5 weeks in Guatemala in November 2024

A fantastic trip, dominated by the Altiplano, volcanoes, and especially the Mayan people!

Our route: Antigua – San Lucas de Toliman (Lake Atitlán) – Chichicastenango – Sayaxché – El Remate – Flores – Río Dulce – Livingston – Antigua I won’t describe our trip in detail but will highlight a few points that go beyond the usual routes and really won us over. In Antigua, it’s easy to take a chicken bus from the bus station next to the central market in the eastern part of the city to visit nearby villages. We went to Santa María de Jesús on a Sunday without seeing any other Westerners. We got lost in its colorful market, ate at a *comedor* with local dishes we didn’t find anywhere else, and were surrounded by incredibly welcoming Mayans. Several villages around Lake Atitlán are well-covered by travelers and guides like *Routard* and *Lonely Planet*, but if you want to stay somewhere more authentic, I recommend San Lucas de Toliman (we stayed at *Casa Qatzil*—great place!). It’s in the southeast of the lake, with a market on Tuesdays and Fridays, a central square full of locals (more of those super-friendly Mayans!), and the option to visit other villages by *lancha* (boat) for the day. A walk toward the lake lets you pass by the washhouses, and there are hikes accessible by *pick-up* (shared transport), like the twin volcanoes Tolimán and Atitlán or Cerro del Oro (less challenging!). We loved visiting Santa Catarina Palopó—get lost in its maze of steep alleys, admiring the blue facades with their characteristic paintings. There are direct *chicken bus* connections to Chichicastenango in 1.5 hours. Cheap and convenient, though a bit bumpy! Chichicastenango is famous for its market, described as the largest in Central America, on Thursdays and Sundays. A flood of tourists arrives between 10 AM and 1 PM, shuttled in by organized buses from Lake Atitlán and Antigua. But if you have time, stay overnight the day before and enjoy the market before 10 AM or in the afternoon. This little town (more of those welcoming Mayans!) is worth lingering in for a day or two to visit the cemetery, extraordinarily colorful and a site of Mayan rituals. Also take time to go to *Plaza Baktun*, a site considered sacred in Mayan culture where religious ceremonies take place around seven sculptures several meters tall. The ruins of Aguateca are barely excavated (most structures are still covered in vegetation) and are only accessible by boat, traveling up a tributary of the Río de la Pasión to the sound of howler monkeys and birdsong (1.5 hours from Sayaxché). We felt like we got a sense of daily life in the ancient city—not just its religious dimension—with its ravine for sheltering women and children during attacks, its cliff, and defensive walls. Alone with our *lancha* driver, who acted as our guide in the barely cleared jungle, this site doesn’t overlap with Tikal at all—the vibe is completely different. We stayed in El Remate instead of Flores to visit Yaxhá and Tikal, at *Posada Ixchel* (great place!). This quiet little town lets you stroll along the lake and hike in *Cerro Cahui*, a protected biotope leading to a viewpoint. Plus, it’s on the way to the sites, saving 45 minutes per trip.

Feel free to ask me questions about the places, accommodations, etc.—I’d be happy to answer!

Hi Gaiatika, Thanks for your Guatemala travel feedback. Especially since we’re also heading there for 5 weeks in January/February 2025, visiting the same spots you mentioned. I’ve got a question: Do you know if there are buses between Quetzaltenango and Huehuetenango, and especially between Huehue and Cobán? The info on forums is pretty contradictory... Thanks in advance, and so glad to be back on our beloved Voyage Forum.

Hi Philippe, I haven’t been to that area, and it’s my biggest regret... The altiplano is the part that thrilled me the most! I just asked a local: there’s no tourist shuttle to or from Huehue. However, there’s a direct local bus between Quetzaltenango (Xela) and Huehue, but you’ll need to change between Huehue and Cobán. Let me know if you need anything else, Christine

hi everyone, "chicken buses" go everywhere in Guatemala, as mentioned in the previous post. If you take a chicken bus, keep an eye on your belongings anyway

Thanks for your reply. I’ve heard a lot of criticism about chicken buses (vehicle condition, driver behavior, number of passengers, etc.), so I’m hesitant to take them for long trips like Huehuetenango/Cobán. What do you think?

Thanks for your reply. What do you think about long routes like HueHue to Cobán by chicken bus?

hi, I can’t reply to you—I haven’t done this route. In Guatemala, I mainly know the Peten region and a bit of Lake Atitlan, Antigua, and Chichicastenango

The only long trip we took on a chicken bus went directly from San Lucas (Atitlán) to Chichicastenango in 1h30 for 35 km of mountain roads... we were glad to arrive! But there are several types of public buses! We took minibuses a few times, like from Sayaxché to Santa Elena (3h30/100 km toward Flores), and they weren’t packed; our backpacks were even behind the last seats instead of on the roof. You might have a choice of bus in Huehue?

Thanks for your replies. We’ve also planned the bus trip from Sayaxché to Flores, where we’ll be staying in El Remate. Best regards

Hi there, To get from Sayaxche to El Remate, you need to cross the river by lancha (the boat leaves as soon as there’s someone, 5 quetzales per person) and ask for the colectivo to Santa Elena (by minibus, about 3 hours for 60Q for 2). Finally, in Santa Elena, ask where you’ll be dropped off for the colectivo to El Remate (by minibus, 60Q for 2). All these trips run smoothly, with little waiting time during the day at least. In El Remate, we stayed at Posada Ixchel, in a bungalow with a private bathroom and a very practical shared kitchen. Erna, the owner, is super accommodating and full of great tips. You can reach her at +502 5553 9175.

We visited Yaxha by taking a taxi since there were four of us, leaving at 1 PM to still be there for sunset. There were really very few people around. For visiting Tikal, we found a guide who spoke French and worked out great for us: Eulogio, +502 4913 7901. Since he comes from Flores by car, you can arrange for him to pick you up along the way. We left around 5:30 AM and there were also very few people on site (the park opens at 6 AM except for those who pay for a "sunrise entry" that lets you in even earlier).

don’t forget Nakum too—a site that’s off the radar for most travelers, about 20 km north of Yaxha. No jaw-dropping ruins like Tikal, but the real draw of Nakum is being smack in the middle of nowhere.

Thanks for all this practical info—I’ve carefully noted it all! We’ll be staying 2 days in El Remate: the first day dedicated to visiting Tikal on our own, and the second with a morning hike at Biotopo Cerro Cahui and the afternoon at Yaxha until sunset. I saw that there are minibuses from agencies in Flores that pass through El Remate. Apparently, you can work something out with the guesthouse. Have a great evening.

I saw that there are minibuses from the Flores agency that pass through El Remate. It seems you can work something out with the guesthouse.

All minibuses coming from Flores that go to Tikal stop or pass through El Remate, especially those from the San Juan agency. As long as you pay in quetzals or dollars, you can go pretty much wherever you want. Otherwise, there’s Laguna Machanche where you can see caimans. You can also spot them in the small water reservoirs at the entrance to Tikal.

Thanks for the info.

Hi Gaiatika, I saw that you seem to know Sayaxche. I’ll be spending 2 nights there to visit Crater Azul and Ceibal, so I was wondering if you know of a hotel in the area. I can’t find any on Booking, TripAdvisor, or other booking sites. Thanks in advance!

Hi Ausone, We spent 1 night at Hotel del Rio, then switched to Hotel Casa Grande—much better (+502 7928 6794, 240 Q for a double room with a fan, price we got over the phone). We asked Jorge Mendez (+502 4580 9389) to take us to Aguateca, and his lanchero took us there and guided us on-site. It was an absolute delight, but we stupidly didn’t catch his first name. Happy planning

Thanks so much! We’ll wait until we’re in Guatemala to call Casa Grande and Jorge Mendez about Crater Azul and Ceibal. The hotel also seems well located near the river for the departure to Flores. Happy holidays and best wishes for the end of the year!

Hello, Can you help me 15 days before departure to Guatemala? Several of us are having issues with the "customs declaration" form to get a QR code. The input fields are invisible—for example, when it asks "Yes No" and you click on one of those two words, nothing visibly happens on the screen, so we don’t know if our click was registered. Do we need a special configuration? (Windows? Or a specific browser like Firefox or Chrome? Or special software?) Also, when should we fill out this form: starting 15 days before departure, 72 hours before, or 48 hours before? In short, is there a place with instructions for this form? Thanks in advance! Best regards, Christian

Hi there, We filled out this customs declaration on arrival at the airport. An employee was there to help us complete it on our phones (really basic Samsung models) connected to the airport Wi-Fi. The process was easy and quick on-site. Safe travels! !

I confirm Gaiatika’s reply. You can fill out the form on arrival at Guatemala City Airport. An employee helps you do it, so no worries—everything goes quickly and smoothly.

good evening Ausone. What if we don’t have a smartphone—is it still possible? Because it’s making me a bit nervous—I’m planning to go back to Guatemala. Thanks for the answer

Yeah, no problem. The staff will help you fill out the form on their own computers. Like all Guatemalans, they’re super friendly.

thanks, that reassures me :)

I’m planning to go back to Guatemala.

And I’m sure you’ll be heading back to El Mirador...............?! It seems the site has really improved, and tourists are starting to visit more often....

As for me, I’m heading back to Guate in October-November, probably for the last time.

Have a great trip!

hi Memphre, nice to see you back on this forum. Why do you say it’s the last time? As for getting to El Mirador from Uaxactun, it’s not that simple. Plus, I’ll walk to Naachtun since it’s a site I don’t know yet.