Mountain biking tour

Meals included: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Hotel (Panajachel – 2nd night)     

Distance: 25 km – Elevation gain: +1100 m (3610 ft) / Elevation loss: –1500 m (4920 ft)

A half-day mountain biking trip in a spectacular setting: Lake Atitlán!

After a vehicle transfer to the highlands above the lake, we’ll follow the ridge trail offering breathtaking views over what Aldous Huxley and countless travelers have called “the most beautiful lake in the world.” We’ll then descend back toward the lakeshore along an impressive and vertiginous single track (–600 m / –1970 ft), overlooking the lake’s deep-blue waters — which reach depths of up to 300 m (984 ft).                             

Return to Panajachel and free afternoon. If you wish, it’s possible to visit some of the Maya villages scattered along the lakeshore, each renowned for its unique crafts and local traditions (on request).

Second overnight stay in Panajachel.

Meals included: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Ranch (Chiantla – 1st night)   

Distance: 30 km – Elevation gain: +800 m (2625 ft) / Elevation loss: –1100 m (3610 ft)

After breakfast, we’ll drive along the Pan-American Highway to our starting point at 2600 m (8530 ft), from where we’ll begin the stage with a climb to a mountain pass at 3000 m (9840 ft). We’ll then ride along the ridge separating the Lake Atitlán region from the Quetzaltenango area, before descending through a magnificent forest of giant cypress trees along a long and technical single track toward the vast Quetzaltenango Valley.

In the afternoon, vehicle transfer to the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes. This karstic mountain range rises between 1800 m (5905 ft) and 3900 m (12,800 ft), the result of tectonic uplift where continental plates converge. Its wide range of altitudes creates strikingly diverse vegetation zones. The Sierra de los Cuchumatanes is the highest non-volcanic mountain chain in all of Central America, offering landscapes unlike anywhere else in Guatemala — high plateaus dotted with massive agaves and pine forests.

Overnight in a rural horseback ranch at 3200 m (10,500 ft).

Meals included: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Ranch (Chiantla – 2nd night)     

Distance: 30 km – Elevation gain: +1000 m (3280 ft) / Elevation loss: –1600 m (5250 ft)

Across these high-altitude plains, only a few herds of sheep roam the vast open grasslands. We’ll start with a highland ride above 3000 m (9840 ft), before crossing a mountain pass at 3500 m (11,480 ft) — the highest point of the trip. Then comes a spectacular descent along a single track (some sections are quite steep), following the Limón River valley down toward the village of Todos Santos at 2500 m (8200 ft). In this remote Mam community, men proudly wear their traditional red-and-white striped pants and straw hats — a vivid reminder of Guatemala’s rich cultural diversity. Return transfer to the high plateau.

Second overnight stay at the ranch (alt. 3200 m / 10,500 ft).

Meals included: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Rural guesthouse (Acul)

Distance: 55 km – Elevation gain: +1200 m (3935 ft) / Elevation loss: –2500 m (8200 ft)

We set out by mountain bike for a grand traverse toward the remote Ixil region, located north of El Quiché. This off-the-beaten-path area is just beginning to see a few adventurous travelers venturing into its vast valleys separated by winding rivers. The Ixil Maya region includes three main villages: Acul, Chajul, and Nebaj. It remains one of the most isolated and authentic regions of Guatemala, where traditional dress is remarkably intricate and colorful.
Overnight stay on a working farm at 1900 m (6230 ft).

Meals included: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner
Accommodation: hotel (Chichicastenango).

Distance: 25 km – Elevation gain: +900 m (2950 ft) / Elevation loss: –1500 m (4920 ft) 

We climb back into the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes, reaching 2500 m (8200 ft), before embarking on a long, technical single-track descent toward the Río Negro at 1300 m (4265 ft), through a strikingly arid landscape dotted with cacti and sandy slopes—quite a contrast from the rest of the country.

In the afternoon, vehicle transfer to Chichicastenango (about 2 hours). Upon arrival, you’ll have time to witness the fascinating preparations for the town’s famous market.

Overnight in the highland village of Chichicastenango, located at 2100 m (6890 ft).

Meals included: Breakfast, picnic lunch
Accommodation: Hotel (Antigua – 1st night)   

Distance: 30 km – Elevation gain: +700 m (2950 ft) / Elevation loss: –1400 m (4920 ft)

The town of Chichicastenango is steeped in Maya-Quiché tradition. One of the few surviving pre-Columbian texts, the Popol Vuh—often described as the Maya “Bible”—was discovered here.
Today, the town is best known for its incredibly colorful markets and fascinating scenes of religious syncretism that unfold daily in and around its 16th-century colonial church. The church was built on the foundations of an ancient Maya temple; its stairway has 18 steps, one for each month of the Maya solar calendar.
As you wander through the narrow streets, you’ll experience one of the most famous handicraft markets in the region—a vibrant explosion of color and life. Vendors sell textiles, masks, incense, fruit, silverwork, and carved wooden figures. Among the most prized items are embroidered huipiles (women’s blouses) and traditional dancer masks.
Just a ten-minute walk from the center lies the town’s colorful cemetery, where you may witness Maya families performing ancestral ceremonies to honor their ancestors. Nearby, the Pascual Abaj hill serves as a sacred site for rituals that blend ancient Maya beliefs with Catholic elements.

In the afternoon, final mountain biking stage back toward Antigua, reaching a pass at 3000 m (9840 ft).
Overnight in the historic center of Antigua.

Meals included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel (Antigua – 2nd night)     
Guided visit in English included: Archaeological site and Tikal National Park
Included: Round-trip flight Guatemala City – Flores

At dawn, short transfer to Guatemala City Airport for the 6:30 a.m. flight to Flores (50 min). From there, you’ll cross the southern part of Tikal National Park on your way to the archaeological site—an opportunity to spot wildlife and admire the lush tropical forest.
Guided visit of Tikal with a specialist English-speaking guide. Tikal National Park is one of the rare UNESCO World Heritage Sites listed for both its natural and cultural value, thanks to its extraordinary biodiversity and its major archaeological importance. Once a powerful ceremonial center, occupied from the 9th century BCE to the 9th century CE, it lies within a vast 576 km² (222 mi²) tropical forest reserve
in Guatemala, and arguably in the entire Maya world. During the pre-Columbian era, this immense metropolis exerted political, economic, and cultural influence as far as the Mexican highlands. Your guide will help you discover the site’s remarkable flora and fauna: several monkey species, anteaters, over 300 species of birds, as well as deer and coatis. The reserve’s vegetation is equally diverse, with more than 200 tree species.
In the late afternoon, transfer back to Flores Airport for the return flight to Guatemala City, then overland transfer to Antigua.
Second night in the historic center of Antigua.

Meals included: Breakfast

Short transfer to Guatemala City Airport for your international departure (check-in three hours before the flight). Depending on your flight schedule, you may visit the city’s main museums (upon request). In that case, we recommend choosing flights departing in the mid- or late afternoon.