The Ultimate Adventure Through Guatemala

Meet your host on arrival at the airport in Guatemala City and be transferred to Antigua, Guatemala's ancient capital flanked beneath the looming Volcán de Agua to the south and the twin peaks of Volcán de Fuego and Acatenango to the west. Settle into your hotel near the centre of town. Depending on your arrival time, you can spend the rest of the day wandering the famous cobbled streets, taking in the colourful architecture and street stalls. In the evening, meet up with your fellow adventures and head to a nearby restaurant to chat about the epic adventure ahead.

Today you'll explore Antigua and its surrounding area by bike, giving you a glimpse into real Guatemala and local life here in the Almolonga Valley. Pedal through suburban towns and villages, flanked by volcanoes and forested hills punctuated by ancient churches and ruins. Riding to the south, you'll head to the base of Agua Volcano, Antigua's iconic ever-present backdrop. Stop in at a macadamia farm in Valhalla and sample local coffee as you head to the west of Antigua towards the site of the country's former colonial capital, Ciudad Vieja. The old city met a fateful doom in 1541 when the Agua Volcano triggered a devastating mudslide. The city disappeared into the valley between the volcanoes of Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango. Return to Antigua for lunch at Rincon Tipico Antigueño, a classic Guatemalan comedor, to feast on some classic local dishes. Later, after some downtime, you'll head out for a sunset hike up to the Cerro de la Cruz Viewpoint for the best vista over Antigua, with Agua, Acatenango, and Fuego looming in the distance as an amazing first day of the trip winds down.

Grab a big breakfast in Antigua before driving for an hour to the trailhead at La Soledad. Prepare for a challenging climb up the imposing Acatenango slopes, but the reward at the top will be more than worth the effort! Set off through farmland and small villages, before ascending steeply into a beautiful cloud forest. This is an area of high biodiversity, home to the famous Quetzal bird. You'll soon be greeted with sweeping views of the highlands and neighbouring volcanoes:, the perfect time for a picnic on the volcano's slopes. Continue up through temperate forest until you'll reach your private camp spot at 3750m above sea level. You’ll then enjoy dinner around the campfire and hopefully the show of a lifetime, the continuously erupting Fuego Volcano (just 4km away) belching fumes and lava into the night sky.

You'll rise early before sunrise to complete the hour-long hike to the top of Acatenango at 3976m. The final stretch to the summit along scree and sand becomes steeper and loose underfoot but once at the top your efforts will be quickly repaid by sweeping 360-degree views of the entire Guatemalan highlands, all the way to the border of Mexico. Next, you’ll descend through several different micro-climates as you lose altitude. Back at the trailhead, you'll jump in the van and head towards Guatemala's glistening Lago de Atitlan. Finish off the day as you roll into Panajachel, and take the boat to your lakeside hotel. After a wild few days, we've picked a super relaxing spot for you to recover at on the lake, with a steam sauna and an amazing wood-fired hot tub overlooking the lake for you to soak away those sore trekker's legs.

*Please note that the summit hike is totally optional. If you feel you aren't up to it, you can spend the morning at the camp which still has incredible views over Fuego and the surrounding highlands.

Wake up to views of the lake and grab a leisurely breakfast before heading out onto the water. Hopping in a kayak you'll paddle westward along the north shore of Lake Atitlán for around two hours. Paddle at a relaxed pace as you pass by villages perched on lakeside cliffs en route to a spot for a swim, or even do some cliff jumping into the lake. Eventually reaching the village of San Marcos La Laguna you'll leave your kayak behind and hit the lakeside hiking trail that meanders between the villages, taking in views of the San Pedro, Tolimán, and Atitlán volcanoes as you go. An hour and a half of easy hiking sees you back at your accommodation - the rest of the afternoon and evening is yours to do as you please. Chill in the hot tub, have some hammock time, more swims and maybe a sundowner before dinner.

Lake Atitlán is a beautiful spot, so kick back and soak up this special place before getting back on the road later today. Enjoy a relaxed breakfast and then head out to explore the area with a boat ride to other parts of the lake and some short hikes around the neighbouring villages. Back at your base, you'll pack up and take the boat back to Panajachel, where you will hop in the van for roughly three and a half hours to the airport near Guatemala City. You'll be taking a short flight to the north of Guatemala, landing in the city of Flores. From here, you'll drive 90 minutes further north, flanked by ever-deepening jungle as you enter Tikal National Park, one of the major sites of Mayan civilisation hidden within the sprawling Maya Biosphere Reserve that extends into neighbouring Mexico and Belize. Settle into your lodge within the national park itself and grab an early night ahead of an early start in the morning.

Rise at around 3:30 am to the sounds of the nocturnal jungle, meet your guide, and head off to explore Tikal. You'll walk through trails buried by dense rainforest, home to toucans, parrots, hummingbirds, howler and spider monkeys, and even pumas and jaguars. Tikal's blend of ancient Mayan ruins hidden within a teeming jungle ecosystem makes it one of the most magical Mayan sites to experience. Your guide will lead the way to Temple IV, where you'll climb the steps of the ancient Mayan pyramid to have the best view of one of the most amazing sunrises you will ever see as the Maya jungle wakes up beneath you. After sunrise, you'll explore more of the ruins: Tikal was the capital of one of the most powerful kingdoms of the ancient Maya and boasts the tallest pre-Columbian structures in the Americas. Eventually, your time in the park will be up, and you'll head back to the lodge for a late breakfast and some much-needed Guatemalan coffee before bidding farewell to Tikal as you head to Flores, a vibrant, colourful town nestled on an island in the middle of Lake Petén Itzá. Enjoy some downtime here and head out later to soak up the bustling street food scene, with plenty of bars to grab a beer or cocktail overlooking the lake.

Road trip time today as you settle in for a journey across northern Guatemala, watching the scenery change as you head into the lush green forested hills of the Alta Verapaz region. Stopping along the route to stretch your legs and grab some lunch near Coban City, you'll continue on as the roads get bumpier and more remote, approaching Lanquín, a small mountain town and your base for the final explorations of the trip. You'll be staying in a glamping area set among the forest. Grab dinner here and relax after a long day on the road.

So far, you've seen volcanoes, lakes, jungles, and Mayan ruins, yet Guatemala isn't finished with its wonders just yet. A true hidden gem awaits today as you hop in a 4x4 vehicle for an hour's drive to reach Semuc Champey. This is a truly stunning and otherworldly place, a natural wonder of terraced emerald pools that looks like it's from a video game or CGI movie. You'll stop en route at the Kam’ba Caves, where your guide will lead you by candlelight into underground caverns filled with rivers, waterfalls, and unique rock formations. On to Semuc Champey itself: first, tackle a 45-minute uphill hike to El Mirador, a stunning viewpoint overlooking the terraced pools flanked by steep forested cliff faces below. Hike back down to reach the pools themselves, where you can spend a few hours swimming and relaxing on the smooth rock terraces. One of the best places to snap photos near the terraces is on top of a natural limestone bridge above the water. Head back to your glamping spot in the late afternoon for dinner and sundowners.

Wake up and enjoy a swim before breakfast at one of the pools at the glamping spot. A big Guatemalan breakfast will fuel you up for an underground adventure today as you head into Lanquín’s famous cave system. You'll be joined by a specialist caving guide to lead the way through the subterranean labyrinth of immense caverns and underground lakes to the heart of Alta Verapaz. After a few hours, you'll eventually emerge back into the light and follow the Lanquín River all the way back to your riverside base. Shower up and bid farewell to this part of Guatemala as you make your way back toward the capital. You'll spend the night in a well-located hotel in a nice area of Guatemala City, not far from the airport. Head to one of your host's favourite restaurants for a farewell dinner to toast an epic journey around this amazing country.

Time to say goodbye as your host takes you back to the airport in time for your departure flight. If you are staying on longer in Guatemala your host can arrange a transfer back to Antigua to continue your travels from there.