Guatemala

We flew SLC to LAX with a layover, then LAX to Guatemala City on Avianca. We used the Centurion Lounge in SLC before departing and again in LAX during the layover. If you have Amex Platinum, this is the perfect move - the SLC lounge is new and has an outdoor terrace overlooking the tarmac with actual good food.

The Avianca business class flight was amazing! The staff were organized and friendly, the seats were spacious, and they greeted us with water and a manicure kit when we boarded. We had fully booked those seats with points, and it was one of the most luxurious flights we’ve ever taken.

We arrived in Guatemala City at 8:20 PM and were in a car to Antigua within 15 minutes. Our driver met us outside the terminal with a sign. The drive to Antigua took about an hour through Guatemala City, which is much larger than we expected. We arrived at our Airbnb around 9:30 PM and got to bed.

This day ended up being one of our favorites of the entire trip, which surprised us because we hadn’t planned it as a highlight day. Antigua is one of the most beautiful small cities we’ve ever walked around. The cobblestones, the volcano framed behind the famous yellow arch, the ruins tucked in between cafes and restaurants.

Morning

We started at Pastelería La Cenicienta for breakfast. It’s a beautiful cafe with a terrace you can walk up to for views over the street. We had a breakfast sandwich, a breakfast burrito, coffee, and a Diet Coke. $14 total. It’s hard to do better than that for the experience.

After breakfast we walked to El Cerro de la Cruz, a viewpoint about 10 minutes from the city center. Free, easy walk, good views.

Midday: Choco Museo Chocolate Workshop

On the walk to the workshop we walked past the Santa Catalina Arch, which is the classic postcard shot of Antigua with the volcano rising in the background. Go early before it gets crowded to get a good picture.

This was one of those experiences we almost skipped and ended up loving. The class runs two hours and costs $25 per person. You learn how cocoa beans grow, watch the processing, break open and taste the beans raw and roasted, then make your own chocolate bar with toppings of your choice and three different drinks from the beans including a cocoa tea, a cocoa drink, and hot chocolate. We each took home two bars. Hayden went with coconut, Colby went with pepper and gummy bears. Book through their website via WhatsApp. The number is on the Choco Museo site. Easy to arrange the same week.

Lunch: Los Tres Tiempos

This was one of our favorite meals of the trip. Beautiful open courtyard, tons of plants, excellent traditional Guatemalan dishes. We ordered a mixed taco plate that was way more food than we expected, plus two waters, and paid $29 including tip. You could absolutely spend less here with a more modest order. The space alone makes it worth going.

Afternoon

We walked through Mercado de Artesanias el Carmen on the way toward the ruins area. Worth a quick pass for market shopping. Then we went to Convento Las Capuchinas. Well maintained ruins with an amazing courtyard full of flowers. $5 per person. Then Convento de la Merced for about $1 per person. Between the two you get a real feel for Antigua’s history without spending much at all.

Sunset and Dinner: Antigua Brewing Company

We can’t say enough good things about this place. Rooftop bar with a three volcano sightline, and during our visit Volcan Fuego erupted multiple times while we sat up there watching. The craft beer was great and the food was outstanding. We had pork enchiladas and avocado empanadas. We paid $35 for dinner with drinks. There was live music and the vibe was perfect. This is a must for Antigua!

Evening: Prep for the Hike

Before bed we walked to a convenience store near our Airbnb and bought 8 water bottles (3L per person is what V-Hiking Tours recommends) for about $10. We also withdrew Q1,000 (~$130.38) from the ATM at the convenience store. Budget roughly Q300 (~$39.11) for the hike itself (Q200 (~$26.08) for park fees, Q50 (~$6.52) for poles, rest as buffer) and keep the remaining Q700 (~$91.26) for the rest of the trip.

This was the hardest and one of the most memorable experiences of the trip. Acatenango is a 13,044 ft dormant stratovolcano right next to Volcan Fuego, which erupts constantly. From base camp you sit at 11,000 feet with a direct line of sight to the eruptions!

We used V-Hiking Tours and can strongly recommend them specifically for this. Here’s a quick comparison of the main providers:

Wake up is early if you want to catch the sunrise. We got up at 5:10 am and the sun had already partially risen. Next time we would set an alarm for 4:45am. If the sky is clear, it is absolutely worth it.

The night is brutally cold. This isn’t something you fully appreciate until the sun drops. You need a hat and gloves at minimum. Plan for actual cold weather gear even if you are going in April or May.

After the summit group returned around 7:15am, everyone had coffee and banana bread, then we hiked back down starting at 8am. The descent is physically tough in a different way and gets hot quickly as you drop elevation. We reached the bottom around 11am, had a full breakfast, and were back in Antigua by 1pm.

We had the tour drop us near the city center, grabbed lunch at Los Tres Tiempos again because it was right there and we already knew it was great. Then we Ubered back to the Airbnb at 3pm when check-in opened.

El Descanso Spa - Deep Tissue Massage

We had a 90 minute deep tissue massage booked at 4:30pm. $65 per person including tip. The therapists were skilled, the space was beautiful, and they served fresh honey tea afterward. If you’re doing the volcano hike, book this for the afternoon of your return day. Your body will thank you!

Evening

After the massage we walked to Antigua Cerveza, which had been recommended to us by locals. It has two bars, a large well maintained garden, and a very different vibe from the Brewing Company. Slightly pricier than most Antigua spots but worth checking out. A beer flight ran about 100Q (~$13.04). A nice end to an epic 48 hours.

Breakfast: The Garden Cafe

Before checkout at 11am, we grabbed breakfast at The Garden Cafe, which is worth noting as an excellent option if you’re in the Antigua area on a morning when you need something calm and good. It's a bit pricy for Guatemala, but the food and coffee were excellent and the space is beautiful. We paid ~$25 for two people with drinks and breakfast.

We booked a shuttle from Antigua to Panajachel from a travel agency on the street in Antigua. You can do this same day if there are seats available, but we recommend booking the evening before. The ride takes about three hours. Buy snacks beforehand because there are no real stops.

The shuttle drops you in Panajachel (Pana), the main and most touristy town on the lake. From there you take a lancha (small boat) to whichever village you’re staying in. We were heading to San Pedro La Laguna. The lancha costs 25Q (~$3.26) per person and requires cash. Keep some on you for this.

We grabbed dinner at Nick’s right outside the boat dock in San Pedro before heading to the Airbnb. Simple, easy, good way to settle in without having to navigate the town immediately.

San Juan is a 20Q (~$2.61) Tuk Tuk ride from San Pedro and is one of the best places we visited on the entire trip. It doesn’t feel like a typical backpacker tourist town. The streets are painted with murals, there are small artisan shops, and the whole place has a much more local and authentic feel than San Pedro or Panajachel.

El Tata Coffee Tour

$2.60 per person. Book in advance at 9am. Benedicto, who runs the tour, is one of the most passionate people we have met anywhere. He walks you through every stage of the growing and processing of their coffee, all done completely naturally. You taste the beans at multiple stages and they make two different coffees for you at the end. For the price, this is one of the best things you can do at the lake.

A note on Tuk Tuks to get here: the driver needs to be a San Juan Tuk Tuk. Other Tuk Tuks can only take you to the entrance of town. You can tell by looking at what’s written on the side of the vehicle.

Lunch: Utz Restaurante

A few minutes walk from El Tata. Everything was delicious but the fresh fruit smoothies were genuinely exceptional. Cheap and very good.

Other Activities

Umbrella and Sombrero Street: Walk the main decorated street in San Juan. The colorful overhead decorations and the shop fronts make this worth seeing even if you aren’t shopping.

Mirador Kaqasiiwaan: Short but steep trail, about 30Q per person (~$4). Good views if the weather cooperates. Quick enough that it is worth adding in if you have the legs for it after the coffee tour.

Xunah Kaab Bee Farm: Free. Self guided tour of a stingless bee farm. They make honey based products and the honey tiramisu is worth trying. Depending on the day they may not have English tours available, but the self guided option still gives you a full look at the operation.

Dinner: Sababa

Heading back to San Pedro for sunset, we decided to grab dinner at Sababa: A popular hostel in San Pedro that has a restaurant with a view overlooking the lake and nearby mountains.

A note upfront: we ended up coming here instead of the Atitlan Reserva day we had originally planned, mostly because we had some work to deal with. We’d recommend the original plan (Reserva Natural with the monkeys, coatis, and ziplining, plus Calle Santander in Panajachel) for anyone who wants a more active day, but San Marcos was genuinely worthwhile in its own right.

San Marcos has a totally different energy from San Pedro or San Juan. It’s more of a wellness and hippie town. More expensive, more relaxed, more international. Worth a day trip but we wouldn’t base ourselves here for cost reasons.

Cerro Tzankujil Nature Reserve

40Q per person (~$5 total). This is a must. It’s a peaceful nature reserve directly on the lake with trails through lush forest, incredible panoramic volcano views, pebble beaches with swimming spots, and a wooden cliff jump platform that drops about 10 to 12 meters straight into the lake. There’s a lifeguard on duty. We spent most of the afternoon here swimming and sunbathing.

Eagles Nest

This is a full ecolodge and wellness retreat that you can visit for free even as a non guest. The views are the main draw, a full 180 degree panorama of Lake Atitlan and the surrounding volcanoes from an open-air platform high above the water. They also have yoga, a temazcal sauna, and a cafe with healthy food. We had a granola bowl and a salad with the lake view in front of us. The cats wandering the property are a nice bonus.

Note: Tuk Tuks up to Eagles Nest might try to overcharge you - this is only place we experienced this in our entire trip. Expect to negotiate. Around 20Q (~$2.61) per person (10Q (~$1.30) each way) is the right price.

Los Termales Hot Springs

About $20 for an hour in a private bath that they’ll fill for you. Also includes a cold plunge. We didn’t make it to this, but heard amazing things about it and it was highly recommended.

Dinner: El Gato Perdido Bistro

After getting back to San Pedro we decided to grab a drink from the store on the walk back to our Airbnb and watch sunset from the rooftop. After that we walked over to El Gato Perdido Bistro. $40 for a full dinner for two including drinks and tip. A nice step up from the local spots but still very reasonable. Good choice for a slightly more special dinner at the lake. Incredible views of the lake and volcanoes from the terrace.

If you have time in the morning, rent a paddleboard. Kayaks and Adventures Hito opens at 8am and boards run 20Q to 40Q (~$2.61 to ~$5.22) per hour. The earlier you get on the water the calmer the lake is. This is a beautiful way to spend your last morning at Atitlan.

Check out by 11am and book your shuttle to Guatemala City through a travel agency in San Pedro the night before. We went through Maya Travel and paid 250Q (~$32.59) per person for a direct shuttle (no stop in Antigua) that took about four hours total. We strongly prefer this route over shuttles that stop in Antigua because it cuts significant time off the journey.

We stayed at the Barcelo Guatemala City for one night. It’s a large business hotel near the airport with a great pool area, hot tubs, sauna, multiple restaurants, a gym, and rooms with city views. It isn’t cheap by Guatemala standards at around $84 per night, but the safety, convenience, and the amenities make it perfect for a place to stay before you depart. They also have a shuttle available to book to take you to the airport. Don’t wander outside at night. Guatemala City can be dangerous. If you decide to go out anywhere, ask the front desk what the current recommendations are to make sure you stay in a safe area.

Try to be at the airport by 7am for an 8:55am departure. The security area at GUA is small and can back up. There is also a customs exit process that moves quickly but adds a few minutes. There’s a Casa del Ron Aeropuerto lounge and a Copa Club airport lounge that you can go to if you have Priority Pass access.

We connected through LAX and got home to SLC the same evening. Between the Amex flight credit and travel bank, the return flights cost us $16 out of pocket.