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🇬🇹Things to Do in Guatemala
From the temples of Tikal to the volcano-ringed shores of Lake Atitlan - the essential sights, and how to keep your own record of them.
Travel guide - last updated September 2026
Guatemala holds the largest concentration of Mayan ruins in Central America, alongside a colonial city built almost entirely from volcanic stone and a lake that Aldous Huxley once called the most beautiful in the world. Antigua serves as the natural base for most first trips, with Tikal in the northern jungle usually reached by a separate short flight. Here are 6 places worth building a trip around.
Top attractions
The sights most first-time visitors build an itinerary around.
Tikal
One of the largest and most significant Mayan archaeological sites, with temple pyramids rising above the jungle canopy - climbing Temple IV for sunrise, above the treeline, is a widely recommended highlight.
📍 Tikal, Petén
🚉 Flores is the base, an hour from the ruins by shuttle and 90 minutes from Mundo Maya airport; overnight buses from Guatemala City take nine hours, and shuttles leave Flores before dawn for the sunrise tour.
Lake Atitlan
A crater lake ringed by three volcanoes and a dozen small Mayan villages, each with its own distinct character - reachable by boat from the main town of Panajachel.
📍 Lake Atitlán
🚉 Shuttles from Antigua take three hours to Panajachel, and the lake's villages - San Juan, San Marcos, Santiago - are then connected by public lanchas from the Panajachel dock.
Antigua Guatemala
A UNESCO World Heritage colonial city built from volcanic stone, with Volcan de Fuego visible (and occasionally erupting) in the background - a common base for Spanish language schools given the slower, safer pace.
📍 Antigua Guatemala
🚉 Tourist shuttles from Guatemala City airport take about an hour; the colonial grid is walkable, and chicken buses to the surrounding villages leave from the market terminal.
Acatenango Volcano
A challenging overnight trek to a campsite with a direct view of the neighboring, still-active Volcan de Fuego erupting after dark - one of Central America's most sought-after volcano hikes.
📍 near Antigua Guatemala
🚉 The trailhead is at La Soledad, an hour from Antigua by shuttle, which every guided overnight hike includes - the climb to the camp facing Fuego takes five to six hours.
Semuc Champey
A series of turquoise limestone pools formed by a natural bridge over the Cahabon River, deep in Guatemala's more remote central highlands.
📍 Semuc Champey, Alta Verapaz
🚉 Lanquin is the base, eight to ten hours from Antigua by shuttle on rough roads; from there, pickup trucks carry visitors the last 10km to the limestone pools.
Chichicastenango Market
One of the largest and most colorful indigenous markets in Central America, held Thursdays and Sundays, selling textiles, masks and produce from Mayan communities across the region.
📍 Chichicastenango
🚉 Buses and shuttles from Antigua and Panajachel take two to three hours, arriving for the Thursday and Sunday markets - the terminal is a few blocks from the church steps.
Mark Guatemala, get the stamp
In MyPassportStory, every country you mark - visited, lived in, or still on the list - becomes a stamp like these in your own travel passport. Add the cities you stopped in, draw the route between them, and turn the whole trip into a shareable passport-style image.
Open MyPassportStoryPlanning questions
How many days do you need in Guatemala?
10 days lets you combine Antigua, Lake Atitlan and Tikal comfortably, using a short domestic flight for Tikal given its distance from the rest of the country.
What's the best time to visit Guatemala?
November-April is the dry season and the most popular time to visit. The wet season (May-October) brings frequent afternoon rain, particularly in the highlands and jungle regions.
Is Guatemala good for a first-time visit?
Yes, particularly Antigua and Lake Atitlan, which are well set up for tourism - it's worth checking current regional safety advice for more remote areas and sticking to well-established routes.
Do I need a visa to visit Guatemala?
Many nationalities, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia and most of the EU, can visit visa-free for short tourist stays; other nationalities need a visa arranged in advance. Check the official visa information for your nationality: minex.gob.gt.
What are some things to do in Guatemala on a tight budget?
Local comedores serve full meals cheaply, chicken buses (converted school buses) are an inexpensive way to travel between towns, and walking Antigua's streets and Lake Atitlan's lakeside villages costs nothing.
Can I rent a car in Guatemala, and what licence do I need?
You can, though tourist shuttles link every destination on this list door to door and are what most visitors use. A foreign licence is valid for up to 30 days from entry; beyond that you need a Guatemalan licence, and an International Driving Permit is recommended alongside a non-Spanish licence. Minimum age is generally 25. Roads to Semuc Champey and Lanquin are rough enough to need a 4x4, mountain fog is common, and driving after dark between towns is best avoided. Official visitor information is published by INGUAT at visitguatemala.com.