Guatemala Hiking Adventure: Antigua & Lake Atitlán - 14 Days

Day 1: Arrive in Guatemala, Acatenango Volcano Hike (Day 1)

Welcome to Guatemala! Hopefully, you've warmed up your leg muscles because this active adventure starts right on arrival. At the airport, a driver will pick you up for the one-hour ride out of Guatemala City to the historic city of Antigua. One of the first capitals of the nation, Antigua is famous for the historic 17th and 18th-century buildings and churches in its Old Town. The city is also surrounded by volcanoes, one of which is the site of the multi-day hike you'll embark on this afternoon.

 

You'll meet your hiking group at Old Town Outfitters in Antigua and stock up on hiking gear. Then everyone will hop in a 4WD vehicle for a scenic one-hour drive up to a farm on the slope of Acatenango volcano. The trailhead is located at about 11,482 feet (3,500 m), and from here you'll begin an easy one-hour hike up Acatenango's ridge to the campsite. The lovely route will take you up through farmland, temperate coniferous forest, and tropical dry forest. 

 

Eventually, you'll arrive at the storm-beaten tree line of the volcano. Your campsite is just below this tree line and offers sweeping views of the Antigua Valley and the adjacent Fuego volcano. After setting up camp, take some time to stretch out and relax while your guide prepares dinner at 12,300 feet (3,750 m). Enjoy your meal while marveling at the awe-inspiring spectacle of Fuego's eruptions.

Day 2: Acatenango Volcano Hike (Day 2)

After an early camp breakfast, your group will embark on a one-hour trek up a gravel trail through a pine forest. This is the steepest trail yet, and it leads to the rocky, windy summit of Acatenango's peak. At the summit, rest and enjoy breathtaking views of the Guatemalan highlands stretching to Mexico. After enjoying the views and taking plenty of pictures, you'll return to the campsite and will have the remainder of the day free.

Day 3: Descend Acatenango Volcano, Transfer to Antigua

Depending on weather conditions, you and your group will rise early and enjoy the sunrise over the surrounding volcano peaks. After breakfast and breaking camp, you'll begin the three-hour descent back to the farm. This route follows a different trail so you can enjoy even more beautiful scenery as you descend through different microclimates. Once back at the farm, you'll transfer back to Antigua, where you'll check in to a hotel and can spend the rest of the day relaxing.

Day 4: Bike Ride & Coffee Tour, Guatemalan Cooking Class

Your guide will pick you up early for today's combined mountain bike excursion/coffee tour. Pick your bikes up in Antigua and then ride to the De la Gente coffee cooperative. On this half-day tour, you'll visit a large-scale production farm where farmers work together to grow, pick, and process coffee. DLG works with these farmers to help brand their coffee and export it to global markets.

Upon arrival, your guide will lead you on a short hike around the fields, where you'll meet some of the farmers. Then, visit the roasting house to see how they toast the beans one small batch at a time. A real treat is when you sit down to lunch with one of the local families, sample their coffee, and learn a bit about life on a working coffee farm. After the meal, you'll transfer back to Antigua.

Later, you'll participate in a local cooking class where you'll learn to prepare traditional Guatemalan food. This cuisine is a wonderful mixture of traditional colonial Spanish and Indigenous Maya cooking. This fun, four-hour workshop is taught by native chefs who belong to the Sacatepéquez Indigenous community who will show you how to make main courses, tortillas, and a dessert. At the end of the class, sit down with your fellow chefs and enjoy your delicious creations.

Day 5: Acatenango Volcano Hike (Day 1)

It's time for another volcano adventure! In the morning you'll return to Old Town Outfitters to prepare for a hike back up Acatenango. This second excursion follows a longer and more scenic route than the last experience, but you will camp near the summit again. After gearing up, drive to the village of La Soledad, where a trailhead leads up through four microclimates. Begin by walking up a steep path through farmland, which is the same trail used by villagers to reach their crops. The first hour is a nice warm-up for your leg muscles in preparation for the rest of the journey.

The second phase of the hike passes through an old-growth, high-alpine cloud forest. This type of forest exists on the higher slopes of Guatemala's tallest volcanoes and is home to many exotic birds including the famous resplendent quetzal. After emerging from the cloud forest around midday, you'll be treated to fantastic views of the other highland volcanoes: Atitlán, Tolimán, San Pedro, Santa María, Santo Tomás, and Tajamulco. You'll have plenty of time to admire the scenery on a break to enjoy a picnic lunch.

Temperate and tropical forests characterize the third part of your ascent, which leads to the storm-beaten tree line of the volcano. Eventually, you'll arrive at the same campsite as before, where you'll be treated to the same spectacular views of Antigua Valley and the adjacent volcano. After setting up camp, you'll have the rest of the day free until it's time for dinner.

Day 6: Acatenango Volcano Hike (Day 2)

This morning, your guide will prepare breakfast between 7-8 am, after which you'll prepare your gear for a hike up to the summit. On this half-day hike, you'll follow the ridge of Acatenango up to the highest accessible point. Due to Acatenango being an active volcano, this is as far as you can go before the main peak. Still, upon arrival at this high point, you'll be rewarded with even better views of nearby volcanoes. After a quick snack at the ridge and time to snap photos, you'll return to camp for lunch. You can spend the remainder of the day relaxing amid the great views.

Day 7: Descend Acatenango Volcano, Transfer to Antigua

This morning, take in one last sunrise from your perch on Acatenango. After breakfast at camp, you'll begin the descent back down to La Soledad. From there, you'll take a transfer back to Antigua where you'll have the rest of the day to rest and explore at your own pace.

Day 8: Village Tour on a Chicken Bus, Antigua Street Food Tour

Experience Guatemala like a local as you visit several traditional and picturesque villages around Antigua. You'll be traveling on the locals' transport of choice: the chicken bus. Within Guatemala, these brightly-painted buses are the most cost-effective mode of public transportation. They earned their nickname from the fact that locals would often ride them with pets and livestock (like chickens) in tow, though it's not as common these days.

In the morning, you'll board one of these buses and embark on a half-day tour. During the outing, you'll visit historic villages as well as markets where you can purchase textiles and other Guatemalan crafts. There will also be plenty of delicious street food to sample. Highlights of the trip include visiting the Spanish-colonial town of San Pedro Las Huerta, touring a macadamia nut farm, and stopping at Ciudad Vieja, which was the original capital of Guatemala until 1541.

After returning to Antigua, you'll meet a local expert guide who will introduce you to Guatemala's rich culture through its gastronomy. On this walking tour along Antigua's cobbled streets, you'll taste culinary creations with influences dating back thousands of years. Stop at eight traditional restaurants and vendors, each serving up a variety of savory and sweet local treats. Besides the tasty food, you'll also learn about Antigua's history and visit 16th-century ruins. 

Day 9: Transfer to Lake Atitlán, Village Tour

After breakfast, a driver will pick you up at your hotel in Antigua for the 2.5-hour drive through the southern highlands to Lake Atitlán, the most famous lake in the country. Once here, you'll check into your lakefront accommodation in a local village. 

After settling in, you'll board a boat for a four-hour tour of the towns around Atitlán. In the company of a local guide, you'll stop at villages that are removed from the tourist trail for an authentic cultural experience. For example, you'll visit a local women's weaving co-op and see how they turn cotton into beautiful textiles by hand. You'll also visit a shrine to Maximón, an infamous Maya saint known for his depraved behavior. After the tour, you'll return to your hotel and will have the rest of the day free. 

Day 10: San Pedro Volcano Hike

You're in for a treat, as this morning you'll get to hike up San Pedro. This 9,908-foot (3,020 m) stratovolcano towers of Lake Atitlán and is the area's most iconic peak. The day begins with a transfer to the town of San Pedro La Laguna, which is the main hub for trips up the volcano.

 

Once in town, you'll ride a tuk-tuk for a few minutes to the trailhead. At the visitor's center, you'll meet your guide and learn a bit about the history of the volcano as well as the geology of Atitlán, which itself is a crater lake formed by volcanic eruptions. Then it will be time to embark on the 5-mile (8 km) hike, which starts with a stroll through coffee fields offering great views over Atitlán.
 
The trail you'll follow is an ancient Maya single-track path that rises into the cloud forest on the volcano's slopes. There are many stunning lookout points on this route, and the area is home to endemic wildlife like foxes and the turkey-like horned guan. In total, the elevation change is about 4,000 feet (1,219 m), and once you reach the summit you'll be treated to incredible views of Lake Atitlán, its villages, and surrounding volcanoes. After enjoying the scenery, you'll hike back down to the visitor's center and transfer back to your hotel.

Day 11: Lake Atitlán Hike, Transfer to Antigua

Hop in a boat this morning and make your way to the rugged north shore of Atitlán and the village of Tzununa, where you'll embark on a hike. This area has no road access, so you'll be walking the same ancient paths used by the Kaqchikel Maya people for centuries. As you hike up into the hills above the lake, you'll enjoy the stunning scenery while passing farmers tending their maize and coffee fields.

 

A canyon path then leads down to the village of Santa Cruz La Laguna. Here, you'll chat with locals as you visit the local primary school, a family home, a medical clinic, and a vocational training center. Then you'll take the boat back to the village of Panajachel, located on the eastern side of the lake. From there, a driver will transfer you back to Antigua, where you'll check into a hotel.

Day 12: Pacaya Volcano Hike, Antigua Walking Tour

Get an early start today for a guided climb up the 8,370-foot (2,552 m) Pacaya, one of the most impressive volcanoes in Central America. Set in its own national park, Pacaya is unique for its continuous plume of smoke drifting from the summit, as well as the massive dried lava field at the base of its caldera.

 

The trip up and back takes about six hours. At the summit, you'll eat a picnic lunch as you enjoy the panoramic views, and maybe even roast marshmallows over the volcano's natural heat. The hike down traverses more dried lava fields before descending through tropical forests and farmland on your way back to Antigua.

 

Once back in Antigua, you'll head out for a walking tour around the city. Led by a local expert historian, you'll visit 18th-century landmarks like the Palacio del Ayuntamiento ("City Hall Palace"), the Palace of the Captain's General, and La Merced Church, whose canary-yellow Baroque facade is an icon of the city. Finish with a stroll along the Paseo de Los Museos ("Museum Path"), and delve into the roots of Maya archaeology and culture.

Day 13: Santa Teresita Spa Day

After breakfast, you'll transfer just outside of Antigua to the mountain town of Amatitlán and the Santa Teresita volcanic hot springs. Here, you'll enjoy treatments at a spa that begin with hot and cold therapy. Next, move on to a combined steam and hydrotherapy bath before finishing with a relaxing 25-minute massage. Afterward, you can take a dip in one of the 13 thermal pools on site and enjoy a snack and fruit smoothie. At the end of this half-day, you'll return to Antigua and will have the rest of the afternoon and evening free.

Day 14: Transfer to Guatemala City, Depart

This epic hiking adventure has come to an end! In the morning, your driver will pick you up at your hotel in Antigua for the one-hour drive back to Guatemala City, where you'll catch your flight home. See you next time!

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