How to Plan an Unforgettable Experience for Your Guests in Antigua Guatemala
When my wife and I first came to Antigua Guatemala, and being a Antigua Guatemala Wedding Photographer, I knew that there was a strong destination wedding industry here. However, as we spent more time here, I started to realize that it would be the perfect place to give your guests an amazing experience that they won’t ever forget. From exploring the charming city to venturing out to the beautiful Lake Atitlan, or even hiking a volcano, your guests will have plenty of opportunities for adventure and relaxation. Read on for our guide to everything you need to know when throwing the perfect week for your guests in Antigua Guatemala, complete with where to stay, what to do, and some recommendations!
Flights
The easiest way to get to Antigua Guatemala is to fly into Guatemala City’s Airport, La Aurora International Airport (GUA). La Aurora is one of the Hubs in Central America for flights, so there are typically direct from all over the US. From Miami, it’s about a 2.5 hour flight to Guatemala City.
Transportation
Your guests will most likely arrive at Aurora airport, and from there they have several options for transportation to Antigua Guatemala. From Uber to tourist buses, or even a shuttle service for all guests, the trip to the city is just over an hour. If your guests are arriving at different times, the easiest option is to take an Uber. Typically, an Uber from the Airport to Antigua will cost anywhere from $25 - $30 depending on time of day. If your guests are arriving at the same time, it can be much more cost effective to hire a private shuttle through services such as GuateGo and RoadRunnerGuatemala.
https://www.roadrunnerguatemala.com
https://guatego.com/
Wednesday to Sunday: Where to Stay
When it comes to accommodations in Antigua Guatemala, there are plenty of options to choose from. There are plenty of hotel options with block pricing located in the heart of Antigua such as Pensativo Hotel, Hotel Casa Santo Domingo, Porta Hotel and San Rafael and more. Many wedding venues in Antigua Guatemala also double as hotels, so having your guests stay at the same place where the wedding will happen can make for a seemless experience. Or, if you have a smaller number of guests, you can rent out an entire house such as This Villa. If my wife and I could go back, this is the route we would’ve done. I can’t imagine a more intimate experience than to share a beautiful colonial house with your closest people. There are plenty of places on AirBNB and VRBO if you choose to go the rental route.
Day 1 (Wednesday)
From Uber to tourist buses, or even a shuttle service for all guests, the trip to the city is just over an hour. Depending on where you end up staying, cafes, shopping and restaurants are a short walk away. Below are a list of (just a few!) recommendations of where to go in the city.
Coffee
Artista Cafe
Alegria
Ojala
Fernando’s Kaffee
El Viejo Cafe
Restaraunts
Hectors Bistro
7a Norte
Hecho in Casa
Fonda De La Calle
Street Vendors at Iglesia De La Merced
Taco Bell (Trust me)
Drinks
Charleston
Ojala (also Coffee)
El Bosque
El Barrio
Ulew
Other Things to Do
Check out the Artesanel Market
Tour the Ruins
Literally just walk around
Day 2 (Thursday)
Lake Atitlan
On this day, your guests can take a day-long excursion to the stunning Lake Atitlan. It’s about a two hour bus ride (through GuateGo or RoadRunnerGuatemala) to Lake Atitlan. The 3 big cities on the Lake Atitlan are San Pedro, San Juan and Panajachel. There’s plenty of food, shopping and cafes in all 3, but each of them stand out from eachother.
San Juan - A quaint little village that has recently grown due to the increase in tourism. Here, I’d recommend spending some time doing some Artisan Tours. They have tours for the process of chocolate, honey, and the beautiful textiles that you see throughout Guatemala. The perfect place to grab food from some street vendors (I suggest Shuccos) or take a stroll through a quiet village.
San Pedro - An easy 5 minute shuttle (or TukTuk) from San Juan is the beautiful city of San Pedro. It sits right on the water and holds some spectactular views. San Pedro is much bigger than San Juan, and therefore a bit busier. Similar as above, check out the restaurants, shopping and grab lunch on the water and take in the beautiful views.
Panajachel - The biggest village and the gem of Lake Aititlan, Panajachel is the most touristy (for good reason) of all the villages. With a plethora of shopping and restaraunts nearby, it’s the perfect place to end your trip to Lake Atitlan. To get there, you can take a boat from San Juan or San Pedro.
Hike A Volcano
If you’d like to stay close to Antigua, another option is to spend a day hiking one of the various volcanoes. There’s plenty of tourguide companies in town, such as OX Expedition, to assist with the logistics resulting in a very hands off experience. There’s plenty of different ways to go about it, but there’s two main options for hiking the volcanoes.
Acatenango
Acatenango is the Volcano next to Fuego, the one that erupts every 15-20 minutes. The normal hike is typically a day and a half (with an overnight stay) with the end goal to watch Fuego erupt early in the morning. This is the much easier approach, but if time is of the essence, you can hike up and down Acatenango in a day. If you choose to do this route, prepare for a workout!
Pacaya
The much easier, yet still beautiful option is to hike Pacaya. At about a 6 hour round trip, you’ll be able to get up close to Lava and even roast smores on this trek.
Day 3 (Friday):
Start the morning off by touring coffee farms, like Finca Azotea or San Francisco. At either Finca, you can see the intensive process of how coffee is picked, processed and dried in order to create that perfect cup of coffee. In the evening, host a rehearsal dinner at Casa Troccoli and a few others highted in a blog post here. After dinner, enjoy one final night out in Antigua Guatemala with the locals, at places like Barrio, El Bosque, or Sala or grab a cocktail at the Ulew or Charleston.
Day 4 (The Big Day!)
It's the big day! Start the morning off with a delicious brunch at Luna De Miel and some coffee from Artista. Make sure to have your Antigua Guatemala wedding photographer capture all the special moments throughout the day. End the night with an after-party in town.
Day 5: (Sunday)
On the last day, your guests can grab some chocolate at Fernando's before heading to the market for some souvenirs. Then it's time to say goodbye and head back to Aurora airport via Uber or shuttle.
Conclusion: With so much to do and see in Antigua Guatemala, your guests are sure to have a fantastic time celebrating your wedding week with you. Make sure to find the perfect Antigua Guatemala wedding photographer to capture all the unforgettable moments of your special day.
