Guatemala

Colonial & Mayan Beauty

8 days |

$2,095/person

This tour moves at a relaxed pace, allowing you time to soak up the beauty and charm of your surroundings. Walk the cobblestone streets of colonial Antigua, visiting old Spanish churches and convents. Explore the charming lakeside villages of gorgeous Lake Atitlan. Shop the spectacular, colorful indigenous market in Chichicastenango. Tour the galleries and murals of artistic Comalapa. Spend a special day at Long Way Home’s amazing school built from tires.

trip summary

  • Day 1
    • Fly to Guatemala, Transport to Antigua
  • Day 2
    • Beautiful Colonial Antigua
  • Day 3
    • Antigua to Scenic Lake Atitlan
  • Day 4
    • Exploring Lake Atitlan
  • Day 5
    • Lake Atitlan to Chichicastenango
  • Day 6
    • Chichi’s Indigenous Market
  • Day 7
    • Comalapa & Long Way Home
  • Day 8
    • Fly Home

trip detail

Day 1

Fly to Guatemala
Transport to Antigua

Upon your afternoon arrival at the Guatemala City Airport, you’ll be shuttled, with a guide, directly to beautiful Antigua. The drive is approximately 1 ½ hours so you’ll finally arrive in Antigua late afternoon/early evening. We’ll start with a fun group dinner, where you’ll have the opportunity to meet your guides and fellow travelers. After dinner, we’ll take a short walk to one of the beautiful, bustling nearby plazas to get you orientated with the city.

Day 2

Colonial Antigua

Antigua is an old Spanish colonial town with a rich cultural heritage, stunning architecture, and beautiful natural surroundings. After breakfast, we’ll head out on a walking tour of the city, taking in the magnificent churches, convents, plazas, cobblestone streets, food, and overall charm this special little city has to offer. Mid afternoon, after the walking tour, you’ll have time to relax and shower before we drive up to the surrounding countryside for a sunset dinner and music.

Day 3

Antigua to Lake Atitlan

After breakfast, we’ll head to magical Lake Atitlan, a stunning crater lake surrounded by volcanoes and dotted with scenic shoreline villages. We’ll drive 2 ½ hours from Antigua to the lakeside city of Panajachel for lunch and a quick walk down the touristy strip. From “Pana” we’ll catch a small boat to the tranquil village of San Marcos, the ideal base for two days/nights of swimming, hiking, shopping, massages, yoga, village hopping, or just relaxing by the water.

Day 4

Lake Atitlan

The morning is free for you to explore the many fun options nearby; swimming, cliff jumping, hiking a volcano, getting a massage, or just wandering the village. This is time for you to do your own thing and get away from the group. In the afternoon, we’ll take a small boat to the charming village of San Juan for cute shops and spectacular views from atop Mirador Kaqasiiwaan. Next, we’ll head to the more lively town of San Pedro for a beautiful sunset dinner to wrap up the perfect day.

Day 5

Lake Atitlan to Chichicastenango

After another free morning we’ll take a boat back to Panajachel, where we’ll hop on a series of colorful local “chicken buses” to get to the small highland town of Chichicastenango, famous for its huge, open-air indigenous market and traditional Maya culture. The trip to Chichi will take approximately 2 ½ hours on multiple potentially crowded buses. This is an opportunity to test your inner adventurer and travel like the locals do. Don’t chicken out, take the Chicken Bus!

Day 6

Chichi Market

We’ll wake early to watch the colorful market come alive before the droves of tourists arrive by the busload. By then, we’ll have had the full, authentic ChiChi market experience. Even though we’ll have hit all the highlights before lunch, you’ll have the whole day to soak up the glory of Indigenous Market Day. Take your time shopping, try the delicious street foods, take a thousand photos, and watch the beautiful chaos unfold all around you.

Day 7

Comalapa

Today, we’ll make the long trip back to Guatemala City, stopping in quaint, off-the-beaten-path Comalapa along the way. Comalapa is the artistic heart of Guatemala, boasting a staggering number of artists and is a great place to see what Guatemala is like without tourists. We’ll start with a cooking class, where you’ll learn to make a traditional meal. After eating, we’ll take a walking tour of the town, focusing on its famous murals and art galleries and ending in the town square to soak up life as the locals live it. We’ll end the day at our hotel in the big city.

Day 8

travel home

Today we officially say goodbye as it’s time for you to fly home. Throughout the morning, we’ll begin transporting everyone to the Guatemala City Airport based on flight times. A guide will be there to make sure everyone departs without issue. Next, you land at home and tell all your friends what an amazing time you had and we anxiously wait for the day you join us for another tour. Remember, with Hop Skip Jump, the world is smaller than you think!

want even more day-to-day detail?

price & inclusions

$2,095/person

(Prices are in $USD & exclude the cost of any flights.)

price includes

  • Accommodation
  • Most meals (17 meals included)
  • All group transport during the trip
  • Group activities, excursions, and sightseeing
  • Guide and Assistant Guide fees

price excludes

  • Tips & personal expenses
  • Travel, health and cancellation insurance
  • All airfare
  • Shopping
  • Alcohol
  • Individual free time activities

Our Non-Profit Partners

(These are the organizations you’ll visit and how you can help them)

long way home

Long Way Home is a fantastic organization that promotes unique green building methods and supports the community through various projects, notably its Hero School, an incredible school providing high-quality education to kids who may otherwise not have the opportunity. The best part is this beautiful school is built from garbage and old tires. Yep, old tires! You won’t believe your eyes! You’ll get to visit the school, donate supplies, and hang with volunteers, and Hop Skip Jump can donate $100 on behalf of each group member if you’d like to arrange that.

unlock 50% off travel planning services

Sign up for the Hop Skip Jump newsletter to receive your discount code. Get access to travel tips, guides & inspiration as well as new tour destinations right in your inbox.