Apart from the many activities with a Mayan connection, Guatemala offers great hiking and climbing in the highlands and the volcanoes surrounding Lago de Atitlán and Antigua. Contact your embassy or consulate in Guatemala City for information on the current safety of particular areas before setting out. Keep an eye out for the elusive national bird, the quetzal, when birdwatching around Tikal National Park or Lago de Atitlán. Spanish language courses are a popular feature of Antigua and Quetzaltenango.

Semana Santa (Holy Week - the week before Easter) is Guatemala's biggest festival, featuring processions and celebrations throughout the country - Antigua's fiesta is said to be the best. Rabin Ajau, held throughout the Verapaces, most impressively in Cobán, is a traditional Q'eqchi' (Kekchi) Maya festival which runs from July 21-26. Independence Day is celebrated nationwide in September. November features All Saints' Day, and Chichicastenango commemorates Santo Tomás from December 13-21.