Discover Guatemala — Self-Launched Edition
10 days · Guatemala
Exodus charges £2,680
No-markup version: ~£535 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY version of Exodus's 10-day "Discover Guatemala" tour, rebuilt for solo travellers to book everything themselves. You'll cover the exact same ground — colonial Antigua, the active Pacaya volcano, Chichicastenango's textiles market, the highland towns of Quetzaltenango, Zunil and San Andrés Xecul, the Maya villages and weaving co-operatives of Lake Atitlán, the ruins of Iximche, and a sunrise climb of Temple IV at Tikal — using public chicken buses, shared shuttles, lake boats and one internal flight instead of a private minibus. Accommodation is swapped for well-reviewed hostels, guesthouses and budget hotels, and every "guided" activity is replaced with a self-bookable equivalent. Approximate costs only; Guatemala is cheap, so this comes in at a fraction of the operator's price.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Antigua
Antigua
Fly into Guatemala City (La Aurora, GUA) and take a shared shuttle or colectivo to Antigua (~45 min–1 hr, £8-12 per person; Uber is roughly £15-20). Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse near the centre — Antigua is walkable and everything you need is within a 15-minute stroll. Spend the evening acclimatising over a coffee and tamales in Parque Central, ringed by the volcanoes Agua, Acatenango and Fuego. Book your onward volcano hike and market day-trip tonight via GetYourGuide or directly with a local operator on 5a Avenida.
🚌Shared airport shuttle from Guatemala City, ~£8-12
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Antigua (e.g. dorm £8-12, private £20-30)
- →Airport shared shuttle to Antigua
- →Evening orientation walk around Parque Central
Antigua walking tour & welcome dinner
Antigua
Join a free (tip-based) walking tour of Antigua — most leave from Parque Central in the morning and cover La Merced Church, the Santa Catalina Mártir ruins, the Arco de Santa Catalina and the Museo del Jade. Alternatively book a small-group history tour on GetYourGuide (~£15-20). The afternoon is free: climb to Cerro de la Cruz for the classic volcano-framed view of town, or sample exotic fruit at the market. In the evening, do your own 'welcome dinner' — try a comedor for pepián or a rooftop restaurant with Fuego glowing on the horizon.
🚌Walking; tuk-tuk across town ~£2
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Antigua (e.g. dorm £8-12, private £20-30)
- →Free tip-based Antigua walking tour
- →Cerro de la Cruz viewpoint
- →Local market fruit tasting
Summit the active Pacaya volcano
Antigua / Pacaya
Book a Pacaya volcano hike the day before (GetYourGuide, Klook, or any Antigua hostel's tour desk). Shared tours include round-trip transport from Antigua, a local guide and usually a marshmallow-toasting stop at the volcanic vents; ~£25-35 per person. The hike itself is 3.5 hrs round trip (6 km, ~540 m gain) through pine forest and volcanic ash. Tours typically leave mid-afternoon and return after dark so you can see the lava glow. Bring a windproof layer and proper shoes.
🚌Shared minibus from Antigua included in tour price
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Antigua (e.g. dorm £8-12, private £20-30)
- →Guided Pacaya volcano hike
- →Lava-field viewpoint at dusk
Chichicastenango market & on to Quetzaltenango
Chichicastenango / Quetzaltenango
The famous market runs Thursdays and Sundays, so plan your dates around it. Take an early shared shuttle from Antigua to Chichicastenango (~2.5 hrs, £12-18), or a chicken bus via Chimaltenango for under £4. Wander the textiles stalls around the Plaza Central and the Iglesia de Santo Tomás, then continue west. To reach Quetzaltenango (Xela), take a public bus to Los Encuentros and change for Xela (~4 hrs total, £5-7), or arrange a direct shared shuttle (~£20-25). Check into a guesthouse near Parque Centro América.
🚌Shared shuttle Antigua-Chichi ~£12-18; onward public bus to Xela ~£5-7
🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Quetzaltenango (dorm £7-10, private £18-28)
- →Chichicastenango textiles market
- →Santo Tomás church and plaza
- →Los Morerías mask workshops
Zunil village & Fuentes Georginas hot springs
Quetzaltenango / Zunil
Reach Zunil by local chicken bus from Xela's Minerva terminal (~30-40 min, under £1). Visit the village, the weaving co-operatives and, if you're comfortable, the shrine of San Simón (Maximón) — dress respectfully and ask before photographing. Continue up the valley to Fuentes Georginas by shared pick-up or taxi (~£3-5 each way); entry to the hot springs is around £4-6. Steaming thermal pools sit right beneath the volcano — an easy, cheap and genuinely memorable afternoon. Return to Xela for the night.
🚌Chicken bus Xela-Zunil ~£1; shared pickup to hot springs ~£3-5
🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Quetzaltenango (dorm £7-10, private £18-28)
- →Zunil village and weaving co-ops
- →San Simón shrine
- →Fuentes Georginas hot springs
Quetzaltenango highlights, San Andrés Xecul & Lake Atitlán
Quetzaltenango / San Andrés Xecul / Lake Atitlán
Do a self-guided morning walk of Xela's historic centre: Parque Centro América, the Pasaje Enríquez, the Municipal Palace, the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit and the Teatro Municipal are all clustered together within a few blocks. Then head to San Andrés Xecul by chicken bus to see its extraordinary yellow-and-red painted baroque church — combine it with a change at Cuatro Caminos if coming from Xela. Continue onward to Lake Atitlán: buses run via Los Encuentros or Panajachel from the Pan-American Highway (~3 hrs, £4-6). Get off at Panajachel and take a boat to whichever lakeside town you're basing in (San Pedro la Laguna is the backpacker favourite, ~£2-3).
🚌Chicken buses Xela-San Andrés Xecul-Lake Atitlán ~£6-8; lake boat ~£2-3
🛏Hostel or guesthouse on Lake Atitlán (San Pedro la Laguna or Panajachel; dorm £7-11, private £18-30)
- →Xela historic centre walk
- →San Andrés Xecul painted church
- →Panajachel and lake boat transfer
Lake Atitlán boat trip, weaving co-ops & Maya cooking class
Lake Atitlán / San Juan la Laguna / Santiago Atitlán
Take a public lancha from Panajachel or San Pedro to San Juan la Laguna (~£2-3). The village is packed with women-led weaving co-operatives who demonstrate natural dyeing and backstrap-loom weaving — visit the Asociación de Artesanas and the Casa Flor Ixcaco co-op, and buy directly. Then cross the lake to Santiago Atitlán to see the Maximón shrine and the Tz'utujil Maya church. Book a Maya cooking class in San Juan or San Pedro through GetYourGuide, Klook or your hostel (~£20-30) — you'll grind corn, make tortillas and cook a traditional dish with a local family.
🚌Public lanchas between lakeside villages, £1.50-3 per hop
🛏Hostel or guesthouse on Lake Atitlán (dorm £7-11, private £18-30)
- →Public boat across Lake Atitlán
- →San Juan la Laguna weaving co-operatives
- →Santiago Atitlán and Maximón shrine
- →Maya cooking class
Iximche ruins & fly to Isla de Flores
Iximche / Isla de Flores
Travel from Lake Atitlán back to Antigua or straight to Guatemala City airport (~3 hrs). En route, stop at Iximche in Tecpán, the Cakchiquel Maya capital founded in 1463 — four ceremonial plazas, temples and a ball court in pine forest. Entry is around £6-8 and it's easy to visit independently by public bus or as a stop on a shared shuttle. From Guatemala City, fly to Flores (Mundo Maya airport, FRS) — Avianca, TAG or Transportes Aéreos Guatemaltecos run the route, book ahead for £50-70 one way. Take a taxi or shuttle from the airport to Isla de Flores (~15 min) and check in.
🚌Shuttle to Guatemala City ~£15-20; flight to Flores ~£50-70; airport transfer ~£3-5
🛏Hostel or budget hotel on Isla de Flores (dorm £8-12, private £20-30)
- →Iximche archaeological site
- →Internal flight to Flores
- →Evening stroll on Isla de Flores
Sunrise tour of Tikal National Park
Tikal National Park
Book a sunrise tour the day before through your Flores hostel or on GetYourGuide/Klook — tours leave around 3-4am for the ~1 hr drive to Tikal and typically include transport, a licensed guide and park entry, £45-65. Watch the jungle wake up from the top of Temple IV (the classic Star Wars vista), listening for howler monkeys. Spend the rest of the morning walking the Great Plaza, Temple I and II, and the ball courts, spotting toucans, spider monkeys and coatis. Return to Flores by early afternoon, nap, then have your own farewell dinner on the waterfront.
🚌Shared tour transport to Tikal included ~£45-65 total
🛏Hostel or budget hotel on Isla de Flores (dorm £8-12, private £20-30)
- →Tikal sunrise tour with Temple IV climb
- →Great Plaza and temples of Tikal
- →Wildlife spotting in the national park
Trip ends in Isla de Flores
Isla de Flores
Have breakfast, then either fly back to Guatemala City for your international flight (TAG/Avianca, £50-70) or take the overnight bus to the capital or to Flores' onward connections if you're continuing into Belize or Mexico. If you've got time, extend with the Yaxhá ruins or a day at Lake Petén Itzá — but if you'd rather, this is a natural place to end. Book any return leg ahead; smaller carriers sell out in high season.
🚌Flight Flores-Guatemala City ~£50-70, or shuttle/bus to Belize ~£20-25
🛏Not included — onward travel day
- →Optional Yaxhá ruins extension
- →Optional onward travel to Belize or Mexico
Self-launched vs. Exodus
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Exodus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£535 | £2,680 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,145 per person (80%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Exodus-style trips? Check them out here.~£535
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Discover Guatemala — Self-Launched Edition cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £535 per person for 10 days in Guatemala. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Exodus?+
Yes — Exodus charges around £2,680 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £535 — a saving of roughly £2,145 (80%) per person.
How long is the Guatemala trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through Guatemala.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, adventure, hiking trip through Guatemala, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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