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You are here: Home / Backpacking Guides / Backpacking Guatemala Travel Guide

Backpacking Guatemala Travel Guide

Backpacking Guides, Central America, Travel Guides Last Updated · Jan 14th, 2022

Are you thinking of backpacking Guatemala?

travel guide guatemala antigua

Here, I document the most interesting things to do in Guatemala!

As you may or may not know, Guatemala has a backpacking culture that can inspire you to travel and explore more of Central America.

There are many reasons why people travel to Guatemala, and not once did I ask myself if Guatemala was safe.

For me, it’s my second time visiting and as usual, I’m looking for the coolest places to visit in Guatemala.

So if you’re in the middle of planning a trip to Guatemala, this guide will work wonders for you.

Table of Contents

  • Backpacking Guatemala
    • Why travel to Guatemala
    • Useful information about Guatemala
      • How to get to Guatemala
      • Visas
      • Central America Border Control Agreement
  • Guatemala typical costs and budget
  • Backpacking Guatemala – Travel Guide
    • Best places to visit in Guatemala
    • Travel Insurance for Guatemala
  • Backpacking Guatemala – Travel Guide

Backpacking Guatemala

This is a living article updated during and after my travel to Guatemala.

Like many times when I travel, in hindsight, I wish I could have done more, seen more and packed fewer things in the trusty old backpack.

backpacking guatemala guide

I was captivated by what I saw, which was very little. I barely left Antigua, for anyone that knows anything about Guatemala.

In this guide, I’ll look at some of the best things to do in Guatemala, including Antigua, which is one of the main locations tourists visit when traveling to Guatemala.

One highlight is the abundance of locally made fabrics and clothing, in particular, the vibrantly colored huipils or tunics that local women wear.

To be honest, it’s hard to find reasons not to visit Guatemala; for me – it’s the destination I recommend for all first-time backpackers.

Why travel to Guatemala

Other than to be able to show you how to travel, make the most out of your experience and locate the best places to go in Guatemala.

Here are three reasons why I travel to Guatemala:

  1. To continue learning Spanish
  2. Visit powerful Mayan ruins
  3. To explore, learn and inspire

Average Duration: 1-2 months

I use a combination of homestays, Airbnb and hostels.

If you plan to learn Spanish while you’re in Guatemala, you should organize a homestay through the school.

The Great Jaguar Tikal
The Great Jaguar Tikal by chris (CC BY-NC-ND)

Getting to the Mayan ruins of Tikal from Flores is a smooth experience for those interested in culture.

When I’m backpacking Guatemala, I will be attending Spanish Schools and learning about the Mayans and Cacao, aka the food of the gods.

Useful information about Guatemala

Three facts about Guatemala

Things to know when traveling to Guatemala that could save your life:

  1. Guatemala gained independence from Spain on September 15, 1821.
  2. Saying hello and good morning on the street is normal.
  3. You can find some of the best avocados you’ve ever tried.

Ok, I admit, they probably won’t save your life but are still useful things to know and look out for.

guatemala backpacking
Guatemala by RS (CC BY-NC-ND)

So, you already know why you’re backpacking Guatemala and you have some idea on what to expect.

Let’s look below at some of the specifics such as how much you can expect to spend and some of the places in Guatemala to visit.

How to get to Guatemala

If you’re traveling from the United States, Europe of the rest of the world, the easiest way to get to Guatemala is by plane.

I flew into La Aurora International Airport based in Guatemala City, direct from Mexico City.

You can easily cross the Guatemalan border from Belize, if you’re already in Central America.

Visas

Providing your stay is fewer than 90 days; there are no visa requirements for both UK or U.S. citizens.

If you do overstay your visa in Guatemala, expect to pay a fine before leaving the country.

Central America Border Control Agreement

Guatemala is part of the Central America Border Control Agreement. Make sure you’re aware of the CA-4 which states:

British tourists can travel within any of the CA-4 countries (Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala) for a period of up to 90 days without completing entry and exit formalities at border immigration checkpoints.

If you’re questioning safety in Guatemala, you can find more info at www.gov.uk.

💡Smart Travel Tip
When traveling around Latin America with expensive gear like Laptops and Cameras, decent insurance cover is imperative.

Here’s some of my expenses for Guatemala:

Guatemala typical costs and budget

travel guide Guatemala local women
Guatemalan women in traditional clothing

Daily cost Breakdown:

🇺🇸 1USD – 🇬🇹 7.74GTQ
My daily budget:
Up to 350GTQ per day
Suggested daily budget:
225-260 GTQ / $28-35
(with accommodation)

Have you already set your Guatemala backpacking budget?

I recommend this guide to using ATMs in Guatemala if you intend on carrying cash.

But is it possible to travel in Guatemala on a budget? The answer is yes! I like to travel smart wherever I can.

Getting the highest quality for less price, can be achieved by haggling.

I will highlight any Smart Travel tips and tricks throughout this article.

Accommodation:
Expect to pay anything from $9 for hostels, homestays or private accommodation. I tend to use Airbnb, but I also use homestays when backpacking Guatemala as part of my cultural travel goal.
Food & Drink:
Stick to street food and local bakeries for the most authentic food and expect to pay from 30GTQ. I drink a lot of water, you can expect to pay anything from 15GTQ for a small bottle.
Transportation:
Shuttles are common for long-distance travel in Guatemala. You’ll see a lot of chicken buses for which you can expect to pay anything from 10-30GTQ. There’s an abundance of travel agents offering shuttle buses to all of the locations in this guide. Most advertise the prices in $US.
Activities:
With entrance fees, rentals, classes, tours all adding up, you can expect to pay anything from 50GTQ for entrance to a historical or natural attraction. For example, entrance to Semuc Champey is 50GTQ, and the entrance fee to visit the Tikal ruins in Flores is only 150GTQ per person.

Try food from a traditional Guatemalan bakery. I recommend Pan Colonial – here you’ll find a good selection of pastries.

backpacking flores guatemala
Guatemala by ktbrez12 (CC BY-NC)

I loved the sweet bread they made with canella (cinnamon). It’s delicious!

So, now we’ve got a bit of planning out of the way, I guess you’d like to know the best time to travel Guatemala – let’s dive into this travel guide:

Backpacking Guatemala – Travel Guide

Make sure you map Guatemala by using Google. I usually use Google maps to mark the locations that I’d like to visit before arriving.

Below, I will list some of the places that I will visit whilst backpacking Guatemala.

Since I will be flying into Guatemala City airport, I usually work out what to do in Guatemala from there.

Best places to visit in Guatemala

Use the links read about the locations most relevant to you.

  • Antigua
  • Lago Atitlán
  • Guatemala City
  • Xela
  • Chichicastenango
  • Flores
  • Tikal
  • Livingston

If you know of any places that you think I should visit, please leave a comment below. Note: I will add more locations once I’ve visited them 🙂

Travel Insurance for Guatemala

Did you look into the safety in Guatemala by any chance? Things are pretty smooth for backpackers.

I always recommend backpackers and travelers (no matter who you are) use World Nomads Insurance for fully comprehensive cover.

travel insurance for latin america
Click this image to get your FREE quote!

If you are due to travel soon, you can get a Get A Free Quote by clicking the link or the image above and filling out your details – that way you’ll get instant cover from the exact date that you choose.

On many occasions World Nomads has provided me with reliable insurance cover for travel in Latin America and the rest of the world.

Backpacking Guatemala – Travel Guide

Overall, it’s an all-around great place to start backpacking through Central America, and you’ll find it a great place to meet backpackers.

I hope you’ve found this Guatemala travel guide useful in some way and implement some of the tips into your own backpacking adventure.

See these books about Guatemala to learn more about the country.

Keep checking back as I’ll be adding more locations to this guide soon.

If you wondered where the beaches in Guatemala are; I’ll be writing about the best beach spots to visit.

📌 Like this article? Pin it…

backpacking in guatemala
backpacking guatemala
Missing something? Got tips, tricks & advice we can learn from?

💬 Leave a nice comment or let’s start a conversation below!

“Dear friend! Some links in this post contain affiliate links. Meaning, if you click through and make a purchase, book a hostel or sign up for a tour, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Your support means a lot and helps me to keep traveling and maintaining the quality of this site for you.”

Filed Under: Backpacking Guides, Central America, Travel Guides

Daniel James

Helping thousands of people worldwide with backpacking in Latin America. Layer Culture means to dig deeper into the ideas, customs, and behavior of a group of people.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Linda Bibb says

    October 18, 2017 at 5:07 am

    I really like your “living article” concept, Dan. I’m sure it’ll become very thorough, I hope that we will visit Guatemala one day. I’d really like to spend some time in Antigua and get into the less-traveled places.

  2. Daniels Beitss says

    November 4, 2017 at 8:13 pm

    Great post and if I wanted to learn Spanish in a Spanish speaking country then I would consider Guatemala as it has been on my list for quite a while. I really want to hit up Latin America zone, it looks so beautiful 🙂

  3. Meagan Moore says

    November 4, 2017 at 8:52 pm

    This is an awesome concept for an article, and it’s already packed with info. I also love that you’re using travel to further your language skills. That seems a bit rare in the space, and it’s really cool to hear about. Plus, your photography is lovely 🙂

  4. Southern Roots Blog says

    November 6, 2017 at 12:52 am

    I’ve only been to Antigua, but would love to explore some of the other areas you’ve described. It’s great that Guatemala is also really affordable for travel.

  5. Corinne Vail says

    November 6, 2017 at 9:50 am

    I love this. I’ve wanted to go to Guatemala for a long time, but to be honest I think it’s too hot. I love the idea of visiting the pyramids and the lake.

  6. Kavita says

    November 7, 2017 at 10:04 am

    What an epic post, really comphrensive giving all kinds of different activities for Guatemala. I really like the practical tips as well as the attractions. I’m drawn to the colourful yellows of Antigua and being able to try the local food too. I’d also love to visit Lago Atitlan, I’ve been to Lake Titicaca which is much more crowded I bet. This looks so beautiful and peaceful.

  7. Punita Malhotra says

    November 9, 2017 at 6:06 am

    Antigua is so pretty. I would love to try the local cuisine of Guatemala. Is it similar in flavour to Spanish and Portuguese food? The black maize tortillas sound yum!

  8. Marteen Lane says

    November 9, 2017 at 10:17 am

    You had me at making chocolate at ChocoMuseo in Antigua! That would be heaven to me 🙂 Although I they Mayan sites would be a big draw for me too.

  9. Vyjay Rao says

    November 9, 2017 at 11:15 pm

    I have never been to Guatemala. The thing that will draw me to Guatemala Is undoubtedly the Mayan Sites. I am fascinated with Mayan ruins and their ancient civilization and culture. You have made a very good guide that will be very useful for first time visitors like me, when I get there. The fact that you are updating this post is great.

  10. Kerri McConnel says

    November 10, 2017 at 8:53 am

    Such great information here. My Dad travelled from Oz to Guatemala a few years back and he absolutely loved it. I have some cute little souvenirs that he bought back for me that I just adore. The lake looks amazing too. Travelling and learning languages is also something I love doing !

  11. Melody Pittman says

    November 11, 2017 at 2:57 am

    Very comprehensive guide. I’m adding to Guatemala to my 2018 travel list and will file these away for the future. I know many people who have gotten sick from not drinking bottled water. Would you steer clear of any “tap” water?

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