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Guatemala Tour: Iximché and Chichicastenango Highlights
4.3
15 Ratings
Tecpan
Immerse yourself in the vibrant culture of Guatemala with a day tour to Chichicastenango Market and Panajachel Town. Explore the bustling open-air market, visit historical churches, and soak in the stunning views of Atitlan Lake.
Immerse yourself in the vibrant culture of Guatemala with a day tour to Chichicastenango Market and Panajachel Town. Explore the bustling open-air market, visit historical churches, and soak in the stunning views of Atitlan Lake.
Duration:
12 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Iximche - Begin your journey with a pickup from your hotel in Guatemala City and travel northwest for about two hours to the quaint town of Tecpán. Accompanied by a knowledgeable guide, explore the renowned archaeological site, featuring ceremonial plazas, towering temples, and ancient ball courts. Many of these sites date back to as early as 1400…
- Iximche - Begin your journey with a pickup from your hotel in Guatemala City and travel northwest for about two hours to the quaint town of Tecpán. Accompanied by a knowledgeable guide, explore the renowned archaeological site, featuring ceremonial plazas, towering temples, and ancient ball courts. Many of these sites date back to as early as 1400 BC. Take your time to wander the grounds before proceeding to Chichicastenango.
- Mercado de Chichicastenango - Continue your excursion to Chichicastenango, where the narrow cobblestone streets and red-tiled roofs will transport you to another era. In the main town plaza, discover the famous Chichicastenango open-air market, brimming with locally crafted items such as ceramic pots, wood carvings, handmade goods, and fresh produce. Browse the local offerings and perhaps purchase a souvenir or two to remember your visit!
- Santo Tomas Church - While in the plaza, explore the Iglesia de Santo Tomas (Church of Santo Tomas), situated on the east side of the plaza. Established in 1540, the church frequently hosts Mayan rituals. On the west side of the plaza, visit Calvary Church, a smaller counterpart to Iglesia Santo Tomas.
Feel free to enjoy lunch at your own expense after exploring the market. Once you are ready, benefit from convenient transportation back to your hotel.
What's Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Professional guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Professional guide
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Immerse yourself in Guatemala’s blend of Mayan heritage and vibrant culture with this full-day excursion to Iximché and Chichicastenango. Gain insights into Mayan history from an expert guide while exploring the archaeological site of Iximché. In Chichicastenango, experience the bustling open-air market, renowned for its wood crafts, ceramics, and more….
Immerse yourself in Guatemala’s blend of Mayan heritage and vibrant culture with this full-day excursion to Iximché and Chichicastenango. Gain insights into Mayan history from an expert guide while exploring the archaeological site of Iximché. In Chichicastenango, experience the bustling open-air market, renowned for its wood crafts, ceramics, and more. Additionally, visit the Iglesia de Santo Tomas (Church of Santo Tomas) and the Calvary Church, both situated in the main plaza.
Location
Iximche
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.3
(15 Ratings)
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Viviane_t
Jan 19, 2026
You must take this tour!!! No buts or ifs!!! - Jorge our guide and Luis our driver were absolutely great. They were on time and ready to go at 6:30AM. Their energy and vibe were so great that you would feel so awake like you just had a shot of good Guatemalan coffee. Jorge is so knowledgeable of the Mayan Culture and at the same time so humble about it that you are not intimidated by his knowledge and feel confident to ask any questions you may have. Iximche is a must go so peaceful and beautiful. The market is so vibrant and alive a real contrast to the experience at Iximche. However, in the end they are a perfect blend. You must take this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Camilo_v
Dec 29, 2025
Recommended in Guatemala - Excellent experience; the guide knew a lot about the subject, and encouraged active dialogue, rather than monologues. Chichicastenango is a gem!
Review provided by Viator
Steve_o
Feb 26, 2024
Great tour to Lake Atitalan and Chichicastenango, lots to see! - Very interesting tour, started with a 3 hr drive to Panujechal and tour this lakeside town, with the market running down to the lakeshore for some great photos. than driving up to Chichicastenango, and linked up with an english speaking guide there who showed me the churches, mayan ceremonies, market (incredible), and lots of other interesting things. The day was long but seemed to go fast, we were back 1 1 hrs after leaving in the morning, with lots of good memories. Recommended if you want to get out of the city and see the real guatamala!
Review provided by Viator
Culture483787
Mar 25, 2023
Fun time at Lake Atitlan & Panajachel - We started out with Jose and got about halfway to the Chichicastenango market when we had some car trouble and we all decided it would be better not to continue up the remote mountain. But within 15 minutes Jose had us combined with G-Man's group and we all went on to spend the day at Panajachel and Atitlan Lake. While there we got to visit a very interesting market on the other side of the lake after taking a boat ride. The indigenous women in that village market showed how they weave scarves and grind chocolate, etc. So it all turned out well, plus we had a good meal at the end in Panajachel.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Yossi
Feb 5, 2023
Beautiful day - Incredible market & beautiful churches. Lake Atitlan was lovely! Would have loved a little more time there. Fabulous way to spend the day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kay
Jan 19, 2020
Great driver/knowledgeable guide - Carmen picked us up right on time in a nice, clean van. She spoke great English, was charming and was an extremely careful driver. The tour was well-planned, allowing us ample time to do the shopping we wanted to do at the market in Chichicastenango and to go on to Lake Atitlan and lunch in Panajachel. We highly recommend Guatemalan Adventure! Thank you Carmen! You were a delight!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jay_o
Dec 29, 2025
Dive deep into the part of the culture - The down side amount of travel. The plus sidewas Oscar our guide and Miguel our driver . The sites are amazing and we got to witness some families doing ceremonies in Iximche. The market is a cultural explosion, people are nice, tight spaces and yes sales pitch is strong . Great experience
Review provided by Viator
Nikm220
Nov 20, 2019
Full day tour from Guatemala City - We decided to take this tour because we did not have time to go there on our own. The guide was very kind, talkative and gave us a lot of information about everything.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mehmetgurman_e
Mar 2, 2024
Wasting 14 hours at expense of less than 2 hours at Chichicastenango ! - Given the worldwide capacity, Viator is unfortunately unable to control all service providers ; This local travel agency, Guatemalan Adventure, profit from the extreme popularity of this world famous open air market, but their real objective is sparing a large free time in Panajachel to suggest various optional extra activities !
The guide made an extreme effort not to lose any guests in Chichicastenango (I got free strolling time by forcing him), and brought the group to an extremely expensive restaurant (but with no wi-fi facilities !) at Panajachel with no other eating option.
Then, the rest of the time is for recommendations of optional extras.
I have no objection for any extras, you do it if you like but ; The program clearly states that the departure is at 6:30 am and the duration is 9 hours.
Whereas we went back to hotel at 8 pm past ! Wasting full 14 hours with less than 2 hours at Chichicastenango.
I absolutely not recommend this tour with this program .
Review provided by Viator
Helen
May 9, 2016
Tour guide was rude and had no... - <p>Tour guide was rude and had no interest in giving you time to have a proper look around - it was almost a march around the town. Then left us at the most expensive restaurant in Panachal - when asking the staff it turned out that the guide got free lunch if he brings customers in. Poor organisation and wouldn't recommend to people</p>
Review provided by Viator
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