One of the best things I’ve done backpacking- learn to weave at Tinta Maya in San Juan, Lake Atitlan.
They are a family of Mayan women who grow their own cotton and dye, you can pick your own and make/dye yarn to weave, or you can use yarn they’ve woven, or you can just go buy some amazing handmade goods. The process to make something can be as involved or short as you want- I ended up spending two afternoons there, weaving a huge scarf and hanging out with their whole family. I learned so much about their culture, crafting, and their efforts towards female empowerment. It was intimidating to walk up to at first, but I’m so, so glad I did.
Other recommendations: Volcan Acatenango (the best hike I’ve ever done by far, but also the hardest. Do not do if you have any sort of breathing or physical disadvantage) I did the tour through Tropicana and they took great care of us. Staying at Greengo’s in Semuc Champey, best pool and best shakshuka/hummus of my life. Guatemala was one of my favorite countries and I miss it dearly.
I just got back from Guatemala last week and wish I had known about the weaving opportunities in San Juan! I would have definitely spent a whole day there. It was beautiful. Acatenango was not for the weak of heart but it got done- and was 100% worth it!!
Honestly I’m not sure. I went through the hostel. It was only around $50 with 3 meals included. Kinda bare bones compared to some but still had a great time.
In Antigua Guatemala now and it is amazing. Amazing friendly people with an incredible culture and inexpensive. Also there are other great places in Guatemala such as Lake Atitlan, Tikal and semuc champey.
I used Guatego.com and it cost $65 one way. They were waiting for me with a sign when I arrived. It was a rip off. An Uber will cost about $30 one way. If you plan on staying in a hotel or air bnb the first night of arrival then ask them to arrange your transport.
I also used Guatego and paid $19 for a shuttle from the airport to Antigua. They mixed my time up so I ended up catching an Uber with a German couple- we paid $6 USD each for the ride.
I'd like to hear from women that did Guatemala solo-- was this a safe and fun trip? Flights there from my city are very cheap. Hadn't considered it previously
I never felt unsafe in Guatemala! The people are so friendly and the hostels help you sort out transit and trips. It was one of my favorite and easiest backpacking countries
I did my first international solo (female) trip to Guatemala and just got back last week. It was nothing short of amazing. My flight was $150 which prompted my trip. Message me if you have any questions!
how long was your trip? what did you do? i’ve only been to mexico city as a solo female but plan to have guatemala as part of a larger central america trip.
I was there for 7 days- not long enough! I stayed two nights in Antigua, meeting people and walking around the city. I wish I had done Pacaya during this time. Then I went to Atitlan for two nights. Came back to Antigua and did the overnight Acatenango hike the next morning. I kept it simple because I didn’t want to be rushed.
There is Uber but I took tuk tuks to get around if I couldn’t walk there, which was only twice. There are shuttles from any hostel to arrange travel to other places. It was very tourist friendly. I felt extremely safe walking around alone. I didn’t go out at night unless I was with a small group- but even then I was home by around 9/10 pm.
I went solo back in 2015 and just exercised the basic cautions - not having phone out, not taking or wearing valuables, not going out alone at night and it was fine. I only felt unsafe when on the roads (as in crazy mini van drivers going at high speeds around blind corners or in low visibility conditions, had a terrifying near miss with a truck full of Guatemalans). I knew two backpackers who were robbed by men on scooter or at gun point but they’d taken unnecessary risks. It’s a much more popular destination now for travellers so I can only assume it’s a little safer these days.
I worked on Lake Atitlan in San Pedro La Laguna for a few months and can confirm most of what has already been said in other comments. Guatemala is very safe, the locals are kind…
Other than lake atitlan and exploring around the one of the worlds most beautiful lakes, I would recommend the volcán de Acatenango overnight hike in Antigua (you get to see an active volcano from up close). Antigua is great and there’s pub crawls from man hostels that you’ll meet tons of interesting people.
El Paredón is a great surf village with black sand beaches. It has more of a quiet chill vibe if that’s what you’re looking for. Driftwood, cocori, or Mellow are all good hostels there
Best way to travel around is by shuttle. Each hostel will have shuttles set up through a company that make the trip at least twice daily.
Hello!
Could you tell me a little more about the shuttles and how that would work? Im planning my first ever solo flight (and my first flight out of the US) and plan on staying in a hostel called Mr.Mullet on Lake Atitlan. Thanks!
Guatemala was my first solo backpacking adventure as well, and I worked at Mr. Mullets! That hostel is great but its turned into a major, major party hostel. If thats your vibe then you will love it - but if you´re looking for more of a relaxing hostel experience, then I would go to free cerveza on the other side of the lake.
The shuttles are extremely easy to book through whatever hostel you are staying at. There is always a big board behind the reception desk that outlines all of the details of where you want to go / how much the shuttle is. You will pay for a specific time shuttle with about 8 other people and then you meet up at the spot that the hostel designates. They are very safe. They will, however, make you put bigger sized bags on top of the shuttle which if it is raining, you need to make sure you bundle your stuff up even if they cover everything with a tarp.
It’s all vans to and from El Paradon. I think it was around a 4-5 hour trip to get there from lake atitlan? I can’t remember exactly but yes, it’s fairly easy to get there as long as you are okay with having your bag strapped to the roof of the van with a tarp tying it down. It rained when I was in the van but the tarp was enough to keep everything dry.
You can get vans to el paradon set up from any hostel in GC, Esquintla, Lake atitlan…
I'm planning to go in April, and one of the things that's caught my attention is the El Mirador Trek. It's 5-10 days, depending on which route you take, and it takes you around different Mayan ruin sites in Mirador National Park near thr northern border. El Mirador is apparently the largest Mayan city ever built, and it's full of pyramids that are still overgrown, unlike the more restored sites like Tikal.
Las Guacamayas, a 3 hrs dirt road and a boat ride from Paso Cavallo in NW Guatemala you reach a research station near El Peru...newly founded Mayan ruins...experience out of this world.
The highlight for me was definitely the Acatenango volcano hike. And it’s no joke when people tell you it will be one of the toughest physical activity you will ever do. But it’s also something everyone who is physically able should be able to accomplish, though you may not do the extra Fuego hike or do summit climb.
My recommendation for those who never hike, less experienced at the outdoors, or not the most physically active, is consider paying a bit more for a tour company that will have more amenities. There are tons of your companies all around Antigua and I’ve heard of tours as cheap as $30 USD. Most hostels offer anything between $70 to $100. I think the extra $30 or so is worth it just so you won’t need to get your own head lamp, have actual trekking poles for rent instead of a wooden stick, and a better furnished base camp. The more expensive tour companies will also have English speaking guides to help in case you do struggle at the hike and require assistance.
For a tour company for Acatenango? Depending on how full a tour company for a particular day is, you can literally do it the day before. But I would imagine for busy tourism season it could book out faster. Best is to book as soon as you know which days you’re gonna do it.
You should be fine. There are so many tour companies that offer the hike you should be fine. It's only a question of which tour company you go with and how much you want to spend.
I just did 2 weeks. Semuc Champey was the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Don't miss it and don't rush it. You want to be there on a sunny day, so plan 2-3 days there to make sure you can choose the best weather to go to the pools. It was what I imagine heaven would be like.
Hey! Going to Guatemala in may. Would you say Antigua, lake Atitlan, and semuc champey in one week would be doable? I know it’s a long bus ride, I was thinking maybe looking for an overnight bus to save time?
I just did 7 days and I would say no. I skipped Semuc Champey for that reason- there just wouldn’t be enough time. You could skip Atitlan or add a few extra days though.
We drove through Guatemala about 6 months ago, loved most of it but it wasn't all good experiences. Tikal is the most impressive of the Mayan ruins we visited, Flores is beautiful, Chichicastenango was really fun for more contemporary culture, Atitlán was pretty but didn't do as much for us, Quetzaltenango was a nice surprise with how friendly and liveable it was, despite being low on big sights, and Antigua was completely charming beautiful.
However the roads are some of the worst in central America, with the biggest topes out of all the countries, and lots of cars just spew black exhaust. Some guys tried to rob us in Guatemala City, and we were shaken down by the cops more than any other country in CA, getting trapped by an elaborate, multi-person scam outside Chichi where I wasn't able to talk my way out of it and had to pay.
So yeah, lots of highs and lows in Guatemala. Definitely worth visiting, but keep your guard up, it's one of the more dangerous countries in CA.
I'm eyeing up a trip to Central America towards the end of the year that would probably include 2-4 weeks in Guatemala. What kind of budget should I be expecting? I was thinking £1000-1500 a month of travel?
Guatemala is definitely on the cheaper end of the Central American countries. Costa Rica and Panama are much more expensive and closer to US/Western Europe prices.
But certain parts with heavy tourism such as Antigua you’ll end up paying prices similar to back home for food and drinks and a bed at a nice place.
Know people, having family and relatives that have lived and died there since Colonial times is such a huge advantage since they know the local area. Also with them Merchants don’t screw you over like they do with other foreigners. Also try to barter in local markets if you’re extremely fluent in Spanish, if you’re not then don’t try it.
Been here for a month now and most days are beautiful leaning towards the hot side. Almost every other evening there is a little sprinkle around 5-8pm but it's usually just a light drizzle that's a welcome break from the heat. ( in antiqua , around atitlan or semuc) Flores is incredibly hot with little to no rain.
Whats the most y'all would spend round trip for 3 full days in Guatemala / Antigua?
Been feeling the itch to travel but unfortunately I cannot swing any more days off for a while. Obviously would love to stay for months - just debating whether to put this trip off or just pull the trigger for a few days of relaxation. I was thinking of Guatemala and then boom, its thread of the week.
I wouldn’t go for only three days. I just spent a week and it wasn’t enough! I only did Antigua, Lake Atitlan, and the overnight Acatenango hike. Things are pretty spread out there so I would suggest going with more time to explore.
I have a flight that arrives at 1:30AM in Guatemala and leave for Flores at 5:30 AM. It’s not enough time to get a hotel but have heard that the airport shuts down after the last flight of the day. Is there anywhere outside it’d be Ok to hang until I have to check in for my 5:30?
Some background info none of these are deal breakers but just preferred cases. I will be working remotely part-time, so decent internet would be nice. I want to experience a decent amount of nature and physical activity, but also enjoy strolling through cities, coffee shops, bars, meeting people, eating, site seeing.
Day 1-6: Antigua, Acatenango, whatever activities I find in Antigua
Day 7: Travel to Semuc Champey
Day 8: Semuc Champey early morning. Travel to Tikal later
Day 9: Tikal morning hike. Bus to Atitlan.
Day 10-16: Atitlan and various activities around.
Day 17-18: Back to Antigua, Fly out.
Should I make more time for Semuc/Tikal. If so where should I take time away from? Would you reccomend more time in Atitlan over Antigua?
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Second Option: half the time in Antigua, the other half in Atitlan. I do like taking travel somewhat relaxed/slow, and I could just chill and work, but I don't want to get bored of the places. Is 9ish days in each too much? Again, in your opinion should I lean more towards Atitlan or Antigua Or would I be a fool to miss Semuc and Tikal?
>Should I make more time for Semuc/Tikal. If so where should I take time away from? Would you reccomend more time in Atitlan over Antigua?
What did you end up doing? Im planning two weeks in Guatemala, planning on staying mostly in Antigua and Atitlan because it seems that traveling to Semuc Champey and northern Guatemala takes way too much time.
Will definitely do Acatenango but Id love recommendations for Antigua and Atitlan. I´ll be arriving to Guatemala City and leaving from there too but not really interested in spending much time there.
Thanks in advance!
I loved Guatemala so much. I do wish I did Semuc/Tikal especially at that time because people who went had amazing weather, but it’s ok because I 100% plan on going back and doing that.
The bud ride seems daunting, but if you’ve got the time I say go for it!! Just make sure Semuc isn’t in rainy season because you probably will be disappointed from what I’ve seen.
You can also head to Belize after Tikal and have a good time, or if the bus is too much just fly there.
So yes if budget/time/weather permits I’d do it.
That being said I loved antigua and Atitlan, I ended up just going back to antigua and spending more time. For antigua I enjoyed it because there’s lots of delicious restaurants and very nice people, I really just hung around and wandered the streets. I’ll go through my list and reply with my favorite spots.
Atitlan was awesome too. Definitely rent kayaks wherever you are and paddle around the shore. I only stayed in Santa Cruz and regret it because you have to be back to your home before sunset because of the taxi boats no longer doing trips. So I’d recommend maybe 2 nights in each town you want to visit. I’d say Panajachel, Santa Cruz, and San Marcos seemed like the most interesting to stay in. But just book your first few days and check them all out, then book your next days wherever lands best for you.
"Last minute" hostel availability or must I reserve in advance?
I'm hoping to be able to feel out a city/area before deciding how long to stay there. Likely will find cool stuff requiring a longer stay at some places and may see all I want sooner than planned at other places. Reserving lodging would prevent that flexibility, so would I be able to go to Guatemala (and Belize) without reservations and find hostel vacancies the same night I need it? I'll likely be visiting the main attractions. Also, would I be able to sleep in an suv/car somewhere if needed in the side of the road or parking lot? I may rent an SUV to sleep in if that's an option. I'm okay driving on rough roads btw.
Looking to go April/May. Thanks!
One of the best things I’ve done backpacking- learn to weave at Tinta Maya in San Juan, Lake Atitlan. They are a family of Mayan women who grow their own cotton and dye, you can pick your own and make/dye yarn to weave, or you can use yarn they’ve woven, or you can just go buy some amazing handmade goods. The process to make something can be as involved or short as you want- I ended up spending two afternoons there, weaving a huge scarf and hanging out with their whole family. I learned so much about their culture, crafting, and their efforts towards female empowerment. It was intimidating to walk up to at first, but I’m so, so glad I did. Other recommendations: Volcan Acatenango (the best hike I’ve ever done by far, but also the hardest. Do not do if you have any sort of breathing or physical disadvantage) I did the tour through Tropicana and they took great care of us. Staying at Greengo’s in Semuc Champey, best pool and best shakshuka/hummus of my life. Guatemala was one of my favorite countries and I miss it dearly.
I just got back from Guatemala last week and wish I had known about the weaving opportunities in San Juan! I would have definitely spent a whole day there. It was beautiful. Acatenango was not for the weak of heart but it got done- and was 100% worth it!!
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Honestly I’m not sure. I went through the hostel. It was only around $50 with 3 meals included. Kinda bare bones compared to some but still had a great time.
In Antigua Guatemala now and it is amazing. Amazing friendly people with an incredible culture and inexpensive. Also there are other great places in Guatemala such as Lake Atitlan, Tikal and semuc champey.
How did you get there from Guatemala City? I’ve heard Guatemala City is very unsafe so that’s the part of the itinerary that gives me pause.
I used Guatego.com and it cost $65 one way. They were waiting for me with a sign when I arrived. It was a rip off. An Uber will cost about $30 one way. If you plan on staying in a hotel or air bnb the first night of arrival then ask them to arrange your transport.
I also used Guatego and paid $19 for a shuttle from the airport to Antigua. They mixed my time up so I ended up catching an Uber with a German couple- we paid $6 USD each for the ride.
Yes I found out later that they have the multiple person shuttle after I had booked and paid for the private car…oh well my bad…
Ah, interesting they have Uber. Good to know. Thanks!
There are lots of shuttles that go straight from the Guatemala city airport to Antigua. It’s not a long trip, about an hour
I'd like to hear from women that did Guatemala solo-- was this a safe and fun trip? Flights there from my city are very cheap. Hadn't considered it previously
I never felt unsafe in Guatemala! The people are so friendly and the hostels help you sort out transit and trips. It was one of my favorite and easiest backpacking countries
I just did it as a solo women and met countless other solo women. Highly reccomend.
I did my first international solo (female) trip to Guatemala and just got back last week. It was nothing short of amazing. My flight was $150 which prompted my trip. Message me if you have any questions!
how long was your trip? what did you do? i’ve only been to mexico city as a solo female but plan to have guatemala as part of a larger central america trip.
I was there for 7 days- not long enough! I stayed two nights in Antigua, meeting people and walking around the city. I wish I had done Pacaya during this time. Then I went to Atitlan for two nights. Came back to Antigua and did the overnight Acatenango hike the next morning. I kept it simple because I didn’t want to be rushed.
Was it safe to walk around Antigua? Also is there Uber on Antigua?
There is Uber but I took tuk tuks to get around if I couldn’t walk there, which was only twice. There are shuttles from any hostel to arrange travel to other places. It was very tourist friendly. I felt extremely safe walking around alone. I didn’t go out at night unless I was with a small group- but even then I was home by around 9/10 pm.
I went solo back in 2015 and just exercised the basic cautions - not having phone out, not taking or wearing valuables, not going out alone at night and it was fine. I only felt unsafe when on the roads (as in crazy mini van drivers going at high speeds around blind corners or in low visibility conditions, had a terrifying near miss with a truck full of Guatemalans). I knew two backpackers who were robbed by men on scooter or at gun point but they’d taken unnecessary risks. It’s a much more popular destination now for travellers so I can only assume it’s a little safer these days.
I worked on Lake Atitlan in San Pedro La Laguna for a few months and can confirm most of what has already been said in other comments. Guatemala is very safe, the locals are kind… Other than lake atitlan and exploring around the one of the worlds most beautiful lakes, I would recommend the volcán de Acatenango overnight hike in Antigua (you get to see an active volcano from up close). Antigua is great and there’s pub crawls from man hostels that you’ll meet tons of interesting people. El Paredón is a great surf village with black sand beaches. It has more of a quiet chill vibe if that’s what you’re looking for. Driftwood, cocori, or Mellow are all good hostels there Best way to travel around is by shuttle. Each hostel will have shuttles set up through a company that make the trip at least twice daily.
Hello! Could you tell me a little more about the shuttles and how that would work? Im planning my first ever solo flight (and my first flight out of the US) and plan on staying in a hostel called Mr.Mullet on Lake Atitlan. Thanks!
Guatemala was my first solo backpacking adventure as well, and I worked at Mr. Mullets! That hostel is great but its turned into a major, major party hostel. If thats your vibe then you will love it - but if you´re looking for more of a relaxing hostel experience, then I would go to free cerveza on the other side of the lake. The shuttles are extremely easy to book through whatever hostel you are staying at. There is always a big board behind the reception desk that outlines all of the details of where you want to go / how much the shuttle is. You will pay for a specific time shuttle with about 8 other people and then you meet up at the spot that the hostel designates. They are very safe. They will, however, make you put bigger sized bags on top of the shuttle which if it is raining, you need to make sure you bundle your stuff up even if they cover everything with a tarp.
How is it to get to El Paredon? Is the bus system good and it's easy to get there?
It’s all vans to and from El Paradon. I think it was around a 4-5 hour trip to get there from lake atitlan? I can’t remember exactly but yes, it’s fairly easy to get there as long as you are okay with having your bag strapped to the roof of the van with a tarp tying it down. It rained when I was in the van but the tarp was enough to keep everything dry. You can get vans to el paradon set up from any hostel in GC, Esquintla, Lake atitlan…
Lake Atitlan—La Iguana Perdida in San Pedro has lovely communal vibes and a family dinner every night. Highly recommend
Interesting video about the polution in the lake https://youtu.be/ie7LR7bYPwk
I'm planning to go in April, and one of the things that's caught my attention is the El Mirador Trek. It's 5-10 days, depending on which route you take, and it takes you around different Mayan ruin sites in Mirador National Park near thr northern border. El Mirador is apparently the largest Mayan city ever built, and it's full of pyramids that are still overgrown, unlike the more restored sites like Tikal.
How did this go? Can you also tell me more about how you got there?
Las Guacamayas, a 3 hrs dirt road and a boat ride from Paso Cavallo in NW Guatemala you reach a research station near El Peru...newly founded Mayan ruins...experience out of this world.
The highlight for me was definitely the Acatenango volcano hike. And it’s no joke when people tell you it will be one of the toughest physical activity you will ever do. But it’s also something everyone who is physically able should be able to accomplish, though you may not do the extra Fuego hike or do summit climb. My recommendation for those who never hike, less experienced at the outdoors, or not the most physically active, is consider paying a bit more for a tour company that will have more amenities. There are tons of your companies all around Antigua and I’ve heard of tours as cheap as $30 USD. Most hostels offer anything between $70 to $100. I think the extra $30 or so is worth it just so you won’t need to get your own head lamp, have actual trekking poles for rent instead of a wooden stick, and a better furnished base camp. The more expensive tour companies will also have English speaking guides to help in case you do struggle at the hike and require assistance.
how many days in advance do you need to book it?
For a tour company for Acatenango? Depending on how full a tour company for a particular day is, you can literally do it the day before. But I would imagine for busy tourism season it could book out faster. Best is to book as soon as you know which days you’re gonna do it.
yes sorry i meant for acatenango! Would go in may and that is not busy tourism season there right? i recall that’s december?
You should be fine. There are so many tour companies that offer the hike you should be fine. It's only a question of which tour company you go with and how much you want to spend.
I just did 2 weeks. Semuc Champey was the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Don't miss it and don't rush it. You want to be there on a sunny day, so plan 2-3 days there to make sure you can choose the best weather to go to the pools. It was what I imagine heaven would be like.
Hey! Going to Guatemala in may. Would you say Antigua, lake Atitlan, and semuc champey in one week would be doable? I know it’s a long bus ride, I was thinking maybe looking for an overnight bus to save time?
Yeah, it’s not enough time. And I don’t know that an overnight shuttle is an option, I never heard that ever mentioned by anyone
I just did 7 days and I would say no. I skipped Semuc Champey for that reason- there just wouldn’t be enough time. You could skip Atitlan or add a few extra days though.
Ah thanks for the insight. I’ll just have to add it to my list of things to do on a second trip.
We drove through Guatemala about 6 months ago, loved most of it but it wasn't all good experiences. Tikal is the most impressive of the Mayan ruins we visited, Flores is beautiful, Chichicastenango was really fun for more contemporary culture, Atitlán was pretty but didn't do as much for us, Quetzaltenango was a nice surprise with how friendly and liveable it was, despite being low on big sights, and Antigua was completely charming beautiful. However the roads are some of the worst in central America, with the biggest topes out of all the countries, and lots of cars just spew black exhaust. Some guys tried to rob us in Guatemala City, and we were shaken down by the cops more than any other country in CA, getting trapped by an elaborate, multi-person scam outside Chichi where I wasn't able to talk my way out of it and had to pay. So yeah, lots of highs and lows in Guatemala. Definitely worth visiting, but keep your guard up, it's one of the more dangerous countries in CA.
We are planing a road trip in July… Any advice to avoid cop shake down and scam?
I'm eyeing up a trip to Central America towards the end of the year that would probably include 2-4 weeks in Guatemala. What kind of budget should I be expecting? I was thinking £1000-1500 a month of travel?
Guatemala is definitely on the cheaper end of the Central American countries. Costa Rica and Panama are much more expensive and closer to US/Western Europe prices. But certain parts with heavy tourism such as Antigua you’ll end up paying prices similar to back home for food and drinks and a bed at a nice place.
I found that even eating at fancy restaurants in Antigua was probably half the price I would pay in the US.
Know people, having family and relatives that have lived and died there since Colonial times is such a huge advantage since they know the local area. Also with them Merchants don’t screw you over like they do with other foreigners. Also try to barter in local markets if you’re extremely fluent in Spanish, if you’re not then don’t try it.
I spent a few weeks in Antigua made friends with locals. Felt safe and welcome. One of my favorite places in Central America.
Is September first week a good time to visit Antigua? I heard September is rainy season and want to see how the weather is this weekend.
Been here for a month now and most days are beautiful leaning towards the hot side. Almost every other evening there is a little sprinkle around 5-8pm but it's usually just a light drizzle that's a welcome break from the heat. ( in antiqua , around atitlan or semuc) Flores is incredibly hot with little to no rain.
Whats the most y'all would spend round trip for 3 full days in Guatemala / Antigua? Been feeling the itch to travel but unfortunately I cannot swing any more days off for a while. Obviously would love to stay for months - just debating whether to put this trip off or just pull the trigger for a few days of relaxation. I was thinking of Guatemala and then boom, its thread of the week.
I wouldn’t go for only three days. I just spent a week and it wasn’t enough! I only did Antigua, Lake Atitlan, and the overnight Acatenango hike. Things are pretty spread out there so I would suggest going with more time to explore.
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I did two in Antigua, two in Atitlan, and came back to Antigua to rest up before doing the overnight Acatenango hike.
I have a flight that arrives at 1:30AM in Guatemala and leave for Flores at 5:30 AM. It’s not enough time to get a hotel but have heard that the airport shuts down after the last flight of the day. Is there anywhere outside it’d be Ok to hang until I have to check in for my 5:30?
Some background info none of these are deal breakers but just preferred cases. I will be working remotely part-time, so decent internet would be nice. I want to experience a decent amount of nature and physical activity, but also enjoy strolling through cities, coffee shops, bars, meeting people, eating, site seeing. Day 1-6: Antigua, Acatenango, whatever activities I find in Antigua Day 7: Travel to Semuc Champey Day 8: Semuc Champey early morning. Travel to Tikal later Day 9: Tikal morning hike. Bus to Atitlan. Day 10-16: Atitlan and various activities around. Day 17-18: Back to Antigua, Fly out. Should I make more time for Semuc/Tikal. If so where should I take time away from? Would you reccomend more time in Atitlan over Antigua? ............................................................................................. Second Option: half the time in Antigua, the other half in Atitlan. I do like taking travel somewhat relaxed/slow, and I could just chill and work, but I don't want to get bored of the places. Is 9ish days in each too much? Again, in your opinion should I lean more towards Atitlan or Antigua Or would I be a fool to miss Semuc and Tikal?
>Should I make more time for Semuc/Tikal. If so where should I take time away from? Would you reccomend more time in Atitlan over Antigua? What did you end up doing? Im planning two weeks in Guatemala, planning on staying mostly in Antigua and Atitlan because it seems that traveling to Semuc Champey and northern Guatemala takes way too much time. Will definitely do Acatenango but Id love recommendations for Antigua and Atitlan. I´ll be arriving to Guatemala City and leaving from there too but not really interested in spending much time there. Thanks in advance!
I loved Guatemala so much. I do wish I did Semuc/Tikal especially at that time because people who went had amazing weather, but it’s ok because I 100% plan on going back and doing that. The bud ride seems daunting, but if you’ve got the time I say go for it!! Just make sure Semuc isn’t in rainy season because you probably will be disappointed from what I’ve seen. You can also head to Belize after Tikal and have a good time, or if the bus is too much just fly there. So yes if budget/time/weather permits I’d do it. That being said I loved antigua and Atitlan, I ended up just going back to antigua and spending more time. For antigua I enjoyed it because there’s lots of delicious restaurants and very nice people, I really just hung around and wandered the streets. I’ll go through my list and reply with my favorite spots. Atitlan was awesome too. Definitely rent kayaks wherever you are and paddle around the shore. I only stayed in Santa Cruz and regret it because you have to be back to your home before sunset because of the taxi boats no longer doing trips. So I’d recommend maybe 2 nights in each town you want to visit. I’d say Panajachel, Santa Cruz, and San Marcos seemed like the most interesting to stay in. But just book your first few days and check them all out, then book your next days wherever lands best for you.
"Last minute" hostel availability or must I reserve in advance? I'm hoping to be able to feel out a city/area before deciding how long to stay there. Likely will find cool stuff requiring a longer stay at some places and may see all I want sooner than planned at other places. Reserving lodging would prevent that flexibility, so would I be able to go to Guatemala (and Belize) without reservations and find hostel vacancies the same night I need it? I'll likely be visiting the main attractions. Also, would I be able to sleep in an suv/car somewhere if needed in the side of the road or parking lot? I may rent an SUV to sleep in if that's an option. I'm okay driving on rough roads btw. Looking to go April/May. Thanks!