The first of the suggestions we will give you for Guatemala is about transportation between airports in New York, in case you have to do it, as it happened to us that we had to go from JFK to Newark, to catch the flight to Guatemala City .
One of the options to change the airport is the bus, it cost us $ 27 per person, but for go from JFK to Newark We had to make a bus change in Manhattan, so 5 hours (which in the end are less since you have to count baggage collection, pass customs, controls….), we were short.
Another option would be to take a taxi for about 125 dollars, or opt for a private transport such as Blacklane, which leaves for about 120 dollars. While it is true that this last option is double the bus, we believe that considering the distance and especially the saving of time, it is worth it and more when you want to go on insurance and not miss the flight.
If there is something important in any trip, it is to make it safe. For that nothing better than having good travel insurance.
We always travel insured with Mondo, with whom we carry a totally adequate insurance to the needs that we will have on the trip.
The hiring process is very easy and intuitive and also, just for being a reader of Street Travelers, you have a 5% discount.
Complete the list of the 10 essential places to visit in Guatemala.
Change in Guatemala. Change of euros to quetzales: If you can directly forget the change in the Guatemala City airport, since they offer a very unfavorable exchange rate. In our case in the only office we found open when we arrived, they gave us 6.74 quetzales only if we changed 1000 euros, 6.24 quetzales if we changed less than that amount.
The best option is in Antigua to go to Banco Agromercantil, located in one of the corners of the Central Plaza. This is the only bank in Antigua that change euros to quetzales. If you carry dollars you will not have problems, since they change them in any bank and even in the hotels, although in the latter case tell that they usually only change 25 dollars per day.
In the bank the change is quite favorable, in our case they gave us 8.20 quetzales per euro and without adding any commission fee. The maximum that can be changed is 500 euros per person per day.
Remember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
SIM card in Guatemala: In Guatemala there are several companies with which to hire a SIM card with which you can talk and navigate with your mobile, provided that it is free.
You have the following options:
- Movistar (located on 4 Poniente street): This is more economical than we found after looking at several options. We were offered a free SIM card for 41 quetzales plus a 1.5 Gb load plus free local calls and 20 messages to Movistar numbers for 90 more quetzales. In total the price was 131 quetzals for everything. We were also given the option of acquiring a 3GB card for 150 quetzals.
This card, as with the other companies, can be recharged whenever you want at all points that offer this service.
- Claro (located on 5 North Avenue): We were charged 90 quetzales for the free SIM card plus 130 quetzales for the 1.5Gb recharge.
-Tigo: Although we know they exist, in Antigua we did not find any specific agency of the company, although when asked we were told that there were several in the downtown area.
After the trip to Guatemala and Honduras and after having acquired the Movistar SIM card, we have to say that during almost the entire trip we had coverage in Guatemala, except for some more remote areas of El Petén and Semuc Champey, where we saw that the people who Claro used yes that had a little coverage, when ours of Movistar was totally annulled.
Today, we would definitely choose Claro or Tigo, since we saw that they are the companies that have the most coverage in the country.
As an extra tip, we recommend that after acquiring the card, in the same store, tell them to do the reloading process. In the best way to verify that the whole process is correct and you have paid for the rate you have requested.
Another option is to choose to buy one Holafly SIM card being in Spain, with which you will have internet from the moment you land, saving you all the time of the negotiations and making the whole process to have internet in Guatemala much more comfortable, fast and easy.
In this case, with the Holafly SIM you will have several Gb to surf the Internet (depending on the option you choose), they will send it to you for free at home, you will keep your WhatsApp number and you will have assistance service in Spanish. You can buy your Holafly prepaid SIM card here with a 5% discount for being our reader
More information on the Holafly post, the best prepaid SIM card for travel
Prior to travel to Guatemala We strongly recommend that you go to your nearest vaccination center and consult the possibility of taking the cholera vaccine. This vaccine has a "secondary effect", which is to prevent traveler's diarrhea. It is an oral vaccine and lasts for two years. We have been taking it for several years now and we have to say that we have never had stomach problems again in any of the trips we have made .
In Guatemala you can call the telephone number 1500, 24-hour service, where they will give you all the tourist information you need: opening days of places of interest, recommended visits, schedules and prices ...
Viewpoint of Cerro de la Cruz in Antigua: We had read that the best time to go to Cerro de la Cruz was at sunset, but knowing that there are many people at that time, at this time of year it is advisable to climb about 3:30 the afternoon, and that there is a high probability that it is cloudy, we recommend you go up early in the morning, at which time you make sure you are practically alone and have stunning views.
You can walk up, although it is not recommended, as it is known of assaults in the area, so it is best to ride a motorcycle or tuktuk, for about 30 quetzales round trip.
Viewpoint of the Cerro de la Cruz
We had read that the Mercado de Chichicastenango is one of the places where there are more pickpockets in Guatemala. Our experience was totally contrary to this, since we did not have any mishap or at any time had a feeling of insecurity. Although regardless of this, we believe that it is best not to carry anything in your pockets, including mobile (we know several cases of theft of the mobile by carrying it in your pants pocket) and put the backpack on the front, to be able to control it.
Chichicastenango Market: the truth is that after everything we had read about the place, we expected to find much more crafts and the truth is that if you are looking for something "out of the ordinary", we have to say that this is not your place.
After many laps, we found a beautiful small painting, but we did not manage to lose 190 quetzals (although despite that he came with us).
Chichicastenango Market
Prices in Guatemala: We had been told that in Guatemala they usually inflate prices 3 times. Our experience is that this is not always the case, it is more, they usually raise the price, but 20%. The best thing to check if it is a fair price, is if you haggle and do not go down when you leave the store, is that the price you have been given is the right one.
Driving in Guatemala: Although the locals assure that in Guatemala it is not conducted very well, our experience is quite different. We check that they drive at a limited speed, the horn is not touched if there is no need and traffic rules are met, except for pedestrian crossings, which normally do not work for what they should.
Transportation in Guatemala:
- Chicken bus: Buses routinely used by local people. In them there is no capacity limit nor do they have assigned seats. The problem is that these are not considered too safe, both for the driving itself and for the extortions that drivers suffer, so they are not advisable for long journeys.
Chicken Bus in Guatemala
- Shared vans: This is the most used means of transport in GuatemalaFor the tourists. They are vans with capacity for 12-15 people, which can be hired through agencies or through accommodation. The shared vans cover the most important and tourist routes in the country. They have fixed prices, are quite comfortable, although some roads are not so much, and they make stops every 2-3 hours to buy something, stretch their legs or eat.
Most of them go looking for you for the accommodation or point where you stay on the day of hiring, and they leave you at the accommodation of the destination or at the place you tell them.
- Night / day buses: There are several companies, although the most recommended are Maya de Oro or Hedman Alas, the latter also present in Honduras. They cover some of the most tourist routes, such as from Guatemala City to Flores, in which you can opt for the night journey, earning practically a day trip. These buses have two classes: executive and executive plus.
Both have reclining seats, much better than those of airplanes, television, drinks and snacks and bathroom in the back.
How much time do I need to tour Guatemala? We have to say that Guatemala is a country that travels well in about 15 days, to know its most tourist areas, but it is perfect if you have a few more days. For example Antigua you can meet her in one day, but have 2-3 days, it is perfect to enjoy it. The same happens with Lake Atitlán or the Flores area.
In most restaurants or cafes in Guatemala there are free wifi service, most of good quality.
Panajachel: In Panajachel you will find souvenirs of all kinds, at prices somewhat higher than in the Chichicastenango Market, but with more possibilities of bargaining than in the market.
How to visit the villages of Lake Atitlán:
the best way to visit the villages of Lake Atitlán It is by boat. You are in any of its most visited villages, at the jetty you will always find an available boat that can take you to any other village of Lake Atitlan. Although you should keep in mind that unless you hire a private boat, it will leave when it is complete, so schedules are not guaranteed.
The price of one private boat on Lake Atitlan for the whole day, to travel about 4 villages, San Marcos la Laguna, Santiago de Atitlán, San Pedro la Laguna, San Juan la Laguna, is 450-500 quetzales.
If you want to do the usual and more tourist tour of the villages of Lake Atitlan in shared boats, the price is reduced a lot, about 25-50 quetzals per route, depending on the origin and destination.
The boat service on the lake can be hired directly at the jetty of any of the villages or in the lodgings. This form is totally recommended if you have enough time, since the prices are much cheaper.
The villages of Lake Atitlan You can also visit through the roads or paths that run through them although this is something that, according to the information they gave us and we read, is not too advisable due to the news of assaults that have occurred in recent times.
Lake Atitan
You will have the best views of Lake Atitlan from the Panajachel jetty. We recommend you come here first thing in the morning, when there are still no tourists, the boats have not arrived and the water is completely still. The image we assure you that you will not forget it.
How long at Lake Atitlan ?: The truth is that Lake Atitlan is one of those places that deserves to be enjoyed for several days, savoring it slowly without haste. Unfortunately, we have not had the opportunity, but we will return for sure.
Tourism in Guatemala: Contrary to what it may seem, Guatemala is a tourist country, although above all you will find local and nearby countries. This makes it possible to visit most places of interest practically alone.
Tickets to Tikal in Guatemala:
-The entrance to Tikal It costs 150 quetzales that gives you access to the park and the entire archaeological site.
-If you arrive at the park after 3:30 in the afternoon, you can buy the ticket of 150 quetzales and you will have access that same afternoon and also the morning of the next day. This is something we read that no longer existed, but there we were confirmed that it was still in force.
-If you arrive before 3:30 in the afternoon and you only want to see the sunset in Tikal, you can pay a ticket of 100 quetzales
- If you stay inside Tikal Park, you arrive before 3:30, you do not want to see the ruins and you do not want to see the sunset, unfortunately you also have to buy the entrance of 100 quetzales, the cheapest, to see the sunset although Do not want to see it, because if it is not impossible to enter the park.
- Tikal closes at 6 in the afternoon, but you can stay inside to watch the sunset.
- Option extra: As we commented, to see the sunset you must pay 100 quetzales, but if you explain to the guardian that you only come to see sunset from the temple IV, and that you will visit it the next day, they usually fix the price at 20 quetzales per person.
Amazing sunset from Temple II in Tikal
Sunrise in Tikal: You can do the sunrise tour in Tikal by staying in one of the hotels that are inside the park such as the Tikal Inn, Jaguar Inn Tikal or the Jungle Lodge, through an agency or by free, although this last option is the least recommended and more if you do not know the park, since it has to be accessed when it is still night.
Tips to see the sunrise or sunset in Tikal: carry flashlight, anti mosquitoes and map. It is easy to get your bearings, but it doesn't hurt to take it, especially when there is no signal of any kind and the GPS does not work inside the park.
We had read that the stairs to the temples of both Yaxhá and Tikal were "dangerous"or very tired. I (Vanessa) that I have vertigo and do not usually practice sports, I have to say that they do not represent any difficulty. You only have to be careful if it rains since being wooden they slide a lot.
Ascending to the Temple of the Red Hands in Yaxhá
Souvenirs in Tikal: In the ticket control area there are several stores where they sell very cool wood carvings at reasonable prices, given the work involved. They ask for 700 quetzales for a boat of a span more or less that you can reduce to about 350-400 quetzales.
flowers: In Flores you will find anything you need, from many places where you can buy handicrafts to countless agencies where you can hire excursions to Palenque, the Mirador ... You can also change dollars to quetzals in most stores, at a good change.
Security in Guatemala and Honduras: We have to confess that this was one of the points that we value most when we started preparing the trip to Guatemala and Honduras and that is precisely that security is not something too valued in either of these two countries.
During the trip we have talked with many locals and several guides on this topic and they all agree on the same:
- El Petén is the safest area in Guatemala. Here there is no problem with the tourist, you can even rent a car without problem
- In Guatemala City you have to be very careful, as there are frequent robberies and assaults on tourists, so it is advisable not to bring valuables in sight and avoid going out at night.
- Rest of Guatemala: If there is insecurity it is especially among the local people (generally). As they explained to us: "if I fight with my friend, we can't fix it and he has money: hire someone to kill me"This can happen among the local people, but not with the tourist, if you don't get into any subject thorny. So if you want travel to Guatemala, that security is not a problem to do so.
Backpack or suitcase to travel to Guatemala?
Telling that you are going to make the trip for free and therefore you will travel in shared vans, where the luggage goes on the top, without a doubt, it is best to travel with a backpack to Guatemala. In addition, we recommend that you carry a waterproof cover and that is that in the vans, although if it rains or there is a forecast, they cover the luggage with a tarp, it is best to carry a cover and thus avoid getting wet.
Shared vans in Guatemala
Carrying an offline GPS, such as the CityMaps2Go application, is a good option. For example on night buses, they do not notify the stations, so if you do not know where you are, you will most likely miss your stop. Maya de Oro, for example in Flores, before Santa Elena station, located in the middle of the road, from where they take you in a shared van, included in the price, to Flores. But this is not notified when you buy the ticket.
Cross the border from Guatemala to Honduras:
If you go to Copán in Honduras, you will cross the border from Guatemala to Honduras through the town of El Florido.
- Before crossing the border, you will go through the immigration office of Guatemala, where your passport is sealed with the departure from the country. We do not pay anything and when we asked they told us that they never charge here, although we have to say that we had read that sometimes they charge between 15 to 25 quetzals, which recommend paying, to avoid setbacks
- If you want to change quetzales to lempiras or euros, this always under our experience, right in the parking of the border offices, there are usually money changers. We, having checked the change of the moment on the internet, changed right there, where they made exactly the same change we had seen on the internet.
- If this option does not convince you, you can change at the Banrural office that is right at the border crossing.
- Once with the passport stamped with the exit of Guatemala, you will have to walk / car to the immigration office of Honduras, located a few meters ahead, where after some questions, they return your passport with a stamp of entry to Honduras .
- In the immigration office of Honduras an entrance payment must be made to the country of 67 lempiras or 30 quetzales. You can pay in any of the two currencies.
Accommodation in Cayos Cochinos: We advise you that if you are interested in this topic, read the post we wrote on this topic in our room the keys.
Book the best rated tours and excursions in Spanish from Guatemala by travelers:
- Chichicastenango and Lake Atitlan: tour from Antigua
- Tikal Flores excursion days with lunch
- 1 day tour of Pacaya volcano
- Antigua Guatemala: tour from Guatemala City- Many more excursions and tours here
Restaurants in Guatemala and Honduras
Entering the advice on gastronomy, as a first place, we recommend the Typical Corner in Antigua, a benchmark of the city, which we advise you do not miss. They only offer two dishes: chicken with garnish or stewed meat. We ordered a plate of each, accompanied by two soft drinks Jamaica of the house for 60 quetzales
Eating in Typical Corner of Antigua
Another recommendation in Antigua is the restaurant Why No ?, a place that we assure you, will not leave you indifferent. We ordered some Parmesan eggplant and a chicken quesadilla, plus two lemonades for 150 quetzales.
Dinner at Why not? in Antigua
The Hana Restaurant in Panajachel, located on the 14th of February street, within Cakchiquel House, is another recommendation we can make.
We ask for the offer of the month that are 16 rolls of fried fish for 65 quetzales, plus some spicy tuna, Japanese beer and coke for 193 quetzales, which leave us more than surprised and is that although it seems a lie, it is a full-fledged Japanese restaurant .
Eating at the Hana Restaurant
And finally and not least, if not quite the opposite, we have to especially thank Alanxelmundo and his YouTube videos, thanks to them we discover many incredible places in a country that despite what you can read or hear, as he says "the only thing that will steal from you is the heart"
