One day in Antigua

Day by day

1. Day 1: Parque Central and Antigua Cathedral

   Parque Central, Antigua Cathedral, Casa Santo Domingo and Casa del Tejido Antiguo, then Santa Catalina Arch in the evening.

   1. Morning

      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. Allow 30–60 minutes.

   2. Late morning

      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. Allow 45 minutes.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Pepián

      Traditional restaurants and comedores across the centre; set-lunch comedores near the market serve it at the lowest prices.

   4. Afternoon

      Casa Santo Domingo

      Ask at reception for the museum circuit ticket; it also covers the satellite galleries the hotel runs in the same complex. Allow 1.5–2 hours.

   5. Late afternoon

      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. Allow 45 minutes.

   6. Evening

      Santa Catalina Arch

      Stand a block north and shoot south towards the volcano just after sunrise, before cars and crowds fill the street.

If it rains

• Swap in Iglesia de San Francisco (San Francisco and El Calvario): Visit the side museum devoted to Hermano Pedro, then walk through the monastery ruins at the back for quieter views of the church domes.
• Swap in ChocoMuseo (Centro around Parque Central): Book the hands-on workshop rather than just the free exhibit; children enjoy taking home the bars they made.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 4–5 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 11.3 hours in December to 13 hours in June.

Getting between stops: Walking. Most sights are within 10–15 minutes of Parque Central.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Antigua
• 3 days in Antigua
• 5 days in Antigua

Questions travellers ask