Custom travel agency in Guatemala

The dry season, from November to April, remains the most comfortable window for a trip to Guatemala: clear skies over the Atitlán and Acatenango volcanoes, mild temperatures on the highlands, cool nights in Antigua. January and February are perfect for hiking; March already feels the dry heat in the Petén, around Tikal. The green season (May to October) is far from a drawback: showers fall mainly in the late afternoon, the highland landscapes are magnificent and Maya sites can be visited with barely anyone around. Best avoided: September and October, wetter months sometimes marked by tropical depressions on the Caribbean coast.

The cost of a trip to Guatemala depends mainly on your choice of accommodation and the amount of private transportation. For two weeks on a tailor-made journey, expect an average of €2,200 to €2,800 per person in the comfort category, international flights not included, with an English-speaking guide for the highlights (Tikal, Lake Atitlán, Antigua, Chichicastenango market). Moving upmarket, with charming lodges in Flores, colonial hotels and private excursions, the budget rises to €3,500 to €4,500. On the ground, life remains affordable: a good meal can be found for around €10 to €15. The differences mainly come from transfers between Petén, the highlands and the Pacific coast.

Guatemala doesn't lend itself to fixed itineraries. Mountain roads sometimes close, a patron saint's festival can transform a village, a Kaqchikel Maya guide will open doors that no standard tour reaches. That's the whole point of working with an English-speaking local agency like Mayan Zone, based in Guatemala City since 1998. Our team knows the drivers, the host families around Lake Atitlán, the weaver cooperatives in Sololá, the archaeologists still working at Tikal or El Mirador. We tailor every program based on terrain, your preferred pace, and whether you want hiking, meetings with locals, or relaxation. On the practical side, booking is done from France, in euros, with deposit protection guaranteed.

A good Guatemala itinerary typically combines three regions. First, the highlands, with Antigua and its pastel facades at the foot of Agua volcano, the bustling market of Chichicastenango on Thursdays and Sundays, then Lake Atitlán and its Tz'utujil villages clinging to the slopes. Next, the Petén jungle, where Tikal emerges from the canopy at dawn, and where the more adventurous venture on to Yaxhá or El Mirador. Finally, the borderlands: the Garifuna Caribbean coast around Livingston, the hot springs of Semuc Champey, the Mam villages of the sierra de los Cuchumatanes. Fifteen days are enough to grasp the essentials without rushing.