8 Days in Guatemala
8 Day Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Antigua
Day 2: Explore the city and do a sunset ATV tour
Day 3: Volcano hike!
Day 4: Come back from the hike and shuttle to Lake Atitlan
Day 5: Sunrise hike at the lake
Day 6: Take a lancha to another town on the lake
Day 7: Shuttle back to Antigua
Day 8: Enjoy one more walk around Antigua, then shuttle to the airport
Day 1
First, we landed in the Guatemala City airport. We arranged a private shuttle to Antigua before we left the states. This shuttle costs $48 total for the two of us, and they took us straight to our hotel. All you do is book online, I used the website link (see below), and the driver meets you right outside the airport with a sign with your last name. I would highly recommend this, as it is safe, efficient, and stress free. My friend and I stayed at Tropicana Hostel, which is great for the value at about $13/night.
At this hostel, you can book your volcano hike to Acatenago through Tropicana. This was incredibly easy and efficient. While you don't have to stay at the hostel to do the hike with them, it was great to be able to wake up in the same location where the shuttle comes to pick you up. We checked into the hostel upon arrival, and went straight to bed after a long travel day.
If hostels aren't your thing, here is a great hotel option. Hotel La Catedral is in the heart of Antigua, right in the midst of bars, restaurants, and the central market of Antigua. Enjoy a cup of coffee with a view of the surrounding volcanoes while sitting in a beautiful garden at this hotel.
Day 2
Our day started with a slow morning, followed by exploring the adorable town of Antigua. There is so much to see, from outdoor markets selling fresh food and souvenirs, to beautiful public squares with lots of colorful flowers all around. You always have a cool view of a volcano while you explore Antigua, which was a highlight as well. I would recommend taking your time wandering the streets and enjoying the sunshine. We stopped at La Fonda de la Calle Real for lunch, which was delicious, and fueled us for more walking.
The beautiful streets of Antigua
Being that Easter is early this year, the town was gearing up for Holy Week, which was a pleasant surprise. We got to see people working on street art, using sand, flowers, and mulch to make these beautiful and vibrant pieces of art. There was also a huge parade going on while we were there, so if you can plan your trip near Easter, you get a little added bonus of the culture in Guatemala, as it is predominantly Catholic.
Holy Week street art
At 2pm, we walked over to Simoon Rentals & Tours. We booked an ATV tour through here, and it was amazing. For $62/person, you get a 5 hour ATV tour that takes you up a mountain, stopping at a nice overlook of the city and the surrounding volcanoes, as well as entry into Hobbitenago, and then you stop for dinner with a sunset view, and ride back to town under the stars. The overlook was gorgeous and then Hobbitenago was an unexpected gem. It's basically a little hobbit town that you can actually stay in if you want. They have several activities including axe throwing, archery, a bungee swing, mini golf, a photo opp on a giant hand, and a good variety of shopping. The tour covered the entry to this attraction, so we had free time to enjoy the activities and the hobbit-atmosphere.
On our way down the mountain on our ATV's, we stopped at a restaurant with views of the sunset and the active volcano, Fuego. We ate a wonderful Guatemalan meal and got to chat with the other people in our group. The ride back down the mountain was really fun, it was dark so we got to see lots of stars and an almost full moon. We arrived back in town, and then walked to our hostel to go to bed.
Day 3
Volcano day! Since we booked our volcano hike through Tropicana Hostel, it made this morning really convenient. We woke up and packed our hiking bags, and then went to the roof for a breakfast of pancakes and scrambled eggs, which was included in our tour. We were handed our bagged lunch as well as 4 liters of water to carry with us on the hike. The tour included three free clothing rental items, so we picked those out and then got on a shuttle bus that took us to the volcano. I chose a jacket, gloves, and a hat as my clothing items, and then rented the hiking boots for about $7. The bus took 45 minutes, and when we arrived, we were given an overview of the hike and some people rented hiking poles at this point. I decided to go without and that was fine for me, but several people got them and enjoyed the extra support. The hike was intense and very steep, but the views and the overall experience were well worth it! We stopped about every 30 mins for water breaks which was very helpful. We had local guides leading us up the volcano and they were friendly and helped motivate us as well! We hiked about 6 miles to base camp, where we had great views of Fuego, an active volcano. It erupted every 5-10 minutes and was so cool to watch. At this point, you have the option to hike closer to the active volcano, which takes a few extra hours and costs an extra $25. My friend and I decided to stay at base camp and we were really glad with our decision, as it allowed us to rest our legs and enjoy the fire pit that our guides set up for us. As the sun went down, we could start to see the lava come out of the volcano and run down the sides. At base camp, we had dinner, wine, hot cocoa, and roasted marshmallows. The stars were unreal, because there was pretty much zero light pollution. We settled into our cabins at base camp, and got some well deserved sleep!
Day 4
This morning involved a cold, 4am wake up in order to catch the sunrise at the top of Acatenago. We began the roughly one mile ascent at 4:30am. The sunrise was breathtaking, we were above the clouds and saw it rise over the mountains in the distance. It was definitely cold, so the jacket, gloves, and hat were life savers! We all enjoyed the sunrise, and then began hiking down. We stopped at base camp to have breakfast and coffee, and then started our 6 mile down hike. It was much quicker on the way down, but our legs were definitely feeling the soreness from the hike up! We made it back to where the bus would pick us up around 11:30, and then arrived back in Antigua at about 12:30pm. We were all provided towels and showers at Tropicana Hostel, and then grabbed lunch at a cute café called Union Cafe with friends we made on the hike.
After lunch, we went back to the hostel to catch a shuttle to Lake Atitlan at 4pm. The shuttle took 2.5 hours, getting us to Panajachel at 6:30pm. From Panajachel, we took a Lancha (small boat) at the docks to our next hostel, Free Cerveza, located on Santa Cruz. Free Cerveza is not accessible by car, so you have to take a boat to get there. Boats run until 7:30pm every day, so if you plan to arrive late, you'll need to organize a private boat ride in advanced. The Lancha ride took about 15 minutes and took us right to the dock of Free Cerveza. Just make sure to tell your captain where you are headed before you get on the boat! We checked in, and then got settled in our tent for the night. The tents had 4 twin mattresses and they were really cozy and had plenty of space for four people to stay in.
Another great option when visiting Santa Cruz, is La Iguana Perdida. This hotel is amazing, as it is right on the lake, has wonderful views, and there are several activities available to keep you busy. The restaurant in this hotel is amazing, and has one of the best traditional Guatemalan breakfasts that we had on the trip. This hotel also features a garden, game room, a terrace, sauna, and a bar.
Day 5
Today started with a sunrise hike, which was led by a volunteer working at the hostel. Free Cerveza offers several free activities every day, which made our stay even more enjoyable. The hike was short and steep, and we got to see a beautiful sunrise over the lake. On the hike, we learned how the lake was formed. Apparently, there used to be a huge volcano here, and one day it erupted and then imploded, hitting water springs below, and those springs filled the crater that the volcano left, forming Lake Atitlan. The lake is surrounded by dormant volcanos, giving it the nickname, 'Ring of Fire.'
After the hike, I took a dip in the lake with a friend I met on the sunrise hike. Everyone staying at the hostel was really friendly which was great to have a social, laid back aspect to our time at the lake. The water is a bit cold, but incredibly refreshing and very clean.
Today we took it easy, read our books, had breakfast at the hostel, and relaxed in hammocks. The weather was amazing, so we got to enjoy the sun and use the kayaks and paddle boards that are provided by the hostel as well. Tonight, we signed up for the family dinner with Free Cerveza. This includes free unlimited beer from 5-7pm, followed by a 3 course dinner served at 7pm. This was all 80 QTD per person, around $10, which seemed crazy to us being from the DC area, where one beer is $10! Happy hour was lots of fun, we played games and socialized with other travelers. The dinner was made with fresh ingredients and it was delicious. We had a pumpkin soup with homemade croutons, a carrot/zucchini lasagna served with a side salad and a peanut dressing, and then for dessert they gave us an orange cupcake with a cream cheese frosting. We stayed up playing a few games of Uno, and then went to sleep in our tent.
Free paddle board rentals at the hostel
Free beer at happy hour!
The main course for our dinner
Day 6
We started this day off by watching the sunrise on the dock, and then we signed up for an 8am yoga class that was offered by the hostel. Yoga was amazing and relaxing, as well as very needed to get some stretching in since we were still recovering from the hike!
The setup and view for yoga
After yoga, we got ready for our day trip. We headed down to the dock to hail a Lancha (water taxi). All we had to do was wave and then point which direction we wanted to go. We got picked up, and enjoyed a 20 minute ride over to the town of San Pedro. There are a few towns that you can choose from on the lake, each offering different activities. San Marcos has cliff jumping, Panajachel has ziplining and a botanical garden, and San Pedro has a coffee tour, hiking trails, and lots of popular bars and cafes. We arrived at San Pedro, and spent some time walking around the town. We went down to the beach area to relax on the sand, and then we made our way through the main strip to find a place to get lunch. Our criteria for lunch was somewhere that looked authentic, and ideally with a good view. The spot we found was almost at the end of the row of restaurants, and we hit the jackpot! Called El Columpio, this was a restaurant run by one woman that was cooking out of what looked like a home kitchen. We sat at a little table with a tikki hut above us, offering shade. The view was amazing, and they even had swings that faced the lake. The chicken quesadillas that we ordered were incredible, with the best guac that we had had so far on the trip!
Katie and I took turns on this swing at lunch
After lunch, we went back to the dock and caught a lancha back to Free Cerveza. At the hostel, we went swimming, read our books, and relaxed in the common area for the rest of the day.
Day 7
Today started with a 5:30am wake up to do a sunrise paddle board with the hostel. There were about 15 of us that went out on the lake. It was the clearest morning so far, which made for an amazing sunrise. We had a great time and it was a perfect start to the day. After the sunrise, we went back to the hostel and walked over to the Blue Iguana for breakfast. We got a table with a great lake view, and the food was really good. I got a typical Guatemalan breakfast with eggs, black beans, fresh cheese, plantains, avocado, and handmade tortillas.
Sunrise paddle
The view from our table at breakfast
Breakfast at The Blue Iguana
We packed up back at Free Cerveza, and then got on a lancha to Panajachel. We walked around the outdoor market stalls in Pana, and got a bite to eat for lunch, before walking to Selina, a hostel in Panajachel, where we had pre-arranged a shuttle back to Antigua. We arrived in Antigua in the evening, checked into our hostel for the night, and then split a pizza for dinner before calling it a night.
Day 8
Our last day in Guatemala! Today, we did a bit of shopping and went to do one of my favorite things while traveling: seeing American fast food chains in other countries! We went to the Taco Bell, Starbucks, and McDonald's. The Starbucks in Antigua is supposedly the most beautiful one in the world, and I definitely see why. There were gorgeous murals and lots of plants and nice indoor/outdoor seating options. The McDonald's had a courtyard with statues of the McDonald's characters. Some people might see that as a cheesy tourist thing to do, but I always think it's fun to see the unique aspects of these chains in different cultures, so I would highly recommend it.
Starbucks in Antigua
McDonalds in Antigua
We continued taking in the last bit of time we had in Antigua, and then we got a shuttle from Tropicana Hostel to take us to the Guatemala City airport to head back home.
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