Best of Guatemala in One Week

Arriving in Guatemala City, a private transfer will pick you up from the airport and transfer you approx. 1 hour to your accommodations in the old capital of Antigua.

You'll then have some time to get settled and rest at Hotel San Jorge, a quaint, Colonial-style hotel that's only a 3-minute walk from Parque Central. For those arriving early, we encourage you to explore this historical city, with cobblestone streets and citizens dressed in colorful Mayan clothing.

This morning you’ll meet your guide at Old Town at 9 am to head to your bike fitting and briefing. Today you’ll explore the sprawling Almolonga Valley (mostly on paved roads) including its traditional villages, Spanish colonial ruins and magnificent churches. You’ll enjoy views of the Agua Volcano as you pedal your way from one stunning location to the next, with a stop at an experimental macadamia farm and a textile market along the way.

Following an adventure-filled day on bike, you’ll head back to Antigua for another overnight in the Old Capital, arriving around mid-day.

Views of Guatemala City often include the city's dramatic backdrop of the 2,552m (8,370 ft) mountain, Volcán Pacaya. It may not be Guatemala’s highest peak, but its slopes are home to some of the most impressive volcanic landscapes in Central America! Set in its own national park, Pacaya is a fascinating volcano with its continuous plume of smoke drifting from the summit, plus a massive, dried lava field at the base of its caldera and today, its yours to discover!

The drive to the trailhead is approximately 1.5 hours in private transport from Antigua to the park office. As you move up the myriad of trails on the mountain, Guatemala’s impressive vistas open up before your eyes. As you reach the base of the caldera, your guide will direct the group through the rugged dried lava fields, recently reformed by a massive eruption in 2010.

Later, stop for a freshly prepared picnic to enjoy along with views of nearby volcanoes Agua, Fuego and Acatenango. There will be plenty of opportunity to explore geothermal hot-spots on the cooled lava formations – which are always available to help roast marshmallows! The hike down brings you across the remaining dried lava fields before beginning your descent through Pacaya’s lush and lesser known forests and farmland.

You’ll return to Antigua by private transport to arrive in town around 4-5 PM with plenty of time to enjoy an evening at your leisure to explore the city streets and a delicious local dinner!

This morning following breakfast you’ll set out on a private transfer to Lake Atitlán, approximately two and an half hours drive. Part of the morning will be spent on the Pan American Highway known as the part of a network of roads stretching from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to Ushuaia, Argentina.

As you get closer to Atitlán, keep an eye out for views from above the lake. Once you arrive to the main town on Lake Atitlán —Panajachel—you will start a village tour by boat with a local guide. Many smaller Mayan villages are located along the lake and your private boat tour will visit a few of them to give you a closer look into the local arts, traditions, and stories found here.

Your guide will give you time during the tour to stop for lunch or you may prefer to wait and eat at the hotel in the afternoon. After wrapping up the tour, you’ll head to the beautiful lakeside hotel of Casa del Mundo. The rest of the afternoon is free for you to relax, enjoy a swim in the lake, and take in the views!

After waking up to gorgeous views of the lake and its towering volcanoes, enjoy breakfast and then meet your guide for today's adventure. In the first part of the tour, you’ll paddle westward along the north shore of Atitlan for 1.5-2 hours, passing by tiny villages perched on the sides of the sheer ridges that rise up from the azure waters of the lake. Depending on weather – and speed of the kayak group - there are opportunities to stop for a dip and/or cliff-jump.

Later, you’ll arrive at the next destination between the villages of Tzununá and San Marcos La Laguna where you will trade your kayaks for daypacks and hiking shoes. Climbing out of town on the lake trail which connects village to village, you’ll be treated to spectacular views of volcanoes San Pedro, Tolimán and Atitlán. You’ll pass through small villages as you follow the shoreline for approx 1.5 hours, eventually returning back to Jaibalito and Casa del Mundo.

After a hearty and well-earned lunch at the hotel, you´ll have the rest of the afternoon free to relax.

Today you’ll return to Guatemala City to catch your domestic flight to Flores in the north of Guatemala. A private transfer will take you to your hotel inside the Tikal National Park so you'll be ready to enjoy the tour of these famous ruins tomorrow morning.

Today you will visit the famous Tikal National Park to see the amazing Mayan ruins. Tikal is known world-wide for its impressive pyramids and sprawling ruins. The UNESCO World Heritage hosts a former capital of one of the most powerful kingdoms of the ancient Maya, and boasts the tallest pre- Colombian structure in the Americas – the Temple IV standing at 70 meters.

You will spend the day with your professional guide exploring this vast complex of temples and pyramids until late in the afternoon. During your visit you will have the opportunity to see all the major sites of interest including Temples I, II, II, IV, and V, Lost World, Complex Q, The Great Plaza, The Window Palace, and more.

Keep an eye out for lots of wildlife along the tour and enjoy the sights and sounds of the jungle. You will have time enjoy lunch in the park and have time to explore on your own. In the afternoon you will return to Flores and fly back to Guatemala City. You will stay in Guatemala City tonight, in preparations for tomorrow's departure.

Enjoy breakfast in your hotel this morning in Guatemala City. Afterwards, you'll take the hotel shuttle to the Guatemala City airport for your flight home. We recommend arriving to the airport three hours prior to your departure.