What does a trip to and in Guatemala cost? What are the biggest expenses you will incur and what costs should you consider?
In this overview, we make a split between 2 types of travelers. On the one hand, the backpacker who travels relatively frugally and, on the other hand, the backpacker+ who wants something extra like a private room. The difference then is mainly in hotels and restaurants. The amounts described are per person and do not include airfare to and from the Netherlands. These prices are too volatile and do not affect the costs to be incurred in Guatemala.
Accommodations
In doing so, you can make it as crazy as you want. Especially in Antigua and San Marcos, there are some nice, but also pricey hotels to be found. In San Pedro de la Laguna, for example, you’ll find very affordable options.
On average, in Guatemala you pay €10 for a bed in a dorm and €17.50 for a simple private room with private bathroom.
There are also many options available in the restaurants. If you alternate cooking/street food with restaurants you will pay about €15 per day for food and drinks. If you eat out all day and want something more luxurious, you can count on €35 per day.
For transportation to and from the different places, we count 1 night bus, 2 long trips by minibus, 2 short trips by minibus, 6 boat trips on Lake Atitlán and a few trips by mototaxi. In that case, keep in mind an amount of €150 – €200.
For the activities, we assume a guided visit to Tikal, climbing the Acatenango volcano and 4 more small activities. For Tikal with guide and transportation, count on about €35, the Acatenango with rental clothing on about €70 and 4 small activities of €15 each. Then you will spend a total of about €165 for activities.
And then there are always additional costs. Consider giving a tip to a guide, buying a souvenir, an extra drink or laundry. For this we charge an average of €50 per person.
In total, this means the following:
- For the backpacker, you end up with a daily budget of about €40.
- For the backpacker+, the average daily budget is about €65.