How to Spend 14 Days in Guatemala
Two weeks, four iconic Guatemalan destinations, and an itinerary bursting with adventure. Buckle up, because we’re diving headfirst into ancient Mayan mysteries, volcanic treks, turquoise shores, and the vibrant chaos of colonial Antigua. From scaling Fuego’s fiery peak to navigating Semuc Champey’s hidden waterfalls to Tikal’s temple-studded jungle, this 14-day itinerary covers all of the best that Guatemala has to offer.
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Day 1: Arrival in Flores
Your first day will involve a decent amount of flying, so once you finally land in Flores you’ll take the night to relax, watch the beautiful sunset, and get some good Guatemalan food!
Where to Stay in Flores
Flores Accommodations
How to Get to Flores
When you book your flights for your trip to Guatemala, you’ll buy round trip flights from your origin to Guatemala City (GUA). Once those are booked, you’ll book a flight from Guatemala City to Flores (FRS) a couple hours after you’re to arrive at GUA. That way, you’ll get all the way to Flores in one day. If you’re coming from Belize (and maybe some parts of southern Mexico), you can simply take a bus to Flores. Otherwise, the easiest way is to fly.
We traveled to Flores from Belize; read about how we did that using public transportation in this post
Day 2: Flores
You’ll spend today exploring the beautiful island of Flores and its surrounding areas. If you’re into caves, there’s a sizable cave you can explore on the mainland of Flores. You can also take a boat across the lake to San Miguel and do a short hike to a lookout point that has a great view of Flores island, or boat to Jorge’s Rope Swing and spend the day relaxing in the beautiful water!
Check out the Best Things to Do in Flores
Day 3: Tikal
On your third day, you’ll wake up early to go explore the Mayan ruins at Tikal. I recommend going on the earliest possible tour, because the site gets quite busy during the middle of the day. We booked the tour that left Flores at 4:30 AM and arrived in Tikal around 6 AM. After a quick coffee break, we spent 5 hours exploring the site with a guide. I HIGHLY recommend booking this experience with a guide, as it’s really helpful to get some background information so you can understand what you’re seeing. I also recommend waiting until you arrive in Flores to book this experience – booking at a hostel, hotel, or agency on the island will be a lot less expensive than anything you’ll find online.
Read our Ultimate Guide to Tikal here
Day 4: Flores to Semuc Champey
Today will be the first of two long travel days included in this itinerary, but I promise that it’s worth it. Today, you’ll be on the road for about 9 hours while you get from Flores to Lanquin (from where you’ll explore Semuc Champey the following day). I highly recommend doing this by shuttle, because doing this by public bus will take significantly longer and will be much more uncomfortable. And once again, I recommend waiting until you’re in Flores to book a shuttle, because they’ll once again be much cheaper booking in person there than anything online. Expect to spend about 30-35 USD per person for the shuttle.
Where to Stay in Semuc Champey
If you plan on staying 2 nights (which is in line with this itinerary), we recommend basing yourself in Lanquín to avoid extra transportation time on your long transportation days (staying in Semuc Champey adds another hour plus to the already long travel days). However, if you decide to stay longer, we recommend staying in Semuc Champey to be within walking distance to the park.
Accommodations in Semuc Champey
Semuc Champey Accommodations
Accommodations in Lanquín
Lanquín Accommodations
Day 5: Semuc Champey
This day very well might be your favorite of your time in Guatemala, because today you’ll be on a tour of the beautiful Semuc Champey. On this tour, you’ll wade and swim your way through a cave by candlelight, tube down the river, hike to a stunning viewpoint, and swim in the beautiful pools of Semuc Champey. This tour is absolutely amazing, and once again should be booked at your hotel or hostel on arrival the previous day.
Read our Guide for Semuc Champey
Day 6: Semuc Champey to Lake Atitlan
Today is the second of the two tough travel days, because you’ll spend another 9-10 hours in a shuttle getting from Semuc Champey to Lake Atitlan. Once again, expect to spend about 30-35 USD per person on this shuttle.
Note: If you prefer, you can stay in Semuc Champey for three nights instead of two, in which case I urge you to stay in one of the hostels or hotels actually in the park so that you’ll easily be able to enter the park again on your second day. However, if you only stay for two nights, as is suggested in this itinerary, staying in Lanquin makes more sense so you don’t have to add the additional time it takes to get from Lanquin to Semuc Champey onto your already long travel days.
Day 7: Lake Atitlan
Today, you’ll likely want to spend a day relaxing by Lake Atitlan. You can lounge at your hotel, explore the town you’ve decided to stay in, or maybe do a yoga class or a cooking class. I also recommend checking out the thermal pools in San Pedro!
Where to Stay at Lake Atitlan
There are tons of options on where to stay around the lake – we recommend staying in the town that seems to align most with your vibe. We stayed in San Pedro and it definitely had a backpacker vibe, but that may not work for everyone! Check out our article to determine where you should stay:
Your Ultimate Guide to Visiting Lake Atitlan
Day 8: Lake Atitlan
For your second day at Lake Atitlan, spend some time discovering the surrounding villages. Each village has a different vibe, so it’s really fun to just spend a day hopping around the lake and exploring! We recommend making sure to hit Panajachel, San Pedro, San Marcos, and San Juan, though there are even more to explore if you have the time.
Day 9: Lake Atitlan to Antigua
Today, you’ll head from Lake Atitlan to Antigua. Once you arrive in Antigua, spend some time exploring the city. Antigua was our favorite place in Guatemala that we visited – the city is so cute and there’s so much to do! If you’re looking for something to do this afternoon/evening, head to Antigua Cerzeva :: El Bosque for some great beer in a beautiful park setting.
Read about All the Best Things to Do in Antigua!
How to Get to Antigua from Lake Atitlan
For this journey, you can either take a private transfer (which will run you around 15 USD per person) or take the chicken buses (which will cost about 5 USD).
Read our guide on how to travel between Lake Atitlan and Antigua by chicken bus
Where to Stay in Antigua
Antigua Accommodations
Day 10: Antigua
You’ll spend today exploring some of the best that Antigua has to offer. Start the morning off with a walking tour – there are free walking tours at 10 AM and 3 PM daily, just sign up the day before. Walking tours are a great way to learn about the history of the city and get answers to any questions you may have about it!
Sign Up for a Walking Tour Here
After your walking tour, head over to the Choco Museo to learn about and have a chance to make some chocolate! Also, take some time to explore the impressive ruins of the Catedral de Santiago.
Lastly, head up to Cerro de la Cruz for sunset – this is a beautiful place to see the whole city from.
Day 11: Hike Acatenango
Hiking Acatenango is one of the main things to do in the country of Guatemala. This is a huge tourist attraction, with several groups hiking the volcano each day hoping for the chance to see the lava erupting from Fuego Volcano. This hike is quite intense, so be sure to prepare for it by drinking lots of water and eating all the good food Antigua has to offer. This first day will involve hiking about 4 hours to the base camp of whatever company you’ve chosen to do this with (we recommend Wicho & Charlie’s). From there, you’ll have the option of hiking all the way to Fuego and sitting basically on the side of it while watching it erupt. This is a crazy experience, but the hike is TOUGH especially after hiking all the way up Acatenango to your base camp.
Read Our Guide to the Acatenango Hike Here
Day 12: Back to Antigua
This morning you’ll hike down from Acatenango and return to Antigua around noon. Odds are you’ll be very tired and need some time to recover and relax, so today is a chill day. If you have any energy left in you, take some time to wander the Artisanal Market and get some souvenirs!
Day 13: Antigua
On your last full day in Antigua, you’ll wake up early and head to Caoba Farms. Caoba is completely organic and you can spend time exploring the farm before heading to their restaurant on the property for an amazing brunch. The portions are HUGE and incredibly delicious.
After brunch, you’ll be heading to Hobbitenango, Antigua’s very own Lord of the Rings themed park. Set high up in the mountains, this whimsical spot has activities, restaurants, and even little hobbit-themed homes you can stay overnight in! You’ll spend the afternoon exploring this beautiful area before heading back into town for your last stop of the day.
To round out your amazing trip to Guatemala, you’ll head to Ulew Cocktail Bar. Be warned – you’ll want to get here rather early to beat the line! Ulew a small, speakeasy-type bar that you enter through a phone booth. There’s no menu; you just explain to the waiter what kind of drinks you like and what kind of alcohol you want and the bartenders will make you something amazing.
Day 14: Depart
Today, you’ll be packing your bags to head home. From Antigua, you’ll take a bus to the airport in Guatemala City to catch your flight.
However, if you’re continuing on, perhaps you’ll be heading across the border into El Salvador! If that’s the case, we’ve got you covered:
Check Out Our Guide for How to Get from Antigua to El Salvador
Either way, I hope you had the trip of a lifetime and enjoyed this Guatemala itinerary!!
Keep Exploring Guatemala
- The Best Things to do in Guatemala
- Best Things to do in Antigua
- The Ultimate Guide to the Acatenango Volcano Hike
- From Antigua to El Salvador By Bus: Your Ultimate Guide
- Complete Guide to Semuc Champey: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go
- Antigua to Lake Atitlan (and Back!) Using Public Transportation
- Lake Atitlan: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go
- Incredible Things to do in Flores
- The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Tikal in Guatemala
Our Favorite Travel Resources
Accommodations: We use Booking.com for hotels and HostelWorld for hostels. We also use VRBO or TrustedHousesitters for longer stays.
Flights: We recommend using Skyscanner to find the cheapest and best flights.
Ground Transport: We use 12Go and Omio for buses and private transfers, and rentalcars.com and Discover Cars for rental cars.
Activities: GetYourGuide and Viator are the best websites for booking organized tours.
International Medical Insurance: We highly recommend SafetyWing for Digital Nomads and HeyMondo for those not traveling full-time, or who frequently engage in higher-risk adventure activities.
eSIM: We recommend Airalo or Holafly for getting data internationally.
Check out our Travel Resources Page for more of our favorite travel-related products and services!
