Thank you all for joining us here for our first ever Best of Guatemala Travel Recommendations!
After spending time on a project tour with the GLP, volunteers often ask to stay a little while longer in Guatemala. I mean who wouldn’t after visiting this beautiful country?! And they want recommendations on what to do and see next. If that sounds like you, you’ve come to the right place!
Our community of supporters offered up their suggestions and we combined the best recommendations into a one-stop travel resource for you! So without further ado, I present to you the Best of Guatemala Travel Recommendations.
Drumroll please.
The GLP does not endorse any of the recommendations below. These are simply recommendations we collected from our community to share with you.
Best places to visit in Guatemala (in order):
- Antigua
- Lake Atitlán
- Tikal (Flores, Lago Peten Itzá)
- Chichicastenango
- Livingston
- Lago Izabal
- Semuc Champey/Lanquín Caves
- Guatemala City
- Lake Amatitlán
- Sololá
Best hotels:
Includes options ranging from budget-friendly to luxury
In Antigua:
- Good Hotel Antigua
- Hotel el Meson de Maria
- Hotel Quinta de las Flores
- Porta Hotel Antigua
- Camino Real
- Hotel Villa Colonial**
- Hotel Posada de Don Rodrigo Antigua
- Hotel Casa Antigua
- Hotel Casa del Parque
- Hotel Aurora
- Hotel Casa Santo Domingo
- Hotel Selina Antigua
- Casa Santa Rosa Hotel Boutique
- Casa de la Alameda
- Hotel Posada San Pedro
Casa del Mundo is simply the most beautiful place I have ever stayed. It’s affordable and the food at their restaurant was outstanding. I cannot wait to go again. It’s worth popping by there even if you can’t stay the night.
**The GLP can book extra nights at the Villa Colonial Hotel for tour volunteers with our group rate of $110 per room per night. Volunteers can pay for those nights here. We need to know at least two weeks in advance if you would like an extra night booked and at least one week in advance if would like to be picked up/dropped off from a location other than the airport before/after a tour.
Best villages to visit around Lake Atitlán (in order):
- Panajachel
- San Juan
- Santa Cruz
- San Antonio
- San Pedro
- Santiago
- Santa Catarina
- San Marcos
Best activities:
In Antigua:
- Visiting Museo de Libro Antiguo
- Climbing up to Cerro de la Cruz
- Spending time in Antigua Central Park
- Shopping
- Hiking the Pacaya volcano
- Taking a walking tour of the city
- Taking chocolate-making classes
- Visiting the churches
- Touring coffee farms
- Visiting the ruins
- Zip lining
- Biking
On Lake Atitlán:
- Taking a boat tour
- Visiting Reserva Natural Atitlán
- Zip lining
- Kayaking
- Visiting weaving cooperatives
- Swimming
- Paddle boarding
- Hiking the San Pedro volcano
- Shopping
- Taking Anita’s cooking class in San Pedro
- Birding
In Guatemala City:
- Visiting La Aurora Zoo
- Taking a city tour
- Visiting the market
- Going to the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
- Visiting the National Palace
- Visiting Museo Ixchel del Traje Indigena
Best Spanish schools:
At Jabel Tinamit Spanish School, the teachers are good and the school provides other nice services like airport drop off, laundry service, flash cards for purchase, wonderful cooking classes with the teachers, etc.
Best restaurants:
In Panajachel:
In Guatemala City:
Best Travel Agencies:
- Guatemala Reservations.com (Nancy Hoffman)
- Offers day trips to Tikal or Pacaya
- Antigua Tours (Elizabeth Bell)
- Offers walking tours of Antigua and more
- Atitlán Tours
- Recommended for volcano hikes
- Also offers kayaking, zip line, etc.
- Kayak Guatemala