Guatemala Wanderlust Group Trips: 2023 Highlights

Guatemala Wanderlust Group Trips
2023 Highlights

In December, I hosted my first ever Guatemala group trip! This destination had been rising on my bucket list for years and I just knew I had to bring my travel community to hike to an active volcano.

We collaborated with a local tour company that funds Guatemalan schools in much-needed areas, so I was extra excited to have our trip funds going to such an excellent cause. (Thank you CA Travelers for all the inspiring work you do!!)

So here’s everything we got up to for 9 action packed days around Guatemala! You can watch the full length Youtube video recap here:

Day 1: Welcome to Antigua

We began our trip in sunny and beautiful Antigua! Just look at the beautiful volcano views and cobblestone historic streets.

That evening we had a welcome dinner to meet everyone including our amazing local guide, Farah!

Day 2: Coffee & Bike Tour + ATV at Sunset

The next morning, we kicked things off with a bike tour that led us all around Antigua, a coffee plantation and nearby village. We got to try a variety of local street food, sweets and locally grown coffee!

After our bike tour, we had some free time before setting off on a sunset ATV tour that took us to some of the best view points overlooking Antigua!

Our favorite stop on the ATV tour was Hobbitenango, a fully designed shire created in the world of Lord of the Rings overlooking the scenic valley and volcanoes of Antigua.

That night we had dinner at the beautiful Antigua Brewing Company rooftop before heading back to our hotel to prepare for our big hike the next day!

Day 3: Volcano Hike & School Visit

The next morning we departed Antigua and headed to a rural school that CA Travelers funds to see the good work they are doing for the local students!

Our local guide Farah has worked super hard to be able to build a tour company in Guatemala that could then benefit a school district in need. Many of us were moved to tears when the students got up to speak and thanked Farah for her contributions!

After a snack at the school with everyone, we headed to the beginning of the trailhead for our volcano hike!

This hike is a super challenging, high altitude trek that brings you up close to an active volcano. Despite the extreme difficulty of the hike, my group crushed it! I was so proud of everyone!!

As we hiked, we were followed by an adorable array of stray dogs who hiked alongside us!

When we finally reached camp, it was too foggy to see anything whatsoever! We ate our dinner around the fire and eagerly waited for the fog to clear.

That night, the fog cleared and the stars were INCREDIBLE.

And we saw our first lava eruptions from an active volcano!!

Day 4: Volcano Campsite

The next morning, some of us opted to join for a challenging sunrise hike that came with spectacular views!

At 4am, our local guides woke us up and we began the climb to the volcano peak. It. Was. So. Hard. (And not to mention COLD!)

But getting to watch the sunrise over two volcanoes in Guatemala is a moment I’ll never forget.

*How great does Sage look at the top of the sunrise summit?!*

*Our mother & daughter duo crushing it on the sunrise hike!*

For the rest of the day, we relaxed at camp. Our hikers took an afternoon nap while others played cards and took pictures of the volcano which kept erupting every 15-30 minutes.

Tessa led some hilarious rooftop yoga while we overlooked the volcano. We drank box wine, enjoyed a bonfire and played several rounds of spoons up on the roof. We all had a good laugh as I attempted to fly to my drone (I’m not a very good pilot yet!) and get some videos of us hanging out at camp.

That night, we had one more dinner around the campfire and enjoyed a beautiful sunset!

Day 5: Travel to Lake Atitlan

The next morning, we began our hike down the volcano early!

After a few hours of scenic, sunny hiking, we reached the bottom of the volcano.

Then we were on our way to Lake Atitlan!

We arrived at the lake just in time to take a beautiful sunset boat ride to our lakeside resort.

6: Explore Lake Atitlan & Pub Crawl

The next morning, we had breakfast at the beautiful Sababa Resort.

For the rest of the day, we had free time with some great optional activities! Some of the group went parasailing while others explored town and shopped. Some of the girls swam and relaxed by the pool while others used the taxi boats to go village to village.

That evening, we all met back at the resort for sunset pictures before heading out on our pub crawl in San Pedro!

How beautiful do the girls look for our night out?!

Day 7: Cultural Boat Tour

The next day, we loaded up in a little boat and headed out to explore the neighboring villages and towns.

We had a blast cruising around the villages in tuk tuks with our local guides!

*How gorgeous is this dress Charlyn got during one of our shopping stops at Lake Atitlan?!*

Read: Wanderlust Group Trips: 10 Reasons To Join A Trip

We ended the day by driving back to Antigua and stopping for some local Guatemala fast food along our drive!

Day 8: Antigua

For our final two nights in Antigua, we stayed at an incredibly luxurious and unique 5 star hotel that was part spa and museum as well. This hotel is jaw-dropping and I was SO excited to have my group stay here.