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How to spend a day in Antigua Guatemala

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Only have a day to explore the beautiful Guatemalan City of Antigua? If you have just a day in Antigua you are going to want to make the most of it!

Ideally, Antigua is somewhere you want to come for a few days at least to really make the most of it. I arrived planning on staying for a few weeks, which turned into a few months as I continued to extend my Guatemala travel adventure.

Did You Get Travel Insurance Yet?

If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that you need to be prepared for anything!

The Insurance companies I personally recommend are Hey MondoPassport Nomads, Safety Wing, and Travel Insurance Master

Hey Mondo is great if you are looking for a great value flexible policy. They offer single-trip cover, annual multi-trip cover, and long-term travel cover.

Passport Nomads provides the most comprehensive cover for Digital Nomads. If you find yourself in need of medical care you just contact them and they will pre-load your card with the funds to cover your treatment, meaning you won’t need to pay out of pocket and then put in a claim later.

Safety Wing is great value with monthly cover starting at $39. It’s super easy to use and it just renews each month. I currently use them as they offer me free cover for my son as part of my policy.

I also use Travel Insurance Master for short trips.

Read my full travel insurance post here where I go into detail about all 4 companies. 

So Here is my 1 day in Antigua itinerary:

Breakfast with a View

Start your day right by having breakfast at The Breakfast Club. It is also a hostel so walk in and through the garden and up the stairs. You will find yourself up on a beautiful terrace with amazing views of Antigua on a clear day you will be able to see all three volcanos. They have a great breakfast menu served all day. Comfy seats and great wifi!

How to spend a day in Antigua Guatemala

Take a Historical Walk

Once you have filled up on breakfast it’s time to go exploring. If you don’t already know Antigua is a UNESCO world heritage site and it is full of beautiful ruins. Every corner you turn around you will see another hidden gem. The ones you are able to enter you will have to pay a small entrance fee. But even if you don’t want to go in you will be able to get a great street view.

How to spend a day in Antigua Guatemala

Lucky for you I have created a walking tour of all of the key ruins in Antigua. You can download the map at Walkli and it starts at Cerro De La Cruz so make sure you have some good walking shoes on!

Lunch at Rainbow Cafe

Once you have finished your walk head over to Rainbow Cafe for lunch. Be sure to try one of their Iced Teas. While you are there take a look at their community notice board and schedule as there are always things happening there in the evening from NGO talks to Live Music.

How to spend a day in Antigua Guatemala

Hike Volcan Pacaya

Still got some energy left after your historic walk? You really must hike a volcano in Guatemala and Volcan Pacaya close to Antigua is the easiest hike you will find. Pacaya is one of the most active volcanoes in Central America. I would recommend going with OX Expeditions they offer a half day tour that leaves their office at 2pm and returns around 6pm.

a day in Antigua

You can expect around 2 hours of hiking (an hour up and then the rest is exploring the lava fields and hiking down). So long as you have an average fitness level you won’t struggle on this hike. I wore my head cam the last time I want and you can take a watch below.

I also did an overnight camping trip to Pacaya which you can read about here.

 

Shower

Once you get back from Pacaya you are going to want to shower that volcano off you! So go and take a shower, put on some clean clothes.

Dinner

Hands down my favorite place to eat in Antigua is Toko Baru its freshly prepared, plenty of choice for vegans and Vegetarians as well as meat lovers. There is no Wifi and you will often have to share a table. I recommend any of their curries, the falafel and make sure you order a portion of sweet potato fries!

Or if you are just too tired to even contemplating sitting down to eat then skip the shower and head straight up to Iglesia La Merced on 1a Calle to get yourself some street food. Word of warning make sure they heat up the chicken on a hot plate if that’s what you want, otherwise go for a different meat of stick to vegetarian!

How to spend a day in Antigua Guatemala

Or cross over the road from OX on 7 Calle and get some tacos or a burrito from Taqueria Doña Lupita they are the best in Antigua.

How to spend a day in Antigua Guatemala

Out Out

If you still have energy left and fancy hitting the town? Antigua is known for its nightlife in Guatemala and you will be spoilt for choice of places to go. That said most of the good places are a little bit hidden. I have also created a Nightlife Tour/ Map of the best watering holes in the city which you can also download from Walkli here. Your welcome!

Looking for Accommodation in Antigua?

There are 3 places I recommend Selina or Yellow House Hostel if you are looking for a hostel. For hotels, I recommend Hotel Mesón de María, Barbara’s Boutique Hostel, or Hotel Paseo de la Merced. And I have gathered all the best places to eat in Antigua here in case you need any recs.

How to spend a day in Antigua Guatemala

Freddie

Wednesday 17th of April 2019

I'm going to be in Guatemala City for 2 weeks for work but trying to work out what to do in the middle weekend. Antigua looks like the perfect option for a couple of days, not too far from the capital.

Thank you so much for the in-depth descriptions and ideas as without them I'd be clueless! Can't wait to delve deeper into your work!

Claire Summers

Thursday 18th of April 2019

Thanks Freddie. Antigua is the perfect place for a few days. I'll be back there myself next month and I can't wait!

Claudia

Tuesday 12th of June 2018

Would love your walking map but your links don’t seem to work.

Claire Summers

Thursday 12th of July 2018

Hi, Claudia thanks so much for letting me know. I'm not sure what happened but I've fixed the links now so they should work. Sorry it if it too late for you to use them.

Erin

Saturday 26th of May 2018

Claire - thanks for making this, way a great itinerary, will definitely do this tomorrow!

Claire Summers

Monday 4th of June 2018

Ah I'm so glad Erin! Hope you weren't too affected by Fuego!

sita shah

Thursday 28th of September 2017

You have done all the research for me for Guatemala! Absolutely love it short sweet and to the point! Now we need to get transport sorted from one place to the next! Thanks Claire please share good contacts for transport if you can.

Thanks, Sita

Claire Summers

Tuesday 10th of October 2017

Haha, happy to help! I try to write the things I needed to know when I arrived, no fuss, just to the point. I spent 9 months there (I love Guatemala) so I picked up a lot on my travels. Transport is super easy to sort out! It's best to book the day before and prices don't change much so you are unlikely to get ripped off. Where are you wanting to travel to and from?

Archana Singh

Sunday 10th of September 2017

This seems like a perfect one day itinerant for Antigua. It's good to know that The Breakfast Club has a hostel too besides a view. That way I don't have to worry to wake up early for the breakfast.