Immersion Trips to Guatemala
De La Gente Immersion Trips to Guatemala are the perfect opportunity to visit two of the most iconic destinations in Guatemala, Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage site and Lake Atitlán, which was described by German explorer and naturalist Alexander von Humboldt as “the most beautiful lake in the world”.
Our Immersion Trips to Guatemala will take you into these places, both known for their beautiful landscapes, cultural richness, and quality coffee.
Immerse yourself in the charming and colorful streets of Antigua. We’ll start our activities with group orientation, an Antigua walking tour, and a visit to Luis Lión Museum to get some context of why Guatemala is the country we know today. Go to one of our signature Coffee Tours to meet and interact with a coffee producer where they’ll show you the entire coffee process from bean to brew. Later on, it’s all hands-on at the Antigua market for an early morning scavenger hunt to buy all the ingredients we’ll need to cook pepián, plantain mole, and traditional Guatemalan tortillas at one of our Pepián Cooking Classes.
The second part of our trips to Guatemala will take us to the breathtaking Lake Atitlán where we’ll witness how indigenous communities are preserving their culture through textiles and waving, and have some time to explore on your own. Back in Antigua, we’ll do a tasty hands-on cacao workshop before we wrap up with a farewell dinner.
Trip Description
Pricing & Participation
We handle the logistics, scheduling, and all the details in between so that all trip participants can focus on experiencing the richness of Guatemalan culture.
TRIP LENGTH: 8 days and 7 nights
DATES: No new trip dates available yet
PRICE: USD$ 1,200.00 per person
NO NEW TRIP DATES AVAILABLE YET!
Contact us with questions or for additional information at nicole@dlgcoffee.org
Immersion Trips to Guatemala Itinerary
Day 1: ¡Bienvenido!
Let us help you get settled in Antigua. We arrange lodging for all participants at the same hotel. We offer a shuttle service from the airport in Guatemala City to our accommodations in Antigua. Shuttles leave the airport at 12:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on this day.
Day 2: A Tour Back in Time
We’ll kick start the morning with a group orientation. Then we’ll take an Antigua walking tour where we’ll explore the colorful streets of Antigua, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site with mesmerizing churches and architecture from different time periods.
In the afternoon, those with an eye for art can have their senses go wild with a visit to the Luis Lión Museum to learn about the social and political history of Guatemala through artistic lenses.
Day 3: From Bean to Brew, the Authentic Coffee Tour in Antigua
A bus will take us to the community of San Miguel Escobar where we’ll walk to Ciudad Vieja’s City Hall to learn about the coffee industry in Guatemala. After lunch, a coffee grower from one of our partner cooperatives will take us on a De La Gente Signature Coffee Tour. They will lead you through their fields, explain the work behind cultivating coffee, walk us through each step of the process from bean to brew, and finally join us for a fresh cup of coffee. We’ll wrap up the day with dinner at their home.
Day 4: Market Visit: A Colorful Feast
A hands-on learning experience by sending you off to the Antigua market for an early morning scavenger hunt to buy all the ingredients we’ll need to make pepián, plantain mole, and traditional Guatemalan tortillas. You’ll learn how to make these three typical dishes of Guatemalan cuisine cooking alongside a local Guatemalan cook in their very own kitchen.
Day 5: Discover Panajachel at Lake Atitlan
After breakfast, we’ll take a private bus to Panajachel, a Mayan Indigenous town on the shores of Lake Atitlán where you’ll have the rest of the day to explore on your own.
Find out what happens on the rest of the trip!
Contact us with questions or for additional information at nicole@dlgcoffee.org
More Information
-
Sorry, no trip dates available yet
-
$1,200 USD per person for a standard 8 day, 7 night trip.
$200 USD non refundable deposit per person to reserve your spot. Remaining balance is due 30 days prior to the Immersion Trip start date.
-
Comfortable lodging
3 meals a day (apart from 2 “on your own” meals)
Translation (English/Spanish)
Guides
Entry fees
Transportation
-
2 “on your own” meals
Souvenirs
Flights and travel expenses prior to and following the Immersion Trip
Traveler insurance (optional)
Tips (optional)
Activities you choose to partake in during free time that are not included in the itinerary
-
Colleagues and coworkers, friends, families, and any coffee enthusiasts with an interest in coffee processing, engaging with producers, and learning about Guatemalan history and culture can participate in De La Gente Immersion Trips.
Minors (under 18) must travel with an adult.
If you are a roaster or from an education institution, look for our Origin Trips and Faculty-Led Trips.
-
Payment
We require a $200 USD nonrefundable deposit to reserve your spot.
At least 30 days prior to the Immersion Trip start date, we require the remaining trip balance ($1,000 USD)
If you cancel within 30 days of the Immersion Trip start date, we can refund $500 USD.
Trip Changes
We cannot accommodate changes to the published itinerary.
De La Gente reserves the right to change an itinerary due to local circumstances, natural disaster, illness, or events outside of our control. In the event that itinerary changes are necessary, De La Gente will notify participants and make necessary adjustments to keep everyone safe and comfortable.
Additional Expense
De La Gente is not responsible for expenses incurred for activities outside of the planned itinerary. Participant groups are responsible for arranging and purchasing their own air travel. If participants arrange flights for dates outside of the agreed-upon dates in the contract listed in the trip information, De La Gente is not responsible for arranging or covering the costs for additional lodging, meals, or activities.
Participants are responsible for understanding the coverage and limits of their travel and medical insurance policies and providing up-front payment for emergency services when required.
Liability and Insurance
It is suggested that travelers purchase traveler’s insurance.
Trip participants are required to sign a liability waiver prior to the Immersion Trip start date. If a participant is under 18, their parent or guardian must sign the waiver on their behalf.
Participants will also receive a media release form (signing is optional) to have their photo and/or videos taken during the trip for De La Gente marketing and publicity materials.
Contact us with questions or for additional information at nicole@dlgcoffee.org
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Parts of Guatemala, such as some areas of Guatemala City and towns on the border with Mexico do struggle with high levels of violence. Rest assured, we will be in tourist destinations such as Lake Atitlán and Antigua as well as spending time in San Miguel Escobar, a quiet farming community on the outskirts of Antigua.
Just like you would in any new place, please always be mindful of your surroundings and keep an eye out for petty theft.
-
Feel free to bring a laptop or any other electronics you may need. Our accommodations all have WiFi that can easily handle answering emails and video calls. Many cafes and restaurants in Antigua and Lake Atitlán have internet as well.
-
Guatemala uses the same electrical outlets as the U.S. with a voltage between 110-120V.
-
Most meals eaten with farmers and in restaurants will be a combination of rice, sauce (not spicy!), meat, and tortillas. In Antigua and Lake Atitlán, restaurants and cafés provide a wide variety of options.
-
We can accommodate dietary restrictions, but it does require some planning ahead! Let us know if you have any dietary restrictions.
-
Those who will be preparing food during our trip have taken a food safety and hygiene course and understand the extra steps necessary to cook for visitors who may be less accustomed to the local food. Additionally, any beverage you’re served will have been prepared with purified water.
-
Do not drink water from the faucet or use it to brush your teeth, rather use purified water, which will be available throughout the trip. If you prepare any food yourself you should use purified water.
-
Traveling and eating new foods always increases your risk of getting sick, but we take precautions to minimize this possibility. We will have access to pharmacies throughout the trip for over the counter medicine and encourage you to tell us how you’re feeling throughout the trip so we can help you get the right medicine, fluids, rest, etc. you need to start feeling better! . Some people find starting on probiotics before traveling helps them avoid getting sick.
-
We suggest that you review THIS WEBSITE to stay up to date regarding immunization recommendations for traveling to Central America.
Please note that we highly recommend getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
We will be at high enough altitude where malaria and mosquito-borne diseases are not a threat.
-
The airport in Guatemala City
ATM - To use an ATM, you will need a 4-digit PIN. If yours is more than 4 digits, please change it prior to coming to Guatemala. The withdrawal limit is usually Q2000 per day.
Order money to be sent to your home - This is a service offered with various banks so we suggest you look into this option with your bank to avoid the hassle once you’re here!
The banks in Guatemala are very particular about what dollars/what amounts they will exchange. Any tear, mark, or stain will be rejected and this can be quite timely, so please plan to exchange at the airport,withdraw from an ATM, or order money to be sent to your home through your bank.
The daily exchange limit is $120 and the monthly limit is $500.
Please note:
Let your bank and credit card company know you will be out of the country
1 USD is approximately 7.7 Guatemalan quetzals
-
Dry season is generally from November to May—the weather is pleasant, around 75 to 80 degrees (F) year round with temperatures falling to 55-65 degrees (F) at night. The temperatures are similar in the rainy season which is from May through August. Expect daily showers and even some heavy rains, which makes the air feel much cooler. In September and October it is common to have rain all day, every day.
-
You will have an interpreter with you for all group activities and travel during the trip, but during your free time you will be on your own! It’s always appreciated if you attempt to speak Spanish, even if it is the basics (hola, buenos días, gracias), and you will want to review the Spanish words and phrases document that we will provide.
-
If you have a passport from the U.S., Canada, and most European countries, you will receive a 90 day tourist visa upon arrival. You don’t have to do anything prior to your trip for this tourist visa. If you hold a passport from another country please check THIS WEBSITE.
-
The group size is 6-20 people.
-
Yes, but if you want private accommodations, let us know. Please note that there will be an additional fee for private rooms.
-
No. Minors (under 18) must travel with an adult. Families are welcome!
