Day 1:

Arrival, Pick Up, Hotel, Welcome Dinner
You arrive at Guatemala’s La Aurora International Airport. A pre-arranged transfer collects you from the airport and takes you to a nearby hotel. Relax and wind down before your official Welcome Dinner.

Day 2:

Mira Flores Museum, Mayan Archeological Site, National Museum & Antigua
A tour of Guatemala City takes you to the Miraflores Museum which is on the archeological site of the ancient Mayan city of Kaminaljuyú. The museum has one of Guatemala’s finest archeological collections. You will also have the opportunity to visit the National Museum, Railway Museum and the city’s Central square.
After the tour you head to the beautiful UNESCO listed city of Antigua which is only an hour’s drive from the capital. Antigua’s charming colonial streets are full of history, culture and beautiful architecture.

Day 3:

Village Tour, History of Antigua
The day starts with a fascinating tour of the villages surrounding Antigua where you will learn more about their history and culture.
In the afternoon you will explore the history of Antigua’s most important buildings which will help you to put modern Guatemala in context.

Day 4:

Pacaya, Marshmallows, Lake Atitlan, Drinks, Relax
Marshmallows at the ready! Your Pacaya adventure starts here!
Pacaya is the most accessible of Guatemala’s three active volcanoes. The climb has a reasonable level of difficulty and the whole trip takes about 5 hours from start to finish.
In the afternoon you’ll head to Panajachel and stunning Lake Atitlan. Here you can recover from your adventure and enjoy a relaxing drink and meal overlooking one of the most beautiful lakes in the world.

Day 5:

Atitlán Tour, San Juan La Laguna, Santiago Atitlán & San Marcos La Laguna
Wake up to sunrise over Atitlan’s sparkling blue water before starting a tour of the main villages surrounding the lake.
San Juan La Laguna is a tranquil village where you can buy local arts and textiles along with glimpsing the processes behind the local production of coffee and natural dyes. You will also have the opportunity to visit a local organization that promotes organic agriculture. Here you will be able to try their fresh produce and sample some of the wonderful local dishes.
Santiago Atitlán is a Mayan village that is home to the largest and oldest church in Tzu’tujil territory. It was the pre-Colombian capital of the Tzu’tujil people and has a weaving center and museum. The museum explains the history and tradition of backstrap loom-weaving and the traditional dress of the Tzu’tujil.
San Marcos La Laguna is the last stop on the tour and gives you the opportunity to experience some meditation and relaxation.
The trip offers a day of culture and color in the backdrop of Atitlan’s outstanding natural beauty.

Day 6:

Breakfast, Xela, Drinks, Relax
After a delicious breakfast, you travel north to Guatemala’s second city and cultural heart, Quetzaltenango. Affectionately known as Xela (Shay-la), and with over 50% of the population Mam-Mayan, Quetzaltenango is unofficially known as the capital of Mayan Guatemala.
Quetzaltenango is also the main center for Spanish learning in the country. On arriving in Xela, you will have time to settle in to your hotel and get some rest. Later in the evening you will tour the city’s main bars and experience some of Xela’s history and culture.

Day 7:

First Catholic Church in Central America, Fuentes Georginas (hot springs)
Seeing the first Catholic church in Central America is just part of a wonderful day of living history.
Fuentes Georginas is your first stop and gets your day off to an energized start. These clear blue hot springs are heated by the Zunil volcano which gives its name to the nearby Mayan Quiche village and your next stop. A visit to the community of Zunil will give you a great insight into the local way of life which is completely reliant on farming to survive.
The afternoon involves the magnificent colonial church tour of Salcajá and San Andres Xecul.
Salcajá is home to the first Catholic church to be founded by the Spanish in Central America. Just 20 minutes from Xela, it’s also famous for its local tipple “Caldo de Frutas”, a sweet eggnog style drink that you can taste for yourself.
San Andres Xecul is home to something truly special. Also close to Xela, its famous yellow church is a stunning mix of colonial Catholicism and Mayan symbolism. The combination creates a wonderfully vibrant facade that captures the unique and rich culture of Guatemala.
It’s a great day of history and all within an hour’s drive of Xela.

Day 8:

Xela’s Historic Center, Flores, Lake Peten
The second day in Xela starts after breakfast with a quick tour of the Xela’s historic center. You then head for the International airport in Guatemala City to catch a flight to Flores which is the starting point for any visit to Tikal.
Flores is listed as one of the world’s 25 most beautiful small towns. It sits on an island in the middle of Lake Petén and is so much more than just a starting point for your Tikal adventure. Stroll along its quiet streets, enjoy the local cuisine and then enjoy the splendor of the area’s natural beauty by watching the sunset over the idyllic lake.

Day 9:

Dawn over Tikal, Ancient Mayan Temples, Jungle Wildlife
Your Tikal adventure starts early in order to see dawn rise over the historic site. The tour starts shrouded in darkness as we make our way from the drop off point to the temple. The dense jungle surrounding the park exudes mystery with its sounds amplified and your senses sharpened in the darkness.
Dawn begins as you reach the top of the main Mayan temple. As the darkness departs and the jungle wakes you get a wonderous view. Temple peaks rise out of a seemingly endless sea of jungle and you get a real sense of how incredible Tikal really is. The amazing start to the day is followed by an equally fascinating archaeological tour of this UNESCO world heritage site. To top it all a jungle sound track of Howler monkeys, exotic bird song and a whole host of other wildlife can be heard throughout this wonderful day.
You will come away from this trip in no doubt as to just how great the Mayan civilization was in taming this unforgiving and rawest of natural environments.

Day 10:

Coban, Lanquin
After Tikal you head towards the towns of Lanquin and Coban with the opportunity to see more of Guatemala’s diverse range of plant and animal life.

Day 11:

Seymuc Champey, Coban, Relax
Semuc Champey’s fairytale quality comes from its glittering lime stone pools embedded in the forest floor. Getting to them means an early start to reach the Cahabon river. From there you can climb up to the El Mirador viewing point where you can get some outstanding pictures of the pools from above.
An afternoon trip takes us to Cobán where you can rest in preparation for the final day.

Day 12:

The Journey Home
Your final day starts in Cobán as you travel back to either Guatemala City or Antigua as the stop off before your flight home.

Day 1:

Arrival, Pick Up, Hotel, Welcome Dinner

You arrive at Guatemala’s La Aurora International Airport. A pre-arranged transfer collects you from the airport and takes you to a nearby hotel. Relax and wind down before your official Welcome Dinner.

Day 2:

Antigua, Mira Flores Museum, Mayan Archeological Site, National Museum

A tour of Guatemala City takes you to the Miraflores Museum which is on the archeological site of the ancient Mayan city of Kaminalijuyu. The museum has one of Guatemala’s finest archeological collections. You will also have the opportunity to visit the National Museum, Railway Museum and the city’s Central square.

After the tour you head to the beautiful UNESCO listed city of Antigua which is only an hour’s drive from the capital. Antigua’s charming colonial streets are full of history, culture and beautiful architecture.

Day 3:

Village Tour, History of Antigua

The day starts with a fascinating tour of the villages surrounding Antigua where you will learn more about their history and culture.

In the afternoon you will explore the history of Antigua’s most important buildings which will help you to put modern Guatemala in context.

Day 4:

Pacaya, Marshmallows, Lake Atitlan, Drinks, Relax

Marshmallows at the ready! Your Pacaya adventure starts here!

Pacaya is the most accessible of Guatemala’s three active volcanoes. The climb has a reasonable level of difficulty and the whole trip takes about 5 hours from start to finish.

In the afternoon you’ll head to Panajachel and stunning Lake Atitlan. Here you can recover from your adventure and enjoy a relaxing drink and meal overlooking one of the most beautiful lakes in the world.

Day 5:

Atitlán Tour, San Juan La Laguna, Santiago Atitlán & San Marcos La Laguna

Wake up to sunrise over Atitlan’s sparkling blue water before starting a tour of the main villages surrounding the lake.

San Juan La Laguna is a tranquil village where you can buy local arts and textiles along with glimpsing the processes behind the local production of coffee and natural dyes. You will also have the opportunity to visit a local organization that promotes organic agriculture. Here you will be able to try their fresh produce and sample some of the wonderful local dishes.

Santiago Atitlán is a Mayan village that is home to the largest and oldest church in Tzu’tujil territory. It was the pre-Colombian capital of the Tzu’tujil people and has a weaving center and museum. The museum explains the history and tradition of backstrap loom-weaving and the traditional dress of the Tzu’tujil.

San Marcos La Laguna is the last stop on the tour and gives you the opportunity to experience some meditation and relaxation.

The trip offers a day of culture and color in the backdrop of Atitlan’s outstanding natural beauty.

Day 6:

Breakfast, Xela, Drinks, Relax
After a delicious breakfast, you travel north to Guatemala’s second city and cultural heart, Quetzaltenango. Affectionately known as Xela (Shay-la), and with over 50% of the population Mam-Mayan, Quetzaltenango is unofficially known as the capital of Mayan Guatemala.Quetzaltenango is also the main center for Spanish learning in the country. On arriving in Xela, you will have time to settle in to your hotel and get some rest. Later in the evening you will tour the city’s main bars and experience some of Xela’s history and culture. 

Day 7:

First Catholic Church in Central America, Fuentes Georginas (hot springs)

Seeing the first Catholic church in Central America is just part of a wonderful day of living history.

Fuentes Georginas is your first stop and gets your day off to an energized start. These clear blue hot springs are heated by the Zunil volcano which gives its name to the nearby Mayan Quiche village and your next stop. A visit to the community of Zunil will give you a great insight into the local way of life which is completely reliant on farming to survive.

The afternoon involves the magnificent colonial church tour of Salcajá and San Andres Xecul.

Salcajá is home to the first Catholic church to be founded by the Spanish in Central America. Just 20 minutes from Xela, it’s also famous for its local tipple “Caldo de Frutas”, a sweet eggnog style drink that you can taste for yourself.

San Andres Xecul is home to something truly special. Also close to Xela, its famous yellow church is a stunning mix of colonial Catholicism and Mayan symbolism. The combination creates a wonderfully vibrant facade that captures the unique and rich culture of Guatemala.

It’s a great day of history and all within an hour’s drive of Xela.

DAY 8:

The Journey Home

Your final day starts in Xela as you travel back to either Guatemala City or Antigua as the stop off before your flight home.

An Old World full of New Discoveries
Take Spanish classes to Improve, perfect or begin learning Spanish in a way that immerses you in the language. As the second most spoken native language in the world, learning just a little Spanish can help you in so many ways.
Our Spanish learning program will help your Spanish, improve your understanding of Guatemalan culture and let you enjoy its food, traditions and daily life.

Your journey begins with an airport pickup and transfer to Quetzaltenango. You’ll be dropped off and greeted by you contact in Quetzaltenango who’ll take you to meet your host family. Living with a host family means you can make friends, practice, learn and discover more about Guatemalan culture.

You’ll learn Spanish in a local academy with a trained, experienced Spanish teacher who has been fully certified by the Guatemalan Ministry of Education. Classes are four hours daily of one-to-one learning which can be adapted to your needs and preferences. Courses are designed to be interactive and can include a variety of activities in and out of the classroom.

After school, there are options such as volunteering and salsa classes to keep you entertained in the evenings. You’ll be free at weekends to do what you want, but tours and events will also be available. Popular options are trips to Antigua or Lake Atitlan which are an easy and enjoyable way to see more of the country.

All you need for your language journey is an enthusiasm for language learning, and we’ll do the rest. Have a Spanish adventure and open your mind to the wider possibilities of travelling in this amazing country. *Want your child to get a head start in life with a second language? Then contact us about our child-friendly and family learning options.

¡Aprende el español! with THGuatemala today.

An Old World full of New Discoveries

Working in partnership with EntreMundos, we want to help you to make a difference, so we offer personal and professional consulting to find the best volunteering opportunities in Guatemala while you are traveling, where you will be able to actively and constructively contribute to community projects based on your availability, Spanish level, experience, knowledge, skills, and interests.

The purpose of our Volunteer Program is to connect the expressed needs of national and international volunteers who have specific skills with local organizations that have concrete needs and are interested in receiving volunteers. This is a collaboration that reflects the name, “Entre Mundos,” “Between Worlds,” and allows for personal and professional growth and development for both parties while bringing together two different realities on a shared path toward knowledge, connection, exchange on several levels, even the creation of friendship ties.

EntreMundos offers interested people the opportunity to volunteer with more than 100 organizations in the country, the majority of them in the western highlands. These entities work in fields such as:

• Education,
• health,
• nutrition and food security,
• hygiene,
• environment,
• renewable energy,
• agriculture,
• comprehensive rural development,
• community tourism,
• defence of the rights of indigenous peoples, of women, of children, and of youth, among many others.

We cooperate directly with each one of these organizations to identify what kind of volunteers they need and to make sure that our potential volunteers not only have an excellent experience, but that they also offer a useful service to the organization with which they work.

Help while you are traveling!