Guatemala has it all! Colonial cities, where you can stroll around for days. Indigenous villages and markets where people walk around in colorful traditional costumes, but also fascinating Maya cities, located deep in the jungle, breathtaking lakes and many active volcanoes. Guatemala is a country, you can explore for weeks. But what if you only have one week in Guatemala? What should you include in this Guatemala one week itinerary? Discover my Guatemala itinerary for 7 days in this guide, with some amazing highlights, tips and information about traveling time and transportation. I’ve also included a special section if you are coming or continuing your journey to Mexico.
I love traveling in Guatamela and was able to discover many corners of the country, including this route. I hope you enjoy reading my personal tips and recommendations to get the maximum out of your Guatemala itinerary 7 days.
Start your journey around Lake Atitlán. This mighty lake is surrounded by three volcanoes and many little villages. Every village has its own vibe and characteristics. And in some of the villages, people still live according to ancient Mayan traditions and customs. The light and view of the lake and surrounding volcanoes are breathtaking, from just every single angle.
Depending on your arrival time, you could spend an early afternoon navigating the lake and exploring villages such as Santiago de Atitlán and San Juan la Laguna. You will learn more about indigenous art and meet local hero Maximón. A wooden statue, with a cigar, where people come and do their offerings, while making their wishes.
The second day you could go on an early morning hike, to enjoy the most amazing views of the Lake Atitlán. Climb your way up to the Indian Nose viewpoint (try to do a sunrise!) or hike to the top of the San Pedro Volcano. You will have the afternoon free to explore some of the other villages such as San Marcos and the nearby Cerro Tzankujil, a natural reserve. You can also hike by yourself from the village of Santa Cruz to Jaibalito, overlooking the lake during the entire trail.
As this is a guide for a 1 week Guatemala itinerary, I’m focusing only on the highlights. You could easily spend a week around Lake Atitlán and sleep in a different village every day. Do you want to know more about Lake Atitlán and all the different things to do? Have a look in my Lake Atitlán travel guide.
Panajachel is the main city, located at the lake. It’s your starting point for all trips around the lake. You can choose to spend the night in this city and go on a day trip the next day. But if you are planning to go an early morning hike, it’s best to find a beautiful hotel around the lake or in one of the villages.
Hotel tips for Lake Atitlán
Do you want to visit Lake Atitlán from Antigua? You can book your tour here.
From Lake Atitlán, travel to the most famous city of Guatemala: Antigua. Now you have to make decisions. If you want to go on a volcano hike around Antigua the next day, I would suggest to leave early morning and spend the afternoon in Antigua. If you are not planning to go hiking, you will have the entire next day to explore the city. In that case, I would recommend to schedule your journey from Panajachel to Antigua on a Thursday or Sunday, so you can make a stop at the colorful market of Chichicastenango. Not only a shopping paradise but also a great way to observe local life. You can also visit Chichicastenango for the day from Antigua. You can book your tour here.
Antigua is the former capital of Guatemala and the most beautiful city in the country. It’s a city where you can easily spend days and enjoy the pleasant atmosphere. Stroll through the colonial streets, visit the ruins of former churches and convents and have a look in the many colonial buildings, where a new world opens behind every door. You will also find plenty of nice boutique stores, fancy restaurants and lunchrooms, with amazing views of the surrounding volcanoes. You often see smoke coming out of the volcano and at times you even see the orange and red lava flowing. Pretty incredible! Also, the surrounding area is worth exploring, with coffee plantations, viewpoints and organic farms.
Curious about what to do in Antigua? Check out my city guide for Antigua and surroundings with many things to do, cultural activities, restaurants, fancy boutique stores and hotels.
As Antigua is your starting point for one of the most exciting volcano trips such as the Pacaya and the Acatenango volcano. Make sure you include one of these hikes in your one week Guatemala itinerary.
Want to know more about the Acatenango volcano hike, how to prepare and what to bring? Read everything you want to know about hiking the Acatenango volcano in the next article.
The Pacaya hike you can do in one morning or afternoon. The hike to the Acatenango volcano is possible to do in one day, but I wouldn’t recommend it. It is challenging and you’ll miss the night in the tent, listening and looking at the active Fuego Volcano, right in front of you. In case you are little interested in the city and dying to go on the two-day Acatenango hike. Go for it! You’ll be back around noon the next day and still have time to travel to Flores in the evening. For any hike, just make sure you are used to the altitude before going on this hike.
Do you want to hike the Acatenango volcano and secure your spot? Check out prices and availability here. You can book a tour to the top to the Pacaya volcano here.
Travel from Panajachel to Antigua, by uber or shuttle service. It will take around 3 hours. If you travel by private transportation, you are able to visit the market of Chichicastenango and include it in your Guatemala itinerary for 7 days.
After your time in the Guatemalan highlands, it’s time for a different region. The jungle and tropical rainforest in Petén, the northern part of Guatemala. Spend the morning and afternoon in Antigua and try to book a plane from Guatemala City to Flores in the evening.
Flores is your starting point for the mysterious Maya ruins, such as Tikal and Yaxhá, located deep in the jungle. Without a doubt, a highlight during your one week in Guatemala itinerary. I recommend that you travel straight to Tikal this evening, and spend the night in one of the three hotels, located inside the national park. This way you are able to wake up very early the next day and see the sunrise from temple number 4. After your visit, travel to the town of Flores and spend the night there.
Feel like traveling around too much? Skip one of the three destinations and spend more time in the other places. There are plenty of things to do around Antigua, Lake Atitlán and Flores.
Tikal is one of the most visited destinations in Guatemala. Because of its mysterious atmosphere, and location in the dense jungle, I think it is one of the most impressive archaeological Maya sites. You’ll be able to observe an ancient Maya city, with ruins of pyramids and palaces in a beautiful jungle environment, while being surrounded by countless monkeys, coatis, butterflies and birds. Tikal is best to be explored with a professional guide, making sure you get the maximum out of your trip.
Do you want to visit Tikal? You can book your tour here. Interested in reading more about a day tour to Tikal? Read the full article about Tikal Guatemala here.
If you feel like doing something more off the beaten track, skip Tikal and visit Yaxhá instead. Yaxhá is less visited than Tikal but also a beautiful archaeological Maya site, located at the Laguna Yaxhá, in the jungle. It is recommended to watch the sunset here from the 30 meterhigh temple (structure 216 or temple or the hands). In that case, you can spend the first night in Flores and the second night near the Yaxhá national park.
Do you want to visit Yaxha? You can book a nice sunset tour here. Interested in reading more about visiting Yaxhá? Read the full article about Yaxhá here.
Flores is a small town, located at the Petén Itzá lake, connected to the mainland by a bridge. There are so many colorful houses and doors, what makes it a picture heaven! Flores used to be an old maya city called Tayasal. It was one of the last independent cities during the Spanish conquest but was unfortunately destroyed completely afterwards. Nowadays you can discover the colonial town (built by the spanish on the former Maya city) and enjoy the boulevard with many rooftop restaurants and shops. The history makes your visit even more interesting.
It is best to take an uber or shuttle service from Antigua center to the airport of Guatemala City. Depending on the time of the day and traffic it will take you between 1 and 2 hours to get there. From here you can fly with Tag airlines to Flores within one hour.
After your visit to Tikal or Yaxhá, fly back to Guatemala city with Tag airlines. If you have a morning flight, spend the afternoon in the Museo the Antropologia – Munae and have a stroll through zona 4. A nice neighborhood, with many great restaurants. If you are up for a gastronomic experience, make a reservation at restaurant Flor de Lis, by a former Noma alumni. A 6- or 8-course tasting menu takes you on a journey through Guatemala, with local ingredients and corresponding stories. It’s not cheap but believe me, it’s so worth it and a great way to finish your 1 week Guatemala itinerary.
Interested in taking a tour in Guatemala City? You can book a city tour here.
If you are planning to continue your journey to Chiapas in Mexico, after your 1 week in Guatemala itinerary. Then it is best to finish your trip in Flores and use the border Frontera Corozal. From Flores, it will take you 4 hours to reach the Guatemalan border town Bethel (it’s a bumpy road). Here you’ll cross the Usumacinta river by boat to Frontera Corozal in Mexico. Also your gateway to the archaeological site Yaxchilán. Read more about Yaxchilán and how to get there, in the next article
Planning to travel to Yucatán in Mexico? Then it is also best to finish your journey in Flores and travel through Belize to Chetumal. It will take you a full day, as you need to cross two borders.
If you are traveling from Mexico to Guatemala , it is best to start your one week itinerary in Flores. Take a plane to Guatemala City after your visit to Tikal and continue your journey to Lake Atitlán and Antigua.
I hope this guide answered most of your questions about how to spend one week in Guatemala. I did my best to highlights the best destinations, tours and activities to include. By doing all the above in this Guatemala one week itinerary, I am sure you’ll get the maximum out of your stay.
Did you enjoy this Guatemala 1 week itinerary? Have a look at the other Guatemala travel itineraries such as:
Looking for tours to include in your 1 week Guatemala itinerary? Have a look here.
Guatemala is a big country and distances are long. Moreover not all roads are accessible. For some distances during your 1 week Guatemala itinerary, it is best to take a plane. But other routes can be easily traveled by bus or shuttle service. Guatego is a reliable and affordable shuttle service offering services throughout the country. You can book your shutle service here.
Looking for flights within Guatemala ? Use Skyscanner, when it comes to searching for cheap flights across Guatemala. An easy way to compare and book your flight ticket, as it searches websites and airlines around the world with one click.
Looking for a way to get around during your Guatemala one week itinerary by bus or minivan? GuateGo is focusing on the transportation of travelers between important tourist destinations, providing customers different options to choose from. GuateGo is mainly working in Guatemala.
Need a rental car for your Guatemala itinerary 7 days roadtrip? Use Rental Cars to search and compare your car rental options. A quick and easy tool and no need to have up multiple tabs trying to figure out which company is the most affordable. They also have great discounts and cancellation policies. I only recommend this when you are familair with driving in Central America and only to get around Guatemala City, Antigua, Chichicastenango and Lake Atitlan.
Looking for a travel insurance? World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance, with coverage for more than 150 activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world.
Where to stay during your 1 week Guatemala itinerary? Like any other country, Guatemala has a large amount of beautiful hotels. For both work and personal trips, I visited Guatemala dozens of times. When I travel by myself, I always look out smaller scale hotels with beautiful interiors, a nice atmosphere and a convenient location. In addition, I like to support the locals and love a sustainable approach around a hotel. I always spend a lot of time researching, before I book my stay. In this article I will tell you more about my favorite places to stay in Guatemala : The best hotels, sorted by city and region in Guatemala.
Did you enjoy reading this Guatemala one week itinerary? Do you want to discover more? With Passport the World I am taking you on a journey to discover this beautiful country. Make sure to check out my other travel guides about Guatemala such as:
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As a travel reporter, producer and tour guide, I have been traveling around the world for the last 20 years, looking for the most scenic places and stories that are worth sharing. In Passport the World, I am guiding you along scenic and cultural places, cities, art, viewpoints, hiking trails and unique experiences. To help you get the most out of your travels or to just get to know a country and culture better!
