Travel in Guatemala is an amazing experience and must be included on any Central America backpacking trip. Although small in size, the country is very diverse and there is so much to see and do in Guatemala.
Climb active volcanoes, marvel at ancient Mayan temples, get lost in thick jungles and enjoy laid back Caribbean beaches. This Guatemala Travel Itinerary is perfect for 3 weeks, however, adjust as per your timeline.
Guatemala has something for everyone, and by western standards, is a cheap destination to travel. The highlights of Guatemala are spread across the country. Therefore, there are some big drives between destinations so the more time you have the better.
Best places to visit in Guatemala
This travel guide starts with a visit to the highest lake in Central America, Lake Atitlán, for a truly unique and wonderful experience. You can easily spend weeks here enjoying the different towns scattered around the lake such as San Pedro and San Marcos.
Volcanoes is Guatemala’s specialty, home to 37 in total. Acatenango is a once in a lifetime hiking experience. From here, witness red hot lava exploding into the night sky from nearby Volcano Fuego. Alternatively, toast marshmallows or go horse riding on volcano Pacaya.
Hidden deep in the jungle, reward yourself with a swim in the natural cascading waterfalls of Semuc Champey. It’s not easy to get here but that makes it even more rewarding when you do.
Discover the ancient Maya citadel of Tikal, one of the most impressive Maya sites in the world. Home to numerous monuments and statues, it still has much to be excavated.
3-week Guatemala Itinerary
The following 7 step itinerary is best completed in 3 weeks to allow enough time to see everything without rushing. You may well want to spend more time than this and chill in places such as Lake Atitlan or Antigua, so adjust as you desire.
If you only have two weeks potentially pass on Rio Dulce and Livingston. If you have as little as 10 days spend less time in Antigua and Lake Atitlan.
If you only have one week in Guatemala I would focus on Antigua and Lake Atitlan. They are close to the airport and easy and quick to travel to. Also think about adding some day trips from these locations to places such as Chichicastenango market.
If you have longer than 3 weeks an additional destination to add to the Guatemala itinerary would be the south coast of the country. One of the most popular destinations to visit is the tiny beach town of El Paredon.
El Paredon is about 2.5 hours from Antigua so could be added quite easily and offers a variation of all the other destinations on this 3-week itinerary.
Guatemala Travel Itinerary Step 1: Antigua (2-3 nights)
Start your Guatemala Itinerary in the Spanish colonial city of Antigua in the south of the country. Antigua was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 and is one of the prettiest towns in the whole of central America. Leon and Granada in Nicaragua are other colonial towns to visit in the region.
Antigua is an ideal destination to start your trip as it’s safe and easy to navigate for a beginner. It is close to the country’s main international airport (La Aurora International) in Guatemala City, only a 1-hour drive away.
Highlights in Antigua include eating at the abundance of delicious restaurants and cafes; climbing Cerro de la Cruz for amazing views and catching a first glimpse of the famous chicken buses. Don’t miss out on the top Antigua activities – 9 Best Things to Do in Antigua, Guatemala
Avoid the walking tours, as I wasn’t impressed (maybe I was just unlucky). The tour stayed very central, wasn’t particularly informative and didn’t take me anywhere I hadn’t already seen.
Guatemala Itinerary Step 2: Hike Acatenango (2 nights)
One of the best experiences in the whole of the region was hiking volcano Acatenango. A little test of endurance and determination is rewarded with exceptional views. And the witnessing of a live volcano erupting only hundreds of metres away isn’t so bad either!
Spend one night camping on the volcano to allow you to experience sunrise and some of the best views you will ever see. The day after hiking Acatenango I recommend staying another night in Antigua. You will not return until the afternoon, and you will want time to relax and recover after the hike.
For more details and travel tips visit here – Hiking Acatenango Volcano – All you need to Know
Guatemala Travel itinerary Step 3: Lake Atitlán (5-7 nights)
Next stop on the Guatemala travel itinerary takes you to Lake Atitlán. Lake Atitlán is the highest and deepest lake in central America and is truly magical. With perfect daytime temperatures, and 12 wonderful towns, Lake Atitlan deserves more than just a couple of days.
As a day trip from Lake Atitlan, you can visit the largest market in the country at Chichicastenango. I didn’t visit here myself unfortunately as I wasn’t planning to buy anything and thought all markets are kind of the same.
I regret this decision and wish I’d visited, maybe next time I will. Many travel agencies provide shuttle buses to Chichicastenango every Sunday when the market is on.
For a complete guide to visiting Lake Atitlan and more travel tips – The Best Lake Atitlan Towns – Complete Review
Guatemala Travel Itinerary Step 4: Semuc Champey (3 nightS)
Following Lake Atitlan is a long drive to the central highlands of Guatemala to visit the unique Semuc Champey National Park. Semuc Champey is hidden in deep jungle and the drive to get here is part of the fun.
Once you arrive, you will be rewarded with stunning viewing points, natural turquoise swimming pools and pitch-black caves.
It will take a full day of travelling to get here, or you could break up the journey and spend a night in the little town of Coban. To find out how to travel to Semuc Champey read here – How to get to Semuc Champey – Best Routes
When visiting Semuc Champey you have two options of where to stay. You can stay in the town of Lanquin, 30 minutes away from the national park or in a lodge very close to the entrance. For more details about visiting Semuc Champey read here – Semuc Champey: Everything you need to know
Guatemala Travel Itinerary Step 5: Flores (3-4 nights)
After Semuc Champey it’s another day of traveling to the little town of Flores, the gateway to the ancient Mayan ruins of Tikal.
Flores is the best place to base yourself when visiting Tikal and I was pleasantly surprised by this town. Flores is a small island in the northern Petén region on the shores of Lake Petén Itza. The island is connected by road to Santa Elena.
You can walk all around Flores Island in an hour or two, however, I would suggest staying here for a couple of nights at least. I experienced some truly stunning sunsets in Flores, the sky turning bright orange over the lake.
Tikal is one of the largest Mayan ruin sites in the world and definitely one of the best to visit (I visited 5 ancient Mayan ruin sites in the region, and this was my favourite). This is a great day trip from Flores.
The site is huge, and I highly recommend taking a guided tour. I’m not always a fan of guided tours but I really enjoyed this one and it was very cheap too.
For more details about visiting Flores and Tikal read here – Is Flores Guatemala worth visiting – Discover Tikal and much more
Guatemala Travel Itinerary Step 6: Río Dulce (2-3 nights)
After the culture of Tikal, experience a completely different vibe in Rio Dulce. People visit Rio Dulce to stay in eco-lodges on the river which sits between Lake Izabal and the Caribbean Sea.
The town of Río Dulce consists of one super busy main road (highway CA13) which is always bustling with market traders and vendors selling their wares. One minute wouldn’t pass without the trembling sound of another huge truck passing by.
The real highlight of Rio Dulce is escaping this madness and hiding away in a river side lodge for a couple of days. A cruise up the river is in total contrast to the bustling town.
Enjoy wildlife with numerous bird spotting and wildlife opportunities. This is the place to relax, disconnect and catch up on some reading after some heavy days of travel and walking around Tikal.
Guatemala Travel Itinerary Step 7: Livingston (2-3 nights)
The final stop on this travel itinerary in Guatemala takes us to yet another unique destination, Livingston. To arrive, take a boat from your accommodation in Rio Dulce and cruise into the Caribbean outpost of Livingston.
Livingston is only accessible by boat, there is no roads linking it to the rest of Guatemala. Home to the Garafuna people, Livingston is like stepping into a different country.
Speaking to locals, the town has seen many developments in the last 20 years and unfortunately to the detriment of the indigenous Garafuna locals.
Livingston is like no where else in Guatemala and I encourage you to visit this little town and spend time to understand the local culture.
Final Thoughts: Guatemala Travel Itinerary
This backpacking trip will show you the best of Guatemala in 2-3 weeks. Where will you go after Guatemala?
I continued my journey to Honduras. You could head to Belize, mexico or back to Guatemala City if you are flying out of the country.
Let me know what you think in the comments below, have I missed anything out? I hope this travel advice is very useful.
Planning your Trip to Guatemala
When is the best time to visit Guatemala?
Guatemala has a dry and wet season and varies depending on the altitude. Overall, the best time to travel and backpack to Guatemala is during the dry season from November to April.
There is less chance of cloud and rain and therefore much better conditions for hiking and exploring. Hiking in the rain is not much fun and clouds kind of ruin a good view!
What to pack when visiting Guatemala
Guatemala is mostly hot and humid, so you’ll be wearing shorts and Tee’s most of the time. However, there is some exceptions, such as Lake Atitlan and hiking Acatenango.
Lake Atitlan is in the Guatemalan highlands and as such the temperature is cooler here than the rest of the country. During the day maximum temperatures are mid to high 20’s and at night they can drop to 15c.
The sun sets by 6.30pm all year round, as a result, you will need warmer clothes in the evenings at Lake Atitlan.
For a complete packing checklist for Central or South America read: – Long Term Travel Packing List – Best Advice. Don’t leave anything behind or take useless extra weight that you’ll never use.
Is Guatemala safe?
I travelled every country in Central America (except for El Salvador and Belize) and I always felt safe in Guatemala. The only sketchy place I heard about whilst travelling is Guatemala City. I never spent any time in the city for this reason, and because I don’t think there’s a bunch of things to do as a tourist.
Everywhere I recommend I have travelled and had no safety problems at all. Take normal precautions such as keeping your valuables with you, and you should have no problems.
Make sure you bring a couple of padlocks as most dorm rooms have lockers you can secure your valuable belongings in.
Travelling around Guatemala
Guatemala is easy to travel around using shuttle buses, local ‘chicken buses and taxis. All tourist areas have multiple tourist agencies that can arrange shuttle services to other towns.
Chicken buses are also a great option for the more adventurous. To find out more about using chicken buses I have written about it here – Chicken Bus from Lake Atitlan to Antigua – How To Guide
Shuttle buses are easy to organise, but you need to shop around to get the best deal. There is little info online, so you need to walk around town and ask in a few agencies as well as your hostel or hotel.
In my experience hostels don’t often offer the best deals unfortunately so don’t be lazy – go and check out other places.
Guatemala Accommodation
I only recommend places I have stayed in personally and only if I had good experiences. Check out the various articles on each location for any recommendations I have. Hostels are good value in Guatemala and most places have lots of options to choose from.
I always use Booking.com and Hostelworld.com to find the best deals.
Guatemala SIM Card
When you are travelling in Guatemala its easy and cheap to buy a local SIM card. There are two main operators to choose from – TIGO and Claro.
Both operators usually offer similar deals on pricing and coverage so either will be fine. Keep a look out for specials they run, sometimes including unlimited social media data.
You can buy SIM cards in many smaller stores (tiendas) as well as official TIGO And Claro stores. If you can find a main store it is usually easier as they may speak a little English and they will help you with the registration.
The SIM card should cost about Q50 and you then need to choose what plan you want. There are different plans depending on how long you need – 1, 5 or 15 days for example and different deals on data usage and calls.
Money in Guatemala
The currency in Guatemala is the Quetzal (named after the national bird). Notes are available in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200s. Always try to keep a collection of smaller notes, as it can be hard to use 50s and bigger on some occasions.
Guatemala is very much a cash society. There are some hostels and more expensive restaurants that accept cards, but its not common. You can withdraw money from ATM’s throughout the country and most charge a fee of Q35.
It is also easy to exchange USD, so I advise always have some USD as backup in case your cards don’t work for any reason.