
Western Highlands Holidays
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Your Western Highlands Holiday
Make organising your next big adventure easy with a Western Highlands holiday package. Whether it's the history, cuisine or something else that lures you here, our packages will help you discover it all. A trip to Western Highlands wouldn't be complete without exploring some of its most renowned cities, starting with Panajachel. Some of the top attractions here include Multiple Use Area Lake Atitlan Basin and Cerro Tzankujil. Quetzaltenango is another favourite city with Western Highlands travellers. Visitors to this exciting city love La Democracia Market and Parque Zoológico Minerva. Whether you're travelling for a couple of days or a couple of weeks, Expedia are here to help you organise your next dream Western Highlands holiday.
Western Highlands
Cultural experiences abound at towns steeped in Maya traditions, which lay nestled amid a breathtaking landscape of lakes, mountains and volcanoes.
Indigenous customs thrive in the towns and villages that dot the unblemished mountain countryside of Guatemala’s Western Highlands. Shop for souvenirs at market days, watch time-honored religious ceremonies, join hikes to volcano summits and rejuvenate the body at hot springs. The Western Highlands region stretches from Antigua to the Mexican border. Its natural beauty is made up of pine forests, placid lakes, lush green valleys and soaring mountains.
In Quetzaltenango (Xela), Guatemala’s second city, Maya customs blend harmoniously with colonial relics and a lively nightlife that buzzes with the energy of the large population of university students. Treks to Volcán Chicabal and Volcán Santa María present opportunities for outdoor adventure. Bathe in volcanically heated springs at Almolonga and Zunil. More Maya activities await in Olintepeque while San Francisco El Alto is popular for its markets.
Head into the Cuchumatanes mountain range, home to Central America’s tallest non-volcanic peaks. The lifestyle of the Mam people, who are Maya descendants, is visible in San Juan Atitan and Todos Santos Cuchumatan. Spot men wearing typical striped red shorts and women in purple huipiles (woven tunic).
Visit Chichicastenango, in the El Quiché department, for one of the country’s best craft markets. About an hour’s drive from here are the Maya ruins of K’umarkaaj. The villages of Nebaj, San Gaspar Chajul and San Juan Cotzal form the isolated Ixil Triangle. Ixil Maya heritage thrives here and native dialects are more common than Spanish.
Below El Quiché, volcanoes and the expansive Lake Atitlán dominate the Sololá Department. On the lake’s eastern shores, Sololá, Panajachel, Santa Catarina Palopo and San Antonio Palopo have thriving arts and crafts scenes. San Pedro la Laguna is a haven for backpackers and the jumping-off point for excursions to Volcán San Pedro. Browse Maya art in San Juan de la Laguna and join scuba-diving tours at Santa Clara la Laguna.
Guatemala City’s La Aurora International Airport is most visitors' entry point to Guatemala. The airport at Quetzaltenango also welcomes flights from major cities across the USA and Central America. Get around via the colourful intercity “chicken” buses for authentic travel adventures by road.
Western Highlands Essential Information
Language | Spanish |
---|---|
Currency | Guatemalan quetzals |
Local Welcome | ¡Hola! |
Local Goodbye | Adiós |
Closest Airport | Philip S. W. Goldson Intl. Airport (BZE) |
Top hotels in Western Highlands

Porta Hotel del Lago

Hotel y Cafe La Casa del Mundo
Reviewed on 16 Aug 2025

Kula Maya Boutique Hotel & Spa
Popular places to visit

Lake Atitlán
Mountainous treks, artistic pursuits and scuba diving; the towns, villages and volcanoes that surround this picturesque lake in Guatemala's highlands offer adventure and culture.

Panajachel Municipal Market
Experience some of Guatemala’s indigenous traditions as you browse the stalls of this colorful market and shop for handcrafted souvenirs and fresh produce.

Church of Saint Francis
Admire the art and architecture of the old Catholic church in Panajachel that is dedicated to the town’s patron saint.
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* Savings based on package bookings compared to the price of the same components booked separately. Savings not available on all packages. Flight-inclusive packages are ATOL protected.