Adventure and Culture in Guatemala
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Your Guatemalan adventure begins in the pretty city of Antigua, with its colonial architecture and wonderful natural setting. You'll then discover the artistic side of Guatemala with a visit to local painters and the Comalapa market. Journey back in time at the wonderful Maya archaeological site of Iximche before cycling to the beautiful Lake Atitlan, where you will spend the next three days. Afterwards you'll make your way to the legendary site of Tikal, where temples rise up through the jungle canopy. Your trip will conclude back in Antigua.
Highlights
- Enjoy bike rides through Antigua valley
- Embark on a hike around the Pacaya Volcano
- Take part in a private tour of the mysterious Tikal temples
- Explore the Comalapa market
- Venture through the villages surrounding Lake Atitlan
- Watch the sunset from atop of a temple in Yaxha
Bespoke trips with Jacada
We design one-of-a-kind journeys incorporating luxury in all its forms. Our bespoke trips include:
- Luxury accommodation throughout
- Privately guided tours
- Private transfers
- Meticulously selected experiences
- Expertise and support from your Jacada Concierge
Itinerary in detail
Every Jacada trip is tailored to your personal preferences and interests. Below you’ll find a sample itinerary to inspire your own custom-designed journey.
Days 1–4
Three nights in Antigua
Spend your days in Guatemala’s enchanting city of Antigua, 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.
Where you could stay
Make it mine
Bike adventures
Coffee immersions
Volcano treks
Antigua valley bike tour
Leaving from the doorstep of your hotel, you’ll enjoy the experience of 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.
Fairly traded coffee tour
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.
Full-day Pacaya Volcano hiking tour
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.
Comalapa market and bike ride to Lake Atitlan
On arrival in Comalapa, you’ll see the famous mural painted by school children depicting events in Guatemala’s history. Visit some local painters who teach the tradition of naïve painting, before stopping 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 to Lake Atitlan, passing through mountain villages and remote highland countryside.
Days 4–7
Three nights at Lake Atitlan
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.
Lakeshore hike and village visit
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.
Days 7–10
Three nights around Tikal
One of the greatest sites of the Mayan civilisation to survive today, Tikal’s historical statistics and scale are impressive but it’s really the once thriving city’s contrasting thick and magical jungle location that make it so utterly mesmerising.
Immersed in the Tikal UNESCO National Park in the northern region of Petén, there is the soundtrack of exotic birdlife and the odd flash of a spider monkey or toucan to delight the experience further. Your expert guide will take you on a comprehensive private tour of the site, bringing alive the history, theories and mysticism that surround Tikal.
Where you could stay
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Make it mine
Ancestral knowledge
Sunset trek
Stargazing among the temples at Uaxactun
Journey deep into the Guatemalan jungle to Uaxactun, where, as night descends, you’ll ascend an ancient Maya temple to witness the star-filled sky as their astronomers did millennia ago, connecting with ancestral knowledge in a site believed to be purpose-built for celestial observation.
Uaxactun offers you a rare kind of stillness and your local guide will invite you to open yourself to experiencing the meaningful connection between culture, conservation and community. This early astronomical complex aligns with the sun’s position at the solstices and equinoxes, guiding the agricultural and ceremonial calendar. As the stars emerge overhead, you’ll learn about how the ancient Maya observed the skies to mark time and predict eclipses.
Yaxha sunset tour
Head to Yaxha National Park where you’ll enjoy a private guided tour. 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. Sip 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.
Days 10-11
Why book with Jacada
Personalised design
We’ll plan your trip around your personal interests, tastes and preferences, providing honest advice based on first-hand knowledge.
Authentic experiences
Our expert guides and brilliant Concierges are hand-picked for their ability to bring your destination to life with care and passion.
Positive impact
We seek out unforgettable experiences that benefit both local communities and the environment.
