Half-Day Guatemala City Explorer Tour

Visit Guatemala City (its official name is La Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción), the cultural, religious, and business center of Guatemala. On this day you will appreciate the panoramic view of the colonial architecture combined with modern buildings, important museums, and historical monuments. You will be picked up in your hotel in Guatemala City by your tour guide to start your sightseeing through the city. Below a brief summary of what to expect on your way. Start at Las Americas Avenue, named after the reform that led to the formation of the Organization of American States in 1948. Continue to Berlin Plaza for a view of part of the city and the landscape of the Pacaya volcano. You will also see La Reforma. This was inspired by the avenues of France and for this reason, various statues carved in stone, bronze, and marble were brought from Italy. You will also see Yurrita Church, which 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). This was in return for favors received — in particular, for the saving of her life during the eruption of the volcano Santa Maria. Continue onwards to the city's civic center, a mishmash of state buildings constructed in the middle of the 20th century, including the Supreme Court, City Hall, and the Bank of Guatemala; decorated with impressive high relief murals by Dagoberto Vasquez which detail's the country's history. You will then arrive at the Major Plaza of the Constitution, surrounded by important monuments such as the beautiful National Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and Centenarian Park. Nearby is the abstractly adorned National Library and the General Archive of Central America. Finally, you will visit the Central Market, which is located behind the Metropolitan Cathedral, in the basement of the Tabernacle Plaza. At the end of this sightseeing tour you will be transferred back to your hotel.