Guatemala travel guide

Before you go to Guatemala

Currency: GTQ Q
Emergency number: 110 / 110
Plug type: A, B
Tap water: unsafe
Tipping: Tipping ~10% expected at restaurants (check if propina is already included); small tips for guides and drivers appreciated
Bargaining: Common
eSIM: Available
Card networks: Visa, Mastercard (accepted at fewer ATMs than Visa)
ATM fees: Around GTQ 20-30 per withdrawal plus your home-bank fee; per-transaction cap is usually GTQ 2,000 (about USD 260)

Antigua Guatemala UNESCO World Heritage colonial city ringed by volcanoes, famed for cobblestone streets, the Santa Catalina Arch, baroque church ruins and…
Panajachel Main gateway town on Lake Atitlán, a volcano-ringed crater lake. Base for boat-hopping to Maya villages such as San Juan, San Pedro and…
Flores Island town on Lake Petén Itzá in the northern Petén jungle; the base for visiting the great Maya city of Tikal and Yaxhá.
Guatemala City Guatemala's capital and largest city; gateway hub with the National Palace, colonial Centro Histórico (Zona 1) and the upscale dining and…
Lanquín Small highland town in Alta Verapaz, the base for the turquoise limestone pools of Semuc Champey and the Lanquín caves.
Chichicastenango K'iche' Maya town in Quiché famous for its huge twice-weekly market and the syncretic Santo Tomás church.
Quetzaltenango Guatemala's second city, known locally as Xela; a highland hub for Spanish schools, volcano hikes and access to K'iche' Maya market towns.