikal worth the detour?
Tikal is one of the greatest Mayan cities, built around 600 BC and once home to nearly 100,000 people, with roughly 85% of it still buried underground. It's a genuine detour north, but the scale of it is hard to find anywhere else in Guatemala.