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Capital · Guatemala

Guatemala CityCiudad de Guatemala

Land, sleep one night in Zona 10 or Zona 4, see the historic centre by day, then shuttle to Antigua (about 1 h, US$8–12).

Weather
see forecast
Currency
GTQ
Best months
Nov–Apr (dry season)
avoid May–Oct (rain, heaviest Jun and Sep)
Airport
GUA
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 6Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua (CA-4) giv…
  • Central America ↗Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua (CA-4) give one shared entry allowance, usually 90 days in total; leaving for Belize, Costa Rica or Mexico and coming back does not always reset it — check with immigration before a long stay.
  • Central America ↗Cross land borders in daylight and early in the day; many posts close or empty of transport by late afternoon, and the approaches are where robberies happen.
  • Central America ↗Several borders charge entry, exit or municipal fees in US dollars (Belize exit, Nicaragua entry and exit, Honduras entry); carry small, clean US notes and ask for a receipt.
  • Guatemala ↗Check entry rules for your passport with Guatemala's Migration Institute or a Guatemalan consulate. Guatemala shares a Central America border agreement (CA-4) with El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, so your permitted stay may count across all four.
  • Guatemala ↗Hike volcanoes (Acatenango, Pacaya) only with registered guides and check eruption alerts; Fuego is highly active.
  • Guatemala ↗Avoid public chicken buses between cities: they are frequent targets of robbery. Use tourist shuttles or private transport.

Guatemala City is the country's transport hub and its largest city, not the reason most people come. La Aurora airport (GUA) is 45 km from Antigua, so a night here is often forced by flight times. The old centre (Zona 1) has the palace, cathedral and market; Zona 10 has the hotels and restaurants. Two nights is enough to see it properly, and most travellers use it as a stop, not a base.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Guatemala City, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeQ15–35
  • Street or quick mealSet lunch (almuerzo)Q35–70
  • Beerlocal in a bar / shopQ25–45Q12–20
  • Taxi, about 5 km5 km taxi or UberQ40–80
  • Metro or bus rideTransmetro card (Q20, includes 5 trips)Q20
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entry (Popol Vuh, Ixchel, palace)Q40–80
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personGTQ 90
  • Mid-range bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomGTQ 500
  • High-end bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomGTQ 900

A day, not counting the bed: Budget GTQ 300 · Mid GTQ 650 · High GTQ 1,400

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Palacio Nacional de la CulturaPlaza Mayor and Metropolitan CathedralMuseo Popol Vuh and Museo IxchelZona Viva nightlifeGateway to Antigua and the highlands
Airports
GUA La Aurora International (Zona 13, about 15–25 min to Zona 10 by taxi; fixed-price airport taxis cost roughly US$12 to Zona 10.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Guatemala City: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

24°C

13°C

2 rd

Feb

26°C

14°C

3 rd

Mar

27°C

15°C

3 rd

Apr

28°C

16°C

6 rd

May

27°C

17°C

15 rd

Jun

26°C

17°C

22 rd

Jul

25°C

16°C

20 rd

Aug

26°C

17°C

20 rd

Sep

25°C

16°C

22 rd

Oct

25°C

16°C

15 rd

Nov

24°C

15°C

6 rd

Dec

24°C

14°C

3 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Zones are numbered, not named: Zona 1 is the old centre, Zona 10 the hotel district. Transmetro BRT (green buses) and Transurbano (blue-white) need a pre-paid card — cash is not accepted on board. Uber and app taxis work well; metered Amarillo taxis are booked by phone (1766). Avoid the old red city buses.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
Antigua Guatemalago

Door to door: 1–1.5 h

Tourist shuttle from Zona 10 or the airport, or chicken bus from Terminal Trebol

Shuttles run several times a day, roughly 06:00–20:00, US$8–12 per person.

Chimaltenango

caution

Door to door: 1.5–2 h

Chicken bus from Terminal Trebol along the Inter-American Highway

A market town on the way west; go only if you are heading that way anyway.

Cobán

overnight

Door to door: 5–6 h

Pullman bus from Zona 1 or Centra Norte

Too far for a day return; sleep in Cobán.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Zona 10 (Zona Viva)

Hotels, restaurants, bars, malls; safest and easiest base for one or two nights.

Zona 4

Near the national theatre and INGUAT; quieter, walkable to Zona 1 by day.

Zona 1 (Centro Histórico)

Palace, cathedral, market; cheapest beds, but streets empty out after dark — use taxis at night.

Zona 13

Around the airport; practical for a very early flight only.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
Q250–450 excl. bed
Mid
Q450–900 excl. bed
High
Q900+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range double room1 × 1 night × GTQ 500GTQ 500
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × GTQ 650GTQ 1,300
Airport taxi to Zona 10, one way2 × GTQ 90GTQ 180
Shuttle to Antigua, one way2 × GTQ 75GTQ 150
eSIM, about a week of data2 × GTQ 150GTQ 300
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeGTQ 243
Trip total≈ GTQ 1,337 per person per day, bed includedGTQ 2,673

2026 estimate in quetzales; flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

CoffeeQ15–35
Set lunch (almuerzo)Q35–70
Beer: local in a bar / shopQ25–45 / Q12–20
5 km taxi or UberQ40–80
Transmetro card (Q20, includes 5 trips)Q20
Museum entry (Popol Vuh, Ixchel, palace)Q40–80

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Guatemala City is the country's most crime-affected area: stay in Zona 10, Zona 4 or Zona 13, move by taxi or Uber after dark, and treat Zona 1 as a daytime-only stop.
  • Do not walk the centre after dark; take a taxi or Uber even for short hops.
  • Use only app, hotel or metered taxis; unlicensed white taxis are a known risk.
  • Keep phones and bags out of sight in Zona 1 and around bus terminals.
  • Afternoon rain May–Oct floods roads; build slack into airport runs.
  • ATMs and currency exchange are before customs at GUA — change money before you exit.

Emergency numbers

Police
110
Tourist assistance (INGUAT)
1500

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Guatemala CityCiudad de Guatemala

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

A esta dirección, por favorTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police110
  • Tourist assistance (INGUAT)1500

Embassy

Most embassies are in Zona 10, Zona 14 and Zona 15; the US embassy is in Zona 16 (check the address before you go).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Airport → Zona 10, fixed-price taxi: about US$12
  • Shuttle Guatemala City → Antigua: US$8–12, about 1 h
  • Transmetro single trip after the card's 5 free rides: Q1

Say or show

  • Buenos días — Good morning (BWEH-nos DEE-as)
  • ¿Cuánto cuesta? — How much is it? (KWAN-to KWES-ta)
  • A esta dirección, por favor — To this address, please (a ES-ta di-rek-SYON por fa-VOR)
  • Necesito ayuda — I need help (ne-se-SEE-to a-YU-da)
  • ¿Dónde está el baño? — Where is the toilet? (DON-de es-TA el BA-nyo)
  • ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? — Can I pay by card? (PWE-do pa-GAR kon tar-HE-ta)

Zones are numbered; give the zona with every address.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Guatemala City. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Nov–Apr (dry season) · avoid May–Oct (rain, heaviest Jun and Sep) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 3 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. An airport-to-bed path that says whether a late landing still works
  2. Walking clusters with bag rules
  3. Day plans checked against opening hours
  4. Field-verified times and fares

Meanwhile

Back to Guatemala

Sources