Trip readiness checklist for Guatemala
Guatemala is Maya heartland with a Spanish colonial overlay, and daily life still follows the older calendar in more ways than one. Here's the trip-readiness checklist for Guatemala: what to pack, when to go, entry rules for your passport, and the official sources to confirm before you fly.
Build my checklistWhat to pack
Guatemala is volcanoes, Mayan culture, and colourful highlands. Pack layers for the cool highlands, sturdy shoes, and modest, respectful clothing for villages and markets.
Layers for the highlands
Antigua and Lake Atitlán are high and cool, especially at night; lowlands and Tikal are hot.
Sturdy walking/hiking shoes
Volcano hikes and cobbled towns are hard on flimsy shoes.
Modest, respectful clothing
Indigenous communities are traditional; dress modestly and ask before photographing people.
Sun protection and insect repellent
Strong highland sun; mosquitoes in the lowlands.
When to go
The dry season (Nov–Apr, 'verano') is peak and sunniest; Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Antigua is spectacular and packed. The wet season (May–Oct) is green with afternoon rains.
Money & getting around
Guatemala uses the quetzal (GTQ). Cash is essential for markets, villages, and small towns; cards work in cities and tourist spots. Carry small notes. Tipping ~10%. Use registered shuttles or trusted transport between regions.
Local quirks worth knowing
Guatemala is Maya heartland with a Spanish colonial overlay, and daily life still follows the older calendar in more ways than one.
Market days move town to town
Chichicastenango is Thursday and Sunday; Sololá is Tuesday and Friday. Check before you drive two hours for an empty square.
Greet before you ask
A buenos días to the shopkeeper, the guard, the bus driver. Launching straight into a question reads as rude.
Chicken buses are for the story
Cheap, loud and packed; fine for short hops in daylight with nothing valuable on you. Use shuttles between towns.
Quetzales, small bills
Twenty-quetzal notes are what markets and tuk-tuks can change. Many ATMs give hundreds; break them at a supermarket.
Ask before photographing ceremonies
Church steps and market rituals are worship, not a show. Some communities charge; most just want to be asked.
A week in Guatemala, the list starts here
Quantities scale with your dates, the weather groups arrive once we have your travel days, and your own plans add their gear on Trip Pass.
- Passport & travel documents1
- Phone charger & adapter1
- Wallet, cards & some local cash1
- Toiletries bag1
- Any daily medicationsenough for the trip
- Underwear7
- Socks7
- T-shirts / tops5
What am I forgetting?
A real answer from Trip Happens for a sample week in Guatemala, departing in five weeks with a checked bag and nothing packed yet. Yours is built from your own trip.
A week in Guatemala, five weeks out, bag still empty.
- 1.
A proper rain layer
You land in late October, the tail of the wet season, when afternoon rain is the norm. Pack a light waterproof shell and shoes that dry, not just the comfortable everyday pair on your list.
- 2.
Small quetzal notes
Cards work in Guatemala City and tourist spots, but markets, villages and small towns run on cash. Plan how you'll get quetzales and keep small denominations on you.
- 3.
Health prep, started now
Thirty-five days is enough lead time for travel health advice, and less so later. Open the health card and work from its official source rather than guessing, and check your own medication supply covers the full week.
Entry, advisories & health
These change. Confirm at the official source before you book.
Entry and visa requirements depend on your nationality. Confirm the current rules for Guatemala with the official source below before you book.
U.S. State Department travel advisory for Guatemala — check the current level and any alerts before you go.
CDC traveler health page for Guatemala — recommended vaccines, health notices, and a packing checklist.
Get the full Guatemala checklist
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