Antigua Guatemala Itinerary: Best things to do in 3, 4, 5 days (2025)

One of the primary reasons why we wanted to visit Guatemala was to see an active volcanic eruption. Upon research, we found out that Volcano Acatenango is one of the best places to see it. To get to the volcano though, you will need to come to Antigua, located about 1 hour away from Guatemala City.

What we didn’t expect was how much we would fall in love with this city. Recognized as a UNESCO heritage city, Antigua is filled with beautiful colonial architecture, vibrant flower courtyards at each square, and a surprisingly rich culinary scene. Antigua also serves as the ideal home base to embark on the Volcano treks. In fact, as you stroll through the cobbled streets, you will feel and hear the intermittent rumble and eruptions of the distant volcanoes.

There are so many things to do in Antigua that you won’t be able to fit everything into your itinerary. With that said, we have curated an ideal Antigua Guatemala itinerary with a mix of volcano adventures, cultural exploration, beautiful photography spots, and the best culinary experiences.

Excited?

Let’s jump right in!

How many days for your Antigua Guatemala Itinerary?

Your length of stay in Antigua will highly depend on whether you are doing the Acatenango Volcano trek, which takes 2 days and 1 night. 

If you are, then we would recommend spending a minimum of 4 days in Antigua. This is because the Trek takes 2 days already, and there is often an important tour briefing the day before the departure. It would also be good to have an extra day after the hike to rest your sore legs.

If you are not, or are simply doing the one-day Pacaya Volcano trek or Pacaya Volcano ATV tour, then the minimum would be 3 days for your Antigua Guatemala itinerary.

Ideally, we would recommend staying between 4-6 days in Antigua. Below we will highlight how we recommend that you schedule your days and what are the best activities.

Detailed Antigua Guatemala Itinerary for 5 days

Below is our suggested 5-day Antigua Guatemala itinerary to experience the best attractions it has to offer. You may choose to change the order of the activities or swap in-out activities based on the alternatives I have provided.

Day 1 in Antigua Guatemala

On your first day, you will embark on a Food tour or Cooking Workshop, then catch the sunset at Santa Catalina Arch and Iglesia de la Merced

afternoon: food tour/cooking workshop

On your first day in Antigua, we highly recommend taking a food tour. Food tours allow you to learn from a local guide the culture, traditions, and amazing foods of their country. Every time we visit a new country, we make sure to participate in one of these tours.

Food Tour in Antigua

With Cuscun Cooking Workshops tour, you will discover the street foods of Antigua as well as the surrounding neighbourhoods that you would otherwise miss. They pick you up and drive you around to the best local spots. If you are nervous about trying street food since you are uncertain about the cleanliness standards, then this tour is perfect for you. The guide Milton is great and will ensure that everything you eat is not only delicious but safe!

On this tour, you will get to sample Guatemalan sandwiches (shuco), churroa, tortillas con carne, as well as desserts. Another great advantage of being on this tour is that you will meet some fellow travelers to enjoy this experience together! The tour lasts for about 3 hours and starts at 7 pm.

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Cooking Workshop in Antigua

If ever you want to eat delicious food but also want to learn how to prepare it, the same company offers very fun cooking workshops.

They bring you to the local market where you can sample a lot of the exotic fruits and procure the necessary produce for your cooking. What’s great is that coming from Canada, we had no clue what half the fruits were. Without a guide, we would’ve missed out on so many food opportunities! 

After gathering the produce, you are then brought to their rooftop cooking studio where you prepare dinner. From there, you have a fantastic view of the city as well as the Volcano. By sharing their food, you will feel like you are part of their culture! 

These tours are during the day with departure times at 9:00 AM or 2:00 PM, and last 4-5 hours. This tour is ideal if you are arriving in Antigua earlier in the day.

Evening: Sunset at Santa Catalina Arch and Iglesia de la Merced

In the evening, stroll through the romantic cobblestone streets of Antigua and head towards the iconic Santa Catalina Arch. Although it may look like just another yellow-coloured arch, it has a very interesting backstory that represents the resilience of the city and the history that spanned over 400 years. 

In the 1690s, there were two convents located on opposite sides of the street. Within the convent were cloistered nuns who vowed a life of seclusion which meant that they could not be seen on the public streets. The issue was that they stayed in one convent, but taught in the convent on the opposite side of the street. 

In order for the nuns to remain hidden, they proposed the idea of an arch through which they would be able to cross over to the school. Then in 1694, the Santa Catalina Arch was built. It then survived through multiple earthquakes over the centuries and thus became an important symbol of Antigua’s resilience.

In order to get the best view of the arch, walk north past the arch (on 5a Avenida Norte) towards Iglesia de la Merced. When you are about halfway down the block, turn around to face south towards the arch. From here, you will see the Santa Catalina Arch and if the evening is clear, the backdrop of the impressive Volcano Aqua. 

Most tourists only photograph from the Southern side of the arch so you will definitely have a better view from the Northern side.

From here, you can head a few minutes away to Iglesia de la Merced which is a beautiful church built in the 1500s decorated with a yellow and ivory white façade. Admire the ornate front entrance from their plaza square where there are oftentimes street food merchants as well as local families playing with their kids.

Day 2 in Antigua guatemala

On your second day in Antigua, you can explore the beautiful collapsed church ruins, go to your briefing for the volcano trek, and then spend the evening at the secret speakeasy bar.

Alternatively, if you are seeking a more hands-on and artistic experience, you can do this Jade carving experience where you’ll get to customize and bring home your own Jade necklacke/bracelet/keychain.

Afternoon: discovering collapsed church and convent ruins

Antigua, being located next to several volcanoes, has suffered through over a dozen major earthquakes in the past 400 years. This is the reason why you will find ruined churches, monasteries, and convents throughout the city.

Spend your second day exploring the cobbled streets of Antigua as well as visiting the ruined churches and convents. Not only are they lessons to their rich history, but also present you with the opportunity to capture and experience some amazing photography spots.

It is difficult to describe the mesmerizing yet haunting feeling of entering these grand chapels and halls that existed several hundreds of years ago. Although many of the cathedral domes have collapsed, the inner structures, columns, and sculptures are actually quite well preserved. The way the light enters through the open ceiling, creating shafts of illumination through the halls creates a quite mystical feeling. There is a sense of the power and spirituality that once existed there.

🏛️ The two of the most impressive and intact ruins are the Convento Santa Clara and Catedral San José and you should try to see both.

Convento Santa Clara

Convento Santa Clara has a beautiful central courtyard lined on all four sides with walls of multiple archways. It was originally built in 1699 by nuns and served the affluent community of Antigua. As you enter the courtyard, you will certainly see this reflected in the convent’s architectural design.

We spent over an hour here exploring all the nooks and crannies as well as just admiring the view in the central courtyard.

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Cathedrdal San José

Catedral San José ruins on the other hand have huge cathedral chambers with the central cupolas collapsed, opening the sunlight to reflect the broken arches and pillars. At the rear of the nave, you can descend down into the remains of the burial vault.

Cathedral San José is separated into two parts, where one is the restored and intact cathedral, and the other part is the collapsed ruins.

💡 Tip: In order to visit the ruins, make sure to enter through the door on 5 Calle Oriente. The intact cathedral’s entrance is 4a Avenida Norte.

At the end of the afternoon, you can go for your briefing for the volcano trek. After, you can spend some time relaxing in Parque Central.

Day 2 Evening: Speakeasy cocktail bar

Antigua is home to countless rooftop bars where you can enjoy the intermittent glow and eruptions of the nearby volcano. But did you know that there is also a hidden speakeasy bar?

In order to find it, head over to Antigua Brewing Company. They are a local beer brewery and offer some great pub food as well as a rooftop terrace to enjoy the views. However, if you would like to find the speakeasy, then turn left after entering the building and look for a red phone booth. 

It looks like it is just placed there for decoration but go inside and you will see a secret entrance. Walking through the curtain, you will find yourself in ULew Cocktail bar.

Not only is the environment fun, but they craft some truly incredible cocktails. These are professional mixologists and they will design your drink based on your taste preferences. You can let them know whether you like more fruity drinks, fresh drinks, herbal, sweet, strong etc…

They will then whip up a unique cocktail just for you and present it in a very attractive way. For my drink, they put it on an antique tabletop clock that lights up to illuminate the glass.

There are no listed prices for each drink but they tend to cost between 10-15$.

Day 3 in Antigua guatemala

On your third day in Antigua, you will embark on the first day of hiking Volcano Acatenango. This was the most epic activity during our Antigua Guatemala Itinerary.

Choosing your hiking company for Volcano Acatenango

The exciting day of climbing up an active volcano has come! If you are embarking on this adventure, you will notice that several companies offer this tour.

We would highly recommend going with Wicho and Charlie’s or Ox Expedition. They both have the highest ratings/reviews and are professional trekking companies dedicated just to this hike!

One of the main differences between the two is that Wicho and Charlie’s offers only a plant-based menu, which means no meat in the meals. They have huts at base camp which can accommodate two people, or other huts which are suitable for 6-8 people.

Ox Expedition on the other hand offers meals with meat and their huts have windows facing the volcano. Similar to Wicho and Charlie’s, both companies will lend you some insulated clothing at no additional cost.

You can choose which benefits are more important to you!

Review of: Acatenango Hike with Wicho & Charlie’s

We had gone with Wicho and Charlie’s and overall enjoyed our experience with them. The base camp was very nice and the beds were comfortable. We did feel that not fully enough food was provided though.

I also wished the guides would have provided us with more history and information about the hike and the Volcano, or even tell us about the life in Guatemala.

Finally, the guides sometimes walked quite ahead of us so when we were struggling, we had nobody to help us. Their company does have excellent reviews though so maybe it was just the circumstances of that day.

For this reason, if we were to recommend a friend to do the hike, we would likely recommend trying out going with Ox Expeditions.

🛑 It is essential to book early! Click here to book with Ox Expedition or Wicho and Charlie’s. Alternatively, if a 2 day volcano hike seems too difficult for you, then you can opt for the Pacaya Volcano trek or even a Pacaya ATV Tour where you get to roast marshmallows over the lava!

The experience of hiking up Volcano Acatenango

On your third day in Antigua, you will be waking up early, preparing your bags, food, and water bottles, and then taking a shuttle up to the starting point of the volcano hike.

Your starting point will be at an altitude of 2400m and by the end of the hike, you will reach 3750m. This is an elevation gain of 1400m so as you can guess, this hike is really quite challenging.

You will be hiking constantly uphill through the mountain forests for about 6 hours before you finally reach the clearing of the base camp. Here you will get the first glimpses of Volcano Fuego and the impressive eruptions.

When we first arrived, there clouds were covering all around us but we would hear the intermittent rumble of the eruptions. Then all of a sudden, the clouds dispersed and we were astounded by just how close and how big Volcano Fuego is. 

Every few minutes, we would see the jet of volcanic ash into the sky and then hear the delayed BOOM. For over half an hour, we sat there mesmerized, cheering every time the eruption occurred.

Optional: Volcano Fuego summit hike

After a 1 hour break, you will have the option of embarking on a 4-5 hour round-trip hike up Volcano Fuego to get up close and personal with the eruptions. This is totally optional and costs an extra 200Q. From there, you will be about 150m away from the volcanic crater where you can enjoy the sunset.

Should you do the optional hike to Volcano Fuego?

We did it and had some of the most spectacular views of lava but we were then caught in a wind and rainstorm. Hiking back was incredibly difficult and really pushed our limits. 

For our group, we made it back at 9 p.m. and were starving as we had not eaten dinner before the departure.

Therefore this additional Volcano Fuego hike is not for everybody and make sure you still have a lot of energy before embarking on it! This is a steep 4-hour climb after you have just finished hiking 6 hours up to base camp.

The alternative of not doing this hike is that you get to stay at the base camp, around the campfire, and watch the eruptions of Volcano Fuego from there. Some people in our group did that and they really enjoyed it too.

We were happy that we did the Fuego hike but it was truly challenging, especially with the adverse weather.

After your return, you will spend the night in the mountain huts/tents. You will certainly sleep well after this full day of hiking!

Day 4 in Antigua Guatemala

This will be your second day of Volcano Acatanenango Hike where you will descend the volcano, and in the evening enjoy a dinner at Casa Escobar, our favourite restaurant!

Morning/afternoon: descending the volcano

On your second day of Volcano trekking, you will wake up at 4:30 AM to catch the sunrise at the summit of Acatenango. Reaching the summit usually takes around 2 hours and makes for another challenging hike as the trail is loose volcanic rock. However, the view from the top is spectacular, with the sunrise casting a beautiful shadow over the volcano. 

By 7 AM, you should be back down for breakfast and then start your descent. The descent will be significantly quicker than the ascent. Once you reach your starting point, a shuttle will bring you back to Antigua by around 12:30-1:00 PM.

And this ends your exciting adventure up to see an active volcano!

After the hike, you will likely be quite tired so take some time to relax at your hotel/AirBnB. Also, expect that your muscles will be very sore whether the day after or two days after (it was two days after for us!)

You will also need to do some laundry as all your clothes will be covered in ash and rocks. There are several laundromats around the city who can wash all your clothes for around 6-10$. They are even willing to wash your hiking shoes for about 6-8$. I would say it is totally worth it since it is difficult to get all the sand out of the shoes.

Evening: Dinner at Casa Escobar & views of Colegio Compañía de Jesús

To spend a restful evening, we would highly recommend enjoying a dinner at Casa Escobar.

Not only is it one of the best meals we had in Guatemala, but it may in fact be one of the best steaks we’ve had ever (I would say it rivals some of the best Wagyu steaks we had during our trip in Japan)!

The restaurant is beautifully decorated and has several large doorway windows that open up to the lit-up views of Colegio Compañía de Jesús.

Make sure to try out their cocktails as well, as we have never before seen such a high level of mixology craftsmanship.

If you enjoy steaks, then we would highly recommend ordering The Trozo, which is a 14 oz Puyazo steak. This was literally the best steak we’ve had in our lives!

Night: Dance the night away in Las Palmas

If you are not too tired, visit Las Palmas bar where they have live Latin music after 9 PM. It has a very fun ambiance, affordable drinks, live band, and everyone is dancing! We intended to only drop by and stay for an hour but we ended up dancing all the way till midnight!

Day 5 in Antigua Guatemala

After those tiring two days of hiking, enjoy breakfast on the rooftop terrace, walk to Cerro de la Cruz, and have dinner at Por Qué No? Cafe. Alternatively, if you still want more “volcano”, you can do this exclusive Sunset Horseback Riding Volcano tour with dinner cooked by lava-chef!

Morning/afternoon: Rooftop terrace breakfast and Cerro de la Cruz

On your final day, you will likely want to just take it easy. After the volcano hike, your legs may not be sore the day of, but they sure will be the day after! 

Enjoy a breakfast at Cafe Boheme on their rooftop terrace where they have unobstructed views of the erupting volcano. Their meals are delicious and they have some very nutritious fruit smoothie drinks. We spent around 2 hours there relaxing as well as doing some work.

Enjoy the rest of the afternoon strolling the streets of Antigua and if you still have energy, you can walk up to the Cerro de la Cruz, “Hill of the Cross”. They are open from 7 am to 6 pm and there is no entrance fee. It takes around 30 minutes to walk there from the centre of Antigua. From the top, you can enjoy the elevated viewpoint of the entire city as well as the Volcano.

Evening: Dinner at the quirky Por Qué No? Cafe

If you are still here on the evening of the 5th day, then we would highly recommend a dinner at Por Qué No? Cafe. This is no ordinary cafe.

When you walk in, you will first notice the very lively atmosphere and how the walls are completely covered in hand-written messages. In fact, these are left by guests who scribble their messages with a sharpie. 

You can eat on the ground floor where you get open views of the kitchen, or you can dine upstairs. But to get upstairs, you need to walk up a very steep flight of stairs where you hold onto a rope to climb up.

The tables are all close together but it makes for a very fun and communal experience. And not to mention the food is also incredibly delicious.

This was our second favourite restaurant in Guatemala behind Casa Escobar.

This post is part of our series about Guatemala. If you want to learn more about Guatemala, planning your trip, and some of the best experiences there, check out the guides below:

Is Guatemala Expensive to Visit: Detailed Cost Breakdown (2023)

Lake Atitlan Itinerary: How to plan an amazing 5 days in Lake Atitlan

How to get to Lake Atitlan from Antigua or Guatemala City (2024)

Flores Guatemala Itinerary For a 3, 4, 5 Days Visit (2025)

Is Tikal Worth It? Complete Tikal Experience Guide (2024)

What to do if you have more time in Antigua?

If you have a few more days in Antigua or are looking for alternative activities, here are a couple of other great ideas to include in your Antigua Guatemala Itinerary!

Hobbitenango tour

🛖 Hobbitenango: Ever wonder what it would be like to visit a hobbit village from Lord of the Rings? Well here is your chance! Hobbitenango is located about 30 minutes away from Antigua and makes for a great day trip. It is also here where you will find Altimira, that large hand-shaped viewpoint that you may have seen on Instagram. There are incredible views of the valley as well as exploring these hobbit homes. If you want to spend the night there, there is also that option!

📍 Check out this Hobbitenango tour that brings you to Cerro de la Cruz, Hobbitenango, and the famous Altamira viewpoint!

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Chichicastenango Market Tour

🌽 Chichicastenango: Tucked away in one of the mountain villages is one of the largest markets in Central America. Here you can discover the local fruits and vegetables, produce, artisanal products, and textiles. The market is open on Thursdays and Sundays.

📍 You can visit Chichicastenango combined with Iximché Pyramids on this private tour, or combine Chichicastenango with Lake Atitlan as a day tour.

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Pacaya Volcano Tours

🌋 Pacaya volcano: If you still want to see more volcanoes, then Pacaya makes for the perfect day trip.

You will visit Pacaya, which is an active volcano and get up close to the plateau where you can see the crater. Since there is active lava under the volcanic rock, you can even roast some marshmallows with the emitted heat!

This is a far easier hike as compared to Acatenango and is ideal for those who want to see the volcano without too much challenge. If you have physical limitations, you can even rent a horse to bring you up or you can join this Pacaya ATV Tour!

📍 Check out and book this highly-rated Pacaya volcano tour or Pacaya ATV Tour!

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Make Pizza on a Volcano

🍕 Make a pizza on a volcano: How many people in the world can say they ate a pizza baked from the heat emitted from an active volcano? Probably not that many.

But if you want to be one of them and try out this truly unique experience, check out this Pacaya Pizza-making tour! You will climb up the Pacaya volcano and from there, prepare a pizza that will then be baked on the volcanic rock. Sounds pretty cool right?

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Chocolate-making Workshop

🍫 Chocolate-making workshop: This Bean-to-bar chocolate-making course is one of the most highly-rated activities in Antigua. In this 2 hour workshop, you will learn to prepare chocolate desserts and discover the process from cacao bean to candy bar. You will then get to prepare your own chocolate bar and take it home with you. Or you can eat it on the spot. It’s one of the most delicious and fun tours you can do on your Antigua Guatemala itinerary!

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Take Spanish Lessons

👩‍🏫 Spanish lessons: Guatemala is considered one of the best places to learn Spanish. The reason for this is due to the very neutral accent that Guatemalans speak with. This allows for easier learning of the language. If you are interested in learning Spanish, Antigua has countless schools available.

Antigua Guatemala itinerary: 3 days

If you have 3 days instead of the listed 5-day itinerary, then you may need to skip out on the volcano trek. Although it could still be possible to do within 3 days, you will spend just about all your time on the volcano and will not have a chance to explore the city.

You can however do the Pacaya volcano to get a smaller dose of volcano experience.

If you are still set on doing the full Acatenango, then your 3 day Antigua Guatemala Itinerary will look something like this:

• First Day: Arrival in Antigua, afternoon food tour, briefing for volcano trek at night
• Second Day: First day of volcano Acatenango trekking
• Third Day: Second day of volcano Acatenango trekking, descent from volcano, depart Antigua in the evening.

How to get to Antigua?

To get to Antigua, you will need to arrange a transport from Guatemala International Airport, located in Guatemala City. Antigua does not have its own airport.

You have the option of taking a shared shuttle with GuateGo (this is what we did and felt like the service was excellent), which costs around 40 USD for two people, or better yet, we recommend taking a private transport for just a little more stress-free.

The reason we recommend this is that the shared shuttle will transport another 5-10 passengers with you, and will make stops at each of their hotels along the way. If you are one of the first, then it’s not bad but if you are one of the last, it may add another 30-60 minutes to your transport time. The normal time to reach Antigua is around 1.5 hours but with the multiple stops, it may take closer to 2 to 2.5 hours. 

A private transport that we have personally used and highly recommend is WelcomePickups. They come to pick you up from the airport, with airline time tracking, by an English-speaking driver and bring you directly to your hotel. This means it will take only 1.5 hours to reach Antigua.

To learn more about the optional routes, or if you will also be heading to Lake Atitlan, check out our post about how to get to Lake Atitlan. Since Antigua is halfway to Lake Atitlan, all the route options are applicable.

Where to stay in Antigua Guatemala?

The accommodations in Antigua, Guatemala are absolutely charming — many are housed in beautifully preserved colonial buildings that ooze history and character. If your budget allows, it’s definitely worth splurging a little for a stay that feels like a true cultural experience.

Best time to visit Antigua Guatemala?

Guatemala is known as the land of eternal spring and for good reason. All year round, it has pleasant temperatures ranging from 22-30 degrees celsius. However, Ideally, you should visit during the dry season which runs from November to April.

During the wet season, which is May to October, there is rain but it tends to only last for a couple of hours per day. 

We went at the end of November and had perfect weather!

Is Antigua walkable?

Antigua is a very walkable city. In fact, if you are staying centrally, you can get from one end of the city to the other in around 20-30 minutes of walking. We did not use any public transportation or Uber during our stay in Antigua. Also, as a UNESCO heritage site, walking around the city allows you to see all the incredible historical architecture.

Where to go after Antigua?

After visiting Antigua, you will have the option of going further West towards Lake Atitlan or back East towards Guatemala City. I would highly recommend spending a few days in Lake Atitlan and at the hotel Casa Del Mundo. Of all the hotel experiences we’ve had, I think Casa Del Mundo may be one of the top.

If you have more time, then head back to Guatemala City and then take a flight to the north to reach Flores and Tikal.

Flores is a cute little town and serves as an ideal base to explore the incredible Mayan ruins of Tikal.

To get a better idea of how much everything costs in Guatemala, check out our post about Guatemala’s cost breakdown.

Recap: Antigua Guatemala Itinerary

This wraps up our itinerary guide for spending 3-5 days in Antigua Guatemala. Although hiking the Volcano Acatenango was the highlight, Antigua is so rich in culture and delicious foods that it would be easy to spend an entire week there.

We hope you found this guide helpful and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!

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