Discover Guatemala’s rich indigenous culture, beautiful Spanish historical cities, and get as close as safely possible to an active volcano
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International airport arrival at Guatemala City. Transfer to Antigua Old town- 1 hour. Orientation walk around Antigua. Welcome dinner with the group.
*Extra Add-On Activity: If you arrive early, or arrive a day early, this afternoon we will have an optional biking tour of Almolonga Valley- touring Antigua’s rural farms and historical ruins. Biking tour departs at 1pm.
Accommodation: Casa Antigua- locally run boutique hotel in the heart of Antigua’s historical center.
Meals: None. Quality food and safe drinkable water will be available at all our accommodations.
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Morning walking tour led by Antigua local guide to discover Guatemala’s historical capital & cultural capital. Antigua is a UNESCO world heritage city surrounded by volcanoes. We will also explore Mercado de Antigua a local Mayan Market.
Accommodation: Casa Antigua
Meals included: Breakfast
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Morning private mini bus transfer to Acatenango Volcano (1 hour). Embark on a 2 day/1 night hike up Acatenango Volcano. Acatenango is a dormant volcano that is a safe distance away from it’s active neighbor, Volcan Fuego. Our private campsite at basecamp has stunning views of Volcan Fuego spewing lava from a safe distance.- Optional add on to hire a porter for $30 USD. All trekking gear included. 4-6 hour trek up to Acatenango base camp ~3600M. Arrive to a private campsite with permanent tents, mattress pads, and high quality sleeping bags. The private camp site faces Active Volcan Fuego where we can safely watch it’s eruptions while we hang out by the campfire. We will have local trekking guides who have been leading Volcano treks for years to ensure a safe and smooth experience.
Hike Details: 4-6 hours. 5 miles/8 km. 3600M in elevation. Option to rent a porter. Trekking poles, sleeping bag, warm clothes provided.
Accommodation: Permanent camp settlement
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and campfire snacks
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Wake up before sunrise for a steep 1-2 hour ascent up to Acatenango’s summit for sunrise. On a clear day you will see all of Guatemala’s volcanos to the Pacific Ocean. After summiting, head back to basecamp for breakfast and then a 3 hour descent back down. The descent will follow a different way down than on the way up- we will pass through 4 distinct microclimates. December is the driest and clearest month in Guatemala. After descending back down we will eat lunch then private 1.5 hour transfer to Lake Atitlan where we stay in a local lake side wellness-resort. Lake Atitlan is a gigantic crater lake surrounded by two volcanos and dotted with Mayan villages, it is one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. Start a tab at the resort and they have everything you need from breakfast, lunch, & communal dinners to fruit smoothies & a full bar.
Hike: Optional, steep 1-2 hour ascent to summit ~3900M- most challenging & coldest part of the hike. Followed by a 3 hour descent back to base camp.
Accommodation: Iguana Perdida Wellness-Resort on Lake Atitlan in the laid back village of Santa Cruz
Meals Included: Breakfast. The resort has a full service kitchen open all day & cooks communal dinners every-night, as well as a full bar at very affordable prices.
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Free day to relax & recover at the lakeside wellness-resort. There are ton of optional activities such as; paddleboarding, kayaking, yoga, Mayan sauna, massages, etc. Tonight is New Years eve so we will ring in the new year at the resort’s bar with some live music after a communal dinner.
Accommodation: Iguana Perdida lake side wellness-resort
Meals: No meals included at the wellness-resort. The resort has a full service kitchen and bar at very affordable prices.
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This morning we will head out on a private boat touring 3 different Mayan villages dotted around Lake Atitlan. We will get a first hand experience of Mayan culture on Lake Atitlan. Led by private guide who specializes in Mayan tours on Lake Atitlan. We will be back in the afternoon to enjoy a free evening and communal dinner at the eco-resort.
Accommodation: Iguana Perdida wellness resort
Meals: No meals included at the wellness-resort. The resort has a full service kitchen and bar at very affordable prices.
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Private 2 hour transfer to Quetzaltenango- that’s a mouthful, so it’s called Xela for short. Xela is not on the popular tourist trail through Guatemala, but it should be- it’s a very safe & beautifully preserved historical city teeming with culture and surrounded by volcanoes. After checking into our hotel, we will head out on a day hike of Volcan Chicabal led by local hiking guides. This volcano hike will be much easier than Acatenango Volcano hike. At the top we will reach a crater lake that is very important to Mayan traditions, where Mayan ceremonies frequently take place. We will get back in the early evening and have free time to get a nice dinner and hang out in beautiful, Xela.
Hike: 3 hours. 3 miles round trip.
Accommodation: Hotel Luna Vela- a local 4 star boutique hotel in Xela’s historical district.
Meals Included: Packed Lunch on Hike
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Morning walking tour around Xela’s historical district led by our knowledgeable guide to teach us more about this lesser known historical Mayan city. After the walking tour we will head to Fuente Georginas hot springs. These are thermal hot springs with hot sulfur water that comes from Zunil Volcano’s geothermal activity. After the hot springs we’ll have free time for dinner and hanging out in Xela’s historical center.
Accommodation: Luna Vela
Meals: Breakfast
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Morning private transfer back to Antigua. We’ve been slowly heading west on this itinerary and now we will head 5 hours back east to Antigua. We will have time for a group dinner and then a night out in Antigua’s lively El Barrio neighborhood.
Accommodation: Casa Del Parque- nice boutique hotel next to El Barrio district with a pool
Meals: Breakfast
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All good things come to an end… check out at your leisure and transfer to Guatemala City’s airport. There will be one included airport shuttle in the morning or you can Uber at your ideal time to airport. Uber is about $30 USD or can coordinate with others in the group to split the taxi.
Meals: Breakfast
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Based on shared room with two double beds. Upgrade to private room for $250 USD- private room will not be accommodated during the Acatenango Volcano trek.
Tipping is expected in the tourism industry. Instead of individually tipping we will collect a $50 USD tip from everyone and it will cover all tips for entire trip. $5 per person per day for tipping guides.
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Tour Guides: Best local guides in Guatemala. We are partnering with a sustainable, local, and responsible tour operator that has been running adventurous tours in Guatemala for over two decades. We will have one bilingual Guatemalan guide with us for the entirety of the trip and local speciality guides for volcano hikes & Lake Atitlan Mayan villages.
Tour Manager: Me, I will be on the tour ensuring a great time.
All Activities, Entry Fees, Trekking gear & permits
Transportation:All transportation mentioned in Itinerary. Private mini-bus for all transport. One airport shuttle to and from Guatemala City at designated time for arrival and departure- can cheaply Uber if you miss this window of arrival/departure time.
Accommodation: all accommodations are included. Shared room with two double beds. Solo travelers are welcome and will be paired with same gender roommate. All highly rated boutique hotels.
Meals: Breakfast at hotel every morning except at eco-resort on Lake Atitlan, here we each start a tab and the prices are very affordable. For example, the communal dinner is 40-50 quetzales or 5-6 USD. The resort has a full service kitchen and bar with a diverse menu. All meals are included during the two volcano hikes. 9 total meals included
Consultation: pre trip consultation to find the best international flight and to go over packing list.
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Meals not mentioned in itinerary. Souvenirs. Alcohol. Any activities you do on your own during free time. International flight to Guatemala. Travel Insurance.
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reach out to me at seanhira125@gmail.com or Direct message on instagram. We accept Paypal, Venmo, and credit card(4% processing fee for credit cards)
$250 USD deposit to secure your spot. $1000 final deposit by Oct 2024. . If for some unforeseen reason the tour is cancelled the deposit(s) will be fully refunded. If you have to cancel then I will do my best to get the deposit back but cannot guarantee it. I will provide you with an official receipt and invoice.
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Physical Rating: Moderate to Challenging. Accessible to most healthy people, who can handle pushing through some challenging but rewarding hiking.
Group: 10-15 max travelers. Ages ranging from mid 20’s to early 60’s. Mean age is usually in the 30’s & 40’s range.
Visa/Passport: No visa needed for US citizens. Passport must have 6 months validity.
Safety: Guatemala has had a historically dangerous reputation. However, this has changed in the last decade as it is now very safe to travel and the Guatemalan’s are very hospitable. Most of the dangerous reputation came from gang on gang violence way outside of the tourist zones. Guatemala has a very popular backpacking scene and tourists frequent this Central American gem. Guatemalans take care of the tourists because tourism is an important driver of economic growth for this developing nation. Our guide and tour operator are well respected and known throughout Guatemala and will ensure our safety at all times.
Comfort: You will need to be mentally prepared to get out of your comfort zone and must be a down to earth traveler. Guatemala has a tourist industry so it will be plenty comfortable, but is still a developing nation. The Acatenango volcano hike will be the only night outside of a quality hotel. All hotels are highly rated and hand picked for a quality, comfortable, and local Guatemalan stay.
Food: Our guide will ensure we are eating at quality restaurants that are safe for our stomachs. Treated drinking water will be available for the entirety of trip.
Email me with any more questions! Seanhira125@gmail.com