Antigua and the highlands holidays
Antigua and the highlands holidays at a glance
Antigua and the Highlands represent Guatemala’s cultural and historical heartland, known for well-preserved colonial heritage, spectacular volcanic scenery and indigenous traditions still very much part of daily life.
At the centre sits Antigua Guatemala itself, one of Latin America’s most attractive colonial cities, its boutiques, galleries and arty cafés tucked among cobbled lanes beneath three encircling volcanic peaks – their fertile lower slopes given over to orchards and kitchen gardens.
Beyond the city, the Highlands reveal a different side of the country entirely. Traditional Maya communities carry on centuries-old customs, and colourful markets bustle with local trade – Chichicastenango, at 1,965m, is the best known, though villages like Zunil are just as much a riot of colour. Between them, Antigua and the Highlands combine culture, history and natural beauty into one of Central America’s most rewarding destinations.
Why choose Journey Latin America for your holiday to Antigua and the highlands
We’ve been planning trips to Central and South America for over 45 years, longer than any other UK specialist. Every holiday is built around you by a Travel Expert who has been to the places they recommend, with support from your first enquiry to the day you fly home.
Antigua and the Highlands provide one of the finest introductions to Guatemala cultural holidays anywhere in Central America.
When to visit Antigua and the highlands
The region can be visited throughout the year, though conditions vary with altitude and season.
Clear blue skies and warm sunshine characterise the dry season around Antigua and the highlands with chillier evenings year-round at higher altitudes.
Although this is the rainy season you can generally expect sunny mornings with downpours mainly in the afternoon lasting only a couple of hours.
Top Things to do in Antigua and the highlands
The region offers countless opportunities to experience Guatemala’s heritage, traditions and landscapes.
Make the steep but short ascent of Pacaya volcano to drink in beautiful views across the surrounding highlands.
Travel to a highland village in Guatemala to attend the colourful kite festival celebrating the Day of the Dead.
Hunt for souvenirs at a colourful Mayan market and visit the mystical church of Santo Tomás.
Visit isolated traditional market at Todos Santos Cuchumatán in the western highlands of Guatemala.
Take a guided walk around the colonial city of Antigua, the country’s former capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and visit a coffee farm.
Accommodation in Antigua and the highlands
Accommodation ranges from elegant colonial hotels in Antigua to boutique lodges, traditional guesthouses and countryside retreats throughout the Highlands.
Many properties are housed within beautifully restored historic buildings that reflect the region’s cultural heritage.
Restored 17th-century monastery combining outstanding quality with centuries of history. Many of the stylish, spacious rooms retain original features, and the candlelit passageways ooze romance.
La Inmaculada is a contemporary boutique-style hotel in Guatemala City’s vibrant Zona Rosa district.
Meson de Maria is a cosy property in Antigua evoking the colonial era with antiques and pretty foliage-filled courtyards.
Charming, intimate converted colonial mansion on a quiet street in Guatemala’s Antigua with just five characterful rooms.
Lovely, popular hotel with a residential feel, mimicking colonial street architecture. Pastel colours and a large tropical courtyard with fountains and a pool complete the scene.
A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.
Holidays to Antigua and the highlands
Group Antigua and the highlands Tours
Our group tours follow expertly designed, well-planned routes with an experienced local guide throughout. Prefer to keep it to your own party? Book the same trips privately for four or more.
Alción: Central America Discovery
Places visited: Panama City · Boquete and the Chiriquí Highlands · Caribbean coast · Monteverde and the cloud forest · Ometepe Island · Granada · Leon · Gulf of Fonseca and Eastern El Salvador · Suchitoto · Copan · Antigua and the highlands
22 days from £4,174
Kinkajou: Best of Guatemala and Belize
Places visited: Antigua and the highlands · Lake Atitlan and villages · Maya mountains and jungle
12 days from £3,217
Quetzal: The Best of Mexico and Guatemala
Places visited: Mérida, Chichén Itzá and the Yucatan · Lake Atitlan and villages · Antigua and the highlands
from £3,999
Tropicbird: Highlights of Central America
Places visited: Granada · Leon · Suchitoto · Antigua and the highlands · Lake Atitlan and villages · Maya mountains and jungle
19 days from £4,804
Tailor-Made Antigua and the highlands Tours
Prefer to travel on your own terms? We’ll build a trip around your dates, your pace and the things you most want to see – whether that’s a first run at Machu Picchu, a family adventure mixing history and wildlife, or a food-focused journey through Lima and the Sacred Valley. Our Travel Experts can help shape it with you.
Active Guatemala: Trekking in style
Places visited: Antigua and the highlands · Lake Atitlan and villages
10 days from £2,625
Easter in Guatemala: Semana Santa
Places visited: Antigua and the highlands · Lake Atitlan and villages
8 days from £2,150
Luxury Guatemala and Belize: Tikal and the Caribbean
Places visited: Antigua and the highlands · Maya mountains and jungle · Caribbean cayes and coast
15 days from £5,400
Signature Guatemala and Belize: Culture and Caribbean
Places visited: Antigua and the highlands · Lake Atitlan and villages · Maya mountains and jungle · Caribbean cayes and coast
15 days from £3,795
Signature Guatemala, Honduras & El Salvador: Mayan ruins, colonial cities and Pacific beaches
Places visited: Lake Atitlan and villages · Antigua and the highlands · Copan · Suchitoto · Ruta de las Flores · Pacific Coast
15 days from £3,950
Signature Guatemala: Mountains, Markets and Mayan ruins
Places visited: Antigua and the highlands · Lake Atitlan and villages
12 days from £3,200
Treasures of Central America: Heritage of the Aztec and Mayan Empires
Places visited: Mexico City · Colonial and silver towns · Oaxaca · Chiapas, San Cristobal and Palenque · Mérida, Chichén Itzá and the Yucatan · Copan · Antigua and the highlands
19 days from £6,000
FAQs about visiting Antigua and the highlands
Antigua and the highlands is one of the most popular destinations, and there’s plenty to think about before you go. Here, our specialists share their best advice.
- When To Go
The best weather conditions in the upland areas are during the dry season Dec – May. It can be cold in the highlands in winter. Culture lovers may opt to spend Easter in Antigua. The busiest time for tourists is Dec – Mar.
For more detailed information visit our When To Go section.
- Language
Spanish.
- Getting Local Currency
Notes can be withdrawn using a UK credit or debit card from ATMs in Antigua and Chichicastenango. You may have ask your bank to authorise withdrawals before you leave the UK and each transaction is limited to about £100.
- Time Difference
GMT -6 hours.
- Combines With
Lake Atitlán, 52 km from Antigua by road; Flores, for a visit to Tikal ruins, 1hr by air from Guatemala City (1 hour by road from Antigua).
- Getting There
There are flights to Guatemala City via US and European hubs, the journey from London to Guatemala City takes around taking around 13 hours. It’s an hour’s drive from the airport to Antigua.
- Key Events
Semana Santa, Easter. Celebrations throughout the country; especially impressive in Antigua – justifiably considered the best in Latin America.
Santo Tomás, Chichicastenango, 13 -22 Dec. Processions, traditional dancing, marimba music.
Ready to start planning?
Tell us where you want to go, and we’ll take it from there. No obligation, no sales pitch – just a conversation with someone who knows the region inside out.
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