Antigua Guatemala is the best-preserved colonial city in Latin America. Tourists visit every year from around the world to enjoy its natural beauty and historic monuments. The Spanish Colonial style permeates every part of the town: its houses, churches, squares, parks and ruins, also its traditions and folklore. Antigua is a city of charm and color with an overwhelming variety of attractive, handmade products that honor the traditions of generations of artisans. Start with a 3–hour walking tour with a visit to La Merced Church, one of the most important churches in Antigua. Explore one of the distinguishable landmarks in Antigua Guatemala, Santa Catalina Arch. Built in the 17th century, originally it was connected to the convent of Santa Catalina, allowing the cloistered nuns to pass from one building to the other without going out on the street. Walk through Central Park to appreciate the The Cathedral of San Jose. The original church was built around 1541, but suffered several earthquakes throughout its history, and the first church building was demolished in 1669. The cathedral was rebuilt and consecrated in 1680. By 1743 the cathedral was one of the largest in Central America. Continue to a Jade Factory where you can appreciate the sacred stone of the Mayan civilization. After some free time to buy souvenirs, return to Puerto Quetzal to board your cruise.

Meet your guide at the meeting point and start the tour at the Central Park with an introduction to the Guatemalan gastronomy history. You will walk to Antigua's food market to learn about the history of the grains, vegetables and fruits used in traditional cooking. Admire the architecture of the colonial city of Antigua as you walk through the streets. You will have the opportunity learn how to make corn tortillas from local people. Then you will taste local dishes and learn about their history, and the fusion of pre-Columbian cuisine with ingredients of Spanish and Arabic origin. Most of the dishes are made with vegetables, meats and spices. Visit a famous restaurant known for its variety of local dishes. Discover what kitchens were like in ancient times, and taste a delicious Guatemalan dessert. Then you will continue to a typical Guatemalan candy shop where you can taste handmade candies and made from local ingredients. Afterwards, you will walk to the Santa Catalina Arch. Next you will visit La Merced Church, an amazing Baroque church and one of the most recognizable buildings in Antigua. At the end of your tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel.

Enjoy a day discovering the sights and sounds of Antigua. This program is part of Guatemala’s Traditional One Day Tours. You will have the chance to see some of the most important cultural and historic sights of Antigua on this full-day tour. The tour can begin from Antigua Guatemala or Guatemala City depending on where you are staying. You will begin your day with a visit to el Cerro de La Cruz where you will experience magnificent views of Antigua. Next you can enjoy Guatemala's rich culture by visiting some Antigua's cultural highlights. You will travel to the Plaza Central to see The Cathedral, San Francisco Church, La Merced, Calle del Arco, Museo del Jade, and Casa Santo Domingo. In the afternoon you will get the chance to see the coffeemaking process of one of the best coffee plantations in the world and even have the opportunity to taste this world renowned coffee. Detailed Itinerary 08:00: Transfer from Guatemala City to Antigua Guatemala. 09:00: Upon arrival, visit Cerro de la Cruz, where you can appreciate the beauty of this colonial city. Transfer to the main plaza of Antigua Guatemala. 10:15: Visit the most important and significant attractions of the city including Antigua’s most beautiful churches, monasteries and important monuments. 13:00: Have lunch in one of the exquisite restaurants of the city. 14:15: Coffee Tour where guests can learn about coffee processing and taste a cup of Guatemalan coffee. 17:00: Transfers back to your Hotel in Antigua or Guatemala City.

You will be picked up at your hotel in Guatemala City before transferring to Antigua Guatemala to meet your local guide and begin your soft walking of approximately 3 hours. Below is a brief summary of the attractions you will see on your way: La Merced Church of Guatemalan Ultrabaroque style. This temple has two bell towers and on the facade of the church in its upper part is a sculpture of San Pedro Nolasco, founder of the Mercedarian Order.Santa Catalina Arch. Built to connect the nuns between cloisters to avoid being seen due to the votes that the religious order took. After the earthquakes of 1773, the arch became important due to the alterations that were made. These alterations included the construction of a turret and the inclusion of a Lamy Amp Lacroix clock of French origin.Central Park. Situated in the traditional grid pattern used frequently in urban planning in the Spanish colonies. The park is surrounded by the Palace of the General Captains, the Town Hall, the Cathedral of San Jose, and the Trade Portal. Here in the park, you will also find the Las Sirenas fountain. This fountain has a traditional folk story where the Count of La Gomera ordered the fountain to be built in memory of his daughters, who in giving birth did not want to breastfeed their children. The count then ordered his daughters to be tied to a trunk in the center of a waterhole, where they died of thirst and hunger. You will continue your tour with a visit the La Unión tank, which is one of the most iconic laundries in this city (only the big houses possessed laundry facilities). For this reason, most of the inhabitants (housewives) went to public laundries. This was inaugurated on February 3, 1853. You will then be given time for lunch (not included).  You will then transfer to Guatemala City to start your sightseeing tour through this city. First you will visit Las Americas avenue. The road in its central garden has several Plazas and monuments in honor of the countries of the American continent.  Continue to Berlin Plaza where there are three pieces of concrete brought from Germany. These are original sections of the Berlin Wall and from here, you can view part of the city and the landscape of the volcanoes.  Next you will visit La Reforma. It was built inspired by the avenues of France and for this reason, various statues carved in stone, bronze, and marble were brought from Italy. The next attraction is Yurrita Church. This is a private chapel of mixed Baroque style, with Romanesque and Byzantine elements. The church was built as a votive offering by Felipe Yurrita, a native of Arevalo, Castilla, Spain, to the Virgin of Our Lady of Sorrows, patron of that town, for favors received (in particular, for saving her life during the eruption of the volcano Santa Maria). At the Civic Center of the City, you will see a set of buildings constructed between the 50s and 60s: The Supreme Court of Justice, the Ministry of Public Finance, City Hall, the Social Security, the Bank of Guatemala, the National Mortgage Bank, and the Guatemalan Tourism Commission.  You will then arrive at the Major Plaza of the Constitution. This Plaza is the heart of the Historic Center of the city. It is surrounded by important monuments such as the National, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Portal of Commerce and Centenarian Park. The tour includes a visit to the Central Market, which is located behind the Metropolitan Cathedral, in the basement of the Tabernacle Plaza. There, visitors can buy a variety of art and handicrafts from all over the country; ceramics, textiles, leather, wood, and silver. At the end of the walking tour, head back to your hotel in Guatemala City.