Volcanoes, lake villages and the best guide in Guatemala
Guatemala
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Nov 4 - Nov 10, 2026
My husband and I just returned from a week in Guatemala, and it was the BEST trip! Alex was so patient throughout the planning process, making adjustments to our dates and to the itinerary to align with our budget. He was super responsive and every detail on the ground went off without a hitch. We didn’t realize the tours would be private, and being able to move at our own pace was such a treat. Our guide, Vinicio, was with us the entire week and catered to our every need. He is so joyful and was invested in making sure we had a great time; we were sad to say goodbye to our new friend! Highlights included the bike tour through the villages outside Antigua, watching Fuego erupt from our tent on the Acatenango overnight, and a morning of kayaking and hiking on Lake Atitlán. Alex’s hotel picks were awesome, especially waking up to sunrise over the lake at Casa del Mundo, and his restaurant recommendations were spot on. Thank you, Alex and Vinicio, for a week we’ll be talking about for years!
Hotel Reviews
Beautiful courtyards, friendly staff, delicious breakfast, conveniently located.
Tents were much nicer than we expected! Amazing view of Fuego.
Unforgettable hotel, accessible only by boat. So charming and unique with amazing views, beautiful landscaping, and friendly staff.
Perfect for the night before an early flight. We were there very briefly, but the room was clean, spacious and well appointed.
Activity Reviews
The Valley Ride was a perfect way to start our trip. Vinicio picked us up at our hotel, and since the tour was private, we rode at our own pace through the villages and farms outside Antigua. We loved the variety of stops: Chocolate Antigua, the King Brothers jade factory and the Valhalla macadamia nut farm, where we got to taste a few things along the way. It was a great mix of exercise, scenery and local culture.
This was the highlight of our trip. The hike up is steep and challenging, but having a private guide meant we could go at our own pace, and we reached base camp by early afternoon. The camp was much nicer than we expected, and Vinicio surprised us with a make-your-own taco spread when we arrived. Fuego rumbled all night, and around 11pm we unzipped our tent and watched it erupt, lava and all. It’s something we’ll never forget.
We started hiking around 4am and were on the summit by 5:15am. It was cold, extremely windy and cloudy, and we only caught glimpses of the sunrise through the gaps. But it was still worth it for the challenge.
We had originally considered flying to Flores to see Tikal, but with only a week we didn’t have the time. Iximché turned out to be a great alternative. It’s an easy stop on the drive from Antigua to Lake Atitlán, and walking among the ancient Mayan ruins with Vinicio was a nice introduction to the country’s Mayan history without giving up a day or two to travel. Afterward we stopped for a wonderful lunch at Chichoy in Tecpán
This was the perfect last morning on the lake. Vinicio picked us up at our hotel for a short boat ride to Kayak Guatemala, and then we paddled about an hour and a half along the shore to San Marcos, past beautiful lakefront homes with volcano views the whole way. From there we hiked back along trails and roads through the villages of Tzununa and Jaibalito to our hotel, Casa del Mundo, where a lovely lunch was waiting. Seeing the lake from the water and then on foot gave us a real feel for the area, and the mix of paddling and hiking made it one of our favorite days.
We hopped on a boat in Panajachel with our local guide, Pablo, and Vinicio, and took a short, bumpy ride across the lake to Santiago Atitlán. We visited a Mayan shrine and the main church, and Pablo explained how Mayan traditions and Catholicism are woven together in daily life there. In San Juan La Laguna we sampled local honey, watched a weaver demonstrate the whole process from raw cotton to finished scarf, admired the murals around town, and ended with a chocolate tasting. The boat dropped us at our hotel just as the sun was setting over the lake.
