8-Day Guatemala Multisport Tour Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive in Guatemala City and Transfer to Antigua

Arriving in Guatemala City, a private transfer will pick you up from the airport and transfer you approx. 1 hour to your accommodations in the old capital of Antigua.

You’ll then have some time to get settled and rest at Hotel San Jorge, a quaint, Colonial-style hotel that’s only a 3-minute walk from Parque Central. For those arriving early, we encourage you to explore this historical city, with cobblestone streets and citizens dressed in colorful Mayan clothing.

This evening you’ll meet your guide in the lobby of the hotel where you’ll head out for dinner in the city to get to know each other and brief on the days of adventure ahead!
Overnight Location: Hotel San Jorge, Antigua
Distance: None
Meals: None

Day 2 Bike the Villages Farms and Ruins of the Almolonga Valley

This morning you’ll meet your guide at Old Town at 9 am to head to your bike fitting and briefing. Today you’ll explore the sprawling Almolonga Valley (mostly on paved roads) including its traditional villages, Spanish colonial ruins and magnificent churches. You’ll enjoy views of the Agua Volcano as you pedal your way from one stunning location to the next, with a stop at an experimental macadamia farm and a textile market along the way.

Following an adventure-filled day on bike, you’ll head back to Antigua for another overnight in the Old Capital.
Overnight Location: Hotel San Jorge, Antigua
Distance: Flexible
Meals: Breakfast

Day 3 Day Hike Pacaya Volcano

Views of Guatemala City often include the city’s dramatic backdrop of the 2,552m (8,370 ft) mountain, Volcán Pacaya. It may not be Guatemala’s highest peak, but its slopes are home to some of the most impressive volcanic landscapes in Central America! Set in its own national park, Pacaya is a fascinating volcano with its continuous plume of smoke drifting from the summit, plus a massive, dried lava field at the base of its caldera and today, its yours to conquer!

You’ll set out on a 1-hour drive west to reach the Panchoy Valley as your cruise through the lowlands of Guatemala’s Pacific slope. Reaching the base of the Pacaya Volcano, you’ll set out on a 2 hour climb to traverse its dried lava fields and lunar landscapes. A reward awaits you further on the trail, as you’ll have the opportunity to roast marshmallows on the volcanos active heat vents!

Following the climb, you’ll head back to Antigua where you’ll enjoy an evening at your leisure to explore the city streets and a delicious local dinner.
Overnight Location: Hotel San Jorge, Antigua
Distance: 1.5-2 hours, 400m of ascent
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch

Day 4 Biking Lake Atitlan

It’s time to swap out your hiking shoes for bikes this morning as you set out for Lake Atitlan and its surrounding volcanoes. Today you’ll have the chance to experience the lake through a variety of speeds, angles and perspectives!

The ride, which features both single-track and paved route options starts out down a steep country road traversing the high tableland above Lake Atitlán. This mostly downhill ride takes you through several small villages and towns before rounding a final ridgeline and joining the road up from the Pacific coast bound for Panajachel. At the first vista overlooking Lake Atitlán, your guide will stop and prepare a picnic lunch (included) and orientate you to the lakeside towns and geographic features of Lake Atitlán.

After lunch, you’ll continue breezing down the quick and windy road to the lakeside town of Panajachel. From here, you will catch a boat to Jaibalito, where the beautiful cliffside hotel Casa del Mundo awaits!
Overnight Location: Hotel Casa del Mundo, Lake Atitlan
Distance: Flexible
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner

Day 5 Kayaking and Lakeside Hiking at Lake Atitlan

Breakfast and coffee are served at 8:00 am this morning, after which you will gather what you need for your paddle and lakeside hike and prepare to set out!

You’ll meet down at the dock to board the kayaks for the north-shore paddle. You’ll paddle westward for 1.5-2 hours, past small towns and villages perched high on the steep sides of sheer ridges that rise right out of the waters of Lake Atitlán. After passing the villages of Jaibalito and Tzununá you’ll cruise into the bay of San Marcos la Laguna and trade your kayaks for daypacks and hiking gear.

Climbing out of town, you’ll head back along the ridge that you paddled by earlier, with spectacular volcanic views offered up by the surrounding peaks of Volcanoes San Pedro, Tolimán, and Atitlán. After 1.5hrs of hiking, you’ll roll back into Casa del Mundo where a well-earned lunch awaits!

You’ll then head back by boat – and then vehicle – to Antigua where we you’ll arrive around 6 pm.
Overnight Location: Hotel San Jorge, Antigua
Distance: 1.5-2 hours (kayak), 1.5-2 hours (hike)
Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Day 6 Acatenango Volcano Camping Adventure

A one-hour drive takes you from Antigua to the sleepy mountain village of La Soledad this morning, perched on the ridge of the Pacific slope of Volcan Acatenango. The trail up Volcan Acatenango has four distinct microclimates, each of which will take you about an hour to traverse.

You’ll begin by walking up a steep trail through local farm fields and the first hour of hiking will help you acclimatize and warm up the leg muscles for the day’s hike! The second phase of the ascent passes through an old-growth tropical cloud forest. This type of high-alpine cloud forest is found on the upper slopes of many of Guatemala’s tallest volcanoes and mountains and is home to the famous Quetzal.

After exiting the cloud forest, you’ll be rewarded with fantastic views of the other highland volcanoes (Atitlan, Toliman, San Pedro, Santa Maria, Santo Tomas, Tajamulco), along with glimpses of the Cuchumatanes mountain chain! A fresh picnic is prepared mid-day for the group to enjoy. Temperate coniferous forest and tropical dry forest characterize the 3rd phase of the ascent, which will lead to the storm-beaten treeline of the volcano.

Your campsite is perched just below the tree line with sweeping views of the Antigua valley and Volcan Fuego. After setting up camp, hikers are free to rest, relax and enjoy their surroundings while your guide prepares a fresh camp dinner at 3750m with hot tea and coffee.
Overnight Location: Acatenango Campsite
Distance: 4-6 hours, 1200m ascent
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 7 Summit the Acatenango Volcano

In the morning, after an early camp breakfast, you’ll embark on a 45-minute ascent to the summit. The trail up to the summit is the steepest you will have seen and leads to the rocky summit exposed to the gusty and cold winds which constantly pass over Acatenango’s peak!

At the summit, you can rest and enjoy unparalleled 360-degree views of the entirety of the Guatemalan highlands – all the way to the border of Mexico! After 45min at the top (depending on conditions and time considerations), you’ll begin begin the 3-hour descent back towards La Soledad where a private transfer awaits to take you back to Antigua.

Arriving in the afternoon, you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the delights of the old Spanish colonial capital around on your final day of the tour!
Overnight Location: Hotel San Jorge, Antigua
Distance: 15km, 2000m of ascent
Meals: Breakfast

Day 8 Depart

Enjoy your final breakfast in Antigua this morning before checking out and departing via shuttle to Guatemala City Airport.
Overnight Location: None
Distance: None
Meals: Breakfast