Adventure and Culture in Guatemala

Spend your days in this enchanting city strolling through avenidas, plazas and calles, soaking up the baroque architecture and lovely atmosphere. Explore the central market and artisan workshops and then head up to the Hill of the Cross for impressive city panoramas. Your travel designer will give you our top recommendations for culture, dining and shopping so that you can make the most of your time here.

Leaving from the doorstep of your hotel, you’ll enjoy a half day exploring the scenic Antigua valley. Riding on back roads and trails, you’ll pass through local villages, farms and fields getting a glimpse into life in Guatemala. You'll also get to visit tranquil churches and coffee plantations.

Visit the small town of San Miguel Escobar, just outside Antigua, where you will team up with your local guide from De La Gente. DLG is a charity working to support small independent coffee producers and promotes environmentally responsible agriculture. You will visit some of the families supported by this organisation and join them as they pick, pulp, ferment, wash, dry and grade the coffee. You’ll also get to grind the beans by hand on a grindstone, roast coffee over an open fire and enjoy a cup of this wonderful nectar. Please note, coffee season is from November to March.

This private tour begins with an hour's morning transfer taking you to the foothills of the active Pacaya volcano. Here you will hike through fragrant pine forest to the tough volcanic ash section and then to the sulfur smoking cone. During the hike, which is fairly strenuous, you may even see little eruptions and lava flow and when at the summit take in the amazing views of the northern volcanoes, pacific lowlands and El Salvador. On your return down you will stop for a picnic lunch with grand volcanic views.

On arrival in Comalapa, you’ll see the famous mural painted by school children depicting events in Guatemala’s history un to the signing of the peace accords in 1996. You’ll visit some local painters who teach the tradition of naïve painting for which the town is famous. Stop by the authentic Comalapa market to see local people going about their daily life, buying and selling goods.

After lunch you will explore the small but wonderful Maya archaeology site of Iximche with its four ceremonial plazas, flanked by temples. From here you will cycle all the way to Lake Atitlan, passing through mountain villages and remote highland countryside. As you approach the end of the cycle, you will enjoy views of the lake and the three surrounding volcanoes.

Spend your time at Lake Atitlan taking in the incredible scenery and exploring this outstanding area of natural beauty. The tranquil atmosphere of this location means that it's the perfect place to relax for a few days.

Hike along the shores of the beautiful Lake Atitlan, walking through villages and passing Maya people working in the fields, washing clothes and fishing from their unique fishing boats. After lunch, you will visit the village of San Juan or Santiago before returning to your hotel by boat.

Head to Yaxha National Park where you’ll enjoy a private guided tour of this lesser visited site. The city was once home to around 40,000 people and its 400-plus structures include five acropolises, two astronomical towers and three ball courts. The area is rich in wildlife and you’ll enjoy the sights and sounds of howler and spider monkeys as well as colourful tropical birds. Enjoy sunset drinks at the end of the tour on top of the main temple, with views over the surrounding rainforest and nearby Lake Yaxha. You’ll then trek back through the jungle with torches as it starts to get dark, perhaps spotting some nocturnal wildlife along the way.

Enjoy a private guided tour of the Tikal site with its fabulous temples that rise up through the jungle canopy. History will come to life as you discover the ruins, which are dominated by five enormous pyramids, rising to more than 60m. Many structures are wrapped in giant roots and partially hidden beneath mounds of earth, making this site ripe for exploring. Keep your eyes peeled for tropical birds and monkeys. After a restaurant lunch, explore the museum before heading back to your hotel.