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Capital and largest city of Guatemala
Photo: Gobierno de Guatemala, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Guatemala City is the capital of Guatemala, a country in Central America. With a population of around 3 million people, Guatemala City is the largest and most modern city in Guatemala. It can be interesting to visit "Guate," as it is also called by the locals, or la capital as much of the country calls it. Guatemala City has attractions and restaurants, often with few tourists. Sunday evenings' gatherings of hundreds of locals at the main plaza is certainly an unforgettable experience.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Palacio Nacional de la Cultura
Symbol of the city and former presidential palace. Tours operate every 15 minutes. You can see the interior courtyards and official function rooms, decorative artwork, wall murals, and a small statue commemorating the end of the civil war: a pair of hands that hold a fresh rose.
At Minerva Park, at end of Av. Simon Cañas, Guatemala Zona 2. Entrance is Q16. This relief map depicting Guatemala's precipitous topography is so immense you have to view it from an observation tower. What makes it even more amazing is that it was built in 1904, before satellite or even aerial photography.
See local and exotic animals in a decent environment. Make sure to listen to the songbirds that gather in the trees above.
An early Maya ruin right in the heart of the city. The buildings are mostly mounds, however, the excavations have opened up a lot of areas that are interesting to tour.
A town square established in 1776.
Consecrated in 1815. Beautiful, outside and inside.
First botanical garden in Central America. Houses a large variety of indigenous and exotic plant species in a mature, well-maintained facility. The garden is part of the Museum of Natural History, an operation of UCA.
Ciudad Cayalá
A planned district built in a traditional style. Popular with locals and tourists.
Museo Nacional de Historia
Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología, MUNAE
Presents an archaeological sample of the Mayan civilization. This is where you find the famous Tikal mask.
Museo Ixchel del Traje Indígena
A large collection of traditional costumes, information on weaving and dying techniques, the processing of the materials in use, the history and development of the traditional costumes and a collection of paintings by Carmen Pettersen. The explanations are in English and Spanish. The museum also has a shop where you can get fine examples of Guatemalan artesania. The prices are higher than at the markets, but the quality is also higher and the selection is good. The shop also has a variety of books, including its own series of publications about the traditional costumes of Guatemala, hard to come by in other book stores, and also the book The Maya of Guatemala - life and dress (with text in English and Spanish) by Carmen Pettersen, for Q465 (raised because the book is now out of print).
Museo Popol Vuh
The museum has no particular focus on the Popol Vuh as the name suggests, but has a rather nice collection of archaeological items from the pre-Hispanic Mayan world. There is also a room dedicated to Colonial items. The explanations are in English and Spanish.
Museo Nacional de Arte Moderno "Carlos Mérida"
Museo Miraflores
Museum that focuses on the ancient city of Kaminaljuyú.
Free museum tracing the legacy of the cement industry.
Museo del Ferrocarril FEGUA
The museum has exhibits of locomotives, passenger carriages and other rolling stock.
Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores
If you want to experience a football game in a country that's obsessed with football (Spanish: fútbol; North American/Oceanian English: soccer), spend a Sunday morning/afternoon at Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores. The most popular football club in the country, CSD Municipal ("Los Rojos"). Tickets are cheap and you can get them at the stadium entrance. Go to rojos.com to see when there is a local match. "Palco" is the most expensive seating with ample spaced seats followed by "Preferencia", "Tribuna", where the "hinchas", or fanatics, sit and "General Sur y Norte" which are the cheapest. The first three are best for a good view. The other big Guatemala City football team is Comunicaciones ("Los Cremas"). If Municipal isn't playing, go see Comunicaciones play as they share a stadium as their home venue.
Visit the highlights of the city with this comprehensive and educational tour. Tours run daily, call in advance. Private transportation and tour service is available throughout the entire country.
5A Avenida 14-67, Zona 10. One of the best places for steak. Try the tortillas with guacamole, frijoles (beans) and chorizo for starters, and the steak pimienta as the main course. Serves a free, delicious caldo while you wait for the meal.
Mainly Italian food.
5 Avenida 9-27, Zona 10. Asian fusion cuisine, duck, ostrich, steak, shrimps, and maybe the best sushi in the city. Try the Moo Shu Duck, the tuna dishes, and for dessert the bread pudding with ice cream and bourbon sauce, or the chocolate surprise. Expensive cocktails, Q45.
Mexican food. Chicken fajitas, Tortilla soup, pechuga de pollo en salsa de mango, pay azteca, a la flauta flautas, and for starters the queso fundido mixto (melted cheese with mushrooms) are all good. The best margaritas in Guatemala, but watch out when they ask you what kind of tequila you would like in/with it as the price might rise from the normal Q29 to Q85.
13 Calle 7-78, Zona 10. Spanish tapas. Try pinchos españoles, pinchos de pollo and albondigas de lomito. You have a choice between sitting in the restaurant or in the bar.
Avenida La Reforma 16-01, Zona 10, local 18. The same as the ones in the USA.
Plaza España, 7 Avenida/12 Calle, Zona 9.
Continental restaurant.
8a av 15-62, Zona 1. Beautiful old hotel with decorations from around Guatemala. Nice restaurant with waiters dressed in traditional costumes. Q80.
A cultural district in Zona 4 in Guatemala City. It was a project of the municipality to convert this area into an attractive pedestrian area in 2002. Many green areas were created. Today the district also features bars, restaurants, shopping and cultural activities and has become one of the city's trendy and open minded areas, competing with Zona Viva in Zona 10. The most interesting places are perhaps the ones just outside the main street. It has, however, become less popular and developed a poor reputation.
Everyone is just really chill and relaxed.
It is Guatemala's biggest gay club, where you can get for free if you come before 21:00. It has two floors, and shows a variety of music: from Latin beats to europop.
In Zona 13, one minute from La Aurora International Airport, safe, private parking, affordable, breakfast, lunch and dinner, international foods prepared. Breakfast served 07:00-10:00
In Zona 1, near the Parque Central, safe, cheap, basic.
Free services included: airport transfer to or from La Aurora airport, breakfast and WiFi internet. Close to the airport.
Free services included :airport transfer to or from La Aurora airport, breakfast and WiFi internet. Dorms and private from US$17 p/p. Close to the airport.
It is 600 m from airport La Aurora.
Double room US$22. English spoken. Situated in the colonial house, it has a nice cafeteria in the courtyard. But one annoying thing is that the entrance to the bathroom is very low, expect to bang your head at least once. It also provides internet access, but the prices are a bit steep. Apart from that clean and pleasant.
A hostel in the financial district (near the airport). It is easy to find, as it's neighbors with the McDonald's in Zona 10. The atmosphere has the laid-back Aussie aspects from Jodie and the local knowledge of Manuel, who are the owners.
14 bed capsule mixed dormitory, garden, terrace, sun deck, shared lounge/tv area, baggage storage, Lockers, shared kitchen, speaks English, tour desk, free wifi in all areas.
One mile from Aurora international airport. Free shuttle.
In the heart of Zona 10. Continental breakfast included.
10 minutes to the airport, and 5 minutes to Zona Viva.
Doubles from $69 + taxes with continental breakfast and one free hour internet.
Doubles from US$60. Beautiful old hotel with decorations from around Guatemala. Nice restaurant with waiters dressed in traditional costumes.
In an early booking you can get rates from US$109 for a double. The hotel is set right in the heart of the city, in the main business district.
Rates from US$100 in advance purchase.
Rates from US$120.
Offers 160 total rooms, 48 rooms club Intercontinental, 24 business room, 6 junior suites and 1 Presidential Suite, Rooms for disabled and InterContinental Ambassador floor. In their space features 3 restaurants, gymnasia, spa, jacuzzi and pool.
Double rooms from US$95.
For those planning a longer stay in the city. Differently sized (mostly small) apartments with kitchen. Cleaning service included. Internet connection in the reception. Washing machine. Around $600 per month (shorter stays also possible).
Enormous selection of fabrics by the yard (prices from Q20-60 depending on quality/thickness). Wood, clothes, leather, ceramic, souvenirs, traditional costumes. You can also get clothes sewn there.
The newest shopping mall in the city, boasting the first restaurant aquarium in Latin America going by the Nais Aquarium.
In Puerta Parada, next to the road to El Salvador.
By car
Central American highways CA-1 and CA-9 run through Guatemala City.
By bus
Being the national transportation hub there are various bus lines going into and out of Guatemala City in all directions, from around the country, and from neighboring countries at varying distances.
By bus
By taxi
There are two kinds of taxis: the ones with a meter and the ones on which you have to agree on a price before the trip. Of the metered taxis, the best service is given by Taxis Amarillo (yellow cabs).
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Guatemala City · International · GUA
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