Free things to do · Antigua · Guatemala
5 free things to do in Antigua
Antigua without the ticket prices: sights, walks and views that cost nothing.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Walter Rodriguez, CC BY 2.0
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Quick answer
You can fill at least 2 days in Antigua without paying an entry fee: Parque Central, Santa Catalina Arch, Cerro de la Cruz and Tanque La Unión and Santa Clara ruins are all free. Eat the main meal at lunchtime in comedores, where set menus cost a fraction of restaurant dinners.
Key facts
- Free sights in this guide
- 5
- Low-cost extras
- 7
- Cost level
- Affordable
- Lowest hotel prices
- May–June and September–October
Free sights and experiences
Landmark · Centro around Parque Central
1.Parque Central
Sit on the upper arcade of the city hall side late in the afternoon for a view across the square to Volcán de Agua.
- Time needed
- 30–60 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- History
- Kids
- Photo spot
Landmark · La Merced and Calle del Arco
2.Santa Catalina Arch
Stand a block north and shoot south towards the volcano just after sunrise, before cars and crowds fill the street.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- Photo spot
- Architecture
- After dark
Viewpoint · La Merced and Calle del Arco
3.Cerro de la Cruz
Walk up in daylight with others and go early in the morning, when the air is clearest and the volcano is least likely to be in cloud.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours return
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
- Active
Historic site · San Francisco and El Calvario
4.Tanque La Unión and Santa Clara ruins
Come in the morning on a market day, when women wash clothes at the basins and the park is busiest with local families.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Photo spot
- Off the beaten path
Market · West side near the market
5.Municipal market and handicraft market
Monday, Thursday and Saturday are the busiest market days; bargain politely in the handicraft section, but not for food.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Shopping
- Food
- Free
- Photo spot
Free sights by area
| Area | Free sights | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Centro around Parque Central | Parque Central | 30–60 minutes |
| La Merced and Calle del Arco | Santa Catalina Arch and Cerro de la Cruz | 20 minutes + 1–1.5 hours return |
| San Francisco and El Calvario | Tanque La Unión and Santa Clara ruins | 30 minutes |
| West side near the market | Municipal market and handicraft market | 1–2 hours |
Worth a small ticket
Religious site · Centro around Parque Central
Antigua Cathedral
Enter the ruins from the side street, 5a Calle Oriente, and look up at the collapsed domes, where carved stucco details are still visible.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
- Iconic
Religious site · La Merced and Calle del Arco
Iglesia de La Merced
Pay the small fee to climb the cloister's upper level for a view over the fountain and the church domes towards Agua.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Photo spot
- Food
Historic site · La Merced and Calle del Arco
Convento de las Capuchinas
Go down into the vaulted basement of the round tower, where the acoustics and the ring of cells are easy to miss.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Centro around Parque Central
Casa Santo Domingo
Ask at reception for the museum circuit ticket; it also covers the satellite galleries the hotel runs in the same complex.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Religious site · San Francisco and El Calvario
Iglesia de San Francisco
Visit the side museum devoted to Hermano Pedro, then walk through the monastery ruins at the back for quieter views of the church domes.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Historic site · West side near the market
La Recolección ruins
Combine it with the municipal market next door, and visit in the late afternoon when low sun lights the fallen arches.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Photo spot
- Off the beaten path
- Architecture
Museum · Centro around Parque Central
Casa del Tejido Antiguo
Ask about the patterns of a specific village, such as Santiago Atitlán or San Antonio Aguas Calientes, before you visit those markets.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Shopping
More ways to save
- Eat the main meal at lunchtime in comedores, where set menus cost a fraction of restaurant dinners.
- Hotel rates rise sharply for Holy Week and Christmas; May to October is the lowest-priced period.
- Withdraw quetzales from ATMs inside banks or shopping centres rather than street machines.
- Compare Acatenango and Pacaya tours between several agencies; prices and what is included (gear, park fees, meals) vary.
- Buy textiles in the handicraft market or directly from village cooperatives for better prices than in boutiques.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Antigua expensive to visit?
Antigua is affordable for most visitors, but 5 of its best-known sights are free, which makes a tight budget workable.
+What is the best free thing to do in Antigua?
Parque Central: Sit on the upper arcade of the city hall side late in the afternoon for a view across the square to Volcán de Agua.