18 Best Things to do in Guatemala

Guatemala has been gaining international attention as a top tourist destination. If you are looking for a trip out of the ordinary, make sure to add this beautiful country in Central America to your list. TT

This Guatemala travel guide was originally written by Daniel of Destinationless Travel who spent a month exploring the country. It has been updated by The Planet D who also spent a month in Guatemala and we’ve added some new tours and attractions for 2023 thanks to our team.

Best Things to do in Guatemala

As one of the most diverse countries in the world with 37 volcanoes, 360 microclimates, lakes, beaches, and land on both the pacific ocean and the Caribbean Sea, how can you not visit Guatemala? These are the best things to do in Guatemala to suit every type of traveler. Are you ready to fall in love with this amazing Central American country? Let’s get started.

1. The Acatenango Volcano Hike

If you speak to anyone who has completed this hike, you will likely have heard some rave reviews. Hiking the Acatenango Volcano is a hike unlike any other. Guatemala has 37 volcanoes and 3 of which are active volcanoes. During this trek, you will see one of the most impressive.

It involves hiking for 4-6 hours to a base camp on one side of the Acatenango Volcano. From this camp, it isn’t Acatenango that is impressive, it is the neighboring volcano called Fuego that really makes the overall experience.

Fuego is a very active volcano that sits parallel to the camps on Acatenango. It erupts every few minutes, putting on a show of exploding lava for all of the excited hikers to see. The volcano erupts roughly every 4 to 5 years and it was most recently active in December of 2022.

Several different tour companies offer two-day tours from Antigua for as little as $90 USD including camping equipment, food, and a guide. This highly rated overnight tour lets you observe sunrise and sunset from Acatenango where you’ll sleep at Basecamp in front of Fuego Volcano

Breakdown of Trip

• Day one consists of a short 1-2 hour drive to the base of Acatenango followed by 4-6 hours of hiking up towards camp.
• The afternoon and evening are spent around a campfire waiting for any clouds to part to reveal Fuego’s incredible show.
• The following morning starts at 4am for a hike to the peak of Acatenango. From here, the sun rises above the cloud line and the Fuego volcano continues to erupt right in front of your eyes.
• Then, it…