Guatemala Nature & Culture Tour - 15 Days

Day 1: Arrive in Antigua, Explore

Welcome to Guatemala City! Your driver will be waiting to transfer you to your Antigua hotel, which is around 45 minutes away. After settling in, head out to discover the former capital of Guatemala. This UNESCO World Heritage Site has a colorful old town surrounded by several smoldering volcanoes. 

Enjoy the rest of your day walking around the cobbled streets, treating yourself to local snacks at cafés and food vendors. Tomorrow you'll explore the city with a guided tour, so for now, stroll by a few main attractions, like the 16th-century Antigua Guatemala Cathedral and the remains of the 18th-century Convento Santa Clara.

Day 2: Antigua Walking Tour & Cooking Class

Start the day with a walking tour of Antigua. You'll be guided by a local historian, who'll take you to the city's top landmarks, such as the City Hall Palace, the Palace of the Captain's General, and the Iglesia San Francisco Cathedral. You'll learn about life before the Spanish conquest and the city's rich history on the Paseo de Los Museos ("Museum Path"). Here, you can delve into the roots of Maya archaeology and culture. 

In the afternoon, take a traditional cooking class. Guatemalan cuisine is a delicious mix of colonial Spanish and Indigenous Maya gastronomy. Native Guatemalan chefs from the Sacatepequez community will guide you through cooking a regional meal with homemade tortillas and a dessert. Sit down with your hosts afterward to feast on your creations.

Day 3: Zipline Tour & Santo Domingo del Cerro

Spend today in Santo Domingo del Cerro, a cultural park just 10 minutes from Antigua. The park offers views over the city and its surrounding volcanoes, as well as museums, a restaurant, art galleries, and an aviary. Take a zipline tour to fly over forests and waterfalls; the course consists of 10 zip lines, two suspension bridges, and other surprises. When the two-hour experience is over, you can visit Santo Domingo del Cerro's outdoor cultural center and the lookout point before returning to your hotel in Antigua.

Day 4: Pacaya Volcano Hike & Spa Day

This morning you'll embark upon a guided climb to the 8,370-foot (2,551 m) peak of Pacaya Volcano, whose slopes are home to some of Central America's most impressive volcanic landscapes. Set in its own national park, Pacaya cuts an imposing figure with a continuous plume of smoke that drifts from its summit and a lava field at the base of its caldera.

The ascent takes about two hours, but horses are an option for those who'd prefer a more relaxed climb. Upon arrival at the summit, stop for a picnic while admiring views of three nearby volcanoes: Fuego, Agua, and Acatenango. You'll have plenty of opportunities to explore geothermal hot spots on the cooled lava formations—and even use them to toast marshmallows! Later, hike back down across the dried lava fields through peaceful forests and farmland.

Afterward, soak your muscles at a nearby spa, immersing your body in thermal pools. Move onto a combined steam and hydrotherapy bath, then finish your spa session with a soothing 25-minute massage. Afterward, you'll have time to take a dip in the natural swimming pools and enjoy a fruit smoothie before returning to Antigua in the evening.

Day 5: Hike Acatenango Volcano, Camp Overnight

Set off for an overnight hike to the top of Acatenango Volcano. The adventure starts with a drive up to the trailhead at La Soledad. The trek from here takes you through four microclimates, each of which takes around an hour to hike. Pass through lush farmland before heading into an old-growth, high-alpine forest. This type of cloud forest is found on the higher slopes of Guatemala's tallest volcanoes and is home to native birds, including the resplendent quetzal. 

After emerging from the cloud forest around midday, you'll enjoy fantastic views of nearby highland volcanoes: Atitlán, Tolimán, San Pedro, Santa María, Santo Tomás, and Tajamulco. You'll have plenty of time to admire the scenery as you take a break for a picnic lunch. Temperate and tropical forests characterize the third part of your ascent, leading to the volcano's storm-beaten tree line. 

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

Day 6: Sunrise on Acatenango, Transfer to Lake Atitlán

Rise early today to tackle the final ascent up Acatenango. Follow a steep gravel trail through the alpine forest for around an hour, emerging at the rocky, windy summit. From here, watch the sunrise over nearby volcanic peaks. Rest and absorb breathtaking 360-degree views of the Guatemalan highlands stretching all the way to Mexico.

After breakfast and breaking camp, you'll begin the three-hour descent back to La Soledad. This route follows a different trail, so you can enjoy even more beautiful scenery as you descend through different microclimates. After the trek, relax as you transfer to Lake Atitlán, Guatemala's most famous attraction. The lake sits in a volcanic crater in the southwestern highlands and is surrounded by jagged peaks.

Day 7: Lake Atitlán Boat & Village Tour

Visit mighty Lake Atitlán's Maya villages on a private boat tour today. Sail across the lake, stopping to meet villagers and learn about daily lake life. In San Juan La Laguna, you'll join a traditional apiary and painting workshop and hike to Mirador San Juan, which local artists decorate with paintings. You'll also visit Santiago Atitlán, home to the Cojolya Weaving Center and Museum, founded by the Cojolya Association of Maya Women Weavers. 

Optional experiences include candle and Totonicapan handicraft workshops. You can also take a two-hour sawdust carpet workshop, where you'll make and learn about the history of Guatemala's alfombras (carpets), which date back hundreds of years. During Semana Santa (Holy Week), Guatemalans adorn their streets with these long, decorative rugs made from flowers, colored sawdust, pine needles, and even fruits and vegetables. 

Day 8: Hiking, Ziplining, Horseback Riding & Paragliding at Lake Atitlán

Today you'll have the chance to explore Lake Atitlán on various exciting tours. Enjoy the pristine nature of the lake at an eco-focused nature reserve that offers an adrenaline-pumping zipline—whizz through the canopy with views of crashing waterfalls, coffee groves, and steep cliffs. The reserve also features a butterfly preserve and forested trails with spectacular hanging bridges, which you can explore. 

Next, you'll take in views of the glittering lake on horseback. Saddle up for this guided tour, which allows you to ride through San Pedro's wild nature trails. Along the way, you'll get views of coffee plantations and vegetable farms, passing villages that belong to the Tzutuhil community. Take a two-hour paragliding flight above Lake Atitlán for a more exhilarating adventure. As you soar above the topaz water, take in views of the surrounding mountains and three volcanoes, with tiny lakeside villages beneath.

Day 9: Iximché Ruins, Transfer to Antigua

This morning, you'll boat across Lake Atitlán, followed by a drive through the highlands to the Iximché ruins. Declared a Guatemalan National Monument in the 1960s, this archaeological site includes various pyramid temples, palaces, and two Mesoamerican ballcourts. On your private guided tour, you'll learn about the history, symbols, and legends preserved in Iximché. Afterward, stop for a quick lunch on the way to Antigua, your final destination for the evening.

Day 10: Fly to Tikal, Sunset Tour

Enjoy a free morning in Antigua before your afternoon transfer to Guatemala City. You'll board a flight from here to Flores, the gateway to the famous Tikal National Park, known worldwide for its Maya pyramids and sprawling ruins. Check into your hotel and then head out to watch the sunset from Tikal's 270-foot-tall (70 m) Temple IV, the tallest pre-Columbian structure in the Americas. Take in panoramic views of the forested landscape from the top of the temple. As you watch the sky change color, your guide will share stories of Maya mythology.

Day 11: Explore Tikal National Park

Rise early to watch the sun rise majestically from the top of Temple IV while the birds start singing. Afterward, return to your hotel for breakfast to fuel up for your tour of the park's ruins. You'll spend the day with an expert guide exploring Tikal's vast complex of temples and pyramids. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Tikal was the former capital of one of the most powerful kingdoms of the Maya civilization. 

Take the opportunity to see all the major sites of interest, including Temples I, II, II, IV, and V, the Lost World, Complex Q, The Great Plaza, and The Window Palace. Keep an eye out for wildlife along the way and take in the sights and sounds of the jungle. You'll enjoy lunch in the park and have some free time to explore independently.  

In the afternoon, venture deeper into the jungle to visit Uaxactún. The Maya people inhabited this archaeological site for centuries. Today, it features partially restored temples and a small forest community made up mostly of chicleros (natural gum harvesters). Learn more about this community's daily life and see the world's first Maya astronomical complex.

Day 12: Yaxhá Ruins, Transfer to Río Dulce

This morning, you'll visit Yaxhá National Park. The Yaxhá ruins date back to the classic Maya period and are located between Sacnab and Yaxhá Lakes. The site has over 500 structures, including 40 stelae, 13 altars, nine pyramids, two ball courts, and a network of sacbeob (roads). Take a guided tour of the ruins to learn about ancient Maya life; a highlight is the twin pyramid complex in Plaza C. After lunch, your trip continues with a five-hour transfer south to Río Dulce. 

Day 13: Río Dulce Boat Tour

This morning, meet your guide for a boat tour on the Río Dulce, which means "sweet river" in Spanish. As you travel north along the jade waters, keep your camera ready, as the banks are lined with stunning rainforest scenery and quaint villages. Water birds like herons are constantly flitting overhead or resting on the lily pads, and you're sure to see blooming flowers like orchids and white water lilies. The journey will take you to Livingston, a small town on the Caribbean coast of Guatemala. You'll stop at the 17th-century Castle of San Felipe along the way and visit a protected island home to exotic birds and a natural hot spring.

Once in Livingston, you'll see a different side of Guatemala. This Afro-Guatemalan community is defined by its distinctive Garifuna culture, which has its own language, cuisine, and customs. You can take a dip in the warm waters of the Caribbean, do some bird-watching, and try tapado, a seafood stew that's the community's most popular dish. There's even a chance to learn the punta, a Garifuna dance. 

Day 14: Transfer to Guatemala City, Santa Teresita Spa 

Today, wave goodbye to the coconut trees and river otters in Río Dulce and make the six-hour journey back to Guatemala City. After checking into your hotel, head to Santa Teresita, home to volcanic hot springs. Here, you'll immerse yourself in hot and cold pools and a combined steam and hydrotherapy bath. Finish with a relaxing 25-minute massage. Afterward, you can take a dip in the thermal pools and enjoy a snack and fruit smoothie before returning to Guatemala City.

Day 15: Depart Guatemala City

Today your Guatemala adventure comes to an end. Take the hotel shuttle to the Guatemala City Airport in time for your onward flight. Safe travels!