Downtown Luxury Slum

On our recent trip to Guatemala we spent 3 full days in Antigua and I wish we could have stayed longer because we definitely didn’t do everything that I wanted to do. I’m not going to share exactly what we did, but rather what I might do if I had to do it all over again. If nothing else, I’d make a point of spending 4 days in Antigua.

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What is Antigua

Here’s an Antigua, Guatemala Quick Start Guide: How to get to Antigua, getting around Antigua, where to stay, where to eat, and what to expect.

Day 1

Start off with a walking tour to familiarize yourself with the city and discover the historical landmarks, museums, and markets. Visit the iconic landmarks like the Cerro de la Cruz viewpoint and the Santa Catalina Arch to take some spectacular photos. You can also visit the many cathedrals, churches, and convents to discover the religious history of this beautiful city.

Here are some options for guided tours and here is my self-guided walking tour.

Day 2

Climb a volcano.

We joined a tour from Antigua to hike to the top of Volcán Pacaya. The hike up and down the volcano takes about 2 and a half hours. If you don’t think you can hike that far, there are locals there that will repeatedly offer to let you ride a horse, which they will guide all the way up and down for you. When you reach the crater, your guide will roast marshmallows over steamy hot rocks for you, then you’ll proceed up to the rim to see for miles and watch the sunset. The entire tour from pickup to drop-off in Antigua takes about 5 hours.

The other option, which I really wanted to do but didn’t adequately plan for, is to hike up Volcán Acatenango. It takes 4-5 hours to hike to Acatenango base camp but only 2-3 hours back down. Most tours will spend the night at base camp and offer additional options to hike to the summit (usually for sunrise), or to the Volcán de Fuego saddle to see its eruptions up close. If you do all the hiking options, plan to spend about 10-13 hours actively hiking. There are a number of different tour operators that offer tours at different price points and offer various amenities. However, after researching a number of companies and talking to a number of travelers, I decided that I pretty much only wanted to go with the Wicho & Charlie’s tour. What sets them apart is that they provide cabins for you to stay in at base camp (rather than making you carry a tent up with you), they provide all of your gear at a reasonable price (others expect you to have your own thermal clothing and backpack or charge an arm and leg to rent it), and they offer porter services. And much like with the Pacaya hike, if you feel like you can’t do the whole hike, you can hire a horse to take you up. If you decide to do an overnight hike, you’ll get back to Antigua shortly after noon the next day.

If climbing Acatenango with Wicho and Charlie’s appeals to you, book it early! Don’t miss out like I did.

Day 3

Visit some museums. You get to choose your own adventure today.

• There are six museums that can be accessed through the Casa Santo Domingo Hotel. A single admission ticket will get you access to all the museums. There’s a colonial museum, archeology museum, museum of pre-Columbian art and modern glass, silver museum, and pharmacy museum, all of which tell a story about the site’s absorbing past.
• ChocoMuseo is technically a museum where you’ll learn the process of turning a cacao beans into a chocolate bars. But it’s actually a place where you can sample a lot of tasty chocolate.
• Museo del Libro Antiguo is found on the bottom floor of the double-decker structure on the north side of Parque Central, known as Palacio del Ayuntamiento. The museum showcases the early days of Guatemalan printing plus a replica of Guatemala’s first printing press, which began work here in the 1660s. Prominently displayed is a first edition of Don Quixote de la Mancha (Part II).
• Museo Casa Del Tejido Antiguo is located in a nearby small town. Learn about traditional beautifully woven textiles. This museum offers demonstrations of weaving techniques, exhibitions on regional outfits, and weaving classes. You’ll learn about the different styles of Traditional Guatemalan clothing and weaves from different villages.
• La Antigua Galería de Arte has art displays from over 70 locals artists all across Antigua, Guatemala, and the rest of Latin America.
• Museo de Santiago de los Caballeros is located in what was the Royal Palace of the Captains General. The museum is said to have some of the best exhibits tracing the history of Guatemala. It has a very interesting collection of antique weapons dating from the conquest to the beginning of the 20th century.

Day 4

Do a coffee or chocolate tour.

The mountain basin that surrounds Antigua produces some of the best highland coffee in the world.

• We visited Finca La Azotea in Antigua and got a tour. Our guide took us from tasting coffee cherries straight from the plant, through the sorting, fermenting, and drying processes that take place on site. Our guide also explained how different methods of roasting, grinding and brewing affect the final quality. And then we enjoyed a fresh cup.
• De La Gente and Finca Filadelfia also come highly recommended.

Guatemala is the original birthplace of chocolate and Antigua produces some of the best in the world. experience what Maya people call the “food of the gods”.

• ChocoMuseo gets great reviews for their tasty and educational workshops where you’ll learn how to turn cacao beans into chocolate bars.

There are also a number of tour operators offering half day or full day coffee tours and chocolate tours from Antigua.

What If You Have More Days?

Hobbitenango

I honestly don’t really know how to describe this place other than that it’s a hobbit village located up a steep mountain 20 minutes outside Antigua. They have a couple casitas that you can spend the night in, and a couple (surprisingly good) restaurants. But the real appeal is peaceful setting, the views, the activities, and the photo opps.

Because it is up a steep mountain, you can’t get all of the way there by car so if you decide to take a taxi, Uber, or tuktuk, you’ll be dropped off at the parking lot at the bottom of a long and steep entrance road. At this point you’ll have to transfer to a 4×4 truck. Alternatively, you can catch the shuttle all the way from the Hobbitenango office in Antigua.

Where Else to Go in Guatemala

Here are 24 other Guatemala travel experiences. And here is everything else I’ve written about Guatemala.