The Ultimate Adventure Through Guatemala

A brilliant trip from start to finish. Challenging, fun, energetic, and informative.

This trip has everything you want from an “Ultimate” adventure. There was such a diverse range of activities and experiences. The highlight was hiking up Acatenango with perfect views of the eruptions and a stunning sunrise. Tikal was also another highlight for me There is minimal downtime but 100% worth it! Get yourself to Guatemala

Guatemala should be on everyone’s list to visit! The highlights from this trip for me was the volcano hike (challenging but oh so rewarding!), sunrise at Tikal with all the jungle sounds and lake Atitlan. The last part of the trip involved a couple of long drives but this gave an opportunity to watch the village life through the window as well as beautiful landscapes. I wouldn’t change much in terms of itinerary but some aspects of the trip could do with some slight improvements. However, nothing took away from the experience I had, which was unforgettable!

The overall trip was absolutely amazing! The one major thing that I was disappointed in was not having a 2nd guide on the volcano hike to watch the backend of the group.

My partner and I just returned from an amazing 11-day trip to Guatemala – easily one of the best vacations we’ve ever taken. It was action-packed with diverse activities and minimal downtime, perfect for adventurous travelers. Highlights included a challenging but rewarding hike up Volcán Acatenango, with stunning views from one of the most picturesque base camps imaginable. We then relaxed at a gorgeous hotel on Lake Atitlán, surrounded by lush gardens and vibrant flowers overlooking the volcanoes. A short flight north took us to the rainforest, followed by a scenic multi-day bus journey back to Guatemala City with stops at dramatic caves and beautiful rivers for swimming and exploring. What truly made this trip unforgettable were our incredible guides, Joel and his brother Uriel. They were simply outstanding – warm, patient, genuinely kind, and deeply knowledgeable about Guatemala’s history, culture, wildlife, and geography. Their expertise and storytelling brought every location to life. They were highly skilled in leading hikes and activities, always prioritizing safety while giving us the freedom to enjoy the experience as capable adults. Their positive energy, sense of humor, and thoughtful attention to detail made every day more enjoyable. Joel and Uriel went above and beyond in every way – they are truly exceptional guides and wonderful people. The bus drivers and local guides were also professional, friendly, and reassuring; I never felt unsafe on roads or boats. If you’re looking for an immersive, adventurous experience showcasing Guatemala’s volcanoes, lakes, and jungles, I can’t recommend this trip highly enough!

This trip was an amazing introduction to the culture, landscapes, and people of Guatemala. The combined variety of active adventure, stunning wildlife and nature experiences, and opportunities to sample local cuisine and culture was well-balanced. It was the type of itinerary I wanted to add a day to each location because I enjoyed them so much, but I wouldn’t take away from anything to do so. Even the longer days on the bus allowed for an opportunity to get out of the touristy areas and see the countryside and pace of local life. There were large highlights like perfect weather conditions for sunrise at Acatenango and Tikal, and there were also small moments like the chorus of howler monkeys pre-dawn and morning light on the streets of Antigua that made this trip memorable.

Sights were fantastic. Joel was knowledgeable and entertaining.

Short 10 days, we covered everything — live volcano, Lake Atitlán, Tikal Mayan ruins, caving…The absolute highlight is a hiking up Acatenango for the best view of fabulous Volcano Fuego show, is demanding physically. It shoots up steep from get go, no relief. But the up close view of Fuego, so worth it!

Previous reviews have summed up this trip very well, so I don't need to repeat how fabulous the trip is, but I have a few things to add!

I would recommend arriving early to Antigua as it is amazing and nice to have extra time there.

I would have also added two extra days to this trip - one more night in Aticlan lake to enjoy the lake, sun and fabulous hotel and one more night at Tikal to get a second chance to catch the sunrise and to just enjoy being there.

Guatemala in November was colder than I expected! so pack jeans and a jumper for the evenings.

The hotels were excellent. The Casa del Parque hotel in Antigua, is, however, quite noisy [check google reviews!!] but we were fine with earplugs plus jetlag, so it wasn't a problem for us.

I would have loved a welcome dinner, even if the guide couldn't make it. Also, generally, it would have been nice to have suggestions for group dinners and maybe even have those booked, even if the guides didn't come. We had a bit of faffing trying to decide where to eat.

We also had a shared kitty for the many and various tips, and that worked excellently.

Take painkillers up the mountain for altitude headaches!

Speaking of the volcano trek, yes, it's challenging. I decided not to summit for the sunrise, and this was a great decision, as we had the MOST AMAZING sunrise from the camp.

The cycle ride was ok. I loved the places we visited, but it's a lot on very busy main roads with loads of exhaust fumes and traffic.

A surprise highlight was the caving, which was crazily amazing. That was followed by the trip to Semuc Champey which was also incredible.

The things we saw and did were basically wonderful.

For me, this trip was a once in a lifetime kind of adventure. Watching an active volcano erupt at night is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Lake Atitlan is a slice of paradise and Tikal and the caves brought us closer to the Mayan culture. The activities were the right level of challenging - we mostly split into smaller groups so no one felt pressure and you can often opt out of activities (although I suggest you do them all!). Our main guide Joel, who was with us throughout, was fantastic. He ensured we all felt safe, answered any doubts we had and most importantly made sure we enjoyed ourselves. All our guides (Willy, Rolando, Javi y Joel) really went above and beyond to make this a magical trip. I’m already thinking of when I might go back to Guatemala.

Had a great time on this trip with a fab group and guide Joel! This was my first group trip and really enjoyed the mix of activities we did.

The hike up Acetenango was hard mainly because it is very steep from the beginning but the group sets a good pace and there are regular stops. The base camp is facing Fuego with amazing views of the eruptions at night and so loud they wake you up regularly! The walk down is hard on the thighs over the next couple of days but there's a chance to relax at the beautiful Lake Atitlán.

I added a couple of days on at the end back at Antigua which I enjoyed as a relaxing time after the trip, but can also do beforehand.

Fuego is stunning, reliably blowing her top every 10 mins and providing a spectacle that can be seen in few other places on earth.

While volcanic eruptions and the awe-inspiring Mayan ruins at Tikal rightly grab the headlines, there's so much more to enjoy on this trip along the way. The stunning lake Atitlán, kayaking and hike there are all wonderful. And the caving experience at Semuc Champey exceeded expectations several times over.

To echo what others have said, Ibuprofen works wonders for the dull, altitude-induced headache you might experience on Volcán Acatenango. The bus transfer times don't feel as bad as they look on paper - there are plenty of snack & toilet stops and a bit of bus-karaoke works wonders to pass the time (thanks to our amazing DJ!).

In summary, make sure you're fully charged and don't worry too much about sleep for the week - Guatemala Ultimate Adventure is an amazing trip that won't leave you feeling short changed.

The Ultimate adventure through Guatemala was amazing with great highlights, like exploding Fuago, Tikal, caving, lake Atitlan. A few twikes might make it perfect, like more free time in Tikal before going to Flores, highlighting that there isn't alot of time in Antigua if you arrive late on first day, changing the Glamping in caves area. But I atill has a great time, our local guide was great, and group was amazing

Great trip to all the important landmarks.

We got really lucky with Fuego on our hike and had a fantastic time. The hike is hard but totally manageable especially if you take your time. The guides are great and will make sure everyone is ok.

Big shout out to the guides (wily, Rollo, javi) in general, especially our lead guide Joel! Really cool guy, who handled whatever we came up with so smoothly!

Would be nice to add a welcome and good bye dinner to the itinary - we had to organize that ourselves. The vibe of the group is just way more relaxed meeting over dinner than over breakfast in the morning of the first day.

This was a special holiday for a special birthday and was completely amazing. I’m staggered how much we saw and did and how much fun we had along the way. I couldn’t recommend the country, the local guides or MBA enough and am already looking forward to planning the next adventure.

Thanks for an amazing 10 days, wonderful group and well organised. Deffinitly recommend MBA again

From the minute our tour started we were well looked after, the guides were amazing and the whole group were great fun…. The cycling, the hiking, the kayaking and early morning sunrises were fantastic. Well within our capabilities and tho sometimes challenging we were well supported and we all had a great sense of achievement… loved it… now looking for the next adventure… thanks guys… u nailed it…

This was an amazing trip with the best guides we could have asked for. Our lead guide, Daniel, was fantastic, he's so kind, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. As a solo female traveller, I was a little nervous about travelling alone but once I met Daniel, the team and the rest of the group, I felt completely comfortable. The trip itself and all of the locations were absolutely stunning.

The Acatenango hike is tough and very steep, but it’s definitely doable if you already have a decent level of fitness, though I’d recommend lots of stair-master training beforehand! Daniel and Willy set the perfect pace for the group. They were always checking in, making sure we had enough water and snacks and offering encouraging words along the way. They are so knowledgeable about the history of Guatemala and the best things to see and do, so it was great to chat with them during the hike. We were a mix of abilities and ages but we really felt like a team, encouraging each other all the way and we all made it to base camp with tired legs but smiles on our faces. August is in the middle of the rainy season in Guatemala, so unfortunately the weather wasn’t on our side so we weren’t able to summit. Despite that, we still hiked to a beautiful viewpoint and saw a fantastic sunrise, which was a real highlight.

Another highlight for me was visiting Lake Atitlán, it is honestly the most beautiful place I have ever been, I was so glad we had two nights there, it was much needed after the tough hike! Tikal National Park and Semuc Champey were also incredible.

Of course, there is some travel time during this trip with an internal flight and long road journeys but that’s part of the adventure, it allows you to see a lot of Guatemala in a relatively short time.

This is a very action-packed and busy holiday but I came home with so many amazing memories. Everyone in the group was sad to leave and I will definitely be back. A huge thank you again to Daniel, he was the best guide we could have hoped for and he really made the trip so much fun!

We arrived from a fantastic MBA trip in the Galapagos Islands and had high expectations for this trip but found the communication, itinerary and guide’s attitude very disappointing. The trip is outsourced to a local company and involves 2 non days at the beginning and end of the tour (there is not even a welcome dinner on “day1” ) and 3 days lost to traveling between attractions so the 11 day trip contains less than 6 days of activity. Very few meals are included although meals are eaten together (mostly at ordinary fast food outlets). The description of “glamping” is a stretch (sleeping bag in a tent and a communal stinky, long- drop toilet). The sub-section guides for Tikal and Sumac-Champey were excellent, the main guide however seemed overly interested in impressing the young female members of the group and ignored requests to drop back and accompany the back of the group on a night hike (the hike being lead by the Tikal guide). Although we are perfectly capable hikers, we had issues with keeping up with the pace set by the lead guide. As an indication to others, the next slowest to us was a woman in her 30s in training for her 12th marathon. We tried to communicate our issues with MBA but received a gas-lighting email, claiming that our guide was “trained in assessing the fitness of the guests “. The group ran down the Volcano “hike “ in under 90mins… we suggest steer clear of this trip unless you are an elite athlete and like spending 10-12 hours in a bus on the travel days (optimistically written up as 6-7 hours on the website).

If you’re thinking about booking this trip, do it. I came in hoping to see volcanoes, ruins, and jungle, and the experience went way beyond that. This was my first time in Guatemala, and the itinerary gives you a bit of everything like hiking, kayaking, even caving with a candle in your hand. It’s fast-paced but never hectic. A few highlights: the Acatenango hike, of course, and Lake Atitlán, which was the perfect reset. Great coffee, fresh coconuts, and dips in the water made me want to pause life for a bit. Semuc Champey was pure magic. Floating in turquoise pools and wading through candlelit caves with water up to your chest? Wild, weird, and unforgettable.

Joel, our main guide, and Gilberto were legends!! Grounded, kind, and totally in tune with the group. They made sure everyone felt safe, looked after, and part of it all.

If you’re into nature, culture, adventure, and a little sweat, this trip nails the balance. I left feeling like I actually experienced Guatemala, not just passed through it.

This is a great way to see this beautiful country. The itinerary is packed but well paced and varied, hitting all of the highlights of Guatemala. The volcano hike is tough - maybe more than the moderate rating and we didn’t see an eruption or get to summit due to weather, so be aware that these things are not guaranteed. It was still a great experience though! And relaxing on Lake Atitlan afterwards was perfect. Tikal was magical, Flores was so pretty and you finish on a high with Semuc Champey. The cave swimming by candlelight is not for the faint hearted but was an unforgettable experience. Great group, great laughs, loved it!

I had the time of my life on this adventure through Guatemala. I really felt like I got to experience all of the best parts of Guatemala, getting to know a wonderful group of people, both the guides and the other travelers. The team perfectly orchestrated this trip piece by piece, so that I always knew where I needed to be, and what I needed to bring, I was whisked away on an adventure, and when we got back, there was the bus with my stuff and a Gallo. All the details were taken care of. Jose was a joy to be around, an incredibly qualified guide, and always so responsible and on top of everything, handling every possible problem with a smiling friendly attitude. Gilberto was an absolute highlight of our trip. I underestimated the challenge that Acatenango volcano would be. I consider myself moderately fit, I hike many 4000-footers in the White Mountains every summer, generally comfortable doing 10-miles-a-day with decent elevation gain on an active vacation, I wasn't concerned with keeping up on this trip, but I wasn't expecting the way that in Guatemala there are no flat trails! That particular day the hike starts on a steep incline and stays steep for almost the entire duration. The hike is billed as a 7-hour hike, but much of our group was very fit and did it in about 4 hours. Gilberto hung out with me and the other couple slower hikers, kept our spirits always up, encouraged us to take our time, that we were in no rush, and pointed out landmarks and gave us information about Guatemala the whole way up. I feel like the fast ones missed out. Plus he cooked us the best chicken I might have ever eaten in my life (though it was after the Acatenango hike, so I might be real biased). The Acatenango hike was absolutely my favorite part of the trip. And the Semuc Champay trip was so special! The candle-lit cave tour was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we all came out of it awed by beauty, and impressed by our own bravery. I've seen other reviews complain about the travel days, but I wasn't really bothered by them. The team did a great job of breaking up travel with short activities, and when we did the longer travel days we really felt like we needed the rest. (Like after that volcano hike!) The travel enabled us to truly see some incredible diversity of the country, and I thought it was amazing. Just a completely wonderful vacation.

First time traveling with MBA but definitely not the last!

I’ve traveled to over 80 countries around the world in just about every style, solo, as a couple, in groups, on adventurous treks, and everything else in between. My experience with MBA has truly stood out among them all.

From the initial booking to the final departure, everything was flawlessly organized. The accommodations exceeded expectations, including a luxurious 5-star hotel stay on the final night, which was a real treat and far beyond what most adventure tour companies offer at a similar price point. Airport pickup and drop-off were also included, which made navigating a foreign arrival much easier and stress-free.

Our guides, Joel and Gilberto, were fantastic. Not only were they incredibly knowledgeable and professional, but also patient, personable, and always attentive. They consistently went above and beyond to make sure everyone felt welcomed, informed, and engaged.

The itinerary was thoughtfully curated, striking a perfect balance between cultural immersion and adventure. Each day was filled with memorable experiences, and I never felt rushed — just genuinely connected to the country and its people.

MBA has set a new benchmark for group travel. I’m already looking forward to my next adventure with them!

I would definitely recommend this trip to anyone thinking about visiting Guatemala. The trip was well planned, the accommodation was great and Daniel and Joel did a great job as guides. Fuego and Lake Atitlan were my standout highlights. A half day of downtime at lake Atitlan or Flores, worked into the itinerary, would be great to help break up the bulk of the traveling in the second half of the trip. All up, a great experience and wonderful place to visit 🩵🌋🇬🇹

I had some incredible experiences on this trip. The view of Fuego was probably one of the most awe-inspiring sights I've been lucky enough to take in.

Sadly the experience was made much more stressful than it needed to be thanks to poor communication from the tour organisers.

The timings for travel are also wildly optimistic. This can easily be proven with 30 seconds on Google Maps. One day we were in the van for almost 12 hours including breaks - this gave the experience a very relentless feeling.

The trip was over my expectations, everything was well planned, the accomodations amazing and the restaurants proposed were outstanding. I enjoyed a lot with the group and our guide, Daniel, was friendly aknowledgeble and incredibly enthusiast letting us have fun all the time. A great experience

I was a bit unsure what to expect from this trip, but was sad it was over by the end. Antigua, Acatenango, Flores, Tikal and Laquin were all so great. It was very well organised and could tell there was a lot of effort put into the transport/hotels/activities etc. There was also a good variety of things to do as a group. I would highly recommend if you're considering. I want to thank our guides Daniel, Joel and Javier for their efforts. It was quite tiring by the end as there's pretty much something to do every morning/evening and a good few early mornings with some very long bus rides. Cons would have to be that we went to two steak houses for lunch/dinner despite a couple of us being vegetarian. Also the caving on the penultimate day was a lot deeper than mentioned. At some points we were wading through the water, holding onto a rope overhead and none of us could actually touch the rock at the bottom. Felt a bit too dodgy at times. Could possibly consider cutting the caving and avoiding the two very long bus trips. Overall though, loved it

Guatemala is such a beautiful country and this trip lets you see alot of it. My group were great and the guides Daniel and Joel took good care of us. Acatenango is tough but worth it, we saw Fuego erupt and its an experience i'll never forget. Everywhere we went was stunning, Tikal is incredible.

My only negative, i really didnt enjoy the wet cave at Semuc Champey and feel it needs to be better desribed as if i'd known it was more like potholing i'd have sat it out. Others enjoyed it though, just not for me, would rather have made an informed choice.

Would def recommend Guatemala and this trip

Three cheers for the guides, Pepian Daniel Javi, on this trip. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

This is my first group travel trip with Much Better Adventures and it exceeded my expectations from the variety of fun and adventurous activities and the opportunity to explore parts of the country that is not your typical itinerary. I appreciate our lead guide, Diego for bringing his optimism and energetic personality throughout the 10 days and showing us little secret gems that would have been missed if I were to travel solo or without a guide. Diego was an excellent guide who ensured our safety and comfort. He truly went above and beyond to accommodate us throughout the trip. Our assistant guide for the activities early in the itinerary, Daniel was also a gem to have along the journey. He enhanced the group's experience through many stories and cultural facts wherever we went and that provided an invaluable experience I do not believe I could get anywhere else. He was very patient, kind, encouraging and funny even through some of the strenuous and stressful parts of the trip e. g Acatenango hike. It was a pleasure to travel with these two amazing guides and I'm truly grateful to have them along my journey.