Top Western Highlands Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises

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.

Walk the Face of the Earth on the Sacred Path of the Sun: Author & lecturer Vincent Stanzione has opened his mountain home in an exclusive arrangement to offer an amazing experience. This experience will enable you to enter the Maya world in truly authentic ways. It allows visitors to learn about the Maya Civilization by entering the Maya World of the Present Day. Let us take you to places nobody but the Maya ever go while learning all you can from a researcher and writer who is hungry to share the world he has made his home. Guiding enables those of us who have attained a great deal of knowledge to share it with others in a direct way. So take a walk with Vincent along the flowery paths during this fascinating day in the highlands, high above Lake Atitlan. Learn about the Maya and the Mesoamerican traditions, their cosmo-magical thinking, their calendar, the way of living in the world, their myths and their deep sense of being the descendants of divine ancestors.

With its two majestic peaks, Toliman offers incredible vistas, lush forests and an incredible imploded crater. A beautiful hike that starts at the local Santiago Atitlán market and up through the maize plantations and into the tropical rain forest, Toliman offers a complete and challenging experience. Perfect place to learn about the ecosystems of the region and the services these provide for the subsistence of the region. A good hike for big groups of family or friends

The giant of the lake, with its stunning view of the lake and surrounding areas, offers a great experience for those who want to feel challenged and rewarded at the same time. Summit the peak and see nothing else but volcanic rock and amazing 360 vistas of the region. The perfect place to learn about the birth of Lake Atitlán, a violent history of volcanic eruptions dating back to 11 million years ago. Gaze at the starry night as it blends with the towns’ lights and sparks peace and joy.

Step inside the Maya community of Santa Cruz with this NGO visit. Check out a successful non-profit vocational training center with classes in cooking, beading, sewing, and carpentry. Visit a classroom, café, and store run by the organization. Explore the village of Santa Cruz, home to one of the oldest churches in Guatemala, and end your tour with lunch at the NGO-run rooftop café overlooking the waters of Lake Atitlan.

Sit alongside local women and learn the art of Maya beading with this hands-on workshop in Santa Cruz la Laguna. Not only is this socially responsible tour a great way to learn about the Maya cultures found on Lake Atitlan, but it also directly benefits local communities. Upgrade to include lunch at Lake Atitlan’s top restaurant—also run by a social enterprise—or a community-led tour of the village.

With their costumes, music, and parades, Day of the Dead celebrations are some of the most iconic in Latin America. Take part in the cultural tradition of giant kites on this Day of the Dead festival tour from Sumpango, which shares with you the history of the holiday and teaches you about the kite making ritual. This tour presents a rare opportunity to learn directly from a local guide about a unique regional custom.

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.

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.

Step back in time to explore the ancient Olmec and Maya cultures during this 2-day, 1-night visit to the archaeological site of Takalik Abaj. Wander the through the site’s Mayan tomb, as well as its wondrous collection of Olmec-style sculpture, Maya hieroglyphics and a sophisticated water drainage system. As you explore, you’ll learn about the history and key building periods of these two unique cultures from your guide. Your trip to Takalik Abaj also includes overnight accommodation, site entrance fees and round-trip hotel transport from Panjachel.

Take a journey through the traditions of Mayan spirituality as you experience a 2-hour traditional fire-cleansing ceremony with a guide in the Sacred Caves of Lake Atitlan. Step inside these mystical caves, used by local Mayans for many centuries, to observe the performance of this holy and powerful ritual by a local shaman. Listen as your guide explains the history and traditions behind the ritual and provides insight into the Mayan calendar system. Before you leave, you’ll have time to admire the gorgeous views of the lake down below.

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.

Step back in time to the ancient world of the Maya during this 6-hour exploration of the Iximche ruins near Lake Atitlan. Explore this 1,000-year-old city’s wealth of ball courts, pyramid-temples, royal palaces and the on-site museum. You’ll also learn about the history of this iconic archaeological site up through the Spanish colonial era, and discover details about the Mayan calendar, astrological studies and the attitudes of the present day Mayan people towards their ancestors. Your trip includes entrance fees, a guide and a choice between shared and private round-trip hotel transport.

Immerse yourself in the ancient rituals and colorful culture of the Mayans during this 7-hour trip to Chichicastenango and its famous market. Discover the wealth of handicrafts, produce, herbal medicines and more for sale at this traditional indigenous market. Then spend time exploring the town’s museums, cemetery, colorful murals and Mayan heritage, including a chance to observe a Fire Cleansing Ceremony performed by a local shaman. Your trip also covers round-trip hotel transport from Panjachel.

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.

Board your air-conditioned transportation for the approximately two and a half-hour guided drive to the highlands of Guatemala and Lake Atitlan. Located at over 4,000 feet above sea level, the lake is over 1,000 feet deep and is surrounded by three very impressive volcanoes. The lake itself was formed after the last eruption 85,000 years ago. Once at the lake board a boat to take you to explore the most indigenous village known as San Juan La Laguna. There meet local artisans famous for making hand made textiles. After lunch board your boat again to connect with your land transportation and head back to Port Quetzal.

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.

Stroll the historic streets of Quetzaltenango on a walking tour that explores colonial-era architecture and some of the city's key sites. A great orientation for first time visitors to Quetzaltenango, you’ll set out from the park that’s at the heart of the city, hear the fascinating stories behind the ornate facades, and get a local take on the places you discover along the way.

San Miguel Totonicapán near Quetzaltenango is unknown to most of the visitors to Guatemala . This tour considered as community tourism (because the benefits go nearly exclusively to the local people who are involved in a very active way )  can be done in half a day or a full day adding a few visits more (if interested , please ask )

Casa Botran has made the manufacture of rum in a delicious art, producing aged rums through the combination of raw materials with unique characteristics, giving life to the exquisite rum that positions the land of the quetzal as a producer of one of the finest rums of the world with a personality different from the rest of European and Caribbean style rums.

A beautiful half-day tour to the Fuentes Georginas hot springs. Soak in 4 thermal pools heated by the nearby volcanoes, surrounded by cloud forest.

Visitors will discover an entire world of colors and designs. Mayan textiles have been woven for Centuries the traditional way. And at present time is impresive to admire how they have evolved in colors and designs becoming real Masterpieces.

On this tour you will visit the municipality of Cantel, where there will be a small traditional embroidery workshop. The history of guipil is described, a traditional Guatemalan blouse, unique in the world. As well as living with the family of the instructor in her own home, a rural place full of nature and traditions.

In these tours you can discover how these exquisite stained glass windows are made, the essence of what to make of a stained glass window and also how the most colorful and creative murals of the city of Quetzaltenango were made. Colorful throughout the tour. In addition to taking out all the accumulated creativity, they can make their own souvenir and take it home. Unmissable even for the locals themselves.