Top Panajachel Day Trips

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.

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.

Have you wanted to visit the towns around Lake Atitlan but don't you dare to go on your own? If what you are looking for is to understand the meaning of the living Mayans' traditions and customs, in addition, to learn from them their ancestral practices such as weaving techniques, natural dyeing of fabrics, the importance of chocolate and natural medicine, then we got your back. Join this collective tour and have fun while learning that and much more! We'll take you to discover 3 cultural towns on a boat ride that’ll give you insight into the heart of the Mayan culture. The local Mayans say that Lake Atitlan holds unique energy fields that run through the area. Whether you feel the vibes or not, there’s no denying that this lake is a special place.

Whether you’re an admirer of avian or if you just love a walk through lush forests, this walking tour around the trails of Lake Atitlan is a great option for low-impact travel. You’ll either meet your guide in Santiago or receive pickup from Panajachel via boat and begin a hike up the Rey Tepepul Trail. This forested trail features river and wildlife views, as well as opportunities to see locals tending to their farms.

Veer from the well-trodden tourist path and discover traditional Mayan culture on a full-day tour from Antigua. Round-trip transportation from your hotel spares you the white-knuckled stress of riding on a public bus. Together with your guide, visit three Mayan villages and learn about the unique way of life from the people who live there. The excursion also includes some of Guatemala’s natural beauty, with a boat ride around Lake Atitlan.

Adventure lovers, this exciting tour will grant you a glimpse at Guatemala’s many towns along Lake Atitlan. You’ll start with a private boat ride from Panajachel to Jaibalito where you’ll then hike to Tzununa. Hop aboard a bicycle and cruise through four more villages, including San Juan and San Pablo. In San Pedro, you’ll hop in a kayak and paddle through Lake Atitlan before returning to Panajachel.

Explore the small town village life and gorgeous scenery of Lake Atitlan during this 5-hour hiking excursion from Santa Cruz la Laguna to San Marcos. During the course of your trip you’ll observe local villagers tending to coffee and corn crops in area farm fields and pass through small Mayan hamlets like San Marcos, Tzununná and Jaibalito. Best of all your hike offers a chance to enjoy the gorgeous scenery of Lake Atitlan and its nearby volcanoes. This Lake Atitlan hiking adventure also covers one-way transfer to the start point, hotel pickup, guide and entrance fees.

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.

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.

Guatemala is known for being "The Heart of the Mayan World" and has a great legacy of the indigenous cultures that lived here many centuries ago. On this tour, we´ll appreciate THE LIVING MAYAN CULTURE, learn about their textiles and the meaning behind the colors and the figures we see on their traditional clothing, learn about the chocolate that centuries ago was served to the gods and that in this tour we´ll have the opportunity to taste, as well as the religious syncretism between the Christianity and the Mayan religion. There´s so much more that you will do and enjoy during this tour, including a delicious lunch close to the lake. Believe us, this experience of knowing 3 cultural towns around the lake will be something spectacular. Do not miss it!

Enjoy and discover the colorful market day of Chichicastenango! This is an unique experience that you will see how is the local people live and doing their activities in the market days. The real Mayan culture is still live. Also since their typical dress till the Mayan language that they speak.

Leaving from Panajachel to take a collective boat for our transfer to tzununa. When we get the tzununa village, from there we start the our adventure tour by bike to visit some mayan vilages. We are going to visit San Marcos, San Juan And San Pedro la Laguna. One of the most important things to do in San Juan la Laguna is to see the textile process, how they make it and using the natural dye. Also they use the natural medicine, they have midwifes in their co-op.

This is a community tour that starts from Panajachel we will take a private boat that will take us to the first town where you will meet women weavers that the guide will explain the whole process from cotton to clothing using natural plants to obtain different natural colors, then the guide will take you to a chocolate factory where you will be able to taste and see the elaboration of various products made from cocoa to chocolate and to continue learning with the local people you will visit a group of women who work with plants to treat different types of diseases Also on the tour you visit the vegetable market, colonial churches, parks among others. This tour is conducted by people from the community who speak Spanish, English and Mayan

This is a tour that starts from Panajachel where in our office we will go to the ferry to take a public boat that will take us to the town of Tzununa, from there our bicycle adventure begins, visiting the towns of Tzununa, San Marcos, San Pablo, San Juan and San Pedro, on the bike tour stops will be made where you can appreciate panoramic views, you will also visit weavers, medicinal plants, colonial churches, and coffee plantations. The route has a total of 7 miles, so the bicycle tour lasts approximately 2 to 3 hours, the road that starts with dirt for approximately 3 miles later with a paved road, there are also ups and downs of small hills so It is recommended to be in good condition.

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.

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.

The locals of the area claim that Lake Atitlan is a location brimming with good energy. Currently, both indigenous and non-indigenous people value this good energy. This will be of great interest to you if you're searching for a different activity to do on the lake. Imagine doing yoga in the middle of a forest with stunning lake views, and you can also participate in a ceremony that will nourish your mind and spirit. There is a new ceremony available every day and every week. You can take part in a ritual involving cacao, sound, temazcal, or something else. In an effort to engage the community in our activities, we will provide you with a delicious vegetarian brunch that will be served by neighborhood residents who work with us. We are confident that you won't want to skip this tour. You can leave this exercise feeling renewed and full of positive energy.

Immerse yourself in traditional Mayan culture during an overnight homestay near Panajachel. The 15-hour experience is a great way to help support local communities in Guatemala. Your hosts, who are part of the Kakchiquel group, are happy to show you around the village and introduce you to their customs. In addition to one night of accommodation, you also enjoy a traditional breakfast and dinner prepared by your host mother.

Panajachel is a great place to start a journey to the stunningly beautiful and culturally vibrant Chichicastenango. Located only a short drive away through the breathtaking natural landscapes of the western highlands of Guatemala, Chichicastenango is home to the famous Santo Tomas Church, an iconic colonial structure with bright white walls and stairs at its base where many devotees burn incense, bring flowers, and show their gratitude. Upon arriving in Chichicastenango, you will be amazed by the number of colors, textiles, street traditional food, and all kinds of sales in the market. We will visit the indoor and outdoor market, make stops to buy if you wish, and learn about the great history of this market, its people, its traditions, and its religion. Afterward, we will visit the Santo Tomas Church, and at the end of the day, we will go to the Pascual Abaj Hill, where if we are lucky, we´ll see a traditional Mayan ceremony.