At the Chichicastenango Maya Market, you’ll have the opportunity to observe time-honored Indian ceremonies at the Santo Tomas Church, in addition to exploring an attractive open-air marketplace. This market serves as a hub for local people to trade goods such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, grains, livestock, fabrics and handcrafted items.
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Guatemala City Central Park - You will be picked up at your hotel in Guatemala City and transfer to Chichicastenango, sometimes your transfer will be via Antigua Guatemala below a brief summary of what to expect on your way.
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Mercado de Chichicastenango - Upon our arrival at the market we will start our walking tour inside the market. It is the center of the city and at the heart of commercial life of “maxeños” (name given to the indigenous people of Chichicastenango, derived from Max which means Tomás in the Quiché language). The merchants descend every Thursday and Sunday to the central square to sell their products in this impressive indigenous market that has changed very little over the centuries.
We will observe the colorful handicrafts and handmade by local inhabitants of the regiĂłn also you can see various merchandise, such as clay crafts, typical textiles, fruits, vegetables, meats and seafood, flowers and the regional costumes of the place.
We are also going to visit Santo Tomás Church, built in 1540 on the basis of a pre-Hispanic archaeological temple. This church is a splendid example of colonial architecture, as the Mayan and Latin influence mixes both inside and outside of the church over time. After exploring the market you can enjoy a delicious lunch (not included, but you can add it on optionals for additional cost) -
Lake Atitlan - At the end of the walk, you will be transfer to Panajachel and continue visiting this town which is located on Lake Atitlan. We will visit Calle Santander and enjoy a spectacular view of the lake which is considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. Three spectacular volcanoes, Tolimán, Atitlán and San Pedro form the natural framework of the lake itself. Time to take pictures.
*On holy week we do not visit Atitlán.
- Guatemala City Central Park - At the end of our tour we return to Guatemala City via Antigua Guatemala.
- Lunch (if option selected)
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Driver/guide
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Professional bilingual guide
- Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
- Food and drinks
- Optional gratuities
- 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.
- Tours include bilingual guide (English and Spanish).
- It is recommended that you bring walking shoes, hat, sunglasses, and a camera.
- 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 the local provider to arrange.
- Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required (if you select option with lunch included)
- To find pictures of our experiences, search us on Instagram as @graylinetoursgt
- On Holy week April 8th, we only visit the chichicastenango Market, we do not visit Atitlan lake due to traffic reasons.
- 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.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
