Did you know that there’s a destination not so far away that’s filled with volcano views and one of the most beautiful lakes in the world?
A few years ago I traveled with a small group to Antigua Guatemala and nearby Lake Atitlan. We hiked volcanoes, rode ATVs through the Guatemalan countryside, met wonderful locals and much, much more.
The natural beauty of this place, fun adventure activities, combined with the friendliness of its people make this an under the radar bucket list destination.
After careful planning, visiting the area myself and extensive research, I’m now thrilled to offer this group Guatemala travel package that will visit Antigua and Lake Atitlan in March 2025!
Now, let’s discuss details about the trip.
About the trip
This small group trip to Antigua Guatemala and Lake Atitlan will be limited to 12 travelers.
The trip will include six nights / seven days of hotel accommodations located centrally in Antigua and La Casa Del Mundo, near Panajachel, Lake Atitlan.
Airport transfers and roundtrip transportation for all activities is included in the cost.
You’ll have a dedicated guide for the entire trip (that’s me!) along with local guides that we hire for various portions of the trip.
Every day includes a core group activity. My goal is to fill about 50% of your time each day with a great group activity, while still leaving you plenty of time to explore on your own.
Upon arriving in Guatemala City, I’ll have airport transfers arranged that will take you directly to our first hotel in Lake Atitlan. This is the closest airport to Lake Atitlan, and it will take just over 2.5 hours to complete the journey.
We’ll spend three nights exploring Lake Atitlan, before heading back to Antigua Guatemala for three nights.
Antigua is located about one hour from Guatemala City. Arranging the trip in this order will make it much easier to reach the airport when you depart on the final day.
There is a moderate amount of physical activity on this trip. Visitors should be comfortable driving an ATV on mostly paved roads, riding on boats and completing two hikes of moderate difficulty.
The longer hike is about 3-4 miles (6 km) in length. Normally I would classify this hike as easy, but given the elevation above sea level approaching 8000 ft (2500 meters) I’d classify it as moderate in difficulty.
Both of the hiking activities require an early start, so be prepared for early wake up calls in these days (before 6am).
A little bit about Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
Known as Central America’s deepest lake, Lake Atitlan is a remote area of Guatemala surrounded by three extremely prominent volcanoes.
The lake formed inside an ancient mega volcano, which helped form the areas unique geology.
Lake Atitlan is rich in Mayan culture, and many of the villages that dot the lake still practice these beliefs today.
The area lacks main roads and the primary method of transportation between towns is the robust water taxi system that ferries travelers across the lake.
In fact, the hotel our group will be staying at is only accessible by boat! It’s built into the northern side of Lake Atitlan’s massive cliffs.
In terms of natural beauty, Lake Atitlan is often compared to Lake Como, Italy.
A little bit about Antigua Guatemala
Antigua, the former capital city of Guatemala, is known for its well preserved Spanish Colonial architecture and position between several prominent volcanoes.
Volcan de Agua is the most photographed, and is often seen in photographs of the iconic Santa Catalina Arch. Meanwhile, Volcan de Fuego is extremely active and visitors are routinely rewarded with small eruptions and puffs of smoke shooting from the highly visible peak throughout the day.
If you choose to stick around for the rigorous Acatenango Volcano hike, we’ll sit eye level with Volcan de Fuego, and if we’re lucky we’ll witness an eruption from close by.
Many of the buildings and restaurants throughout Antigua boast beautiful open air courtyards in their centers, which make it easy to enjoy Guatemala’s incredible year round climate.
During our visit we’ll hike a volcano (or two!), learn to cook traditional dishes from a local and explore the city’s rich history and architecture.
What are the trip dates?
The trip window will be from March 18th – 24th, 2025 (6 nights). You’ll want to fly into Guatemala City Airport where I’ll arrange transportation for you to our hotel in Lake Atitlan.
Since you’ll have a three hour transfer to Lake Atitlan, you’ll want to arrive in Guatemala City by early afternoon so you can be settled into our hotel by dinner time.
Flights are not included in the total trip cost, but I’m happy to assist any trip participants with choosing flight options.
Day 1: Welcome to Guatemala!
Upon arriving at the Guatemala City Airport, you'll locate your pre arranged transfer to Lake Atitlan.
We'll spend three nights here near the town of Panajachel. This is the largest town along the lake and serves as the jumping off point for travelers looking to explore the area.
Your journey to Lake Atitlan can take upwards of 3 hours, so we don't have any formal activities outside of dinner planned for our first evening.
Sunset views of Lake Atitlan from Panajachel
You'll have some free time to explore town this evening. The water taxi system that allows locals and travelers to visit the different Lake Atitlan towns usually closes around sunset so I'd recommend staying in Panajachel on your first night in the area.
Day 2: Lake Atitlan Cultural Tour
Our first full day in Guatemala will center around experiencing some of Lake Atitlan's vibrant culture. We'll pickup some ATVs in Panajachel and explore some of the small towns along the lake.
The weaving collective at Casa Flor Ixcaco is draped in colorful fabrics
As part of this adventure we'll explore the colorful village of Santa Catarina Palopo, learn about local weaving culture, visit a coffee house to taste locally grown beans, visit a chocolate factory and learn about a local ceramics business.
The streets around Lake Atitlan are colorful and peppered with tuk tuks
After our group ATV tour, everyone will be free to split up and explore on their own.
This is a great opportunity to visit different towns, such as San Juan La Laguna, which is known for its vibrant art scene. You could also try your luck cliff jumping around the lake or riding in a tuk-tuk!
Day 3: Indian Nose Sunrise Hike
We'll have an early wake-up call on Day 3 as we visit the best viewpoint in all of Lake Atitlan for sunrise.
Referred to as Indian Nose or Rostro Maya, this activity includes a moderate 2-3 mile (3-4 km) early morning hike.
The sunrise from atop Indian Nose was the best I've ever witnessed
While waking up super early isn't fun, the views will be worth it. Seeing the sun rays peak above the surrounding volcanoes and drape Lake Atitlan in soft morning light is an other worldly experience.
Getting an early start also means you'll have plenty of time after this activity to explore the other towns in the area.
A shot looking out towards the lake from a walking path near La Casa Del Mundo
Consider spending the afternoon exploring La Casa Del Mundo, booking a traditional Mayan ceremony with a local spiritual guide or taking a yoga class to round out your afternoon.
Day 4: Transfer to Antigua, Local cooking workshop
On our fourth day we'll transfer to Antigua and this journey will take a little over two hours by shuttle.
A photo of me with our host Joaquin at Cuscun
We'll have a little bit of time to explore town or rest before heading to a cooking workshop located on a locals rooftop that features incredible views of the surrounding volcanoes.
Always be on the lookout for an impromptu Volcan Fuego eruption!
Here we'll learn how to prepare several traditional Guatemalan dishes under the stars. This is a really fun group activity and if we're lucky we'll even catch Volcan Fuego erupting on the horizon.
The pathway back to the brewery is filled with beautiful lights and greenery
After enjoying our group dinner we'll head back into town and make a stop at Antigua Cerveza, a local brewery for a drink.
The brewery has a really beautiful outdoor area that's perfect for enjoying Antigua's mild weather.
Day 5: Explore Antigua, Sunset ATV Tour
Today we'll have an easy morning exploring Antigua by foot. We'll hit some of my favorite spots in town like the Nim Po't market which is a great place to shop local goods.
The interior of Nim Po't is covered in a sea of colorful fabrics
We'll also pass by many of the towns most important cultural sites and ruins like the El Carmen Church facade.
El Carmen Church Facade makes for a great photo op!
After a morning spent exploring town we'll head off on our big activity for the day, which is a sunset ATV ride through the hills that surround Antigua. Our first stop will be the best viewpoint in town, Cerro de La Cruz.
Volcan de Agua towers over Antigua as seen from Cerro de La Cruz
After hitting another viewpoint, we'll eventually make our way up to the Hobbitenango eco park. This is a fun, hobbit themed park that sits perched above town. We'll have some time to try out a few different activities like the giant swing, take photos on the giant hand and enjoy a drink from their hobbit bar.
Are you feeling adventurous enough to attempt the giant rope swing?
The bar decor at Hobbitenango doesn't disappoint!
If you're interested in learning more about some of my favorite things to do in Antigua Guatemala check out the video below from my last visit!
Day 6: Pacaya Volcano Hike
On day six we'll have an early wake up call as we're whisked off to attempt the Pacaya Volcano hike. While I can't guarantee you'll see flowing lava, we will have an opportunity to roast marshmallows using small volcanic heat vents during this 3-4 mile (6 km) roundtrip hike.
Hikers work down the side of Pacaya Volcano
If we're lucky, we might even catch Volcan de Fuego shooting off ashy plumes in the distance.
My brother snapping a photo of Fuego erupting in the distance
You'll enjoy some of the best views in all of Guatemala from the side of Pacaya Volcano. And if you come hungry, there's usually a local cooking up pizzas on the side of Pacaya using it's volcanic heat to fuel the oven.
As you hike around Pacaya you'll enjoy beautiful views of Antigua's other volcanoes
We'll return to Antigua in the early afternoon which will leave everyone a few hours to explore town on their own. If you've chosen to add on the optional Acatenango Volcano hike, we'll have a brief planning meetup with our expedition leader in the evening.
Day 7: Depart from Guatemala
On day seven some of our group will make their journey back to the Guatemala City airport. From Antigua, the journey back should take less than one hour.
Antigua Guatemala gives visitors the opportunity to enjoy sunsets framed by multiple volcanoes
Day 7 (Optional): Begin Acatenango Volcano Hike
If you've elected to add on the Acatenango Volcano hike, we'll have another early morning wake up call to get started on this adventure.
This is a rigorous activity that isn't suitable for all visitors. We'll approach altitudes of around 13,000 feet (3,900+ meters) and you'll need to be in good physical condition to complete this activity.
We'll face a steep 4-5 hour hike upon arriving as we work towards our accommodations for the evening that overlook the super active Volcan de Fuego.
Look closely and you can see a smoke plume from above Volcan Fuego
In the above photo, from left to right, you can see volcanoes Fuego, Acatenango and Agua. The hike will lead us up Acatenango which will perch us above Volcan de Fuego to observe it's eruptions up close, but still from a safe distance.
Day 8 (Optional): Sunrise Viewing of Volcan de Fuego
After spending an evening in our cabin accommodations near the top of Acatenango, we'll make a final summit push on the morning of day eight.
It will be another early morning as we make the final push to enjoy views of Volcan de Fuego during sunrise.
Catching sunrise overlooking Volcan de Fuego from atop Acatenango Volcano is one of the most coveted views in all of Guatemala and if we're lucky we'll even catch some eruptions up close during our visit.
After our sunrise viewing, we'll make the three hour hike back down Acatenango where our expedition team will take us back to Antigua.
Since we'll return in the afternoon, travelers will spend another evening enjoying Antigua before heading back to Guatemala City the following morning to catch their flights home.
Day 9 (Optional): Depart from Guatemala
On day nine the remaining group will make their journey back to the Guatemala City airport. From Antigua, the journey back should take less than one hour.
What’s included?
- 6 nights of 3-star hotel accommodations (3 nights in Lake Atitlan, 3 nights in Antigua). These hotels are on the higher end in terms of Guatemalan standards. Rooms are double occupancy.
- Roundtrip airport transfers, transportation from Lake Atitlan to Antigua, all transportation related to group activities.
- Generous tips for all local guides
- Cultural tour of Lake Atitlan (including ATV rentals and access to all stops along the way)
- Rostro Maya / Indian Nose sunrise hike
- Rooftop cooking experience with a local
- ATV tour of Antigua (including Cerro de La Cruz and Hobbitenango access)
- Group walking tour of Antigua
- Pacaya Volcano hike
- Optional overnight Acatenango hike includes +2 nights of Antigua hotel accommodations and all costs associated with hiring the guide company and basic accommodations near the volcano peak
What’s not included?
- Flights
- Meals & alcohol unless otherwise noted
- Additional activities that you book in spare time
- Travel insurance (I highly recommend you insure your trip which you can do here)
Cost and Payment Options
The total trip cost for this volcano adventure through Guatemala is $2975 per person. If you’d like to extend your trip by 2 nights and join me hiking Acatenango Volcano the total cost is increased by +$475 for a total of $3,450 per person.
Prices are based on double occupancy per room.
If you have a promotional code or partner offer please be sure to mention it when submitting your inquiry for the trip and it will be deducted from your final total.
I accept credit card payment via Chase Pay, check, Zelle or Venmo. You can submit the $500 deposit in any manner you would like.
Deposits are refundable for 14 days after booking, less a 3% transaction fee. Deposits are non-refundable if made within 90 days of the trip date.
The full trip payment is due 90 days before the stated trip arrival date. 50% of your final trip payment (excluding the deposit) is refundable up to 60 days before the trip arrival date.
Cancellations made less than 60 days from the trip arrival date are nonrefundable. If you need protection beyond this, I’d highly recommend booking flexible airfare and purchasing travel insurance to cover the balance of your trip!
Submit your contact information to start reserving your spot!
To start reserving your spot on this trip, submit the below contact form and I’ll be in touch to answer any questions you have.
As a reminder, spaces are limited and the only way to guarantee your spot is by submitting your deposit!
Guatemala captured my heart during my first visit and I can’t wait to share some of my favorite adventures with others!
If you’d like to discuss the trip in greater detail, I’m also available to take calls to answer any questions you might have. Just mention that in the comments when you submit your form.
I’m looking forward to seeing you in Guatemala!
Additional Travel Planning Resources
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