Day trips are a fantastic way to explore more of a region, especially when you are short on days in a country. The UNESCO World Heritage Antigua city is ideally located about an hour from Guatemala City and 2.5 hours from the popular Lake Atitlan. From Antigua, you have the choice of day trips to the lake, surrounding volcanos, Maya ruins, coffee farms, and more.

8 Best Day Trips from Antigua

• Hiking Pacaya Volcano – Pacaya is an active volcano that last erupted in 2021.
• Hobbitenango – This Lord of the Rings theme park has games, restaurants, hobbit holes, and the famous troll hand.
• Chichicastenango & Lake Atitlan – By doing a full-day tour you can visit both the sprawling and colorful Chichicastenango Maya Market and the incredibly beautiful Lake Atitlan area.
• Jocotenango (La Azotea) – By joining an Antigua ATV Coffee Tour you can visit this quaint town with coffee plantations and walls scattered with murals throughout the town.
• Antigua’s Various Fincas – The area has many impressive farms that you can visit with the popular ones being Caoba Farms, El Pilar, and Finca Filadelfia.
• Iximché Mayan Ruins – This Maya city is much smaller than the popular Tikal. Iximché is a well-preserved archeological site of the 15th-century capital of the Kaqchikel kingdom.
• Mixco Viejo Mayan Ruins – Mixco Viejo is another well-preserved Mayan city. Located in Chimaltenango, this city is about two hours from Antigua.
• Ciudad Vieja – This tour will include a visit to the idyllic indigenous villages that surround Antigua. In Ciudad Vieja, you’ll have an opportunity to learn about their culture, traditions, and history.