Western Highlands Tours

Watch the sunrise light up Lake Atitlan and the Volcanic Ring of Fire from one of the highest points at Lake Atitlan: Indian Nose. After pickup from your Panajachel lodging and a 90-minute drive through the highlands, take an easy 30-minute hike to the summit of Indian Nose, followed by a trip to Sacred Hunters Cave. This tour includes round-trip transportation from your hotel as well as all entrance fees and a professional guide.

An early morning hike is rewarded with stunning views of the sunrise over Lake Atitlan on this hike to Indian Nose from San Pedro La Laguna. See for yourself why this short but challenging hike is one of the most popular in the area as you scramble up to the lookout point. Going with a guide not only ensures that you don’t get lost, but is also recommended for safety reasons.

Enjoy a true Guatemalan adventure during this full-day or half-day trip hiking and kayaking along the shores of Lake Atitlan. Explore the rich indigenous traditions of local villages on hikes to observe farmers tending to their coffee crops. You’ll also paddle the waters of the lake, watching fishermen ply the waters on hand-hewn boats, and spot the exotic array of plant and animal life that calls Lake Atitlan home. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, you can even go for a cliff jump. Your Guatemala adventure covers all activities, a guide and round-trip hotel transport from Panjachel and Santa Cruz.

Find out what’s bubbling in the typical Guatemalan kitchen during this 4-hour cooking class near Lake Atitlan. Spend your session gaining a hands-on understanding of three Guatemalan dishes, discovering the blend of Mayan and Spanish colonial flavors that give this Central American cuisine its unique taste. You’ll finish class by enjoying a tasty lunch of the dishes you prepared, and recipe book to recreate the dishes in the future. Optional upgrades featuring private lessons and visits to the market are also available.

The tallest and least-summited volcano at Lake Atitlan, Volcan Atitlan offers better views and a more natural experience than its neighbors. Book your hike in advance to guarantee a high-quality guide who takes you through corn fields, coffee plantations, and stretches of wilderness on the way to the summit, sharing facts and insight about the area as you trek.

One of the most beautiful locations in all of Guatemala, Lake Atitlan is best explored outdoors. Start your day with a kayak or paddle board tour around the lake before hiking to a ziplining location on the lake’s rugged north shore. Choose from a scenic or extreme adventure as you soar past vistas of the lake, waterfalls, and volcanoes, completing your tour at the Nature Reserve.

Take in the magical sights of Lake Atitlan with this 3-hour horseback ride. Ride from San Pedro La Laguna up to a lookout point with stunning views of the lake, volcanoes, cornfields, and coffee farms. No prior experience needed for this enjoyable ride. After riding you’ll have time to lunch and explore San Pedro la Laguna on foot.

Explore the small town village life and gorgeous scenery of Lake Atitlan during this 5-hour hiking excursion from Santa Cruz la Laguna to San Marcos. During the course of your trip you’ll observe local villagers tending to coffee and corn crops in area farm fields and pass through small Mayan hamlets like San Marcos, Tzununná and Jaibalito. Best of all your hike offers a chance to enjoy the gorgeous scenery of Lake Atitlan and its nearby volcanoes. This Lake Atitlan hiking adventure also covers one-way transfer to the start point, hotel pickup, guide and entrance fees.

Enjoy a leisurely, laid-back, 3-hour cycling trip amidst the idyllic mountain villages near Panjachel. Spend most of your trip pedaling downhill, soaking up scenic views of Lake Atitlan, quiet rural roads and the tiny indigenous towns of Godinez and San Andres Semetabaj. With more than 98% of your cycling trip on downhill terrain, it’s a chill, easy, way to see a lot of scenery with minimal effort. Your ride includes a guide, bike and transport to the cycling start point.

Go kayaking on Lake Atitlan on a half-day tour from San Pedro la Laguna led by an experienced guide. Paddle across the pristine lake to Las Cristalinas, then have time to relax at the white-sand beach and swim, all within view of a stunning volcanic landscape. Make the most of your morning by starting early, with the convenience of hotel pickup and drop-off.

Equal parts natural wonder and cultural landmark, Lake Chicabal is a top attraction for Quetzaltenango (Xela) area visitors. Hiking with a guide is not only the safest way to visit the crater lake—also a Mam Mayan ceremonial site—but also makes for the easiest transportation logistics straight from your Xela hotel.

Immerse yourself in the fascinating culture of Quetzaltenango, and then the soothing hot waters of Fuentes Georginas Hot Springs, on this 10-hour day trip. Start with an exploration of the historic architecture and top attractions of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala’s second-largest city. Then soak away your aches and cares in the therapeutic geothermal waters of Fuentes Georginas, where you can relax and rejuvenate in a series of outdoor pools of varying temperatures. Your trip also includes a guide and round-trip hotel transport.

Once famously described as "too much of a good thing," Lake Atitlan's stunning beauty and broad diversity of towns can make it difficult for visitors to decide how best to see its attractions. This tour lets you see it all while connecting with the landscape and the local people in ways that few visitors get to do. After taking a boat from Panajachel to the small Mayan village of Tzununa, hop on a bike for a ride through the countryside, stopping to visit weaving cooperatives, coffee plantations, art galleries, and some of the best viewpoints on the Lake.

Tread where few tourists ever set foot on this 4-hour hiking tour amidst the stunning scenery and idyllic Mayan villages of the Lower Mayan Trail. Trace the same paths followed by the ancient Kaqchikel Mayans for centuries, passing by coffee and corn fields and the rugged, volcano-laden shoreline of Lake Atitlan. As you go, you’ll also immerse yourself in Mayan village life during stops in the hamlets of Tzununa, Jaibalito and Santa Cruz. This hiking trip also includes round-trip hotel transport from Panjachel.

Sail through the lush vegetation surrounding Lake Atitlan on a 6-hour zipline excursion. After your guide collects you from your San Pedro la Laguna hotel, take an exciting ride on a colorful chicken bus. At the park, suit up in provided equipment, then get ready to fly. As you zoom through the forest, don’t forget to take in the surrounding volcanic chain and scenery of Lake Atitlan.

Immerse yourself in the ancient Mayan heritage and fascinating traditions of Guatemala during this 6-hour day trip to the villages of San Antonio and Santa Catarina. Explore the indigenous artisan traditions of the towns near Lake Atitlan as you tour local textile and craft cooperatives and then visit a ceramics studio. Then participate in Mayan rituals as you learn about the Protection Fire Ceremony and take part in an optional hike along the lake’s edge. Your trip also includes a guide and round-trip hotel transport from Panjachel and Santa Catarina.

Explore the countryside from San Pedro la Laguna to San Juan la Laguna on a half-day horseback ride with your own private guide. By horse you can access places that most visitors miss, and get another perspective on the landscape of Guatemala. You’ll also visit a textile cooperative and a coffee plantation, and learn about local customs for dying the fabrics and harvesting crops.

Experience the majesty of Guatemala’s dramatic countryside on a 3-day trek from Xela to Lake Atitlan. Immerse yourself in the beauty of the Western Highlands as you observe smoking volcanoes and climb steep mountains. Watch the sunrise from a spectacular vantage point at Countenance Maya and witness the beauty of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala’s largest lake, at the end of your trip. Enjoy two nights of comfortable accommodation in a local Guatemalan home and revitalize with breakfast, lunch and dinner each day. Round-trip transportation from Quetzaltenango is included.

Experience spectacular views of Santiaguito — one of the world’s most active volcanoes — on a half-day trekking adventure from Quetzaltenango. Alongside your guide, you’ll embark on a moderately steep hike that soon transforms into flat terrain replete with diverse flora and fauna. On arrival at an ideal vantage point, you’ll be rewarded with views of the Santiaguito volcano erupting. Marvel as molten lava and billowing smoke explode from the volcanic crater to form an incredible spectacle. On this small-group tour, limited to 10 people, you’ll receive personalized attention.

Immerse yourself in the cultures of Lake Atitlan with a visit to three Maya villages. Check out the murals and women’s craft cooperatives in San Juan la Laguna. Explore San Pedro la Laguna on foot and get a taste of religious life as you visit the parish church of Santiago Atitlán. You’ll come away from this tour with a deeper understanding of lakeside culture and daily life.

Take your trip in Guatemala to new heights during this 9-hour ascent of San Pedro Volcano. Walk among the unique cloud forest environment, spotting exotic birds as you climb, eventually reaching the summit of this 9,900-foot (3,000-meter) summit. From this dramatic vantage point you’ll experience dramatic views of beautiful Lake Atitlan (on clear days, maybe even the Pacific Ocean) and a newfound sense of euphoria from the completion of this dramatic climb. Your climb also an admission fee and round-trip hotel transport.

Waterfall La Igualdad is located in San Marcos, Guatemala. Two and a  half hours far from Xela, the meeting point.  These waterfalls, noted as some of the highest in Guatemala and Central America, are located on the slopes of the Tajumulco volcano. The site has a wide variety of flora, fauna and offers the opportunity to bathe in hot springs. Durign the road you will apreciate a wonderful landscape of mountains with a lovely weather.

Traveling by mountain bike is a challenging and adventurous way to visit parts of Lake Atitlan that are all too easily overlooked when visiting by boat or car. Follow your guide down rugged mountain paths en route to an epic sunset spot at the Mario Mendez Montenegro Mirador in Godinez—chances are, you’ll be the only people there.

Ascend to the fiery summit of the Santa Maria volcano on a full-day trip from Quetzaltenango. Accompanied by your guide, you’ll trek to the top of Guatemala’s fourth highest volcano to enjoy spectacular views of the lush country. After a challenging hike, you’ll be rewarded with unrivalled views of the neighboring Santiaguito volcano’s crater — one of the world’s most active volcanoes — and the Guatemalan highlands. Receive personalized attention from your guide on this small-group tour, limited to 10 people.