Is This Trip for Me?

All of our trips are active, immersive journeys and Guatemala is not different. Our travelers are exposed to sights, sounds, smells and scenes very different from home. Our goal is not just to expose you to other cultures, but to give you an insider's access allowing you to participate in the living traditions that make each place so unique.

However, these trips are not for everyone. It is important to understand that some culture shock is to be expected. We do not shelter our travelers from the realities of the places we visit.

We also maintain an active pace throughout the trip, with lots of walking and sometimes early mornings (or late evenings) if this means the chance to experience something truly special.

Please carefully review the following information before booking a trip. If you have any questions or concerns, contact Culture Xplorers' customer service at 866.877.2507 or via email at info@culturexplorers.com

Culture Shock

* Community Visits: expect modest living conditions and occasional lack of public facilities or very basic private facilities during some of our community visits, for instance visiting with Don Filoberto outside Antigua or with the families working with Friendship Bridge in Santa Catarina Palopó.

* Festivals: in addition to the wonderful costumes, music and dance at the heart of most festivals, also expect crowds, lots of noise &/or fireworks, exotic smells and sounds, occasional drunks, few if any benches or chairs on which to sit, and mostly street vendor food as well as a scarcity of/and/or crowded public restrooms.

* Host families (for those clients that choose this option): expect warm, welcoming hosts, but often little English is spoken within the home. Although always clean, safe and comfortable, most host family homes are more modest than what we are used to in the US and Europe.

* Local markets: markets can be wonderfully evocative places to get an insight into the hustle and bustle of daily life. They can also be over-crowded, have strong odors, and seem a bit shocking if you're not used to seeing live animals for sale, exotic traditional remedies or home-made food and drinks served from questionable containers.

Local Food

For most meals, we will take you to a range of safe, healthy establishments that specialize in delicious local fare.

Often during a trip, we'll be invited to eat at the home of a local friend. This is a wonderful way to experience the culture from an insider's perspective. However, our travelers should understand that we will be served the same types of food and drink that local friends would have. We'll also have the option to try some adventurous food, drinks and/or fruits from street vendors and in local markets.

Note: you'll have the opportunity to eat roughly one meal a day of your own choosing. Also, requests for vegetarian plates and/or non-spicy food will be honored whenever possible.

Physical Rating

We will spend most of our time at altitudes of 5,000 feet (Antigua) to 6,000 feet (Lake Atitlán) above sea level. While these are not extreme altitudes, some travelers may notice the thinner air while walking.

Our pace will be active and every traveler should be able to walk comfortably for 2 to 4 hours a day on average at these altitudes.

Trip Pace

Our journeys are active. We will do and see a lot over the course of the trip, with only two completely free afternoons on our 10 day Guatemala trip. At the same time, our trips offer the benefit of using Antigua and Panajachel (Lake Atitlán) as our two hub cities to avoid the fatigue of constant city-to-city travel.

Of course, clients who find themselves tired or just wanting a break from the organized activities may always opt-out and spend a free day or ½ day on their own. Our trip leader will have plenty of suggestions for how to spend your free time.

Transport/Road Conditions

We use modern, air conditioned, insured and well maintained private vehicles with professional drivers for our road travel within Guatemala.

Travelers should understand and be comfortable with the fact that there will be several long drives of 2 to 2 ½ hours on winding mountain roads during our trip together.   If you are prone to motion sickness, we strongly advise you to bring motion sickness tablets or other remedies with you on the journey.

Tikal & Yaxhá Extension

Tikal is one of Central America's most dramatic Mayan ruins, set amid a lush jungle scenery in the lowlands of el Petén, Guatemala. This makes a marvelous extension for archaeology buffs if you expect and are comfortable with the heat and high humidity that go hand-in-hand with the visit.

Of course, no visit to jungle ruins would be complete without a few mosquitoes! Bring insect repellent with at least 20% DEET.