Boutique colonial hotelAntigua, three blocks from the Parque Central
Casa del Lirio
A restored 17th-century home with a fountain courtyard, a small pool and rooftop views of Volcán de Agua.
From $145 per person · night
9 days, 8 nights Antigua · Las Verapaces · Caribbean coast Private, from 2 travellers
From the cloud forests of Alta Verapaz to the limestone pools of Semuc Champey and the Garífuna coast at Livingston, this is Guatemala's wild and watery side.
About this tour
Guatemala is not only volcanoes and colonial towns. Head east and the country turns lush and tropical: cloud forest where quetzals nest, the jade pools of Semuc Champey stepping down a limestone bridge, and the Río Dulce gorge opening out to a Caribbean coast with its own Garífuna language, music and food.
This is a route of long, beautiful drives, so we break them up thoughtfully — a night in Cobán before the final road to Lanquín, a riverside lodge so the pools are on your doorstep, and boats rather than roads wherever we can. Your specialist plans every leg so you arrive rested, not road-weary.
Highlights
- Swim the turquoise pools of Semuc Champey
- Candlelit caving in the K'an Ba caves
- Boat through the Río Dulce canyon to Livingston
- Garífuna music and tapado on the Caribbean
Best for: Nature and wildlife loversBest for: Return visitorsBest for: Travellers who love water
Day by day
Sample schedule. Every day can be moved, lengthened or swapped.
- Day 1
Arrive in Antigua
Private transfer from the airport to your hotel in Antigua.
Overnight: Antigua
- Day 2
Antigua at leisure
A guided walk through the colonial centre in the morning, with the afternoon free for coffee, chocolate and craft workshops.
Overnight: AntiguaMeals: B
- Day 3
Into the Verapaces
A long, scenic drive of around 5.5 hours to Cobán, broken with a stop at the Biotopo del Quetzal cloud-forest reserve.
Overnight: CobánMeals: B
- Day 4
Down to Lanquín
Visit an orchid nursery and a cardamom farm near Cobán, then continue around 2.5 hours on to a riverside lodge near Lanquín.
Overnight: LanquínMeals: B, D
- Day 5
Semuc Champey
Hike to the El Mirador viewpoint above the pools, swim in the turquoise terraces, and explore the K'an Ba caves by candlelight with your guide.
Overnight: LanquínMeals: B, L, D
- Day 6
To the Río Dulce
A rugged, rewarding drive of 5–6 hours through the valleys via El Estor to the Río Dulce, where your lodge sits on the water.
Overnight: Río DulceMeals: B
- Day 7
Through the canyon to Livingston
Visit the Castillo de San Felipe, then boat about 2 hours down the river past hot springs and limestone cliffs to Livingston. Evening of Garífuna drumming and coconut-rich tapado.
Overnight: LivingstonMeals: B, D
- Day 8
Caribbean morning, return to Antigua
A morning at Siete Altares waterfalls, then boat back to Río Dulce for a private transfer to Antigua, around 6 hours.
Overnight: AntiguaMeals: B
- Day 9
Depart
Private transfer to Guatemala City airport for your flight home.
Meals: B
Meals key: B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner.
What's included
- 8 nights in boutique hotels and riverside lodges
- Daily breakfast, plus 1 lunch and 4 dinners
- All private transfers and boat transfers
- Guided visit to the Biotopo del Quetzal
- Guided Semuc Champey and K'an Ba caves day
- Castillo de San Felipe entrance
- Private boat Río Dulce–Livingston return
- A dedicated local specialist on call throughout your trip
Not included
- International flights
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed
- Optional river tubing at Lanquín
- Tips for guides, drivers and boat captains
Route map
Antigua → Cobán & Las Verapaces → Semuc Champey → Río Dulce & Livingston
Where you could stay
Boutique colonial hotel
Boutique colonial hotelAntigua, near the ruins of La Recolección
Convento de la Ceiba
Suites set within the walls of a former convent, with candlelit cloisters, a spa and one of Antigua's finest restaurants.
From $290 per person · night
Boutique colonial hotelAntigua, on a quiet street near La Merced
Posada Siete Fuentes
A warm, family-run posada with flower-filled patios and some of the best breakfasts in Antigua.
From $85 per person · night
Coffee fincaCoffee hills above Antigua, 25 minutes from town
Finca El Mirasol
A working coffee estate on the slopes of Volcán de Agua, with guest rooms in the old hacienda and views across the valley.
From $110 per person · night
Pricing
Per person, from$3,350Based on two sharing
For two, approx.$6,700International flights excluded
Budget levelPremiumUpgrade or adjust any hotel
Prices vary with season, hotel choice and group size. Holy Week (Semana Santa) and Christmas carry supplements. Your specialist will send a clear, itemised quote in your currency.
Every tour is private and fully adjustable around your dates and pace.
See all tours
10 days, 9 nights Antigua · Western Highlands · Lake Atitlán · Petén
Classic Guatemala
Daily breakfast · 7 guided activities · All private transfers · Domestic flight
- Walk Antigua's cobbled streets and ruined convents with a historian guide
- Chichicastenango's market on a Thursday or Sunday
- Private boat days between Atitlán's Maya villages
- Tikal at first light, plus a sunset over Yaxhá's lagoons
From$3,650per person
≈ $7,300 for two · international flights excluded
6 days, 5 nights Antigua · Lake Atitlán
Antigua & Lake Atitlán Escape
Daily breakfast · 4 guided activities · All private transfers
- Rooftop sunsets over Volcán de Agua
- A hands-on Guatemalan cooking class in Antigua
- Private boat day to Santiago and San Juan La Laguna
- Sunrise hike to the Indian Nose above the lake
From$1,290per person
≈ $2,580 for two · international flights excluded
Tell us a little about your trip. Your specialist will reply within one working day with ideas, not a sales pitch.