February 17 - 21 (5D4N): A country with so much to offer! I booked the flight without doing much research ahead of time, thinking we’d be spending the entire time in the capital - Guatemala City (GC). We ended up picking 4 cities to visit in just 5 days! I’d recommend spending no more than one night in GC for the first-timers. Then budget for at least 2 days in Antigua Guatemala, and finish with another 2 days in Lake Atitlan.

*Highly Recommended

Day 1 (Guatemala City)

• Late-night arrival in GUA via JFK (direct via JetBlue)

• Uber to Westin Camino Real (Great gym/pool, but the rooms were a bit dated; alternatively, you can consider Hyatt Centric GC or Hilton Garden Inn GC)

• Tacos @ El Changarrito 21*

Day 2 (Guatemala City/Monterrico)

• Breakfast @ hotel

• Swim/workout @ hotel

• Pick-up rental @ Hertz (Inside the Westin)

• Historic Zona 1:

  • Mercado Central

  • Palacio Nacional

  • Plaza de la Constitución

• Drive to Monterrico (6 hrs)

• Lunch @ El Pinche

• Check-in @ Cafe del Sol (Do not recommend, it wasn’t very clean)

• Ceviche & beer @ Cafe del Sol

• Grilled meat/street food

Day 3 (Monterrico/Antigua Guatemala)

• Playa Monterrico

• Breakfast @ Patch Coffee*

• Swim @ Hotel Pool

• Drive to Antigua Guatemala (~2.5 hrs)

• Late lunch @ El Tenedor del Cerro* (Outdoor museum/garden; amazing view, good food)

• Chocolate Antigua* (Free chocolate-making tour; 9 AM-6 PM)

• Check-in @ Hotel Boutique Los Pasos*

• Cocktails @ Ulew Cocktail Bar* (A speakeasy tucked inside a brewery, look for the phone booth)

• Dance @ La Sala

Day 4 (Antigua/Lake Atitlan)

• Breakfast @ hotel

• 9:30 AM-2 PM: Essential Free Tour to discover Antigua de Guatemala*:

  • Parque Central de La Antigua Guatemala

  • Iglesia San Jose de Catedral

    • Ruinas de Catedral (20GTQ)

  • Tanque de la Union

  • Convento Santa Clara (20GTQ)

  • Casa Popenoe (pic only)

  • Museo Mesoamericano del Jade (A comprehensive free jade-making tour)

  • Casa Santo Domingo

    • San Domingo Museum Complex

    • Chocolarti

  • Lunch @ La Cuevita De Los Urquizu*

  • Ingelsia de la Merced (20GTQ)

  • Arco de Santa Catalina

  • Hotel Convento Santa Catalina (To read about the history of the arch and the clock)

  • Starbucks Antigua (Check out the beautiful courtyard)

  • McDonald’s (This courtyard has Ronald McDonald sitting on a bench)

  • Mercado Municipales

• Drive to Panajachel (~2.5 hrs)

• Check-in @ Posada de Los Volcanes* (We opted to stay at the Panajachel for the ease of transportation, but if you have more time, look to stay @ Eco Hotel Uzlabil Atitlan in San Juan)

• Sunset @ Lago Atitlan*

• Drinks @ Resturante Atitlan (Amazing sunset views; average drinks)

• Walk along Calle Santander for some food adventure:

  • Tapas @ Pintxos Y Tintos*

  • Pupusa @ Rinconcito Salvadoreno*

  • Tacos & Panini @ The Little Spoon*

Day 5 (Lake Atitlan/Guatemala City)

• Morning walk along the lake/Playa Publica Panajachel

• Private boat trip to see San Juan and San Pedro (800GTQ for the entire day; arranged by the hotel):

  • San Juan La Laguna:

    • Cafe San Juan*

    • Mirador Cerro Kaqasiiwaan* (Short hike to the observation deck for a 360-degree view of the villages/lake; 30GTQ; cash only)

    • La Calle De Las Sombrillas*

    • Atrium of the Catholic Church of San Juan

    • Coffee @ Cafe Las Marias* (Nice view; cash only)

    • Galeria De Arte*

    • Gelato by the dock

  • San Pedro La Laguna:

    • Drinks @ The Alegre Pub* Rooftop

    • Playa

    • Dinner @ Sababa Restaurant* (Beautiful views; cash only)

• Drive to Guatemala City (~2.5 hrs)

• Dinner @ Hacienda Real* (Amazing steak)

• Return car @ Hertz (Airport location)

• Red-eye back to JFK

Other points of interest & food:

Antigua:

• Coffee @ Cafe Condesa

• Hike to Cerro de La Cruz/Hill of the Cross

• Lunch @ Finca Filadelfia (A coffee plantation that also offers coffee tasting)

• Dinner @ Posada de Don Rodrigo or Angie Angie CafeArte

• Tacos @ Fridas

• Sunset drinks @ Cafe Sky

• Cocktails @ Doce Bar or El Barrio

Lake Atitlan:

• Sunrise hike @ Rostro Maya - Indian Nose

• Reserva Natural de Atitlan (Zip lines, butterflies, hiking trails; GTQ280 or GTQ410)

• Dinner @ Guajimbo’s

• Street food @ Humo en tus ojos

Tips:

• Don’t underestimate the driving time in Guatemala. Due to major traffic jams and construction work, it took us 5 hours to get to Monterrico from Guatemala City.

• Most toll booths and restaurants would take major credit cards, but do prepare to have some small changes for the toll bridge to Monterrico and street food.

• US debit cards only worked at the 5B ATM. However, fees are higher with 5B, so conserve your cash and withdraw the max limit.

• Propina (service charge) of 10% is often included on the bill, be sure to double check

• Given that the rental car cost was reasonable, I’d recommend renting a car for a more flexible schedule.

• It is advised to only drink from bottled water. But I did not get sick after having few cocktails/drinks with ice at the restaurants.