Guatemala, 3 week itinerary
Getting There
I started my trip to Guatemala not knowing a single thing except for that I wanted to hike Volcan de Acatenango.
I started my Central America trip in Mexico and planned to get to Guatemala by passing through Belize. Upon further research, crossing through Belize was not going to be easy or cheap. I met some girls in a hostel who told me about a border in Palenque, Mexico.
We hopped on a night bus which cost about $7.00 CAD and spent 2 days in Palenque before heading to Guatemala. It cost us about $40 CAD in total to get from Palenque, Mexico to Flores, Guatemala. We were picked up at our hostel and drove for about 4 hours until we reached a river. We crossed the river by boat, then got on “chicken bus” and drove for another 6 hours until reaching the town of Flores.
Photo from the river crossing from Mexico to Guatemala
Rough Itinerary
In total we spent 3 weeks in Guatemala.
- 4 days visiting Flores, which is where you will get to see the magnificent Tikal. This is a must see if you are in Guatemala.
- 3 days in Semuc Champey. I believe this is another must! But it was a 12 hour bus ride from Flores to Semuc Champey. The bus cost about $30.00 CAD.
- 4 days in Antigua. The bus ride to get to Antigua took about 12 hours from Semuc Champey and cost around $30.00 CAD. Antigua is where Volcan de Acatenango is.
- 5 Days in El Paredon. This is a super awesome, laid back and relaxed surf town. We took a bus for about $20.00CAD but you could definitely take the chicken buses if you are up for it for much less.
- 6 days in Lago de Atitlan. We split our time in Lago de Atitlan between Panajachel, a stay at Free Cerveza and San Pedro.
Flores:
Flores is a small island on Lago Petén Itzá, connected by a bridge to a large city called San Benito. We stayed a Los Amigos hostel which I highly recommend. It had a really great vibe and a social atmosphere. Theres a kitchen and a bar/ restaurant so you can cook or buy food in their bar. I Recommend booking through their website as its cheaper than Hostelworld.
You can walk around the whole island in about a half hour and there are lots of restaurants, cafes and convenience stores. The buildings are colourful and the streets are all cobblestone.
If you cross the bridge into San Benito there is a supermarket and a mall. You can also find some chain restaurants you might be familiar with like Burger King and Dominos.
We were able to rent kayaks through our hostel, I’m sure most of the hostels would have the same option. We rented kayaks and paddled over to “Jorges Rope Swing” which took about 25 minutes or so. While you’re there you can purchase drinks and snacks and hangout with other travellers.
From Flores, you can book day tours to visit Tikal. We booked a sunset tour through our hostel which was about $25.00 CAD (165Q). You can book other tours through the hostel as well including the El Mirador trek.
The tour only includes transportation and the guide, you have to purchase entrance to the park which is about $15.00 CAD (100Q). You can pack some snacks and make sure to bring water.
The guide takes you to all the major parts of the site and teaches you all about the history. They also give you some free time to explore on your own and then you meet back at Temple 4 for sunset. Overall its an amazing day, you cant miss it!
View from Temple 4 just before sunset
Semuc Champey
I didnt even know this place existed until I was in Flores and heard people talking about it. It was a long bus ride from Flores, about 12 hours but the views were amazing along the way! The roads are rough and winding so bring gravol if you get motion sickness. The bus I took did not have a bathroom, but you stop along the way as well as a stop for lunch.
While in Semuc Champey, we stayed at Greengos Hostel, which is only a short walk from the entrance to the National Park. It was super cool place with a great pool and lots of areas for socialising. If you want to be closer to the park then I recommend you stay here.
Another hostel which is farther from the park entrance which I didn't stay at, is Zephyr Lodge. That seems to be more of a party atmosphere there and they also have a pool that looks out over the jungle.
You can only book Zephyr lodge via email to the lodge. They have no online booking system so if you want to stay there, you have to book in advance! (Not sure if this has changed since I've been)
We booked Gringos through their website and had no problem! The setting is amazing and they have a great property.
The entrance to the park was about $10CAD (50Q). You can do a short but steep hike up to the lookout where you see the pools below. Its honestly one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my life.
Afterwards you hike down and can spend time in the pools below. There are multiple different levels with waterfalls into the pools below. The water is cool and refreshing!
There is a cave tour you can do (I didnt because not a fan of that). The tour takes you through a cave with nothing but candle light. There is water in the cave and you have to jump off ledges the water to get through certain parts. It looked really cool but I’m not a caving kind of gal.
You can also do a river float, you can rent inner tubes and float down the river. We wanted to do it but it was cold the day we were there, so we opted out. But we did walk up the path along the river which was beautiful!
I suggest at least 2 nights, this gives you 1 full day to visit the park.
Antigua
A cute colonial city that is extremely popular with tourists. If you fly into Guatemala City, you can catch a bus to Antigua. Antigua is about two hours from Guatemala City. There are lots of great restaurants, bars, markets and shops to explore within the city. There are also many hikes including the famous Acatenango!
Getting there:
Antigua is a common place to start your trip in Guatemala if you fly in via Guatemala City. There are busses you can take from Guatemala City to Antigua. Its a common route as many people head straight from the airport to Antigua.
I came to Antigua from Semuc Champey. The bus ride to Antigua is long, as most bus rides are in Guatemala. It took about 12 hours to get from Semuc Champey to Antigua. Again, no washroom on the bus, but they stop for breaks and lunch along the way.
Where to stay:
I ended up back in Antigua 3 separate times as I needed to connect through the city to other areas in Guatemala. While in Antigua I stayed at a few different hostels. Selina, Tropicana Hostel, and The Purpose Hostel.
Each of the hostels I stayed at I really liked. Tropicana has more of a party vibe and has massive dorm rooms. Selina is more like a hotel, but their beds were very comfy and they had really nice areas in their yard to hangout. Purpose Hostel had a very laid back, relaxed vibe. They have a great view of the Volcano from the rooftop!
There are many amazing hostels in Antigua, I would just browse Hostelworld and see what you think suits your style. I do not recommend booking through Hostelworld though as it is more expensive than booking through the hostels website.
What to do:
Antigua is a great city, lots of shops, restaurants, cafes and even a brewery! The city is great for walking around looking at the Colonial architecture. They have a market in the town square on Sunday where local artisans set up their stands and sell various items.
Most hostels offer walking tours of the city. This is a great way to learn about the history and get familiar with the streets and different areas.
From Antigua there are many smaller day hikes you can do. The Pacaya volcano is very popular. Pacaya is an active volcano and lots of tours have you roast marshmallows or cook pizza inside active volcano craters.
Don't expect to get that classic picture infront of the arches with no people around unless you have amazing photoshop skills!
Volcan de Acatenango
Obviously the main attraction is Volcan de Acatenango. We booked the overnight hike through Tropicana hostel. The price was about $60.00 CAD. This includes your transportation, 3 rental clothing items, as well as 2 breakfasts, snacks and dinner.
The hike is about 6 hours long and basically straight up the entire way. It is a hard hike but it is so worth it. Just take you time and pack light! Its extremely cold at the top, so make sure to bring extra layers! You can rent warm clothes from the hostel such as coats, mittens, sweatpants, toques (beanies/hats)
Once you reach the top the guides will make you dinner and hot chocolate. Everyone sits around the fire and watches the volcano erupt. Try and plan your hike for good weather. Sometimes you cannot see Fuego due to poor weather conditions.
In the morning you have the option of waking up early and hiking to the summit of Volcan de Acatenango. Its about an hour hike, again straight up and in the dark. In my opinion this was the hardest part, but the sunrise was definitely beautiful to see.
It is way colder and so windy at the top, you only stay there for about 10-15 minutes before heading back to camp where the guides will make breakfast before heading back down.
View from the summit.
You arrive back to Antigua around 12:00 or 1:00pm. We decided to head straight to El Paredon and rest on the beach. Our shuttle picked us up at 2:00pm and we headed to the beach.
El Paredon
El Paredon is a small laid back beach town, popular amongst backpackers. It's a great for surfing and relaxing in the sunshine after hiking Volcan de Acatenango.
Getting there:
El Paredon is another place I didn't even know existed, but my friend and I wanted to find the beach. We asked around to some other travellers and heard about El Paredon and decided to go.
We took a shuttle bus from from Antigua to El Paredon which took about 4 hours. Again a rough and winding road and costs about $20CAD. You can opt to take a chicken bus if you want for much cheaper.
Where to stay:
We booked 2 nights at Cocorí Lodge and instantly knew we needed more time in El Paredon, Cocorí was full so we ended up booking 2 nights at Hotel Paredon Surf House.
Cocorí Lodge has a great atmosphere, clean and newly renovated salt water pool and a great bar/ restaurant! There was no kitchen, but the food is affordable and delicious. The property also has a little yoga and workout space which is great. You can also rent surf boards and get surf lessons. We really loved it there!
Surf House is a higher end place, but they do offer 1 large “hostel” space. It is above the main lobby and has about 12 beds. We stayed there for the 2 nights and it was good. There isnt much atmosphere but they do have a nice pool. They also have really good wifi, honestly the best id seen in Guatemala, so if you are someone who needs fast wifi, I recommend you stay here!
Other popular hostels are Mellow Hostel and Driftwood Hostel. Mellow hostel is a couple blocks up from the beach, they have good food, a nice pool and a chill social atmosphere. Driftwood Hostel is right on the beach and has more of a party vibe!
What to do:
Surfing is a popular activity here, there are lots of places to rent surf boards or take some surf lessons. Most hostels rent boards and offer lessons but there are also other shops in town that offer the same services.
The overall vibe in El Paredon is amazing. In the evening everyone goes down to the beach to enjoy the sunset. I liked to grab a beer from the shop and enjoy it on the beach. If you plan on hanging out at the beach for sunset, make sure to bring bug spray!! The sand fleas are terrible here especially around sunset.
There are lots of little cafes where you can get smoothies and ice cream to help keep you cool in the day. In the evenings there are lots of local bars in the area you can check out, or the hostels typically have different events going on. The nightlife is really good here!
In the mornings depending on the time of year you can release baby turtles. Hatching can occur between June - December, but peaks in August/ September!
I really loved El Paredon and highly recommend at least 4-5 days there!
Photo of the sunset our first night in El Paredon. One of the most amazing sunsets I have ever seen in my life.
Lake Atitlan
Getting there:
We took a shuttle bus from El Paredon to Panajachel, which is a small town on lake Atitlan. It's where the bus will take you and then you can get a boat to the other areas around the lake. The shuttle from El Paredon to Panajachel bus was about $25 and took about 4 hours.
We opted to take a shuttle because we didn't want to go back to Antigua. Some of the other travel options you have to return to Antigua and switch busses to get to Lake Atitlan.
If you are coming from Antigua, there are local busses that will take you to the lake for cheap, I think it is about $6. Hostels also organize shuttles that can take you to the lake, but that option is more expensive of course at around $20
Where to stay:
We stayed for 1 night in Panajachel and honestly don’t really recommend it. Theres not much to see/ do and the rest is so much more worth it in my opinion.
We took a boat to Free Cerveza, which is an awesome hostel. Its a must if you are visiting Lake Atitlan. They have their own dock with kayak and paddle board rentals which are included with your stay.
The hostel hosts a “family dinner” each night with 2 hours of free beer. They have all sorts of activities, we did sunrise yoga and a sunrise paddle board, they also hosted limbo, beer pong tournaments and other fun games to get everyone mingling. We had an amazing time at Free Cerveza.
After our time at Free Cerveza we took the boat to San Pedro and stayed at Mr.Mullets. This is a great party hostel, we met so many people and honestly had a blast.
I recommend this hostel if you are looking to party! The hostel hosted bar crawls and other nightly events with other travellers. The hostel was also super social, so it is a great place to stay if you are wanting to make some friends!
View from Free Cerveza
What to do:
There was a music festival the weekend that we were there, so basically everyone bought tickets and they would shuttle you in a boat to another part of the lake where the festival was. It was a great time!
Im not sure if they host these festivals often but it was hosted by a group called Wizards Collective. You can find then on instagram where they post their events all around Guatemala!
San Pedro was great for partying, lots of bars and pubs. There were pub crawls hosted by the hostels which were fun and a great way to meet people.
Another town on the lake is San Marcos. Its a very hippy, laid back type of town and is super cool to check out for a day or if you have time you can stay longer of course! They have lots of yoga studios and retreats. Eagles Nest is a popular hotel that offers yoga and dance. It is up on the hill with an amazing view of the lake.
In San Marcos there is also a great Pad Thai restaurant called Maloca, as well as a vegan restaurant Samsaras Garden which both have great food! Definitely recommend eating here!
From the dock in San Marcos you can walk to the left on a path to a nature reserve called “Cerro Tzankujil.” If you follow the path all the way to the end there is a platform where you can cliff jump. It is popular amongst locals and travellers.
We only spent 6 days at Lake Atitlan and I wish we could have spent longer! I would suggest at least a week to really get the full experience. There is so much to see and do around the lake!
At the end of our time in Guatemala we left lake Atitlan and took a shuttle back to Antigua where we would begin our journey to El Salvador.
Dont mind us we are having fun!
Summary
My time in Guatemala was my favourite. I think 3 weeks was a good amount of time to spend in Guatemala and will really allow you to see and experience everything Guatemala has to offer. Of course you can stay longer!
My two favourite locations in Guatemala were Semuc Champey and El Paredon. They were unexpected places I had no idea existed until the day before we went. I am so happy to have gotten to experience as much of Guatemala as I did and I cant wait to go back one day!
This is just my itinerary and I suggest following loosely. Keep your mind open to trying new things and going to new places!
If you decide to use my itinerary, or have even read this far, thank you!
Cheers!
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