Best 7-day Guatemala itinerary

Guatemala is one of the best countries in Central America. It is affordable, the landscape is beautiful, the old Mayan ruins are impressive and the people are incredibly friendly. In addition, it is not (yet) as touristy as, for example, Costa Rica or Panama. You can climb volcanoes, spot wild animals, visit old colonial cities and relax on the beach. In short, a great country! I traveled through Guatemala and happy to share my 7 days in Guatemala itinerary with you. 

Is 7 days enough for Guatemala?

Tricky question. While 7 days definitely isn’t long enough to explore every area of Guatemala, with careful planning it is possible to enjoy a rewarding range of experiences in a week.

You’ll also need to consider what you most want to see and do, and plot your itinerary accordingly, paying heed to how you’re going to get around.

To make your job easier, read on for a run-down of five 7-day itineraries in Guatemala. You can also read our article how many days to spend in Guatemala.

Having doubts about 7 days? Perhaps our 10 days in Guatemala itinerary suits you better.

Day 1: Arrival in Guatemala City and transfer to Antigua

All international flights arrive in Guatemala City. Unfortunately, Guatemala City is not a city with much to see or do. That is why we traveled to Antigua in one go. The drive from the airport to Antigua takes about 45 minutes.

Superbly situated in a sweeping highland valley, Antigua is one of the Americas’ most enchanting colonial cities. In its day this was one of the great cities of the Spanish empire, serving as the administrative center for all of Central America and Mexican Chiapas.

Editor’s tip: book your accommodation in Antigua before departure and book a transfer from the airport to the accommodation directly with them.

Day 2: Explore Antigua

Antigua has become Guatemala’s foremost tourist destination, a favored hangout for travelers. The beauty of the city itself is the main attraction, particularly its remarkable wealth of colonial buildings – churches, monasteries and grand family homes – that provide an idea of the city’s former status.

You’ll find the ambience unhurried and enjoyable, with a sociable bar scene and a superb choice of restaurants adding the appeal.

It’s a small city that can be easily explored in one day if you stick to the main highlights. The best one is Arco de Santa Catalina. The famous arch looking out on Acatenango. Also, make sure to visit:

• La Merced Church
• The main plaza
• The ruins of San Francisco
• Cerro de la Cruz viewpoint

If you have enough time, you can also visit Hobbitenango. An interactive fantasy-filled attraction in Guatemala with fantastic views over the valley and nearby volcanoes. Another option is a day trip to the mesmerizing Pacaya volcano.

Where to stay in Antigua

Choosing accommodation in Antigua is not very difficult. The town is small and most accommodation can be found around the center, which is around Parque Central de Antigua and Arco de Santa Catalina. It is advisable to book in advance during high season.

Day 3: Climb Acatenango volcano

Day 3 on your 7 days in Guatemala itinerary will be one to remember as you climb the Acatenango volcano. An essential part of your itinerary through Guatemala. We had heard many horror stories about the freezing at the top, the difficult hike, altitude sickness and breathing problems due to the altitude.

But don’t let it stop you. It’s one of the best hikes you’ll ever do.

The first day, you climb to base camp at about 656 feet (200 meter) below the top at 13,041 feet (3,976 meters). I have to say that the climb was a lot easier than I had imagined. Fortunately, we reached base camp without any problems.

The view at base camp is literally one of the absolute highlights of your trip through Guatemala. After hours of walking, you sit by a campfire on a volcano while you look out at Fuego volcano that shoots lava 200 meters into the air with a gigantic bang every 20 minutes.

You feel the ground beneath you shaking, as if there is a thunderstorm, only then you see a volcano spewing lava.

Editor’s tip: it's cold at the top. Assuming you don't bring hiking clothes, you can rent them from the tour operator where you book this tour. An alternative is to buy clothes at the second hand market in Antigua.

How to book this tour

You will see that in Antigua you can book a tour to Acatenango virtually anywhere. Where you book is ultimately up to you. But if you decide to book, please keep in mind to book with an organization that supports the local community or talk to our travel experts.

There are several operators in the city. For a tour, expect to pay around $85 and $200.

Editor's tip: make sure to read about all things to know before traveling to Guatemala.

Day 4: Descent Acatenango volcano

The next day, you leave at 4:30 am to the top of the volcano. The view from the top is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. If the weather gods are kind to you.

After spending some time on the top, you’ll start the descent and make your way back to Antigua.

You’ll be back at your accommodation around noon, so you have enough time to go into town. Although, it is wiser to sit on a terrace to celebrate your volcano climb (and recover).

Editor's tip: the weather really makes or breaks this trip, so be sure to read all about the best time to visit Guatemala.

Day 5: Travel from Antigua to Flores

Travel time: 4-5 hours

Early in the morning, transfer back to Guatemala City for your flight to Flores (1-hour flight). Most 7 day Guatemala itineraries include Lake Atitlan and skip Flores to visit Tikal and Yaxha.

Unfortunately, it's either one or the other. If you prefer Lake Atitlan (which is truly spectacular), you can also travel to San Pedro from this day on and spend a few days here. 

However, in this 7 day itinerary, we prefer Tikal. A 3,000-year-old city and ceremonial center of the ancient Maya civilization.

After a short flight, you arrive in Flores, a picturesque island town on Lake Petén Itzá, and the gateway to Tikal and Yaxha.

Where to stay in Flores

The city of Flores is quite large, but it is the island in Lake Petén Itzá where you can best spend the night. There's a wide range of accommodation and in terms of location, it doesn't really matter. On the west side of the island you will find many restaurants and bars on the water. Extra cozy in the evening. In the center of the island you will find more authentic options.
 

Day 6: Explore Tikal National Park

Towering above the rainforest, Tikal, is possibly the most magnificent of all Maya sites. The ruins are dominated by five enormous temples, steep-sided limestone pyramids that rise to more than 60m above the forest floor. Around them are thousands of other structures, many semi-strangled by giant roots and still hidden beneath mounds of earth.

Dawn and dusk are the best times to see wildlife, when the forest canopy bursts into a frenzy of sound and activity. The air fills with the screech of toucans and the roar of howler monkeys, while flocks of parakeets wheel around the temples.

No matter how many Mayan sites you’ve visited, it keeps surprising on how they were able to build all of this.

Sunset or sunrise tour

You can choose a sunset or sunrise tour in Tikal. Although the sunrise tour is very popular, we recommend taking a sunset tour because, you rarely have a clear sunrise. Our guide told us that there are only 40 days a year when you can actually see the sun rise. The rest of the year it is cloudy.

If you don't want to get out of bed that early, you can also choose the sunset tour. We did this tour and it was beautiful. Tours leave around 1:00 PM from Flores and the sun sets at Temple IV around 5:00 PM.

In combination with the jungle, a truly impressive experience!

Editor's tip: you can book these organized tours at one of the many tour operators in Flores. Your accommodation in Flores will also be able to help you out.

Day 7: Explore Yaxha and departure

On the last day of your 7 days in Guatemala, start your day early and head to Yaxha. Everyone knows Tikal. And most only visit Tikal. Too bad because there is another Maya site. And perhaps even more impressive than Tikal. In any case, it is less crowded.

Yaxha is the smaller, unknown brother of Tikal.

Yaxha is located on a river hidden in the woods and the sunset here is absolutely gorgeous. The whole complex is much quieter than Tikal and there is a big chance that you will only encounter a few tour groups.

An absolute must.

Yaxha is about a 1.5 hour drive away from Flores, so it could easily be a day trip. Or even half a day. After this trip, you can either fly back to Guatemala City or continue your itinerary into Belize, since Flores is only 2 hours away from the Belize border. A great opportunity to visit Xunantunich Mayan Ruins in Belize.