Top Central Highlands Culture - page 3

Get a glimpse of Guatemala’s colonial past with this walking tour of Antigua. This former capital is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, beloved for its cobblestone streets and majestic church ruins. Meet your guide in the Central Plaza and visit sites like a jade factory, City Hall Palace, and Santo Domingo, an elegant hotel and cultural center. As you walk, your guide will share information on Antigua’s history and architecture.

Experience the Guatemalan highlands like few travelers do: a day that combines imposing nature, living Mayan culture, and postcard-perfect landscapes. We start in the market of Chichicastenango, one of the largest and most colorful indigenous markets in Latin America, active only on Thursdays and Sundays. Here you will walk among stalls of textiles, ceramics, and crafts while getting close to the daily traditions of the K'iche' Maya people — with time dedicated to exploring and buying unique pieces. In the afternoon we arrive in Panajachel, where you will enjoy lunch time (Not included) Panoramic view of Lake Atitlán, considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. Formed more than 85,000 years ago and surrounded by three majestic volcanoes, Atitlán offers a breathtaking backdrop that few photographs can fully capture.

Explore the Guatemalan countryside just outside Antigua on a tour that offers a taste of small-village life that's difficult to access on your own. You’ll ascend to the indigenous town of Santa Maria de Jesus at the base of the Volcan de Agua volcano and the tiny village of El Hato, to go beyond the guidebook and learn more about local culture. Plus, exploring on an ATV lets you go where cars can't.

Immerse yourself in the scenic splendor of Lake Atitlán, and the charming villages that surround it, on a full-day trip from Guatemala City. Travel to Guatemala’s western highlands to observe virtually unchanged Mayan traditions, and then sail on the glittering surface of Lake Atitlán. Absorb the vibrant colors of lakeside settlements, Panajachel and Santiago, and delve into the region’s rich history with your guide. Round-trip transport from your Guatemala City hotel is included on this small-group tour, limited to 15 people.

Take a trip back through the history of Guatemala, both ancient and modern, during this private 6-hour exploration of Guatemala City’s top museums. Stop by the Popol Vuh Museum, housing artifacts from some of the oldest cultures that lived in Guatemala. Then explore the wealth of indigenous weaving on display at the Ixchel Museum of Indigenous Textiles and Clothing and learn about Mayan engineering at the Miraflores Museum. This museum-themed excursion also includes a private guide, entrance fees, an optional lunch upgrade and round-trip hotel transport from Antigua or Guatemala City.

Discover Antigua Guatemala on this half-day guided tour. Known for its Spanish colonial buildings, the city used to be Guatemala’s capital. On this tour, learn about its history and visit sites like Las Capuchinas, an 18th-century convent that’s a popular tourist attraction, and La Merced, which is notable thanks to its baroque style and bright yellow facade. Other stops include the Casa Santo Domingo Museum where you can appreciate the city’s history—from the Mayan culture to modern times.

Discover the highlights and hidden gems of Guatemala City on a private walking tour through the old district. Learn the history, culture, and archaeology of the city’s landmarks and streets. This weekend-only tour is ideal for first-time visitors and locals wanting to explore Guatemala’s capital with a knowledgeable guide.

Make the most of your time in Copan by booking this small, intimate-group tour where the maximum is just eight guests. You can depart from either Antigua or Guatemala for ease. When you get to Honduras, you are assisted with the border crossing. Then you head to the Copan ruins and the sculpture museum. The following day you visit the Macaw Mountain Bird Park and Nature Reserve.

It would be a crime to visit Guatemala and miss out on its capital city. Discover the metropolis' touristic highlights and vibrant culture in just four hours on a small-group tour. In only half a day, you visit the National Palace, cathedral, and Civic Center Complex, along with residential areas. Comfortable air-conditioned transportation begins and ends at your accommodation, which spares you the stress and expense of taxis and public transit.

Discover the essentials of the capital on a dynamic tour that combines history, culture and architecture. During the tour you will visit Berlin Square, Reforma Avenue, Constitution Square, the National Palace of Culture and the Metropolitan Cathedral, icons that narrate the past and present of the country. You will also walk along iconic avenues such as Sixth Avenue, full of life and color, and you will have a stop at the Central Market, ideal to appreciate local crafts and flavors. The walk concludes with a panoramic view of the city from a nearby viewpoint, perfect for memorable photos.

Navigate Antigua's narrow lanes—inaccessible to large tour buses—on a small-group walking tour covering the city's key plazas, museums, and an artisan market where craftspeople sell handmade goods. A local guide provides context that goes beyond the guidebooks, from the history behind the colonial architecture to the stories of the market's vendors.

Get a glimpse of pre-Columbian life with a visit to archaeological site Iximche. Just 90 minutes from Antigua, this site was once capital of the Kaqchikel Maya Kingdom. Thanks to excellent restoration you can visit former palaces, temples, plazas, ball courts, murals, and a small museum of artifacts. Your guide will share background and point out historical details, such as signs of human sacrifice that linger at the site.

Prepare to enjoy an incredible journey full of experiences that will delight your senses while we visit the towns around La Antigua Guatemala and the main activities carried out by local people in the different traditional towns to visit. This tour was created by Best Guatemala to show the different traditions, art and skills of the locals, such as cooking, weaving and local crops, explaining a little bit of the history, importance and life style of each town, making three stops to highlight the most important out of the five villages we will visit. TOUR PLAN Heading to our first stop, San Juan del Obispo village, you will visit the Archbishop´s Palace (if availiable). Then we will visit a local family, experts in chocolate preparation, the one you could taste if wanted (not included). Following to our next stops, you will drive through three colorful and historical main plazas of San Pedro Las Huertas, San Miguel Escobar and Ciudad Vieja village.

Travel deep into the mountains above mystical Lake Atitlan as you spend the day exploring the indigenous traditions and daily life in the region’s small villages. Get a true local’s experience as you wander the range of goods for sale at Solola indigenous market, an authentic site few tourists ever see. In the afternoon enjoy fresh mountain air as you visit a local farming community, largely untouched by the modern world, and explore the gorgeous city of Panjachel. Your day trip also includes round-trip hotel transport.

See Guatemala City's top attractions as you learn about the culture, heritage and traditions of this capital city. Tour the financial and commercial centers, navigate the main thoroughfares and quiet squares. It's the perfect overview for first-time visitors who want to get oriented to this diverse city.

Immerse yourself in the colonial history of Antigua and the idyllic landscape of small villages and farms, without having to navigate unfamiliar roads, on this full-day tour from Guatemala City. Explore centuries-old traditions in hamlets like San Antonio Aguas Calientes, Ciudad Vieja, and San Juan del Obispo, including a macadamia nut plantation. Walk Antigua's cobblestone streets, visiting landmarks such as Santa Catalina Arch and Cathedral of San Jose.

Familiarize yourself with Antigua while visiting Guatemala during this full-day tour that takes you around the city with a guide who shows you spots and tells you stories you may miss if choosing to explore on your own. This Antigua tour includes hotel pickup from Guatemala City and provides lunch during the day.

Chichicastenango, popularly called “Chichi” by locals, is an indigenous town in the Guatemalan Highlands where a kaleidoscope of colors, shapes, traditions and tastes, takes place. Its market days predates the Spanish arrival and still draws people from far and wide to trade fresh products, handcrafted goods, vibrant textiles and local recipes. This experience walking through lively streets, visiting the cemetery, a traditional mask workshop, and the historic Santo Tomás Church, guided by experts and passioned local friends. Our visit includes one on one time with a local costume factory called Morería, where generation after generation the family has dedicated their passion and art to the creation of traditional customes worn or dressed at festive dances, step inside of Santo Tomás Church to appreciate how Maya and Catholicism Ideology has blended together.

Get to know Guatemala City on this private all-day guided tour. Travel comfortably by car to some of the city's highlights and historical points of interest. Learn about the mystical Mayan civilization with a visit to the Archeological Museum and discover more about the history of Guatemala. Then, head to the historical center of the city and visit the market, cathedral, the National Palace, Plaza la Constitution, and more.

Join us for the best half-day walking tour of Antigua, a nearly 500-year-old colonial gem beautifully preserved with its convents, churches, and stately homes. As a hub for cultural events and traditional crafts, Antigua is a city brimming with life and history. Explore its most iconic landmarks with an expert guide who will share captivating stories of its past. This tour guarantees an unforgettable journey through one of Guatemala’s most charming destinations!

Discover the indigenous lead industries of Guatemala on a private 5-hour tour from Antigua. All-inclusive transportation takes you from your accommodation to a number of communities surrounding the city. Experience the flavors of the country at a chocolate workshop, macadamia farm, and coffee plantation. You can also observe Mayan weavers at work at a textile museum in San Antonio Aguas Calientes.

Explore the colorful towns of Iximché and Chichicastenago on this exciting day trip from Guatemala City, complete with round-trip hotel service. You’ll wander through open-air markets and comb through the unique handmade goods Guatemala is famous for on this popular day trip. Visit the Church of Santo Tomas and Calvary Church in Chichiscastenango’s central plaza with your expert local guide, and make your way to the ancient Mayan town of Iximché to explore the ruins.

Explore Antiguan history, culture, and cuisine on this half-day chicken bus tour, ideal for travelers tight on time. Cover more ground than you could on foot and visit unusual places many travelers overlook, such as the San Juan del Obispo Museum and Valhalla Experimental Station. Plus, enjoy access to communities that you likely couldn’t get if exploring independently.

Delve deeper into the cultural heritage of Guatemala on a tour that covers Chichicastenango Market and Lake Atitlan from Panajachel. Rather than navigating winding roads yourself, you'll be able to soak up the highland scenery as your driver transports you between attractions. Plus, exploring the Mayan market with a guide allows you to overcome the language barrier and discover cultural information you're unlikely to find in the guide book.