RonnieUnited · via Los Angeles
UA 2240
5:50pmDenver DEN
2h 38m
7:28pmLos Angeles LAX
3h 32m in Los Angeles
UA 1137 · overnight
11:00pmLos Angeles LAX
4h 48m
5:48amThu · Guatemala GUA
No seats assigned on the ticket yet.
GUA ✈︎→
Nueva Concepción→
Lake Atitlán→
Antigua→
Guatemala City→
Home ✈︎
Getting there & back
Flights
From the e-tickets so far. Times are local at each airport. You fly down separately and land in Guatemala City three hours apart.
Down · Wed Nov 18
LynetteCopa · via Panama City
CM 477 · overnight
9:49pmDenver DEN
5h 44m
5:33amThu · Panama City PTY
1h 52m in Panama City
CM 380
7:25amPanama City PTY
2h 21m
8:46amGuatemala GUA
Seats reserved on both flights.
Home · Fri Nov 27
LynetteUnited · to Houston
UA 1903
1:28pmGuatemala GUA
3h 03m
4:31pmHouston IAH
Economy Plus seat. The connection from Houston isn't on the receipt we have.
RonnieNot added yet
Add the e-ticket for the flight home when it's ticketed.
E-tickets
The plan
Day by day
November is the start of dry season: sunny days, cool nights. Mornings are still the clearest, and the lake gets windy in the afternoon. Tap a day to open it.
Wed18Wheels upTwo overnight flights to Guatemala City›
- BeforeFill out Guatemala's electronic immigration/customs form. Download offline Google Maps for Sololá, Sacatepéquez and Guatemala City.
- PackA warm layer for cool highland nights, a light rain shell just in case, shoes with grip for the cobblestones, swimsuit, small bills.
- 5:50pmRonnie: United from Denver to Los Angeles (UA2240), then the 11pm overnight to Guatemala City (UA1137).
- 9:49pmLynette: Copa from Denver to Panama City (CM477), then the 7:25am to Guatemala City (CM380).
Times, layovers and e-tickets are under Flights.
Thu19Land & familyArrivals 5:48 & 8:46am · drive to Nueva Concepción›
- 5:48Ronnie lands at La Aurora (UA1137). While you wait for Lynette: pull quetzales from a Banco Industrial (5B) ATM and grab a Tigo SIM at the kiosk (passport needed).
- 8:46Lynette lands from Panama City (CM380). Meet in the arrivals hall once she's through immigration and customs.
- DayFamily pickup, ~4 hr drive to Nueva Concepción. Nap, shower, let her feed you.
This is the gratitude part of the trip, and it's two nights. You'll be glad you did it.
Fri20Melanie's mom'sA slow day with the family›
- DayEat what they cook. Ask about local dishes you won't find in Antigua.
- AskTalk through tomorrow's drive to the lake with whoever's driving (see the route note on the 21st).
Sat21Up to the lakeShared shuttle to Panajachel · pool›
- MorningThe family drives you to the 8am El Paredón → Panajachel shared shuttle at the pickup closest to Nueva Concepción (see below). About 3–4 hours on the shuttle.
- MiddayDrop-off at the Panajachel dock area. Tuk-tuk 15 minutes to Santa Catarina Palopó and check in.
- EveningSoak in the hotel pool, dinner at the hotel. If you have energy, Simoneta in Pana is open tonight and closed Sun–Mon, so tonight is your shot at its cocktails.
Where to catch the shuttle:
Closest: the Cocales junction. The El Paredón shuttles drive inland through Cocales, on the highway north of Nueva Concepción, on their way to the lake. Ask Atitrans (+502 3465 2828, shuttle@atitrans.net, $35 pp) or Turisteando ($32 pp) to pick you up there and give you a time. Not confirmed yet, so ask when you book.
Backup: El Paredón itself. If they won't stop at Cocales, the family drives you to El Paredón for the 8:00 departure (leave very early) or the 1:30pm (you'd reach the lake around dusk). Hotel pickup in central El Paredón, 23 kg bag each.
Book 2 days ahead. GuateGo and El Paredón hostels resell the same shuttles.
Closest: the Cocales junction. The El Paredón shuttles drive inland through Cocales, on the highway north of Nueva Concepción, on their way to the lake. Ask Atitrans (+502 3465 2828, shuttle@atitrans.net, $35 pp) or Turisteando ($32 pp) to pick you up there and give you a time. Not confirmed yet, so ask when you book.
Backup: El Paredón itself. If they won't stop at Cocales, the family drives you to El Paredón for the 8:00 departure (leave very early) or the 1:30pm (you'd reach the lake around dusk). Hotel pickup in central El Paredón, 23 kg bag each.
Book 2 days ahead. GuateGo and El Paredón hostels resell the same shuttles.
Route note: From Cocales the shuttle climbs through Patulul and Godínez. Shuttles run it daily, but Guatemala's tourist-assistance service flags that stretch for crime, so stick to the morning departure and arrive in daylight.
Sun22Boat-hop the townsSan Juan → San Marcos → Santa Cruz›
- 7:30Tuk-tuk to the Panajachel dock (Q30–40). Public lancha toward San Juan (≈Q25, cash).
- 8:30San Juan La Laguna: murals, the umbrella street, a weaving co-op (Casa Flor Ixcaco), cacao at Licor Marrón, stingless-bee honey at Xunah Kaab.
- 11:00San Marcos: a short stop for a garden coffee at Il Giardino and a stroll through the village lanes.
- 12:30Santa Cruz: lunch with a view at Café Sabor Cruceño (CECAP). Order the pepián.
- 2:30Back across to Pana before the afternoon wind picks up, then home to the pool.
- NightSunset drink at Sunset Café in Pana, dinner at Hana or back at the hotel.
Swaps: Sunday is also Chichicastenango market day (8am shuttle from Pana, back ~2pm) if you'd rather do the market. Or trade San Marcos for Santiago Atitlán to visit Maximón, the folk saint whose house moves every year (go with a guide).
Mon23Pool & book dayThe decompression day · splurge dinner›
- MorningEasy wander through Santa Catarina's painted streets and up to the mirador while the light is best. Breakfast at Café Tuk on the plaza.
- DayPool. Book. Nap. Repeat.
- DinnerSplurge at Kinnik, Casa Palopó's open-fire restaurant (book ahead), then a drink on their candlelit terrace.
Tue24On to Antigua9am shuttle · rooftop beer · speakeasy›
- 9:00Shared shuttle from Panajachel (~$18–25, book the day before through the hotel; tuk-tuk in from Santa Catarina). ~2.5–3 hrs.
- 12:30Lunch at La Cuevita de los Urquizú. Point at the clay pots.
- AftnCheck in, pool. Stroll to the Santa Catalina Arch and Doña María Gordillo for canillitas de leche.
- SunsetAntigua Brewing Co. rooftop for volcano views, then slip downstairs through the phone booth into Ulew, the speakeasy. Ask for the Kame.
- DinnerLa Fonda de la Calle Real: kak'ik, pepián and jocón, all in one place.
Wed25Antigua, all dayViewpoint · coffee farm · tasting menu›
- 8:00Cerro de la Cruz for the classic view of Volcán de Agua (a short uphill walk; tourist police on duty roughly 8–4).
- 9:30Coffee farm tour at Finca Filadelfia (~$20, free shuttle; call to confirm times).
- 1:00Lunch at El Comalote: wood-fired pepián and handmade tortillas.
- AftnHotel pool, a ChocoMuseo chocolate class (3pm, $30) or the Casa Santo Domingo museums.
- 5:15Sunset at Café Sky, the rooftop "Sky Bar." Get there early for a rail spot facing Agua, Fuego and Acatenango. Sunset is around 5:40.
- 7:00Cocktails at Wisdom, hidden behind a "wig shop" by the Arch. The Pistachio Coffee Martini is made with Zacapa.
- DinnerQuiltro tasting menu (reservation required). Backup: Mesón Panza Verde.
Cooking class option: Swap the coffee farm for La Tortilla's morning class (~4 hrs, ~$45). You shop, then cook pepián (the national stew), rellenitos (sweet plantain dumplings) and tortillas, and eat what you made for lunch.
Thu26Last Antigua morning → cityRuins · textiles · Zona 10›
- 8:30Breakfast at Fernando's Kaffee (house-roasted coffee, house chocolate).
- 10:00Capuchinas convent ruins, then Nim Po't for textiles and huipiles.
- 12:30Lunch at the Mercado Municipal comedores (Q25–35 a plate), or a rum flight at La Casa del Ron.
- 3:00Uber to Guatemala City (~Q320, 1–1.5 hrs). Leave before the 5–8pm surge and traffic.
- NightCheck in at the InterContinental Real, Zona 10. Dinner at Kacao (traditional, marimba) or Flor de Lis (modern Maya tasting menu, book ahead). Nightcap at the Blu rooftop.
It's US Thanksgiving. A Guatemalan feast in the city is a pretty good way to spend it.
Fri27Fly homeLynette's 1:28pm to Houston · 10–15 min to the airport›
- AMBreakfast at San Martín (try the huevos florentinos).
- 10:30At the airport, 3 hours before Lynette's 1:28pm United flight to Houston (UA1903); it's a holiday travel day. Uber from Zona 10 is ~Q25–40.
- RonnieFlight home not on the site yet.
To-do
Book before you go
Lake Atitlán · 3 nights
The lake
Three volcanoes and a collection of Maya villages, connected by boats and roads where available. Consider Santa Catarina Palopó for quiet lake views or Panajachel for restaurants and easy logistics. Secluded waterfront hotels offer a different, slower stay.
Hotel options · aiming below $150
Price guide: two adults, one room. Researched October 4, 2026. Published rates and dated examples are screening guides, not guaranteed November prices. Several hotels add 22% tax: a $125 room becomes $152.50. Confirm the final total, private bathroom and cancellation terms before booking.
Choose your lake towns
Art, history, good meals and conversation over a drink. With three nights, keep one hotel base and leave time to enjoy each stop.
San Juan La Laguna
First priority · art, weaving & a long lunch
Allow half a day or more for Tz’utujil paintings, weaving cooperatives, textiles and cafés. Galleries include Imox, Chiya and Gil Yojcóm. El Artesano is a promising cheese-and-wine lunch stop; reserve ahead.
Santa Catarina Palopó
Quiet base · painted streets & textiles
A strong base at Villa Santa Catarina, with road access to Panajachel. Explore painted buildings inspired by local textiles, then relax by the lake. Fewer evening restaurant choices than Panajachel.
Santiago Atitlán
History priority · take a local guide
Visit the church and market and learn about Tz’utujil culture, Maximón traditions, Father Stanley Rother and the armed conflict. A local guide adds context and can explain etiquette at religious sites.
San Antonio Palopó
Crafts priority · ceramics & weaving
Visit ceramic workshops and textile makers in this hillside village. A natural addition to a Santa Catarina outing if you enjoy meeting craftspeople and buying locally made work.
Santa Cruz La Laguna
Scenic lunch · quiet waterfront
Lunch at Café Sabor Cruceño, whose culinary graduates support the local community, or take a cooking class. The village is uphill from the waterfront; plan for hills or local transport.
Jaibalito
Slow afternoon · secluded scenery
A small-village stop for a leisurely lunch and lake views. Casa del Mundo accepts a limited number of outside diners by reservation; confirm access instead of relying on an old day-pass price.
Panajachel
Practical base · restaurants & relaxed drinks
A broad choice of services and an easy place to vary your dinners. Consider Regis for a garden hotel, or Atitlán Café Bar for waterfront coffee and cocktails. Busier and more commercial than the smaller villages.
San Marcos La Laguna
Optional · gardens, wellness & yoga
Worth an afternoon if the wellness scene appeals. For this trip’s art and history interests, put San Juan and Santiago ahead of it.
San Pedro La Laguna
Lower priority as a base
There is more to San Pedro than nightlife, but its backpacker and party scene makes other towns a closer match for quiet evenings. Visit if a particular restaurant or activity appeals.
Suggested priorities: San Juan first, then Santiago for history or Santa Catarina + San Antonio for crafts. Plan cross-lake visits by day; public-boat schedules vary by route. Confirm the return boat locally and plan dinner near your hotel.
Eat
El Artesano
San Juan La Laguna
Cheese & wine · reserve ahead
A leisurely lunch to pair with galleries and weaving cooperatives.
Keep in mind: Confirm hours and reserve before crossing the lake.
Café Sabor Cruceño (CECAP)
Santa Cruz · $
The lakeside lunch with a view, cooked by graduates of a local culinary school.
Order: pepián, plantains in mole
Kinnik · Palopó 6.8
Casa Palopó · $$$$
Open-fire family-style dinner (Kinnik) or refined plates (6.8). Book either.
Mercado Municipal
Panajachel · $
Real local cooking at the comedores, Q25–35 a plate.
Order: pepián, kak'ik, jocón
Il Giardino
San Marcos · $$
Romantic garden. Service is slow, which is the point.
Order: mushroom risotto
Restaurante Hana
Panajachel · $$
Calm courtyard sushi and ramen when you want a break from beans and tortillas.
Crossroads Café
Panajachel · $
The best specialty coffee on the lake. Mon–Sat 9–6.
Drink
Atitlán Café Bar
Panajachel
Waterfront coffee & cocktails
Specialty coffee by day and cocktails for an early evening drink beside the public waterfront.
Keep in mind: Confirm hours for your visit and arrange road transport if staying in Santa Catarina.
Simoneta Mixology Cantina
Panajachel · Tue–Sat from ~1pm
No menu. Owner Ricardo builds cocktails around what you like. Closed Sun–Mon.
Casa Palopó terrace
Santa Catarina
Candlelit, volcano views. The nightcap spot after Kinnik.
Sunset Café
Panajachel
West-facing terrace toward San Pedro volcano. Live music on weekends.
La Orquídea
San Marcos
Beach bar, lake views, good rosé.
Drink locally: a Gallo beer, Zacapa or Botran rum, and a cautious shot of Quetzalteca. Skip San Pedro's party bars.
Do
Maya cooking class
CECAP, Santa Cruz · ≈$79 · 3 hrs
Cook pepián and tamalitos with a local cook, then eat it with the lake view. Pairs well with your boat-hop day on Sunday.
Weaving class
Lema Association, San Juan · ≈Q200
Try backstrap weaving with the women who make the textiles you've been admiring.
Coffee tour
La Voz co-op, San Juan · ≈Q175
60–90 minutes through a cooperative's finca, from cherry to cup.
Chichicastenango market
Thu & Sun · 8am shuttle from Pana
The country's most famous market. Your Sunday at the lake is market day, if you'd trade the boat hop for it.
Reserva Natural Atitlán
Panajachel · Q80
Easy paths, hanging bridges, a butterfly dome and coatis.
Dawn paddle
Hotel kayaks, or Los Elementos in Santa Cruz
The lake is glassy first thing in the morning.
Boat rules
- Public lanchas cost Q10–25, cash only. Carry small bills.
- Cross before ~1pm. The afternoon wind (the Xocomil) can turn the water rough fast.
- Be on a boat home by 4:30pm. Miss it and a private boat costs Q300–500.
- A private hop is Q100–250 for the whole boat. Have the hotel set a fixed price for a day.
- Swim in the pool, not the lake. It had a cyanobacteria alert this fall.
Antigua · 2½ days
Antigua
Cobblestones, ruined convents and three volcanoes on the horizon. Walkable, delicious, and the best cocktail town in the country.
Hotel options · aiming below $150
Price guide: two adults, one room. Researched October 4, 2026. Published rates and dated examples are screening guides, not guaranteed November prices. Several hotels add 22% tax: a $125 room becomes $152.50. Confirm the final total, private bathroom and cancellation terms before booking.
Eat
La Fonda de la Calle Real
$$ · walk-in
Courtyard of an old mansion, open since 1975, and the one place serving all three national stews.
Order: kak'ik, pepián, jocón
Quiltro
$$$$ · reservation required
10–12 course tasting menu from a chef who cooked at Noma, D.O.M. and Boragó. Open Tue–Sat.
Try: the house mead
El Comalote
4a Calle Ote 47 · $
Women-led, native-corn kitchen with its own tortillería. Lunch spot (may close ~4pm).
Order: wood-fired pepián, tamales
La Cuevita de los Urquizú
$–$$
Pick from clay pots set out in a courtyard. Open 30+ years.
Order: chicken pepián + a tamal
Nanik
$$$ · book, limited nights
The new modern-ancestral tasting menu everyone's talking about. Check which nights it's open.
Mesón Panza Verde
$$$$
Romantic and reliable for a special dinner. Open daily.
Mercado comedores
Mercado Municipal · $
The local baseline. Comedor Las Canches at lunch, Q25–35.
Fernando's Kaffee
Breakfast · $
Roasts its own coffee and makes chocolate on site.
Order: the típico + a chocolate cookie
Drink
Ulew
Inside Antigua Brewing Co. · Tue–Sun
Speakeasy entered through a British phone booth. No menu. Bartenders make drinks to order. Go early.
Order: the Kame (rum, squash seed, citrus)
Wisdom
5a Av Norte 30 · from 5pm
Hidden behind a "wig shop" and a secret button near the Arch.
Order: Pistachio Coffee Martini (Zacapa), Avo-Jalapeño Mezcal
Antigua Brewing Co.
3a Calle Pte 4
House craft beer on a volcano-view rooftop. Pair with Ulew downstairs.
Café No Sé
2pm–1am
Candlelit dive with a deep mezcal list and a back room through a fridge door.
Order: mezcal Paloma
La Casa del Ron
4a Calle Ote 22
Quiet rum tasting among the shelves.
Order: Zacapa 23 vs. Botran reserva side by side
Café Sky (Sky Bar)
Rooftop · sunset · Wed Nov 25
Classic sunset over Agua, Fuego and Acatenango. Come for the view and a drink, not the food. Prices are tourist-high.
Sweets & coffee
Doña María Gordillo
4a Calle Pte · since 1872
Same family for 150 years. Buy a box for the flight home.
Get: canillitas de leche, pepitoria, coconut sweets
Café Boheme
Rooftop · from 7:30am
Morning coffee with Fuego and Acatenango in view.
Doña Luisa Xicotencatl
Bakery
Famous for banana bread.
Do
Cerro de la Cruz
Free · mornings
15–30 min uphill for the postcard view of Volcán de Agua. Go between 8 and 4 when tourist police are on duty.
Santa Catalina Arch
Free
Early for photos without crowds, back after dark for Wisdom next door.
Coffee farm tour
≈$20 · mornings
Finca Filadelfia (free shuttle; call to confirm tour times), or the fair-trade co-op De la Gente.
Capuchinas ruins
Q40
The ruins most worth paying for. See the round tower and the rooftop.
ChocoMuseo class
$30 · 11am or 3pm
Bean-to-bar in 2 hours. Good for a lazy afternoon.
Cooking class at La Tortilla
≈$45 · ~4 hrs · mornings
A hands-on Guatemalan home-cooking class. You cook pepián (the smoky national stew), rellenitos (sweet plantain dumplings filled with black beans and chocolate) and fresh corn tortillas, then sit down to eat it all.
Nim Po't
5a Av Norte 29
Room after room of vintage huipiles and textiles. Bring an empty bag.
Guatemala City · last night
The city
Zona 10 (Zona Viva) is the move: walkable restaurants, a rooftop for the last drink, and 10–15 minutes to the airport. Avoid Zona 18.
Stay
InterContinental Real
Zona 10 · ≈$210/night · 2 km to airport
Heated pool, spa, five restaurants and the Blu rooftop bar. Ask about the airport shuttle.
Hyatt Centric
Zona 10 · ≈$215/night
Heated rooftop pool and the Zielo bar on the 16th floor.
Barceló
Zona 9 · ≈$80/night
Value pick with a free airport shuttle. Good if the flight is at dawn.
Last supper
Kacao
Zona 10 · $$
Traditional Guatemalan under a palapa roof with marimba music. Walkable from the hotel.
Order: pepián or kak'ik
Flor de Lis
Zona 4 · $$$ · book
Chef Diego Telles' modern Maya tasting menu. Mon–Sat, 6–10pm.
Mercado 24
Zona 4 · $$ · Tue–Sat
On Latin America's 50 Best list. Modern Guatemalan cooking with ingredients from the city's markets.
Order: catch of the day
Balam
Zona 4 · cocktails · Mon–Sat
Speakeasy-style bar built on Guatemalan ingredients.
Breakfast on the 27th: San Martín bakery-café in Zona 10. Order the huevos florentinos.
Essentials
Know before you go
Money≈Q7.6 per $1. Use Banco Industrial (5B) ATMs. Always choose to be charged in GTQ.
Cash forBoats, tuk-tuks, markets, park fees. Cards work in hotels and bars.
PhoneTigo SIM at the airport (≈Q120/30 days) or an eSIM. WhatsApp runs everything.
RidesUber works in the city and Antigua, not at the lake.
WeatherDry season starting. Sunny days in the 70s, nights in the 50s at the lake and Antigua.
TippingA 10% "propina sugerida" is usually on the bill. Add cash for great service.
Stay smart
- Travel between towns in daylight only. The US advisory is Level 3 ("Reconsider Travel"), and US staff are told not to drive outside the city at night.
- Get between lake towns by boat, not on foot. Robberies have been reported on the trails.
- Uber after dark in Antigua. Stay on lit main streets.
- Carry your passport in San Pedro. Tourist assistance: dial 1500 or WhatsApp +502 5188-1819.
- No visa for US citizens (90 days, shared across Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua). Passport valid 6+ months to be safe.
Useful phrases
¿Cuánto cuesta?
How much is it?
La cuenta, por favor
The check, please
¿A qué hora sale la lancha?
When does the boat leave?
Sin hielo / con hielo
No ice / with ice
¡Qué rico!
Delicious!
Maltiox
Thank you (Kaqchikel / Tz'utujil)