In just under a week, you can enjoy the adventure of a lifetime in Guatemala. This quick escape begins in the UNESCO World Heritage City of Antigua, famous for its Spanish-colonial architecture. Relax and indulge with yoga sessions, cooking classes, and food tours, plus a bonus hike around the villages of Lago Atitlán, one of the most beautiful lakes in the country.

Highlights

  • Stroll the cobbled streets of Spanish-colonial Antigua
  • Visit a cacao farm and take a cooking class
  • Tour ancient ruins and the villages around Lake Atitlán

Brief Itinerary

Day Highlights Overnight
Day 1 Arrive in Guatemala City, Transfer to Antigua Antigua
Day 2 Cacao Farm Tour & Cooking Class Antigua
Day 3 Transfer to Lake Atitlán & Yoga in San Marcos San Marcos La Laguna
Day 4 Day Trip Around Lake Atitlán, Village Tour San Marcos La Laguna
Day 5 Transfer to Antigua, Iximché Ruins & Food Tour Antigua
Day 6 Transfer to Guatemala City & Depart  

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Guatemala City, Transfer to Antigua

The colonial streets of Antigua

Welcome to Guatemala! This small Central American country offers something for everyone, whether you're a history buff, nature lover, foodie, or culture aficionado. Between the ancient ruins, Indigenous heritage, exotic landscapes, and myriad opportunities for adventure, there's more than enough excitement to cram into an unforgettable six-day vacation. 

Upon arrival at the airport in Guatemala City, a driver will pick you up and transfer you about an hour west to the colonial city of Antigua. Once the capital of Guatemala, Antigua is known for the Spanish colonial Old Town around its main plaza, Central Park. It's also surrounded by three volcanoes, and the contrast between these imposing mountains and the city's colorful architecture is part of the reason Antigua has earned UNESCO World Heritage status.

After checking in to your hotel, spend the remainder of the day walking Antigua's cobbled streets and treating yourself to local street food like tostadas and empanadas (called dobladas in Guatemala). Be sure to stop by historic landmarks like the Santa Catalina Arch and the ruins of the 16th-century Antigua Guatemala Cathedral and 18th-century Convento Santa Clara.

Day 2: Cacao Farm Tour & Cooking Class

Choco Museo
See how cacao (cocoa) is processed

You're in for a tasty treat today, as you'll get to visit an organic cacao farm. Grown in tropical environments, the cacao tree produces fruit containing cocoa beans, which, of course, is the fundamental ingredient in chocolate. Besides coffee, sugar, and bananas, cacao is one of Guatemala's chief exports. On a personal tour of the farm led by a local expert, you'll learn about the complete cacao process, from bean to bar. It covers everything about organic cacao farming as well as see other fruit and vegetable crops grown on the land. Of course, the tour concludes with a delicious tasting. 

Later, around 3 pm, a car will pick you up for the ride to a local cooking class, where you'll learn to prepare traditional Guatemalan cuisine. This food is an exotic mixture of conventional colonial Spanish and Indigenous Maya cooking that is delicious and fun to prepare. Even better, the three-hour workshop is taught by local chefs who belong to the Sacatepéquez Indigenous community. Besides the main dishes, you'll also prepare handmade tortillas and a dessert. At the end of the class, you'll sit down with your fellow chefs and enjoy your delicious creations.

Day 3: Transfer to Lake Atitlán & Yoga in San Marcos

Diego's Chocolates
Visit a family-run coffee farm
Plan your trip to Guatemala
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Get Started
Your driver will pick you up this morning for the approximately 2.5-hour drive west to Lago Atitlán. Three towering volcanoes surround this enormous crater lake, and local villages dot its shores. You'll arrive in one of these villages and check in to the accommodation where you'll overnight. On the way there, you'll stop just outside the waterfront town of San Marcos La Laguna at a yoga retreat in the forest. Here, you'll enjoy a relaxing yoga session amid lake views and tranquil mountain scenery.  

Day 4: Day Trip Around Lake Atitlán, Village Tour

Day Trip Around Lake Atitlan - Village Tour
Witness the art of handmade textiles on a village tour
In the morning, you'll embark on a half-day tour around Guatemala's most famous lake. There are many Indigenous villages around Atitlán, and you'll stop at a few for a closer look into the culture and traditions of the Maya people. Besides the picturesque scenery, highlights include visiting a local women's weaving co-op and a shrine to the infamous Maya saint of Maximon, known for his depraved behavior. At the end of the tour, you'll return to your accommodation and have the rest of the day free.

Day 5: Transfer to Antigua, Iximché Ruins & Food Tour

Transfer from Lake Atitlan to Antigua with Iximche Ruins Visit
Visit the Iximché ruins

After breakfast, your driver will pick you up for the ride back to Antigua. However, you'll break up the drive with a couple of stops on the way. First up is Panajachel, a town on the north shore of Lake Atitlán. Here, you'll visit a local reserve and enjoy hikes on its nature trails and hanging bridges, plus visit a butterfly preserve.

Continue on to the Iximché archaeological site. In the 15th century, this was a great capital of the Kaqchikel Maya kingdom. Its ruins sit in the western highlands of Guatemala and include pyramid temples, palaces, and two Mesoamerican ball courts. Take a personal guided tour through the site, which was declared a Guatemalan National Monument in the 1960s. After the ruins, you'll hit the road back to Antigua and check in to your hotel.

Later in the afternoon, you'll join a local guide for a delicious food tour around Antigua. This three-hour food walk focuses on both the traditional and contemporary mestizo (of mixed Spanish and Indigenous descent) food of Antigua. It's an adventure full of authentic flavors and colonial history as you visit historical landmarks while sampling delicious local dishes and street food. After the food tour, you can spend the rest of the day relaxing.

Day 6: Transfer to Guatemala City & Depart

Sunset over Antigua

Enjoy one last leisurely breakfast on the plaza in Antigua. Then, your driver will pick you up for the one-hour ride back to Guatemala City and the airport, where you'll catch your flight home. Adiós!

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Map

Map of Cuisine & Culture of Guatemala - 6 Days
Map of Cuisine & Culture of Guatemala - 6 Days