Guatemala 🇬🇹
Hi!
We are Sinéad and Hugh and recently travelled/ backpacked around the world for 180 days and this was our route through Guatemala.
Guatemala was one of our favourite countries from our entire trip with beautiful landscapes, wondrous ruins and amazing culture! ⛰️🌋🌄
We want this blog to be short and to the point, only highlighting the essential information we needed during our trip, especially those tips that helped us stick to our budget!
However, as we went along, we put a daily 60 second vlog up to give a better flavour of what we got up to – if you want to check it out!
Guatemala was Day 14-26 on our Instagram and TikTok!
Helpful Facts about Guatemala
Population: ~18m (69th)
GDP: ~ $111bn USD (70th)
Average Net Monthly Salary: ~ $1335 USD
Main Spoken Language: Spanish
How to Say:
- Hello – Hola
- Please – Por favor
- Thank You – Gracias
Currency: Guatemala Quetzal ($1 USD ~ 8Q)
Money Situation: Card accepted in most touristy spots but cash is still king. Lots of ATMs but none we found were free. Fees 31Q-67Q depending on your card & the ATM.
Fun Facts: Tikal National Park contains the most amazing Aztec ruins we have ever seen. They are taller and more numerous than Mexico’s Chichen Itza as well still being surrounded by jungle and wildlife!
Personal Observations: An amazing country with rich culture but difficult to get around! Be prepared for lower budget, long bus transportation if you want visit all of the places we did!
Average Costs in Guatemala for Backpackers
Average Costs in Guatemala per day per person:
🛏️ Accommodation: €18 – we stayed in private en suite rooms and these rooms were split between 2
🥘 Food & Drink: €16 – we ate local food or cooked in where possible
🚌 Transport: €9 – depends on your journey but see itinerary below for our route
🤿 Activities: €6 – this can vary hugely depending on the person but it includes an excellent value trip to Tikal!
💶 Total: €49
Total Cost for 13 days per person: €619
Budgeting:
Budgeting for any trip can be complex, especially if it is a long one with many destinations, countries and different costs of living!
We created and used a Travel Budget Tracker which we used for our full 180 day trip and helped us stay below budget!
You can download it here and will get a easy-to-follow Youtube tutorial on how its used!
Top tips we found to keep the costs down:
- Accommodation: Don’t just use Hostelworld but also look at Booking, Agoda and Revolut stays to find the best deals! Always, always, always study the reviews as well – but be aware that someone else’s ‘okay’ could be your ‘great’! (As was the case many times during our backpacking trip!)
- Food & Drink: Try to get breakfast included with your accommodation where possible and eat the local food!
- Transport: Booking in person in stations was cheaper for us 99% of the time but sometimes you still cant beat the convenience of busbud!
- Activities: These vary greatly from place to place so just make sure you have budgeted enough for your personal desires as these are one of the reasons that make travelling so special in our opinion!
Itinerary for Guatemala
Day 1-3:
Flores
This picturesque little island town in north Guatemala is often most travellers first stop and we can see why! Surrounded by a beautiful lake and within a couple of hours of the enchanting Aztec ruins of Tikal it is a must see! 🐒🗿
How to get from Belize to Flores:
There is an airport in Flores which has flights to/ from Guatemala city. This is the quickest and most convenient way to start your journey in Flores.
However we were coming from Belize and the cheapest way to get to Flores is to take a local bus after the crossing the border into Melchor del Mencos. Once through, cross the bridge and walk 2 blocks straight and take a left. You will see a red and white railing and in there is the bus station. The local shuttle buses in here are small and white (not like the famous Guatemalan Chicken Buses) and will cost ~40Q (€5) pp.The bus will pick people on the way out of town and 2 hours later you will be in Flores! Take a tuktuk from the station to Flores Island / direct to your accommodation! We paid 10Q for 2 of us for the short ride 🛺
There are also options to book tourist shuttles on bookaway for a little extra cost!
Day 4-6:
Lanquin
Just 150km further south (as the crow flies), but an 8 hour bus transfer, lies San Augustin Lanquin. However, the journey is 100% worth it just to see the magical Semuc Champey! You can also stay at one of the most picturesque hostels in the Americas @zephyr_lodge! 🛏️ 🏞️
How to get from Flores to Lanquin:
A shuttle bus is the only way! We reserved one through Zephyr lodge and paid the bus driver on the way 225Q. If you are staying in Los Amigos Hostel (or even if you’re not staying there) you can also book with them for 230Q for the same shuttle. It leaves at 8am arrives at approx. 4pm with a good few stops to stretch the legs! A Top tip: The journey includes a 5 minute bus ferry over a river as this is the only way to get to Lanquin. Public ferry queues can be 1 hour long but the shuttle will ask if you want to each pay 10Q (<€1.50) to skip the queue and take a private ferry. I recommend paying the 10Q to avoid an extra long bus journey!
Day 7-10:
Antigua
The most spectacular colonial town we have ever seen! This incredibly well kept, atmospheric town is set against the backdrop of multiple sky high volcanoes- one of which you can watch erupt every 20 minutes! While here, why not do the hike of your life and stay the night on Acetenango? 🌋 🌌
How to get from Lanquin to Antigua:
We booked our shuttle again with Zephyr Lodge for 225Q pp but you can also book on bookaway. Note that is one is a long journey and very windy roads can take up to 10 hours – including break stops and traffic in Guatemala City!
Day 11-13:
Lake Atitlán
Just a couple of hours west of Antigua, set 1,500 meters above sea level is the deepest lake in Central America. With frequent water taxis to get around the lake you have your choice of town to stay in! Why not try the vibrate nightlife of San Pedro or the sleepy zen of San Marcos! 🧘♀️🛶🌅
How to get from Antigua to Lake Atitlan:
The simplest way is to book a shuttle bus online which will set you back about 100Q and the journey will take about 3 hours.
However, one of things we highly recommend you do when in Guatemala is take a trip on their famous Chicken Buses! We did this trip in reverse when going back to Guatemala City Airport and it was such fun! It should be noted that even though there are 4 buses involved, they go so fast and are so efficient that they can be quicker than 1 ‘direct’ shuttle bus!
Antigua to Panajachel, Lake Atitlan route:
1) Antigua to Chimalentango (10Q)
2) Chimalentango to Los Entranos (25Q)
3) Los Encentros to Solola (4Q)
4) Solola to Pana (5Q)
Stay, Eat & Do in Guatemala for Backpackers
Flores
🛏️ Stay: Where to Stay in Flores
- Los Amigos Hostel is THE place to stay. Book in advance is all we say as unfortunately we couldn’t stay here for our 3 nights. Note it is on the slightly more expensive hostel side!
- If you are looking for a much more basic and budget friendly spot in the same area on Flore Island check out Itza Hostel where we also stayed!
- We don’t want to recommend anywhere we haven’t been to ourselves so check out Booking, Agoda and Revolut Stays for all other levels of accommodation and the best deals!
- Check out Hostelworld for hostels but be aware that you can often find the same place directly online or through Booking or Agoda for a better price!
🥙 Eat: Where to Eat in Flores
- Street Food on the Bridge – cheap, local and tasty!
- Cool Beans – brunch, tasty, decent value
- El Takaso – Tacos! Value!
- There are so many more excellent options with our general rule of thumb being above 4.5 stars on google with as many ratings as possible!
🧗♀️ Do: What to do in Flores
- Tikal! You MUST go to Tikal! There are a bunch of different tours: 3am (sunrise tour), 4am (early bird), 6am day tour, 12pm (sunset tour). We did 6am day and was beautiful. Often it is foggy in Tikal in the morning so the sunrise tour can be disappointing! Cost is between 110-125Q (an extra 100Q for sunrise tour) and it is easy to book via your hostel or tourism shops on the street. Tour de includes bilingual guide and transportation but note that entrance to the park is an extra 150Q which can be booked online or at the park when you arrive (price is the same). Tour approx. 4 hours and is a very big area with lots to see & lots of paths so having our excellent guide was key!
- Jorges Rope Swing – take a water taxi across the north side of lake to get there
- Sunset Drink on East Side – there are a bunch of places where you can enjoy spectacular sunsets on the east side if the island. Check out Sky Bar for happy hour between 4pm & 7pm!
Lanquin
🛏️ Stay: Where to Stay in Lanquin
- Zephyr Lodge is THE place to stay when visting Lanquin. Note that, as with most of the hostels, it is located out of the town in the mountains of Lanquin. There is free transport from shuttle bus drop off area to the hostel by 4×4 jeeps. Amazing views from the hostel with good food and pool area! It is slightly on the more expensive side as hostels go but we feel it was worth the price!
- We don’t want to recommend anywhere we haven’t been to ourselves so check out Booking, Agoda and Revolut Stays for all other levels of accommodation and the best deals!
- Check out Hostelworld for hostels but be aware that you can often find the same place directly online or through Booking or Agoda for a better price!
🥙 Eat: Where to Eat in Lanquin
- Unfortunately we don’t have any recommendations other than Zephyr Lodge! The food was good, particularly breakfast!
🤿 Do: What to Do in Lanquin
- Semuc Champey day tour! We booked a tour with our hostel for 200Q pp. This included transport to/ from, a guide, entrance into the park, a rope swing into the river, a short hike to the viewpoint as well as an amazing cave tour experience! Wet shoes are a must for all the activities but you can rent there for 35Q or off some young entrepreneurs on your way! If choosing to go yourself the entrance into park is ~100Q and caves ~50Q but be aware it is also difficult to get to – you need a 4×4 jeep!
- Morning Yoga & Take in the Mountain Views
Antigua
🛏️ Stay: Where to Stay in Antigua
- Casa Los Habitantes is where we stayed and it was a short walk to the centre of town. The place is ideal for cooking at home and a cheaper option than some of the more pricey Antigua stays out there!
- We don’t want to recommend anywhere we haven’t been to ourselves so check out Booking, Agoda and Revolut Stays for all other levels of accommodation and the best deals!
- Check out Hostelworld for hostels but be aware that you can often find the same place directly online or through Booking or Agoda for a better price!
🥙 Eat: Where to Eat in Antigua
- Caobas Organic Farm – healthy and nutritious!
- Hectors Bistro – great pizza and nice beer garden for a drink with live evening music
- Cactus Tacos Shop – Tacos!
- Cafe Boheme – Good brunch cafe with wifi & rooftop area with views of El Fuego!
- Cafe Sky – Rooftop area with views of El Fuego as well
- Bella Vista Coffee – Rooftop area with views of El Fuego as well
- There are so many more excellent options with our general rule of thumb being above 4.5 stars on google with as many ratings as possible!
🧗♀️ Do: What to Do in Antigua
- The Acatenango Volcano Hike is a must. Even though we had a mishap and could not do it ourselves we would recommend Lavatrails. Most tours are approx. $90 and include and overnight stay at basecamp as well as hiking equipment and clothing. It is a difficult hike though so be prepared!
- Hike to the Cerro de La Cruz viewpoint for sunset over Antigua
- Take a Salsa class
- Caoba Farm for organic farm tour
- Do a walking tour and enjoy the amazing architecture
Lake Atitlán
🛏️ Stay: Where to Stay in Lake Atitlan
- There are many many areas to choose from around the lake and each have their own vibe. Each are easily accessible via water taxi.
1) Panajachel – the biggest town with some great cheaper options but not the prettiest. It does have the biggest supermarkets though so stock up here!
2) Santa Cruz – a small, quiet & tranquil town. This is where we stayed in the most beautiful Airbnb. We went well over budget just to stay in this place and it did not disappoint!
3) San Marcos – sleepy yoga town with a huge number of stunning places to stay. We visited a number of them and Lush stands out as the most recommended spot!
4) San Pedro – this is the spot for nightlife and is a very popular backpacker hub! There many good value hostels and stays but Sababa Resort stands out! - There are a bunch of other idilic villages and towns around the lake too but we don’t want to recommend anywhere we haven’t been to ourselves so check out Booking, Agoda and Revolut Stays for all other levels of accommodation and the best deals!
🥙 Eat: Where to Eat in Lake Atitlan
- In truth we did a shop in Pana and cooked in our Airbnb for most of our stay but some places we loved were:
- La Iguana Perdida – in Santa Cruz. Lunch.
- Circles Cafe & Bakery – in San Marcos. Coffee & Pastries.
- There are so many more excellent options with our general rule of thumb being above 4.5 stars on google with as many ratings as possible
🧗♀️ Do: What to Do in Lake Atitlan
- Explore as many nearby villages as you can via water taxi!
- Yoga retreat – many available with Lush again an option
- Hike the Indian Nose – popular hike offering breathtaking sunrise views of the lake and surrounding volcanoes
- Hike the San Pedro Volcano – for more experienced hikers, this challenging hike rewards you with stunning vistas from the summit
- Rent a Kayak or Paddle Board and get out on the lake
Add our Guatemala Google Map!
We pinned all of crucial locations as went along – including hostels, hotels, bus stops, restaurants, cafés and must-see sights!
Feel free to save our Google Map for Guatemala if you wish!