Top Things To Do In Guatemala

I loved every second of my exploration through Guatemala. In just over 2 weeks total, I explored Antigua, Lake Atitlan, Flores and Tikal National Park. There’s so much more to explore, I could have easily spent more time here. Below are my recommendations on the top five things to do.

Top 5 Things To Do In Guatemala

1. Visit Tikal National Park

This is the number one thing I recommend doing for ANYONE visiting Guatemala. This was the highlight of my trip. Tikal is the most famous Mayan Mayan archaeological site in the entire Maya Empire and one of the most powerful cities. Here is my post on 5 Tips For The First Time Visitor.

Tikal is a ruin of a MASSIVE ancient Maya city in northeastern Guatemala (the largest in fact). Seen here is the view from Temple IV, you may recognize it from a Star Wars scene 🤓 (if you don’t know it, I have the link in my bio, click on my Tikal blog post). My friend Reid and I actually stayed inside the jungle at the @junglelodgetikal just inside Tikal National Park 🐒 we heard plenty of howler monkeys and saw a ton of spider monkeys jumping about!!! 🐵 This was such a unique experience and I highly recommend a visit and guided tour of the ruins! If you stay at the Jungle Lodge, ask for Tony to be your guide, he’s awesome 👍👍 ••••• #tikal #tikalnationalpark #tikalguatemala #guategram #guatemala #guatever #centralamerica #maya #mayanruins #mayanworld #mayantemple #temples #ruins #travelgram #travelblogger #travelblog #tikaltemple #tikaltempleiv #nationalparks

A post shared by Monica Houghton •Travel Writer (@fromheretosunday) on Oct 24, 2017 at 8:44am PDT

2. Chill in Antigua

Antigua has to be one of the coolest towns I’ve ever been to Central America. See the famous Santa Catalina Arch, colorful yellow churches like La Iglesia de la merced, and hike up to Cerro de la cruz (viewpoint seen in picture below – only imagine a volcano in the backdrop)!

LOVING LIFE IN GUATEMALA!!! • Today is my 11th day in Guatemala and I’m finally posting a pic 📸😂 it has been nonstop fun with my friend @reid_f, we explored Antigua, Lake Atitlan, Flores & Tikal! I’m now back in Antigua…because I just can’t get enough 🤗💓can’t wait to share more ••••••• #antiguaguatemala #antigua #cerrodelacruz #perhapsyouneedalittleguatemala #guatemala #guatever #guategram #guatelove #gltlove #dametraveler #sheisnotlost #sheexplores #darlingescapes #sperrystyle #beautifulworld #lppathfinders #guatemala🇬🇹 #canyoncountryla

A post shared by Monica Houghton •Travel Writer (@fromheretosunday) on Oct 16, 2017 at 7:40am PDT

3. Explore the Volcanoes

There are 37 volcanoes in Guatemala, 3 of which are active (Fuego, Pacaya, & Santiaguito). The most popular volcanoes to hike (with plenty of tours) are Pacaya, Acatenango, Tacana, Tajumulco, and Santiaguito. One of the “easier” ones is Pacaya, which of course I did 🙂 It was a half day hike just outside Antigua.

If you don’t have a chance to hike one of the volcanoes, there are plenty of activities near them that will give you a perfect view. For instance, I went kayaking on Lake Atitlan with volcanoes surrounding us. You can also go horseback riding, ziplining, etc.

Got some kayaks with my friend @reid_f from @villasbalamya & made our way to Volcan Atitlán 🚣🌋🚣🏼‍♀️☺️ Gotta love any adventure that involves volcanoes, right!?! DID YOU GUYS KNOW that Guatemala has 37 volcanos, 3 of which are active 🔥😯 #themoreyouknow ••••• 👙: @rad_swim ⌚️: @treehutco ••••• #guatemala #guatever #lakeatitlan #lagodeatitlan #sheisnotlost #darlingescapes #dametraveler #travelgram #kayak #exploremore #sheexplores #gltlove #wearetravelgirls #villasbalamya #guategram #guatemala2017 #radswim #treehutco #adventuretime #lakelife #lakegirl #getoutside #neverstopexploring #didyouknow #volcan #volcanatitlan

A post shared by Monica Houghton •Travel Writer (@fromheretosunday) on Oct 19, 2017 at 12:14pm PDT

4. Taste Guatemalan Coffee

If you haven’t been on a coffee tour before, I definitely recommend going on one in Guatemala. I went on one in Antigua, but there are plenty to choose from all around the country. I went on a tour with Filadelfia Coffee Resort and really enjoyed it, I also heard De La Gente was good. If you don’t have time for a tour, be sure to check out one of the local coffee shops and taste the black coffee straight (no milk, no sugar).

5. Visit A Local Market

There are plenty of markets to visit all around Guatemala. The famous one you’ll hear about over and over again is the Sunday market in Chichicastenango. It can be done as a day trip from Antigua though will be a full day. There are also plenty of markets in Antigua you can visit as well, some pop ups on the street and one major one on the west side of town.

Want more?

Need ideas of where to stay in Guatemala? Check out my hotel reviews in Lake Atiltan and Flores

Thinking of visiting Flores, Guatemala? Check out my tips on how to spend 24 hours in Flores

Exploring more of Central America? Check out all of my posts here