10 Days In Guatemala: The Perfect Itinerary For First-Time Visitors
Looking for the best itinerary for 10 days in Guatemala? Here’s exactly how you should spend 10 days in this beautiful country.
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Guatemala is one of my favorite countries in the world. I visited as a solo traveler in college and had been dying to go back ever since.
So when my boyfriend and I decided to take a trip, I knew I had to take him to this incredible country.
All it took was a few weeks of begging (and maybe a powerpoint presentation for a little extra convincing) and we had our tickets booked to spend 10 days in Guatemala!
Since this was a romantic trip with just the two of us, our priorities were relaxation, beautiful scenery, good food, and hidden gems.
I knew I wanted to visit a few places that I had been to before but also explore some new sights.
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Read on for my perfect itinerary for 10 days in Guatemala!
[RELATED: 50 Essential Guatemala Travel Tips To Know Before You Go]
The Perfect Itinerary For 10 Days In Guatemala
3 Days In Lake Atitlan
If you are traveling from outside of Guatemala, you will fly into Guatemala City airport. For us, we arrived later in the day so it made sense to head to Antigua for the night before heading to Lake Atitlan in the morning.
However, if you have an earlier flight you can arrange transportation directly from Guatemala City to Lake Atitlan.
Arriving late at night? Here’s my guide on how to get from Guatemala City Airport to Antigua at night.
The best way to travel around Guatemala is to take the tourist buses. These are typically more spacious and comfortable than the local chicken buses — although less fun and definitely less chickens!
From Antigua, take a tourist bus to Panajachel. The bus will take about 2.5 hours and should cost somewhere around $5USD. From Panajachel, you can take a boat to your final destination.
Where To Stay In Lake Atitlan
Because we were celebrating Jake’s birthday, we treated ourselves to a night at the luxury eco-resort, Laguna Lodge. The resort was amazing — fresh, healthy food, a lakefront infinity pool, sustainable amenities.
Read my comprehensive review of Laguna Lodge here.
After our night of luxury, we took a boat over to the little town of Santa Cruz to stay at one of my favorite hostels – La Iguana Perdida.
I stayed here when I first visited Guatemala and I highly recommend it, even if you’re not normally the hostel type.
They place a huge emphasis on community at La Iguana Perdida. From the family dinners to the happy hour deals to the lack of wifi, everything about this resort makes it easy to connect with fellow travelers.
Every time I stay there, I meet some of the most amazing like-minded people. They also offer beautiful private rooms if you’re not a dorm bed type of traveler!
Towns To Visit In Lake Atitlan:
PANAJACHEL
Or “Pana” as the locals call it, is one of the larger towns along the lake. You’ll find plenty of restaurant, coffee, and shopping options on the main drag, called Calle Santander, in Pana.
You also have the opportunity to visit the Atitlan Nature Preserve, which is home to waterfalls, suspension bridges, and even a butterfly garden. There are also spectacular views of the lake from the nature preserve.
SAN MARCOS
AKA hippie heaven. San Marcos has attracted a very active community of hippie expats, which is very obvious from the amount of vegan cafes, yoga studios, and mystics.
Get your chakras aligned, do some meditation, or just people watch. We chose to do the latter.
SAN PEDRO
This is the backpacker party town. Cheap accommodation, good food, and lots of partying.
This was my least favorite town on the lake but they did have some yummy food options! Make sure you check out the Los Termales hot springs for a relaxing soak and some beautiful views of the lake.
SAN JUAN LA LAGUNA
San Juan is the artsy village of the lake. You’ll find beautiful views, great cafes, and plenty of local handicrafts.
It’s right next to the main backpacker hub of San Pedro, and can be visited via lancha (boat ride) or TukTuk.
SANTA CRUZ
This town is pretty much vertical. La Iguana Perdida hostel is located at the bottom close to the docks but if you want to visit the actual town, prepare for a steep hike up the hill.
Santa Cruz is a traditional Mayan town and there are very few tourists in the town itself.
JAIBALITO
While I have never visited the town itself, we did take a hike to Club Ven Aca. Club Ven Aca is a day club with a beautiful infinity pool and hot tub.
Relax here with a cocktail and enjoy incredible views of the lake. You can take an easy hike from Santa Cruz to Jaibalito for a little pre-cocktail exercise.
OTHER TOWNS
There are plenty of other little towns dotted along the lake. I’ve only included the ones that I have visited in my two trips to Lake Atitlan.
Do a little research and find the town that fits your vibe!
My top tip for Lake Atitlan: Pick one town to base yourself in and then take day trips to the other towns. The boats run very frequently between the towns and are cheap, fast, and efficient. Each town has something different to offer so make sure you visit as many as you have time for!
3 Days In Lanquin
Lanquin is the jumping off point for Semuc Champey — a series of limestone pools filled with crystal-clear turquoise waters that look like something out of a fairytale.
Semuc Champey was one of those places I had wanted to visit so badly the first time I was in Guatemala, but didn’t have time for. So I was SO excited that we were able to carve out a few days on this trip to visit.
Lanquin is not an easy place to get to. It’s an isolated town about 8 hours away from either commercial airports in Guatemala.
The best way to get there is a tourist shuttle from either Antigua or Flores. We took the shuttle from Antigua and let me tell you, it was LOOOONG day but it was so so worth it!
Where To Stay In Lanquin
We chose to stay in Lanquin at a hostel called Zephyr Lodge.
The hostel had incredible views of the surrounding landscape, decent food, and a huge infinity pool overlooking the lush valley. Not bad for a hostel.
Our private room was spacious, clean, and had a huge window with amazing river views.
There are a few other options for accommodation in Lanquin and closer to Semuc Champey.
Getting to Semuc Champey from Lanquin
From Lanquin town, take a 40-minute ride on any of the pickup trucks heading that direction. Spoiler alert — it will be bumpy and you will be standing.
But it’s all part of the fun! Ask the front desk at your accommodation if you’re not sure which one to take. The entrance fee to Semuc Champey is about $7 USD per person.
Things To Do In Lanquin:
Hike To The Viewpoint
If you want to take in Semuc Champey in its full glory, you need to see it from above! There’s a short but difficult hike up to the viewing platform right at the entrance to the park.
If it has been raining, which it probably has, the trail will be slippery so be careful!
Swim In The River
After that hike, you’re going to want to take a dip ASAP! Climb and jump from pool to pool and take in all the natural beauty that surrounds you!
Explore The Caves
If you’re on a group tour, this will be included in your excursion.
We opted to visit Semuc Champey by ourselves because neither of us were really into the cave exploration thing. I’ve heard this is a really fun and thrilling tour though!
4 Days In Antigua
If you’re spending 10 days in Guatemala, you’ll definitely want to spend at least a few days in Antigua.
Antigua is one of those charming little towns that you just immediately fall in love with. The colorful buildings, cobblestone streets, amazing eateries, and bustling nightlife are a big reason why this town is home to so many expats.
There are also plenty of things to do in the areas surrounding Antigua, so we decided to spend four full days here.
Where To Stay In Antigua
There are options for just about every budget in Antigua. In my two trips to Antigua, I’ve split my time between local home-stays and boutique hostels.
I highly recommend Barbara’s Boutique Hostel. The staff was incredibly accommodating, the breakfast was awesome, and the rooms were super clean.
Things To Do In Antigua
Hike An Active Volcano
Take a day trip to hike Pacaya Volcano. This is the easiest of the volcano hikes in the area, but it’s still pretty challenging due to altitude!
You’ll get to see amazing views of the other volcanoes and even roast marshmallows on the lava fields! We were lucky and got to hike it while the lava was flowing — it was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen in my life.
Hike Up To Cerro De La Cruz
If you want amazing views of Antigua and the surrounding volcanoes, take a hike up to Cerro de la Cruz.
Head over to the north side of Antigua and take the trail at the end of 1A Avenida. After 10-15 minutes of hiking, you’ll reach the large cross on the top of the hill.
Visit Hobbitenango.
This is a crazy and fun hobbit-themed hotel near Antigua. Even if you’re not a guest, you can pay a small fee to walk around the facilities and take in the amazing views!
You can also grab food and drinks at the onsite restaurant.
Where To Eat And Drink In Antigua
You may notice that most of the food on the list here isn’t traditional Guatemalan food.
Before the travel police come after me, I’ll admit it — Guatemalan food is not my favorite. It’s not the most flavorful cuisine and it gets pretty boring after a few days.
Rooftop Antigua
My favorite coffee shop in Antigua is Rooftop Antigua (formerly known as Bella Vista Coffee).
Make sure you take your coffee and breakfast up to the rooftop for amazing views of Antigua and the surrounding landscape.
Wachuma
For yummy vegan food, mushroom lattes, and probiotic bowls, make sure you visit Wachuma. Definitely American prices but the quality and portion size is great!
I got a few different mushroom lattes during my time in Antigua and they were all delicious!
Kombu Ramen Shop
I’m obsessed with ramen so I was so excited to find incredible vegan ramen in Antigua. Kombu Ramen Shop serves up seriously delicious ramen. We ended up eating here twice!
Cafe No Se
Cafe No Se was our favorite spot to grab a few drinks. Jake loves mezcal so he was a big fan of their house-made mezcal. This is a fun dive-bar type of vibe full of expats and some locals.
Cafe No Se closed at the beginning of 2020 and has remained closed since then. They have said that they have hopes of reopening, but nothing has been announced yet.
Antigua Brewing Company
We love checking out local breweries when we travel, so Antigua Brewing Company was a really fun find.
With a rooftop patio, big beer list, and yummy bar food, this was a great spot to to eat and drink at!
Once Once
Once Once has some of the most incredible food I’ve ever eaten while traveling.
Do yourself a favor and order a serving of cauliflower wings. Even my meat-loving husband couldn’t get enough of them!
This post was all about how to spend 10 days in Guatemala. Are you traveling to Guatemala soon? Put a pin in this itinerary so you can refer back to it!
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