Top Guatemala Unique Experiences

Take a journey through the traditions of Mayan spirituality as you experience a 2-hour traditional fire-cleansing ceremony with a guide in the Sacred Caves of Lake Atitlan. Step inside these mystical caves, used by local Mayans for many centuries, to observe the performance of this holy and powerful ritual by a local shaman. Listen as your guide explains the history and traditions behind the ritual and provides insight into the Mayan calendar system. Before you leave, you’ll have time to admire the gorgeous views of the lake down below.

Antigua is known for its jade, and while you can pick up everything from earrings to jade sculptures in the local market, it's much more fun to carve your own special piece to take home. With the help of a jade-carver instructor, learn how to fabricate your own piece that you can display as a necklace or bracelet charm or on a keychain.

Find out what’s bubbling in the typical Guatemalan kitchen during this 4-hour cooking class near Lake Atitlan. Spend your session gaining a hands-on understanding of three Guatemalan dishes, discovering the blend of Mayan and Spanish colonial flavors that give this Central American cuisine its unique taste. You’ll finish class by enjoying a tasty lunch of the dishes you prepared, and recipe book to recreate the dishes in the future. Optional upgrades featuring private lessons and visits to the market are also available.

Guatemalan coffee might be served across the globe, but there’s nothing like sampling coffee beans straight from the source. This coffee plantation tour from Antigua lets you do just that, while deepening your understanding of the growing and production process of one of the world’s favorite hot drinks.

The food tour that has a bit of everything and the perfect introduction to discover Antigua Guatemalan cuisine like a true local! Guided by passionate Guatemalan local foodies of our beloved Antigua. Antigua’s street food, local cuisine and Guatemalan history are the focus of this shared walking food tour. Instead of following a the standard list of popular places, our food tour is tailored around your expectations and our local perspective and top picks. Our route features street food spots and places selected to immerse you in the Guatemalan food community and culinary history. With 5 to 6 food stops and almost 10 food and beverage tastings during the 3 hour experience. You’ll love it! Iglesia de La Merced is listed on the tour.(Let us present you this place)All tastings and local beverages are provided during the tour, and you can share what you want to learn about or taste so the selection reflects your interests. Let’s eat Guatemalan food like a true local!

This popular Pacaya Volcano day trip from Guatemala City is the perfect way to experience the beauty of the country’s most active volcano. Follow your expert local guide to the top of this fiery mountain and look out over stunning views of Guatemala countryside. It’s a memorable way to experience the natural beauty of this incredible country and is perfect for novice hikers.

Discover one of Guatemala's hidden natural treasures while supporting a sustainable tourism initiative that benefits the communities of Sipacate and El Paredón. Travel from Puerto Quetzal to Sipacate, where local guides welcome you for a peaceful boat ride and the proyect of protecting the Marine Turle, You will see the turtles and watch how they mesure them and make studies about population and where they migrate. Visit a community sea turtle conservation center and discover local efforts to protect endangered marine turtles. Continue to the Guardians of the Mangrove School, where students share their environmental education projects on mangroves, sea turtles, coastal birds, and conservation. Join interactive activities such as environmental games, mural painting, or reading with local children. Explore the school's educational garden. Your booking goes US$5 support for children activities of conservation.

Learn how to make traditional Mayan dishes during a culinary tour in Antigua. Pick up fresh ingredients and see how the locals shop at the vibrant Central Market, then head to your instructor’s home. Be sure to come hungry, as you prepare - and devour - pepian (meat stew), hilachas (beef with tomato sauce), jocon (green chicken stew), and more over the course of the class.

Explore the traditional markets of Antigua and learn about regional cuisine on this popular tour from Guatemala City. Spend the day learning how to cook some of the nation's most iconic dishes, including beans, tortillas and more. Take home printed recipes to share with friends! You can even participate in a chocolate making workshop and learn how bitter beans are made into one of the world's sweetest treats!

Here's your chance to volunteer and make a difference in a Mayan village if you have just one day. Before your hands-on community service, start your day with a traditional Guatemalan breakfast. Then go behind the scenes to experience the rich cultural heritage of the Mam-speaking Maya via a walking tour of the village and a visit to the home of a local family. After lunch and a demonstration of traditional backstrap weaving, share your skills and interests by engaging in meaningful volunteer work that will impact the lives of so many villagers. Opportunities include assembling clean water filters or emergency food bags and delivering them to people's homes; assisting in the health clinic; engaging with children on art projects and soccer play; and practicing English with the staff. 78% OF YOUR ACTIVITY FEE DIRECTLY SUPPORTS THE PROGRAMS and CLINICS of LOCAL HOPE/XELA AID THAT EMPOWER LOCAL FAMILIES and COMMUNITIES TO BE HEALTHY, EDUCATED AND SELF-RELIANT.

This isn’t simply a tour of Guatemala. It’s an opportunity to step into a community, serve alongside local families, and experience what can happen when ordinary people choose to show up. We believe that when ordinary people show up, extraordinary things happen. We’ve been working alongside this community for years, building relationships, listening, and supporting community first, sustainable solutions. Our garden towers are one example of what’s possible when local knowledge, long term relationships, and people willing to serve come together. And YOU are part of what makes it possible. By showing up, you help provide families with garden towers they can grow, maintain, and use to create a more sustainable source of fresh food for their families. You’re not just visiting Guatemala. You’re becoming part of the community and part of the story.

Embark on an exotic culinary adventure with this 5-hour small-group cooking class in Antigua, including hotel pick-up. Master expert techniques and local ingredients to create typical Guatemalan dishes like ‘hilachas’, tamales and ‘camote en dulce’, under the watchful eye of a professional chef. After tasting your creations over lunch, leave armed with recipes and cooking tips to help you recreate your favorite dishes back home.

Sit alongside local women and learn the art of Maya beading with this hands-on workshop in Santa Cruz la Laguna. Not only is this socially responsible tour a great way to learn about the Maya cultures found on Lake Atitlan, but it also directly benefits local communities. Upgrade to include lunch at Lake Atitlan’s top restaurant—also run by a social enterprise—or a community-led tour of the village.

Visit four traditional villages in one day with this day trip from Antigua to San Juan del Obispo, San Pedro las Huertas, Ciudad Vieja, and San Antonio Aguas Calientes. This tour packs in sightseeing at every stop: see churches, plazas, markets, and even a chocolate workshop, all while learning about the area’s Spanish and Mayan history from your guide as you go.

Get up close and personal with a Guatemalan volcano on a day trip to Pacaya Volcano, one of the country’s most active. Hike through volcanic vegetation and surreal landscapes on your way to the top, enjoying views of nearby volcanic peaks of Agua, Fuego and Acatenango that you won't get anywhere else. Your trip from Antigua to the volcano also includes round-trip transportation from your hotel, so you don't have to worry about finding a meeting point.

Step inside the Maya community of Santa Cruz with this NGO visit. Check out a successful non-profit vocational training center with classes in cooking, beading, sewing, and carpentry. Visit a classroom, café, and store run by the organization. Explore the village of Santa Cruz, home to one of the oldest churches in Guatemala, and end your tour with lunch at the NGO-run rooftop café overlooking the waters of Lake Atitlan.

This immersive experience is perfect for those looking to connect with nature and culture in the heart of the Guatemalan Highlands. DAY ONE: Explore life in a Mayan village - engage with local culture during a guided tour, visit a Mayan home, and learn from a weaving demonstration. After happy hour and a three-course dinner, enjoy all the comforts of home in our top-rated Eco-Guest House. DAY TWO: After breakfast, discover the mysteries of Lake Chicabál, formed within the inactive Chicabal Volcano. Descend 600 steps into the caldera, explore the lake's perimeter, learn about the 20 Mayan 'naguals'. Surrounded by cloud forests, this crater lake is considered sacred by the Mam-Mayan people, making it a site of cultural and spiritual significance. It is the most popular visitor destination in the Quetzaltenango area. 78% of your activity fee supports the programs and clinics of Local Hope/Xela AID that empower local families and communities to be healthy, educated and self-reliant

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.