How Much Does One Week in Guatemala Cost?
**This trip was taken in January of 2021. The prices reflect the economy at that time and may have changed significantly since then. Be a good little travel planner and double-check the current situation!
Guatemala is one of the most budget-friendly vacation destinations for a romantic getaway or a family trip. This Central American beauty was a complete and utter surprise to us, and we loved every second we spent there, but how much does one week in Guatemala cost? What do you get for the money? Is it worth it? Let’s hash out a detailed budget breakdown of Guatemala!
Our Experience in Guatemala
First, a little background. We were able to spend a little over a month in Guatemala in February of 2021. We got to see an active volcano up close and personal, explore the most beautiful series of natural pools on the planet, and take a wild water caving adventure that will forever be at the top of our excursion recommendation list. Guatemala was more beautiful than we ever imagined, and we were truly surprised by the quality of the cities and the sheer amount of attractions, both typical touristy stuff and natural wonders. It was an easy place to travel, a place we felt safe, and we can’t stress how stunning this little country is.
Our Travel Personality
If you have been hanging around Lost Among Locals for a while, you know we are middle-of-the-road travelers that tip the scales toward budget travel. That means, we always want to find the best deal! We will spend hours travel hacking, researching, and digging. We do not spend luxuriously on accommodation because we don’t spend any time in them, generally, and we fly coach, on the cheapest ticket we can get. That being said, we rarely stay in hostels. We don’t stay anywhere that feels unsafe, and we generally always have a private dwelling. We spend a good amount of our budget on food and adventure activities. We say all that just to let you know what you are gonna get out of an itinerary from us. We want you to know what to expect.
How Did We Get These Numbers?
While we spent over a month in Guatemala, we know that most travelers are likely going to have around a week. Taking that into account, here’s how we jostled the numbers to get something that would work for you. We made a one-week Guatemala itinerary, taking our favorite 7 days. We then scoured our records and found the prices for those activities, hotels, bus tickets, etc. We compiled the sums and VOILA!
Since a recession has happened in the interim between our trip and today’s date, we have reassessed the cost of flights by finding a comparable flight for the month of April 2023 (2 months out from the date of writing). So, the flight price should be relatively accurate.
Budget Breakdown for a One-Week Guatemala Trip
It should be noted that this trip was taken during the month of March, so if you plan to travel in the summer months, you can expect a slight increase across the board, due to traveling in the peak tourist season. The prices we have given are for two adult travelers.
Flights-$799
A combination roundtrip flight on Spirit and Frontier Airlines (with carry-on baggage fees added), for the week of April 18th-25th, will cost $399.50 per ticket. There is a similar flight on Avianca Air if you prefer not to fly budget airlines. This flight leaves from Dallas Fort Worth and arrives in Guatemala City, with one moderate layover in between. Obviously, your flight will differ based on your departing location. Here are a few itineraries out of major airports for the same dates just to give you an idea.
JFK → GUA= $668
MIA → GUA= $511
LAX → GUA=$731
DEN → GUA=$953
CHI → GUA=$607
All flights arrive at the international airport in Guatemala City. It is a 20-minute Uber ride from there to our recommended city for tourists-the Spanish Colonial Beauty-Antigua! We do recommend using Uber and not haggling with taxi drivers at GUA.
Accommodation-$148.17
This itinerary will include two nights in Coban, while en route to Semuc Champey and back. One night in Semuch Champey, and four nights in Antigua. The city of Antigua is a cornucopia of budget-friendly accommodations. If you want a luxury stay, you can book a room in the convent, turned spa resort, El Convento for around $200/night. Most of the guesthouses in Antigua feature a walled-in, open-air courtyard with seating, fountains, or a garden. They have small kitchens, living spaces, and a few amenities like 24-7 coffee access or continental breakfast offerings. The rooms are simple but clean and private, with private baths. The options for a clean, comfortable room for less than $50/night are numerous!
We stayed at a small guesthouse called Hotel Casa Rustica. It has a lovely, safe courtyard for eating, gathering with friends, or working. The rooms are rustic in design but very comfortable with queen beds and tidy bathrooms. The rooftop deck boasts a volcano view, like most do in the city, and the owner is very kind and fair. He is an American who moved to Guatemala after marrying his wife, who hailed from Antigua, so he is very helpful for travelers who do not speak English, and he is at the desk most mornings.
We would suggest spending your first four nights in Antigua, as it is a comfortable and easy place to be. Once you kind of have the lay of the land and feel comfortable in your surroundings, you can take the adventure to Coban.
Coban is really just a sleepover on the itinerary, so choose a simple room to grab a night’s sleep. In Semuc Champey, we recommend staying at Hostal de Portal Champey if you don’t mind a simple room. This gorgeous hostel has private rooms, a stunning cliffside swimming pool, a lush garden with a path down to a swimming hole in the river, a large communal cabana with breakfast, nighttime dancing, a restaurant, and a wonderful staff to help with tours and information.
Four nights in Antigua- $94.28
Two nights in Coban in a simple guesthouse-$32
One night in Semuc Champey-$21.89
Inner-City Transport-$162.76
If you choose to take the trip to Semuc Champey National Park, which we definitely suggest that you do, you will need to take a few inner-city buses. The process is well laid out, and not too difficult. Other than that trip, you should only need an Uber from the airport. Prices are for two tickets.
Uber- Guatemala airport to your hotel in Antigua-$35
Uber-Antigua to Guatemala City bus stop-$35
Bus-Guatemala City to Coban- $50
Collectivo-Coban City Center to Lanquin-$6.48 x 2 trips
Local Transit- Lanquin to Semuc Champey-$3.89 x 2 trips
Bus-Coban to Guatemala City- $22.02
Tours and Activities-$434.16
There are five activities that we highly recommend in Guatemala. To learn more details about these tours, check out our “Best Things to Do in Guatemala” post!
The entrance to Semuc Champey National Park-$12.95
The caving tour at Semuc Champey-$15.54
La Tortilla Cooking Class in Antigua-$90
Guided hike of Acantenango and Overnight Camping Excursion with hiking equipment rentals-$101.67
Day Trip from Antigua and Boat Tour of Lake Atitlan-$214
Optional:Day trip by air to and guided tour to Tikal archaeological site-$800
Tours and Activities Total w/o Tikal-$434.16
With Tikal Day Trip~$1235
Food-$145
You will not go hungry in Antigua. It has a lovely array of international restaurants, local eateries, beautiful markets, and boutique salons selling all manner of gorgeous homemade and craft foods. By utilizing a bit of each, you can plan on spending somewhere around $150 on food for the week, depending on how many times you visit the Irish and English pubs.
Total cost of one week in Guatemala- $1837.26
Can you believe that a one-week trip to Guatemala costs less than $1000 per person? For less than $2,000 total, you can spend a romantic week for two in a seriously beautiful country, experience some of the best action-adventure tours you will go on anywhere in the world, and experience a warm and welcoming culture that wraps you up tight and makes you never want to leave! In our opinion, it’s money well spent!
Well…what do you think? Would you consider a trip to Guatemala for your next family vacation or a romantic getaway? What questions do you have? Drop them in the comments, and we will get back to you!
For more information on Guatemala, make sure to check out our other Guatemala blog posts. We dive into a detailed itinerary, give you all our Guatemala-specific travel tips, and hook you up with all the best things to do in Guatemala.
Now…Get Lost!
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A one-week trip to Guatemala for two people costs around $1,837 total, including flights from Dallas, accommodation, transport, food, and activities — roughly $918 per person.
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es — Guatemala is one of the most affordable destinations in Central America. Budget travelers can get by on $50–$80/day per person including accommodation, food, and activities.
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For a mid-range budget traveler, plan on $60–$100/day per person, covering a private room, meals, local transport, and at least one activity or tour.