Recently Viewed
Chichicastenango and Iximché Day Trip from Guatemala City
4.1
10 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.
Duration:
12 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Iximche - After pickup from your Guatemala City hotel, venture northwest approximately two hours to the dusty town of Tecpán. You’ll explore the famous archeological site with your knowledgeable guide, who will take you past ceremonial plazas, towering temples and ancient ball courts. Many of the sites you’ll see date back as far as 1400 BC. Spend some time exploring the grounds before heading to Chichicastenango.
- Mercado de Chichicastenango - Continue your day trip to Chichicastenango. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time as you walk through the town’s narrow cobblestone streets and past its red-tiled roofs. In the main town plaza, visit the famous Chichicastenango open-air market, filled with locally made products like ceramic pots, wood carvings and handmade goods, as well as fruits and vegetables. Browse the local wares and pick up a souvenir or two to take home!
- Santo Tomas Church - While you’re in the plaza, visit the Iglesia de Santo Tomas (Church of Santo Tomas), located on the east side of the plaza. Dating back to 1540, the church is often home to Mayan rituals. On the west side of the plaza, visit Calvary Church, a smaller version of Iglesia Santo Tomas.
You are free to eat lunch (at your own expense) after exploring the market. Once finished, enjoy convenient transportation back to your hotel.
What's Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Professional guide
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Experience Guatemala’s blend of Mayan heritage and vibrant culture on this full-day tour of Iximché and Chichicastenango. Delve into Mayan history with insights from your expert guide as you explore the Iximché archaeological site. In Chichicastenango, visit the bustling open-air market, famous for its wood crafts, ceramics, and more. You’ll also visit the Iglesia de 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.
Customer Ratings
4.1
(10 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
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
Bonnie
Nov 9, 2013
It was a great trip. The guide was... - <p>It was a great trip. The guide was amazing and he was very knowledgeable. We were pleasantly surprised when we found out we had a private tour. Thank you <br/>
Bonnie Lawrance</p>
Review provided by Viator
Klaus
Jun 5, 2013
Very interessting to see the local... - <p>Very interessting to see the local mayan people and their way of live. Same guide as in Copan.</p>
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
More activities from this operator
