Arrival in Guatemala City

Bienvenidos a Guatemala! Today you will arrive into Guatemala City and be transported to La Inmaculada Hotel. Check into your hotel room and relax before this evening’s Welcome Dinner with the whole group.

Overnight: La Inmaculada Hotel (Guatemala City)

Sightseeing in Guatemala City

Today is a full day of sightseeing in Guatemala City! After breakfast, your private guide will meet the group at hotel reception to begin a full-day tour of Guatemala City. Today’s tour will cover some of the main monuments including the Cathedral, Central Square, and the Relief Map. Your sightseeing today may include visiting the Popol Vuh Museum of Mayan Art, the Ixchel Museum of Mayan Textiles, the Miraflores Museum of Archaeology, and the National Museum of Ethnology & Archaeology.

Overnight: La Inmaculada Hotel (Guatemala City)

Site Visit to Zona 18

Your group will begin the day with breakfast at the hotel and then visit the Zona 18 neighborhood to see the results of YAP’s collaboration with and support of Siembra Bien firsthand.

In the early evening, there will be a relaxed reception of wine and cheese at La Inmaculada Restaurant. Once the reception is over, your group will reconvene for dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight: La Inmaculada Hotel (Guatemala City)

Chichicastenango Market and Lake Atitlan

Your guide will meet you at your hotel and transport you to Lake Atitlan. On the way, stop at Chichicastenango Market—one of the largest markets in Latin America. It is also one of the most vibrant and lively markets in Guatemala and is only open on Thursdays and Sundays. Vendors set up early in the morning and sell a little of everything. You will find beautiful textiles and traditional garments, wood carvings, leather goods, handmade jewelry, pottery, candles, plants, and so much more! Get a feel for the local culture while shopping for souvenirs for your loved ones at home.

After visiting the market in the morning, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant as you continue your journey to Lake Atitlan to check in to your hotel. You will have the afternoon free to settle in at your hotel and explore the town or relax in the hotel’s gorgeous gardens.

Enjoy a local dinner and unwind beside beautiful Lake Atitlan.

Overnight: Casa del Mundo (Lake Atitlan)

Explore Lake Atitlan and San Juan

After breakfast, head out for a lakeshore walk, village tour, and boat ride! Your guide will meet you at your hotel, then you’ll embark on an exploration by foot and boat passing through numerous villages dotting the water’s edge where Mayan locals work in the fields, wash clothes in the lake, and fish from their hand-carved ‘cayucos’ (wooden boats). After lunch, visit either the village of San Juan La Laguna or Santiago Atitlan. The choice is up to you.

San Juan is a quiet village dedicated to artisanal weaving, medicinal plants, delicious coffee, and small galleries and shops. Here you can watch indigenous weavers mix natural dyes from locally-grown plants and flowers, and then see the artisans use a back-strap loom to create intricate textiles, thread by colorful thread. Santiago is busier, with its bustling market, a street crowded with regional handicraft shops and small galleries, and the opportunity to visit the current location of the liquor-drinking, cigar-smoking Mayan folk saint, Maximón. After a visit to the village you choose, you’ll be transferred back to your hotel by boat.

In the evening, enjoy a group dinner.

Overnight: Casa del Mundo (Lake Atitlan)

Antigua, Siembra Bien, and Cooking Class

After breakfast at your hotel, travel to Antigua. While in Antigua, you will have a reflection circle with Siembra Bien youth. Enjoy lunch, and continue with your program visit.

In the afternoon, your group will hike to Cerro de La Cruz—a small, manageable walk. There will be tuc-tucs available for people who prefer not to walk. At the top of the hill, experience incredible views of the volcanos of Antigua.

Tonight, enjoy a Guatemalan cooking class! Work side-by-side with a local chef as you learn how to make some of Guatemala’s most traditional and authentic dishes in this fun, hands-on culinary experience. Your cooking class starts with a brief introduction and historical overview, including the interesting fusion of Spanish and Maya influences on modern-day Guatemalan cuisine. In this fully participatory class, you’ll cook with vegetables, meats, herbs, and spices hand-selected from Antigua’s thriving indigenous market. Dishes may include pepian, pulique, or jocón—three pre-Columbian stews that have been officially named as part of Guatemala’s cultural heritage. (Actual dishes in your class will depend on your tastes and availability of ingredients.) Your session deliciously concludes as you enjoy the unique flavors of the dish you just prepared! When the meal is over, you’ll be transferred back to your hotel.

Overnight:El Convento Boutique Hotel (Antigua)

Explore Antigua

After breakfast, your private guide will meet you for an optional walking tour through Antigua. On this tour, visit the Antigua Cathedral, the Merced Monastery, and the San Francisco Monastery. For longer distances between sites, tuc-tucs can be utilized.

Conclude your walking tour at a local restaurant, and spend the rest of the afternoon at your leisure before the group Farewell Dinner.

Overnight:El Convento Boutique Hotel (Antigua)

International Departures or Extensions

Today you will be transferred to Guatemala City for your international departure or to continue on with your travels.