Begin your Guatemala travel adventure with a visit to the bustling Comalapa Market. Bargain your way through the rows of vendors and emerge with local arts and crafts, and vegetables and fruits - a taste of Guatemala. Spend the next couple of nights along the beautiful shores of volcano-fringed Lake Atitlan. Your last Guatemala travel days are spent back in historic Antigua to shop and explore this wonderful city, its decorative cathedrals, its lively markets, and the friendly people that make Guatemala such an exceptional place to travel.
Highlights
Tour Antigua and visit mammoth churches and palaces
Attend Comalapa Market full of handicrafts, artwork & local crops
Travel to Lake Atitlan, a deep caldera lake flanked by three volcanoes
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Volcan Fuego rises to the roof of the world above the streets of Antigua. Once the capital of Guatemala and all of Central America, Antigua resembles a living ruin. Mammoth churches and palaces tell the story of Antigua's past glory, and restored facades speak of a bright future for this wonderful city. In the morning, take a guided tour of the city and admire Antigua's gilded cathedrals. The afternoon is yours to rent mountain bikes and explore the countryside, visit a coffee finca or macadamia nut plantation, or relax and people-watch in the main plaza. In the evening, return to your hotel.
Spend a leisurely cultural day in the Comalapa Market, open Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Enjoy greeting the locals and admiring their beautiful handicrafts and artwork, occasionally stopping to barter and buy. The market is also a selling point for mounds of fruits, vegetables, meats, and clothing. The market disperses in the early afternoon, and you travel to the shores of beautiful Lake Atitlan, a deep caldera lake flanked by three majestic volcanoes.
After admiring the placid waters of the lake, set out about town on a walking tour. Scholars claim that the ancient Maya mysteriously disappeared a thousand years ago, but anyone who has intimately explored this fascinating region knows that the Maya continue to thrive in the highlands of Guatemala. Villagers in Santiago Atitlan still adhere to the traditional lifestyle of the Tz'utuhil Maya, and you can see many people cloaked in brightly-colored, hand-woven clothing. Along Santiago's main street are art galleries filled with oil paintings depicting busy market scenes and typical life in the highlands. Weather depending, visit Maximòn and leave an offering to this curious and revered deity.
Rise early to visit the famous market of Chichicastenango. This beautiful town, surrounded by valleys and shadowed by mountains, has many shamanistic and ceremonial overtones. Its large market brings villagers from throughout the region, who often arrive the night before and sleep on blankets in the market square. Rising early, they set out their colorful fruits, vegetables and handicrafts. Return to colonial Antigua in the evening.
Day 6: Antigua | Airport
1 Breakfast
In the morning, transfer on your own to the airport for your continued travels.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Initial deposit is $400 plus cost of internal airfare, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days (10 weeks) prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
Our guide and driver were very good with their knowledge and were very helpful with our questions. It was a very pleasant visit that would have been impossible to do on our own. Hotels and restaurants were fantastic. The special places we got to go to, like the kitchens, were great. Enjoyed the entire trip!
We have used AL for decades now to plan trips. Kassandra has been with us from the start and has never disappointed. She knows our family and our quirks and is always willing to fit the trip to us. This time we made her work for the booking because of family member schedules. It has all come together for a great Christmas gift for many families.
Kris Rowe
8 hours ago
Shannon could not have been more helpful in arranging our recent booking with Uncruise. Very knowledgeable, professional and pleasant to work with. I highly recommend Adventure Life.
Daniel
19 hours ago
We keep coming back to Adventure-Life for custom tailored, out of the ordinary, non-touristy trips and they deliver the best every time. The trip planners know how to put together just what we are looking for.
Judith P. NYC
1 day ago
Kassandra is knowledgeable, efficient and very pleasant to work with.
Fred Weeman
3 days ago
The booking was processed efficiently and quickly. We got what we wanted.
