2 Weeks in Guatemala - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas

Itinerary #1: Nature, Culture & History in Guatemala

Experience Guatemala's rich culture and unspoiled natural beauty on this 14-day greatest hits tour. 

A personal driver will be waiting in Guatemala City to drive you to Antigua, in the beautiful western highlands. This city has earned UNESCO World Heritage Status due to its well-preserved colonial center. On a walking tour, you'll visit historic Baroque buildings and churches like the 16th-century Antigua Guatemala Cathedral and La Merced Church. Then you'll prepare authentic Guatemalan dishes in a cooking class taught by a local chef. Next is a hike up the Pacaya Volcano. Once at the summit, at 7,500 feet (2,288 m), you'll enjoy a picnic lunch while enjoying sweeping views of nearby peaks.

On day four, you're off to Lake Atitlán, a volcanic lake surrounded by green hills and towering volcanoes. After a boat ride, you'll visit nearby indigenous villages like Santiago and San Juan. The next couple of days are yours to hike between villages, visit textile co-ops run by indigenous women, and kayak around the lake. On day seven, you'll visit the highland town of Chichicastenango, famous for its massive Mercado, an outdoor market where you can buy hand-woven textiles and crafts. Then you'll visit Quetzaltenango, a mountain city home to the K'iche' Maya people. Spend a day here touring historic cathedrals.

Continue the adventure on day nine with a flight north to Tikal National Park. This 222-sq-mile (574-sq-km) protected area is home to the most famous Maya ruins in the country. On a guided tour, you'll visit pyramid temples and citadels from the 1st century. The following day, head south to the Río Dulce for a boat tour of the most beautiful river in the country. Then see more natural wonders on a visit to a jungle waterfall and natural hot springs. After stopping in the Caribbean coastal town of Livingston, you'll return to the capital for your flight home. Learn more

Itinerary #2: Guatemala & Belize

Combine the best of the Caribbean with rainforest adventures on this Guatemala and Belize escape.

This adventure begins in Antigua. Take a self-guided tour of the colonial buildings like the 18th-century Convento Santa Clara and the Palacio del Ayuntamiento (City Hall Palace). Then travel north by car into Guatemala's coffee country, where you'll visit romantic waterfalls at the Ram Tzul nature reserve, swim in the terraced turquoise pools at Semuc Champey, and go tubing through limestone river caves. Afterward, take a guided tour of Tikal and visit its five main temples, the Lost World Complex, Great Plaza, and more. The next day, take a ride on the jade waters of the Río Dulce to Livingston.

From Livingston, hop over to neighboring Belize and take a speedboat to Lime Caye, a remote island in an unspoiled marine park. Spend the next couple of days camping, fishing, lazing on white-sand beaches, and snorkeling at Belize's 180-mile (290-km) Barrier Reef. After flying to Guatemala City, transfer to Chichicastenango to browse the market and its historic Iglesia de Santo Tomás, a 16th-century Catholic church built on the site of a former Maya temple. Take boat tours of Lake Atitlán and visit local villages before returning to Antigua, then transfer to the capital for your flight home. Learn more

Itinerary #3: Honeymoon in Guatemala

Over 14 days of romance and adventure in Guatemala, you and your partner will stroll the cobbled streets of Antigua, hike up volcano slopes and Maya ruins, enjoy spa treatments, and much more.

You and your sweetheart will kick off an unforgettable honeymoon in Antigua. Walk under the romantic Santa Catalina Arch and visit historic buildings painted in bright pastels. Cuddle up during a cooking class and a free day to shop for crafts and clothing in Antigua's various markets. Get active on day four with a hike up dried lava fields to the summit of Pacaya Volcano, followed by a relaxing soak in natural hot springs and a couples massage. Then it's off to Atitlán for a couple of days, relaxing on your schedule. Hit the water in a kayak, visit a women's weaving co-op, or enjoy a zip-line ride. 

On day eight, visit Iximché, the ruins of a city of the 15th-century Kaqchikel Maya kingdom. Transfer to Tikal, tour the leading archeological site and venture deeper into the jungle to Uaxactún. It's home to ruins dating to 600 BCE and a village that Maya people still inhabit. Continue the theme with a visit to Yaxhá National Park, the ruins of another Maya city that date to 1000 CE. Take a ride down the beautiful Río Dulce, after which the aquatic romance continues at the waterfalls and hot springs at Finca Paraiso. The next day, return to Guatemala City and depart. Learn more

Itinerary #4: Best of Guatemala by Mountain Bike

If your dream vacation involves more action than relaxation, hop on a bike for this 2-week cycling tour of Guatemala's ruggedly beautiful western highlands. 

Upon arrival in Antigua, tour the colonial buildings, dine in nice restaurants, and sample local street food like empanadas (dobladas in Guatemala). After prepping your bike, a van will take you to a trailhead at 8,500 feet (2590 m). From here, enjoy a 12-mile (19-km) descent. Day four is a backcountry adventure through indigenous settlements and over pine-forested mountain trails down to the north shore of Lake Atitlán. From here, you'll head back up the mountain on a single track to a high point of 9,842 feet (3,000 m) before dropping into the Madre Vieja river valley and eventually back to the lake.

Next, head into the Cuchumatanes Mountains and Huehuetenango, a city that sits at 6,233 feet (1,900 m). Hit the road on a 6-mile (9 km) ascent before dropping down into the indigenous village of Todos Santos. Then it's a 26-mile (42-km) cross-country ride through coniferous forests to the jade waters of Laguna Magdalena. For the next three days you'll cycle through the Quiché Department before ending up back on Atitlán's north shore. Then drive to coffee country for a 43-mile (69 km) ride to the turquoise pools of Semuc Champey. Return to Antigua and transfer to the capital for your flight home. Learn more

Itinerary #5: Guatemala Volcano Trek Adventure

Push yourself to the limit over 14 days of trekking not seven different volcanoes in southern Guatemala.

The base for this adventure is Antigua. After touring the city, start off easy with a 3-4-hour hike up Pacaya for a picnic lunch at the summit. Day three is a slightly longer ascent up Volcán Acatenango, where you'll camp at 11,700 feet (3,565 m) and will be treated to views of the Antigua Valley and neighboring Volcán Fuego. The next morning, embark on a day hike to Fuego and return to the campsite in the evening. Then take a sunrise hike back down Acatenango and transfer back to Antigua. On day six you'll take a drive on the Pan-American Highway to the high-altitude city of Quetzaltenango.

On day seven head up 3,200 feet (1,000 m) and make camp below the peak of Zunil Volcano. The next morning summit Zunil and enjoy views of nearby volcanoes before descending to a natural hot spring. Then hike up Volcán Santa Maria, which sits at 12,360 feet (3,770 m). Next, drive toward the Mexican border and stop for a 4-hour ascent of Volcán Tajumulco, the highest in the country at 13,789 feet (4,203 m). The last trek is up Volcán San Pedro to 9,900 feet (3,020 m) to enjoy views over the Bay of Santiago. Then visit the Iximché ruins before returning to the capital and flying home. Learn more

More Great Guatemala Itineraries

Looking for more inspiration for your trip to Guatemala? Check out these other Guatemala itineraries, with outdoor adventures, cultural trips, and best-of tours to hit the highlights.