Antigua Half Day Tour: Explore UNESCO World Heritage Sites from Guatemala City
4.6
17 Ratings

Embark from Guatemala City for a captivating journey to Antigua Guatemala, a World Heritage Site recognized for its significant history, alluring architecture and vibrant scenery. Delve into history and culture, as you tour structures boasting the distinct design intrinsic to what was once deemed the third largest Spanish colony in the Americas.

Duration: 5 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Gray Line Guatemala - You will be picked up at your hotel (selected hotels) in Guatemala City and transfer to our meeting point in Antigua Guatemala to meet our local guide to begin your soft walking of approximately 3 hours below a brief summary of what to expect on your way.

Antigua Guatemala, Once the third largest city in all of Spanish Colonial America and for 200 years the capital of Guatemala, it is today a peaceful, beautiful and partially restored colonial city. Cobblestone streets wind through the city of majestic churches and monasteries.

  • Iglesia de La Merced - La Merced Church of Guatemalan Ultrabaroque style, is a temple of the Mercedarian Order, which was founded by San Pedro Nolasco, of whom there is a sculpture in the upper part of the facade of the church..
  • Arco de Santa Catalina - The Santa Catalina Arch was built to connect the nuns between cloisters to avoid being seen due to the votes that the religious who belonged to that Order took, After the earthquakes of 1773, the arch became important due to the arrangements that were made. These arrangements included the construction of a turret and the inclusion of a Lamy Amp Lacroix watch of French origin.
  • The Plaza Central Park - The Central Park was built based on the traditional patterns used in the urban planning of the Spanish colonies. The park is surrounded by buildings that are maintained over time, such as Palace of the General Captains, the Town Hall, the Cathedral of San Jose and the Trade Portal.

The central park was built based on the traditional patterns used in the urban planning of the Spanish colonies. The park in turn is surrounded by buildings that are maintained over time, such as

We also find in the center of the park, Las Sirenas fountain, that has a traditional oral that you will discover during the tour.

  • Tanque de la Union - Continuing our way, we will visit the La Unin tank, which is one of the most representative laundries in this city, and has a historical value because only the big houses had a place where they could wash. For this reason, most of the inhabitants - housewives - went to public laundries.
  • Jade Maya - The original Jade factory, museum & showroom - Jade Factory and Museum The jade is cut and polished in the factory by local Guatemalan workers who follow the carving traditions of their ancestors, Ancient civilizations appreciated the jadeite jade stones as ornaments, tools, and burial artifacts.
  • Mercado de Artesanias El Carmen - El Carmen Ruins, The facade of the church was built with stucco-covered bricks, it had two levels with 24 columns in total, distributed in two towers of 6 columns each, this detail makes the temple still unique today. To one side of these ruins is the El Carmen Craft Market.where you can find a lot of Guatemalan souvenirs.
  • Gray Line Antigua Guatemala - Tours & Experiences - At the end of the tour youll be transferred back Guatemala City by our driver.
What's Included
  • Professional guide
  • Driver/guide
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels only)
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities
Additional Information
  • Minimum of 2 passengers (adults) is required for the tour to run. If the minimum size is not reached, the tour is subject to cancellation and all tickets are refunded or rescheduled.
  • Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
  • A dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements
  • Please contact us if you need a guide in any other language. French, German and Italian in private services, subject to additional costs and guide availability
  • For groups of 10 persons or more, please contact Gray Line Guatemala to arrange.
  • It is recommended that you bring walking shoes, hat, sunglasses, and a camera.
  • To find pictures of our experiences, search us on Instagram as @graylinetoursgt
  • If you are lodging in Zone 1, our only pick-up point is at the Hotel Panamerican.
  • If you are lodging in an airbnb please move to the nearest hotel lobby and please let us know of its name.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.6
(17 Ratings)
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Natasha_s
Jun 11, 2024
Antigua and Me - My tour guide Roberto was the best!! Very knowledgeable on everything I’m Antigua. Be careful where you buys your souvenirs as they will jack up the price because you are a tourist
Review provided by Viator
Madhavi_k
Jun 5, 2024
Historic and scenic place to visit - Beautiful churches and great cultural history. Scenic views with volcanic mountains surrounded. Great food! Tour guide was very professional and knowledgeable.
Review provided by Viator
Beth_h
May 27, 2024
Wonderful time in Antigua Guatemala - Juan Pablo was an excellent guide. Very knowledgeable and flexible. Shared a great ice cream recommendation (I tried the corn and my colleague tried the avocado…both yum!) and gave us time for personal shopping. Traffic there was 1.5 hrs but less than hour on way back to Guatemala City. Wear comfortable shoes. Can use credit card or USD in most places. We did the 5 hr tour but if we had more time we would’ve loved to do the full day.
Review provided by Viator
E4105xvnicoles
Mar 31, 2024
Excellent experience - Super informative tour, it is a hike but given the cool weather, it was easy to do, our guide Roberto was super charismatic and knew a lot about Antigua
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Robert_w
Jan 25, 2024
Great private tour of Antigua! - I had wanted to do a shared tour, but the only tour available was a private tour at twice the price. It was well worth the money though. I felt like a rich person with my own private tour guide. My tour guide Juan Pablo spoke perfect English. I told him he sounded like he was born in the US it was so good. We also had a great driver Minor, who easily dealt with the crazy drivers/traffic of Guatemala City. The trip to Antigua was about an hour. First stop was the Grayline office to use the restroom, then we did a walking tour of all the must-see things in Antigua. Juan Pablo offered to take pictures of me in front of the sites, since I was alone. He also would ask if I had any questions at each site after he told me about the site. I was given an hour to get lunch on my own, then I met back up with him for the hour ride back to Guatemala City. Overall a great private tour I would recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Antionette_t
Jan 1, 2024
A day of exploring and discovery - This was my first trip to Antigua, but it turned out to be a historical lesson on Guatemala thanks to the warm, knowledgeable and intelligent guide Foster. He turned the tour into an adventure of exploring and learning about the people and cultures of Guatemala. I wish I'd booked the whole day tour. Be prepared to walk a lot, but oster makes it easy. Wear good walking shoes/sneakers because the streets are cobblestone and the sidewalks uneven.
Review provided by Viator
Alexandrea_h
Jun 16, 2023
a must do activity! - I highly recommend this tour! I had such a fun time time learning about Antigua and seeing how beautiful it is. Adolfo is such a wonderful guide. You are in good hands with him!
Review provided by Viator
Evaristo_b
Dec 29, 2023
Good basic half day tour... - Good basic half day tour with pickup from the Capital to Antigua, expect between 1:30-2hr drive under heavy traffic, guide was very knowledgeable, driver and guide where both very welcoming and polite, good private tour for couples.
Review provided by Viator
Yolanda_r
Mar 22, 2023
Good experience - Love the history! Learned a lot about the history of Guatemala. Good driver and tour would definitely do again.
Review provided by Viator
Jordan_mcalister
Apr 22, 2022
Must See Antigua Guatemala - This tour was lovely, and allowed me to visit all of the historic sites and structures that I wanted to see in Antigua. Adolfo, the guide, and Roberto, the driver, were very kind. Adolfo really knows his subject matter and enthusiastically and skillfully curated my personal, solo tour. If you are visiting during the wet season (when mornings tend to be sunny, with cloudier middays and afternoons) I would encourage the tour to begin at the El Arco de Santa Catalina and Plaza Mayor for optimal photography lighting. The museums can come later in the day when cloudier skies matter less. Communication on the TripAdvisor messenger left a bit to be desired, but the pickup eventually took place. If you take the tour, be sure to call or e-mail the company with the provided address, as TripAdvisor messages were not answered.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
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