2 week Itinerary Guatemala - From Hiking Volcanoes to Exploring Ancient Ruins

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Guatemala is one of those countries that for some reason never really hit my radar, but as soon as I arrived I knew that this was a country I would visit more than once. It’s packed with cozy towns surrounded by jungle, active volcanoes and serene lakes. When you also add the fascinating Mayan culture and all the historical sights you can explore, its hard to imagine ever leaving.

We spent a couple of weeks exploring this stunning country and after hours of research and lessons learned while traveling, I’ve put together what I think is the perfect itinerary for 2+ weeks in Guatemala. You’ll get to see all the highlights, but also have some time to relax and just have fun. I have split it all up into 16 days total so it’s up to you to pick and choose what you want to do based on how long you have and what kind of activities you like to do.

Where to start?

We’re starting this itinerary in Flores because so many people come in to Guatemala here from San Ignacio in Belize. However, if Guatemala is the only country you’re going to and you fly in to Guatemala City, just book an extra flight to Flores later in the day. That’s what I did. You might need to add an extra night in Guatemala City depending on your flight.

First stop is Flores, Guatemala

3-5 Days in Flores

The first base on this itinerary is the small, but incredibly beautiful city of Flores. It’s located pretty close to the airport and most Hotels have a shuttle that will pick you up, so organize your pickup with them. If not, there will be no problem finding a taxi when you arrive.

If you need a place to stay in Flores I can recommend the Hotel we stayed at. It’s called Hotel Casona de La Isla. It’s perfectly located in the city with a nice view of the lake. They picked us up from the airport for free, had really nice breakfast and the pool was a nice bonus after days exploring. You can check prices and availability for it here.

Best places to stay in Flores

Los Amigos Hostel

Legendary among backpackers for its jungle vibe, social atmosphere, and fantastic in-house restaurant.

Hotel Isla de Flores

A boutique hotel with comfy rooms, a rooftop pool, and a perfect location for exploring the island. probably the most popular Hotels in the island.

La Lancha

An upscale eco-lodge tucked into the jungle on the edge of Lake Petén Itzá. Owned by Francis Ford Coppola, it’s a romantic, off-the-grid escape. This is not technically in Flores, so dont book this is you want to explore Flores. This is more an added bonus stay for a fun jungle getaway.

Day 1 - Wander around Flores

Get your bearings and take a stroll around Flores. It’s not a huge town, so you will easily have seen most of it pretty fast. One of my favorite things about Flores is that since so many use it as a hub for their day trip to Tikal you can walk around and soak up the city almost alone during the day. Something I highly recommend. For a lovely lunch head over to Maracuyá and relax.

In the evening head over to Sky bar for an epic sunset. We tried a couple of different sunset spots, but decided this was the best and came here almost every evening.

Lunch and sunset views in Flores

Day 2 - Explore the ancient ruins of Tikal

Today it’s time for one of the big highlights of Guatemala! Head to Tikal for the day and explore the ancient city and all the ruins. In my opinion you can’t really leave Guatemala without visiting Tikal. There are lots of different ways to do this. Either join a sunrise tour, a guided day tour or just book a ride and explore on your own. We chose the latter and I don’t regret it.

Book your preferred tour to Tikal here

Full day Sunrise tour to Tikal

Tikal Sunrise and Wildlife Spotting Tour

VIP Exclusive tour to Tikal

Exploring the different temples in Tikal

Day 3 - Have fun at Jorge’s rope swing

Start your day with breakfast at Maple & Tocino. Even though we had breakfast included at our hotel we went here a couple of times because it was sooo delicious, and the scenery around was stunning.

Today it’s time for some relaxation after spending yesterday walking and exploring. There are different places to relax around Flores but my best recommendation is Jorge’s rope swing. This is such a cool place! Take a boat from the city, there are lots of them around the island. You will pay for a round trip upfront and agree with the captain when he will come back and pick you up. We got his WhatsApp number so that we could change the time if we wanted to stay longer.

We spent the day at Jorge’s Rope Swing and loved it!

Add-on days

If you have time to stay longer in Flores add these two next days. Alternatively you can do Jorge’s rope swing on Day 1 and add one of the other activities to day 2 without adding more nights in Flores.

Day 4 - Swim in the Crater Azul

Today it’s time to explore the Crater Azul. This is a huge crater inland that you can swim in. Either rent a car for the day or book a tour in the city. It’s quite a drive, but it looks so stunning.

Crater Azul Full Day Tour from Flores

Day 5 - Explore more ruins

There is so much history around Flores so you can easily spend a week just exploring the ruins around the area. However, the biggest one after Tikal is Uaxactún. So if you have the time and interest I would add this to your itinerary before leaving Flores.

Book your tours here

Private Tour of Uaxactún from Flores

Yaxha Archaeological Focus Day Tour with Monkeys Spotting

Day 6 - Travel day

Today you’re going to travel to Antigua. I recommend flying. It’s possible to take a bus, but it’s way too long for me to justify doing so. Alternatively, you can add a stop at the famous Semuc Champey on the way down. You’ll see that this is missing from this itinerary. The reason for that is simply because I think it was way to tricky to get there versus the reward of seeing it. But, if you have endless time and really want to see it than make a stop here on the way. I talked to lots of people that had gone there and even though everyone said they thought it was beutiful, the reviews were mixed when it came to the question of if it was worth the two very long bus rides you need to do to get there.

If you have two weeks or less in Guatemala I don’t reccomend adding this because there are so many wonderful places to see and this two week itinerary is already packed.

The Catalina Arch in Antigua, Guatemala

3-5 nights Antigua

Antigua is a beautifully preserved colonial city. This is a very popular city for travellers and it’s known for its colorful architecture, cobblestone streets, and stunning views of the surrounding volcanoes. It used to be the capital of Guatemala and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

How much time you need in Antigua depends on if you want to do the Acatenango hike or not. If hiking and staying the night on the hillside of a volcano isn’t your thing than you can skip a couple of nights here or alternatively just wander the cozy streets and sightsee.

If you need a place to stay I can recommend the place we stayed at. It was called Hotel La Galeria en Antigua and was just what we needed. A very cute and quiet hotel with a lovely breakfast. It’s on the outskirts of the city, but we didn’t find the walk to be any problem. You can check prices and availability for it here.

Best places to stay in Antigua

Best Budget options

Maya Papaya

Yellow House Hostel

Casi Casi

Best Mid-range Options

Barbaras Boutiqe Hotel

Ojala

Cacao Boutique Hotel

Best Luxury options

El Convento Boutique Hotel

Hotel Museo Spa Casa Santa Domingo

Porta Hotel Antigua

Day 7 - Wander the streets of Antigua

Antigua is a much bigger town than Flores so you’ll need proportionately more time if you want to truly explore the city. So spend your first day doing just that. With one day you will be able to see the highlights. You can also choose to walk to the Cerro De La Cruz to watch the sunset.

Wandering the streets of Antigua, Guatemala

Day 8 - Have some fun at Hobbitenango

Today it’s time for something a bit different and fun! There’s a place called Hobbitenango which is located just outside Antigua. Hobbitenango is sort of a small scale amusement park based on the cute Hobbit village from the Lord of The Rings movies. You can get your shuttle tickets here.

Day 9 - Coffee and chocolate workshop

Today is all about coffee and chocolate. Guatemala is famously known for their chocolate and coffee so you can’t really skip this when visiting. We found a super cute coffee farm just outside Antigua which gives a far better experience than just doing it in the city. It’s called Finca La Azota, you can find them here and send them a WhatsApp message to arrange dates and times for your visit. Take an Uber over and enjoy the day!

We had a coffee tour and a chocolate workshop here

Day 10 - Hike up Acatenango

Today is the day to start your hike up to Acatenango if you’re planning to do that. Whatever company you choose to use, the trek will start in the morning and finish around dinnertime. Potentially later if you add on more hikes. You will spend the night at the side of the volcano in either a tent or a small hut.

Day 11 - Hike down Acatenango

Hopefully you’ve had an amazing time hiking and if you did, you’re probably very tired! You can choose to have an extra night in Antigua to relax or head straight to Lake Atitlan and have some relaxing days there. I did the latter and dont regret it. Most likely the company you hike with can also organize a shuttle for you so you don’t have to make an unnecessary stop in Antigua.

Hiking down Acatenango

4-6 nights in Lake Atitlan

My recommendation is to head straight to San Pedro, Santa Cruz or Casa del Mundo instead of Panajachel. Most people stop in Panajachel for a night or two since it‘s the entrance to Lake Atitlán. I found this city quite disappointing and would rather catch the boat immediately from Panajachel if you arrive early enough or try to arrange a shuttle directly to San Pedro. The last boats leave around 5pm so plan accordingly.

I’ve created the next couple of days based on the fact that you might be tired after the hike to Acatenango. If you didn’t to the hike or spent more time in Antigua afterwards you can change up the next couple of days.

Best places to stay around Santa Cruz La Laguna

Best places to stay not connected to a town:

Casa del Mundo

Anzan House

Day 12 - Relax in a hammock and swim

My recommendation is that you spend your first two nights in either Casa Del Mundo or another relaxing Hotel around Santa Cruz. This will allow you to enjoy the lake and at the same time take it slow. So today is all about finding a hammock or a nice chair and alternate between relaxing and taking dips on the water.

Casa del Mundo in Lake Atitlan

Day 13 - Explore San Pedro

Spend your morning at Casa del Mundo before checkout and enjoy the lake. If you like to you can choose to do a sunrise paddleboard session or rent a kayak.

Later on i‘ts time to pack up and head over to San Pedro. Spend the rest of the day wandering the streets here, have lunch or dinner at one of the lakeside restaurants and enjoy the view and sunset. If you’re up for a party this is the city do do it, but it wasn’t as lively as I had pictured.

Best places to stay in San Pedro La Laguna

Mr.Mullets Hostel

A popular Hostel famous for their boat parties and pub crawls.

Zoola Hotel

This feels like a boho hangout, and it also has a pool, restaurant, and great energy.

Sababa Resort

A more luxurious option. Here you can enjoy stunning lake views, poolside drinks, and stylish private rooms.

Day 14 - Walk the colorful streets of San Juan

Today I recommend heading over to the beautiful town of San Juan. This is a must on your visit to lake Atitlán, so no matter what else you choose to skip, it should not be this. It’s a short boat ride from San Pedro, so hop on a boat after breakfast.

When you arrive in San Juan you will immediately understand why everyone loves it here. The streets are so colorful and vibrant and you enter the Umbrella street right away. Another street I recommend wandering to is the Hat street. Other than that just wander the streets and watch the different murals, artists painting on the streets or the ladies weaving different patterns.

I recommend lunch at the El Artesano Queso y Vino.

After a lovely lunch it’s time to head up to the lookout point. It should take you about 20-30 minutes to get up there. Enjoy the view and head back down to take a boat back to San Pedro.

San Juan La Laguna

Day 15 - Sunrise hike and swimming

If you’re okey with waking up super early and love sunrise hikes than I recommend doing a hike to the Indian Nose today.

Guided Sunrise Hike up Indian Nose

After the hike I reccomend heading over to San Marcos for the day. If you skip the sunrise hike you can alternatively do a morning yoga session here instead. The town in itself isn’t that interesting, but it has an amazing area to swim from. So head over to the Cerro Tzankujil Natural Reserve for a relaxing day of swimming, or jumping from the plattform if you want. You can also rent Kayaks or Paddleboards here if you like.

San Marcos La Laguna

Day 16 - Time to head back

Unfortunately it‘s time to head back. The Guatemala trip has come to an end. You can either book a shuttle directly from San Pedro or take the boat back to Panajachel and take one from there to the airport in Guatemala City. If you’re doing this as a part of a bigger tour through Central America I recommend getting a shuttle over to Santa Ana in El Salvador or Copan Ruinas or La Ceiba in Honduras for you next adventure.

I hope this itinerary helps you plan your trip to Guatemala! If you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out to me on social media. I would love to connect and help out!