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
8 days, 7 nights Antigua · Western Highlands · Lake Atitlán Private, from 2 travellers
A journey into the living Maya culture of the western highlands, from Chichicastenango's market to the weavers of Atitlán and the mountain city of Quetzaltenango.
About this tour
The western highlands are where Guatemala's Maya heritage is most visible in daily life: in the huipiles worn in each village, in the market towns, and in ceremonies that blend Catholic and Maya tradition. This trip goes beyond the obvious stops, with guides who live in these communities and can open doors a visitor alone could not.
We start gently in Antigua, overnight in Chichicastenango so you are there before the crowds on market day, spend two nights on Lake Atitlán, and finish in Quetzaltenango — Xela to locals — Guatemala's second city and a gateway to hot springs, volcano views and some of the country's most striking village churches.
Highlights
- Overnight in Chichicastenango to see the market wake up
- Backstrap weaving with a women's co-operative in San Juan
- The hot springs of Fuentes Georginas in the cloud forest
- San Andrés Xecul's technicolour church
Best for: Culture and textile loversBest for: PhotographersBest for: Return visitors
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 and its markets
A guided morning through the colonial centre and the bustling municipal market, then an afternoon visit to a textile museum to learn to read the patterns you'll see on the road ahead.
Overnight: AntiguaMeals: B
- Day 3
Up to Chichicastenango
Drive around 2.5 hours into the hills to Chichicastenango, arriving the afternoon before market day. Visit the hilltop shrine of Pascual Abaj with a local guide.
Overnight: ChichicastenangoMeals: B
- Day 4
Market day, then the lake
Be in the plaza early as traders unpack textiles, flowers and produce. After lunch, continue around 1.5 hours to Lake Atitlán.
Overnight: Lake AtitlánMeals: B, L
- Day 5
Weavers of San Juan
Cross the lake to San Juan La Laguna to spend time with a women's weaving co-operative, from natural dyes to the backstrap loom, then visit Santiago Atitlán.
Overnight: Lake AtitlánMeals: B
- Day 6
To Quetzaltenango via Zunil
Drive around 2.5 hours to Xela, stopping at Zunil's market and soaking in the steaming pools of Fuentes Georginas, high in the cloud forest.
Overnight: QuetzaltenangoMeals: B
- Day 7
Village churches and markets
Visit the extraordinary painted facade of San Andrés Xecul and a local market in the surrounding valleys, then an evening in Xela's neoclassical centre.
Overnight: QuetzaltenangoMeals: B
- Day 8
Depart
Private transfer to Guatemala City airport, around 4 hours.
Meals: B
Meals key: B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner.
What's included
- 7 nights in characterful boutique hotels
- Daily breakfast and 1 lunch
- All private transfers
- Local guides for all guided activities
- Weaving workshop with a women's co-operative
- Private lancha transfers on Lake Atitlán
- Entrance to Fuentes Georginas hot springs
- A dedicated local specialist on call throughout your trip
Not included
- International flights
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed
- Purchases at markets and co-operatives
- Tips for guides and drivers
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
Lakeside lodgeLake Atitlán, between Santa Cruz and Jaibalito, reached by boat
Casa Xocomil
Stone casitas tumbling down a garden hillside to a private dock, with every room facing the volcanoes.
From $175 per person · night
Pricing
Per person, from$1,790Based on two sharing
For two, approx.$3,580International flights excluded
Budget levelComfortUpgrade 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.