Guatemala travel guide: where to go & when

Destinations

Guatemala

Antigua

The ruined baroque capital of colonial Central America, with an erupting volcano close enough to watch from a tent.

✓ best Nov-Apr

Guatemala

Lake Atitlan (Panajachel)

A blue caldera lake under three volcanoes, ringed by Maya villages you reach by boat.

✓ best Nov-Apr

Guatemala

Quetzaltenango

Guatemala's highland second city: Spanish schools, a live volcano on the skyline, and K'iche' market towns in every direction.

✓ best Dec-Apr

Guatemala

Tikal (Flores)

The Maya world's greatest ruined city, its temple roofs breaking through the rainforest canopy and howler monkeys for a dawn chorus.

✓ best Jan-Feb

The sweet-spot windows

Good weather, thinner crowds, better prices: the windows worth aiming for.

Where	When	Why it works	Watch out for
Highlands (Antigua, Atitlan)	Nov-Apr	Dry season: clear volcano views, Antigua, Lake Atitlan	Sep wettest

Climate zones, month by month

Guatemala has 4 distinct climate zones. The right month depends on where in the country you're going.

Antigua Central Highlands →

Jan

24°

12°

5mm

2d rain

Feb

26°

12°

5mm

1d rain

Mar

28°

13°

10mm

2d rain

Apr

28°

14°

30mm

8d rain

May

27°

15°

130mm

20d rain

Jun

25°

15°

270mm

26d rain

Jul

25°

15°

200mm

23d rain

Aug

25°

15°

200mm

25d rain

Sep

24°

15°

280mm

26d rain

Oct

24°

14°

180mm

22d rain

Nov

24°

13°

35mm

9d rain

Dec

23°

12°

10mm

3d rain

September Wettest month: wettest. 280mm · 26 rainy days

✓ Best Nov-Apr · ✗ Avoid Sep

Conditions Jan Dry, spring-like · Feb Dry · Mar Dry & warm · Apr Dry, Semana Santa · May Wet starts · Jun Wet · Jul Brief showers · Aug Wet · Sep Wettest · Oct Wet easing · Nov Drying · Dec Dry

Watch for Jun, Sep monsoon flooding risk

Cards tinted by verified verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions

Lake Atitlan (Panajachel) Highlands →

Jan

26°

12°

2mm

1d rain

Feb

26°

12°

15mm

1d rain

Mar

27°

13°

15mm

4d rain

Apr

26°

14°

48mm

10d rain

May

26°

14°

137mm

23d rain

Jun

24°

15°

355mm

27d rain

Jul

25°

14°

174mm

26d rain

Aug

25°

14°

185mm

27d rain

Sep

24°

14°

328mm

28d rain

Oct

25°

14°

182mm

24d rain

Nov

25°

13°

38mm

11d rain

Dec

25°

12°

11mm

2d rain

June Wettest month. 355mm · 27 rainy days

✓ Best Nov-Apr · ✗ Avoid Jun, Sep

Watch for Jun, Sep monsoon flooding risk

Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions

Quetzaltenango Western Highlands →

Jan

22°

2°

20mm

2d rain

Feb

24°

3°

13mm

2d rain

Mar

26°

4°

42mm

5d rain

Apr

24°

6°

93mm

11d rain

May

23°

9°

254mm

23d rain

Jun

22°

9°

415mm

28d rain

Jul

22°

8°

269mm

27d rain

Aug

22°

9°

380mm

28d rain

Sep

21°

9°

448mm

29d rain

Oct

22°

8°

348mm

25d rain

Nov

21°

6°

122mm

12d rain

Dec

22°

3°

22mm

3d rain

September Wettest month. 448mm · 29 rainy days

✓ Best Dec-Apr · ✗ Avoid May-Oct

Watch for May-Oct monsoon flooding risk

Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions

Tikal (Flores) Peten →

Jan

28°

19°

91mm

13d rain

Feb

30°

19°

44mm

8d rain

Mar

35°

21°

53mm

7d rain

Apr

37°

24°

37mm

6d rain

May

37°

25°

116mm

13d rain

Jun

32°

24°

252mm

24d rain

Jul

29°

23°

173mm

24d rain

Aug

30°

23°

220mm

26d rain

Sep

30°

23°

245mm

26d rain

Oct

29°

23°

209mm

22d rain

Nov

28°

21°

217mm

16d rain

Dec

27°

19°

112mm

15d rain

June Wettest month. 252mm · 24 rainy days

✓ Best Jan-Feb · ✗ Avoid Jun

Watch for Apr-May extreme heat risk · Jun monsoon flooding risk

Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions