Obviously there is not a clearcut answer to this, but Katie has lived in Guatemala for 7 years and has never had an incident (knock on wood!), and often feels safer here than when she is in Washington, DC. Common sense goes a long way! Many of the negative international stories about Guatemala in recent decades have been about rough neighborhoods in the city, which have drastically improved in recent years. Antigua, on the other hand, is filled with international tourists and retirees, and there is a great commitment from the government and police to maintain high security standards due to the many tourists that visit annually. It is generally very safe to walk around Antigua’s beautiful streets. But just like in any city in the world, it is recommended not to flash around money, phones, and cameras, to watch your belongings in crowded places, and not to walk around after dark. Katie’s current organization, in additional to the US Embassy, both constantly monitor the security in the country, so if anything changes, you will know!

You may have seen news reports of some civil unrest in the country. Rest assured that the situation likely will have resolved by May. The new government will be sworn in during January and the current unrest should hopefully fade. The government has been known to suffer from corruption and it fails to access remote areas of the country. The population has also grown tired of allegations of fraud in the elections or of the government not listening to the will of the people. As such, many in the population decided to block roads in a form of showing their disagreement with the current social and political environment. After a couple of weeks of blockades, the overall country started to feel the blockades' impact on the supply chain and their economic impact. As such, they has slowed down in size and number. The US government has also issued comments regarding those fraud allegations and has now provided support to the President-Elect (interestingly enough, his dad was President back in the 1940s).

Please make sure your passport is ready for travel! It is recommended that your passport is still valid for at least 6 months after your visit and that your passport has at least 6 pages of empty passport pages. You do not need a visa to enter Guatemala. Even through the CDC and Embassy may recommend various immunizations, Guatemalan immigration will not check you for any documentation other than your passport and your customs form (more info below). You no longer need to show COVID-19 immunization. Please speak to your doctor about which immunizations may be best before you travel.

While you will easily be able to find wifi most places in Antigua (at the hotel and at host restaurants), I recommend that you talk to your cell phone service provider before travel because there are usually very affordable plans for international travel (such as $10 a day) that will cover your data and texting, and even calls, so you will always be connected when you want to use your Map apps, Uber, use the internet, or in case of emergency. You can also talk to your bank to ensure that they know you will be traveling to Guatemala, so that you don’t have any trouble using your cards!

You will have the option to exchange money at the airport after you pick up your bags. But honestly, Katie never does this. First of all, pretty much everywhere you will do will accept credit cards and debits cards (even contactless), so you will not need to carry much cash. It is important to have some cash on you, especially when you buy souvenirs, as some of the markets do not accept cards. In that case, Katie recommends to use an ATM machine in Antigua to take out cash, preferably at Porta or a trusted hotel. You will likely buy dollars for a rate of about 7.2 Q per dollar. The best ATMs to use are 5B. Also, every time you buy something, the cashier will ask for your NIT (pronounced “neet”). You can just respond, “no, gracias.”

Guatemala uses the exact same plugs as the US! You don’t need to bring anything extra with you! How easy is that?!

It is very easy! La Aurora is a very small, manageable airport. On the airplane, the flight attendant will let you know about an online customs form that you need to fill out via a QR code. You can also scan it anf fill it out once you land. This has just been updated. You will need to know the address you will be staying in Guatemala (you can use the address of the hotel in Antigua), your flight number, and your passport number. Once you get off the plane, I try to go as fast as I can to beat the crowds of people to get into the immigration line, down the escalators (try to not use the bathroom or get money out, you can do that later). Once you see all the lines forming for the immigration lines, see if one of the lines toward the back has less people, they usually do. Once you get up to the counter, you can greet the agent with a “buenos días” if it is the morning, or “buenas” if it is afternoon or night. They will likely not say anything or ask you any questions. In the rare occasion that they do, just answer truthfully😊 They will stamp your passport. Then once you find your carousel and your bags, men may kindly try to offer you assistance. You can politely decline. Follow the crowds to the customs line. To your left you will see a place to exchange money, should you wish. There are also bathrooms near the carousel. Here is where you will show the customs official the digital copy of the QR code form that you filled out. A copy was emailed to you or you can take a screenshot. You may be asked to put your bags through an x-ray on the way out. Then you are on your way!

You can arrange a shuttle through the Porta hotel, or there may be an option to arrange a taxi through your hotel if you are staying elsewhere in Antigua. At the exit of the airport, just after customs and before you leave the building, there are some safe transport options to Antigua. You can also call an Uber from inside the building before you step outside. Once you step outside, do not accept any offers of taxis. I believe it should cost about $40 USD or about Q300 one way. You can email A La Carta Tours (Lessly, info@alacartatours.com): $60.00 USD (1 or 2 people) $25.00 USD per person (3 people) $22.00 USD per person (4-5 people) $18.00 USD per person (6-8 people) On the way there, for about the first 30 minutes, you may be stuck in some traffic in the city, and you will see some of the hustle and bustle of city life (please do not roll your windows down). Once you get out of the city, you will more green space and mountain views!

It is beautiful! There is a reason (well actually, many!) Katie loves Guatemala, and Antigua especially. Yes, you may see some things that you are not used to at home (more motos, chicken buses, dogs on the streets), but I think you will soon see how beautiful the nature and culture are, and truly the best thing about Guatemala is its people- they are incredibly warm and kind.

How much time do you have? When Katie’s colleagues from El Salavador and Honduras travel to Guatemala, they call it “food vacation.” We eat well here! Guatemala City and Antigua have wonderful, international food options. In Antigua, you will be able to find amazing restaurant options, everything from Thai, Indian, sushi, steak, vegan options, gluten-free options, and of course lots of great Guatemalan food, both high-end and traditional. Some famous Guatemalan dishes you should try include a traditional Guatemalan breakfast (of course with Guatemalan coffee), pepian, kakik, tamales, rellanitos, mole, and ceviche. We also have all your favorite fast food chains, including Papa Johns, McDonalds, BK, Taco Bell, you name it. If you are looking for an adult beverage, the local beer is Gallo, and Antigua also has many craft beer options, including Antigua Cerveza, Cervecería 14, and San Roman. Ron Zacapa is also globally-recognized run from Guatemala that is delicious, best straight or on the rocks! Antigua has well-stocked grocery stores, so you should be able to find everything you need. In the heart of Antigua is a big store called Bogedona, and there is a higher quality store a 5-minute Uber outside of the city that will feel just like your Harris Teeter/Safeway from back home called La Torre (located in Plaza Telarus). You will also find little tiendas on almost every street corner that will have drinks, snacks, and the basics if you want to keep some food in your hotel room. See more on where to eat on the Things To Do page!

Sadly, no! To avoid traveler’s tummy, please avoid drinking and brushing your teeth with the tap water during your visit. Hotels should provide you with at least one bottle of water a day, but you will likely want to buy more bottled water at a tienda. You will also see water tanks called EcoFiltros in hotels and restaurants. These have free, filtered water, so feel free to fill up your bottle with this water at any time. You should also feel confident to drink water from restaurants in Antigua, as they will be serving filtered water to tourists, but when in doubt, you can always ask. If you want to order a sparkling water, just ask for an “agua mineral.”

Spring year-round! Guatemala enjoys weather in the 70s and 80s throughout the year. Around the time of the wedding, the dry season will be ending, and the rainy season will be beginning, so we may have a chance of showers.

It would be good to pack a light jacket or sweaters for the mornings and evenings and an umbrella for rain. It can get very sunny during the day, so be sure to pack sunscreen and sunglasses. Antigua is also filled with cobblestone streets, so you will want to walk around with close-toed shoes. Feel free to bring typical spring/summer clothes that you will feel comfortable walking around in. Friday and Sunday events are both casual. The wedding is semi-formal (cocktail attire) or formal (floor-length), depending on your personal preference!

Once you are in Antigua, the most fun way to get around is by walking! Ubers are also readily available, especially if you need one at night.

We would love if you stayed in the Porta Hotel, as we want to spend as much time with family and friends as possible over the course of the weekend! As such, we are negotiating a hotel block to get the best rate for our guests. But we also recognize everyone has different needs, and luckily Antigua offers endless options of affordable hotels and Airbnbs. We just recommend that you make sure to check how far the lodging is from the Porta and recommend somewhere within a 10-15 min walk (as Antigua can be deceptively big, and some listings say Antigua when they are really in the outskirts of town). Make sure your place also includes breakfast! We recommend Camino Real, Posada del Angel, Hotel San Jorge, and Meson del Valle.

With all the international tourists in Antigua, you will find that most hotels and restaurants have staff that speak English. Katie, Franco, and their Guatemalan-based friends and family will also be eager to help whenever you need a hand! Just so you know, a common greeting in Guatemala is “buenas” instead of “hola” if it is the afternoon or evening. Also, many people in Guatemala, especially outside of Guatemala City, do not speak Spanish as their first language. There are 25 languages spoken in Guatemala. While Spanish is the official and most spoken language, there are 22 different Mayan languages and two other Indigenous languages - Garífuna and Xinca. Also, if you would like to study up your Spanish before your visit, Katie recommends her Spanish language tutor who lives in Antigua and who is available for very affordable classes over Zoom for all levels. Her classes are $10 an hour. You can request sessions from Ana at annybeth9@gmail.com.

If you need a pharmacy, Antigua has several options that should have any over the counter medicines that you might need, including Cruz Verde, Batres, and Meykos (they will also delivery to your hotel, reception can help with this). If you are feeling ill and need to see a doctor, Guatemalans treat emergency rooms a bit like we treat Urgent Care, so you could go to the Hermano Pedro ER in Antigua to see a doctor and get a prescription. If it is something very serious, we recommend you go to the city, which has very good health care. These two hospitals have many doctors that have been trained in the US and have a very good reputation and are recommended by the US Embassy (Katie has had excellent care at both!: Hospital Herrera Llerandi (Private Hospital) 6a. Avenida 8-71, Zona 10 Phone: 2384-5959 Emergency: 2334-5955 Healthinfo@herrerallerandi.com Centro Médico (Public Hospital) 6a. Avenida 3-47, Zona 10 Phone: 2279-4949 Fax: 2331-7533 mercadeo@centromedico.com.gt (Please let us know if you choose this option, so we can keep posted on your condition)

You can use first responder emergency services by calling 1500 or +502 2290-2800. You can call the US Embassy American Citizen Services rep on duty if, for example, your passport is stolen or if you have a security incident, at +502 2326-4000. You can also let hotel staff know if you have an incident. Please let us know if you face any incidents, health or otherwise.

Overall, we recommend you spend a few days extra in Antigua so that you can really enjoy it! If you have a bit of extra time, we highly recommend you visit Lake Atitlán, which is truly awe-inspiring. It is about 2 hours away from Antigua, about the size of Lake Como in Italy, with amazing volcano views, opportunities to kayak, and explore little, traditional towns. There are a ton of great hotels and AirBnbs. Katie recommends the town of San Marcos! You can hire a safe, affordable shuttle through Atitrans (https://www.atitranspanajachel.com/). See Katie’s full list of recommendations on the Things to Do page!

Guatemala is well-known for its textiles, such as table runners, purses, cushion covers, etc. (especially those made from huipiles, the traditional women’s blouses), ceramics (mugs, vases), jade, leather, chocolate, and of course, coffee! See the Things to Do page for Katie’s recommendations of where to buy souvenirs, including on Katie’s walking tour.

No! In restaurants, 10% is automatically included. At the hotel, at your discretion you can tip the bell hop and other staff, but it is not necessary.

As much as possible, please try to avoid taking the road between Guatemala City and Antigua late at night. It is a mountainous road and there can be unsafe drivers late at night. It is best to travel before 8pm or after 6am to ensure sufficient daylight. Also, please note traffic in Guatemala comes to a standstill from 7am to 9am and from 5pm to 7pm due to rush hour, and it also increases during the lunch hour. Please plan travel times accordingly! Also, it is recommended to not drive with the windows down in the car.

Please don't! Guatemala does have some cases of rabies, which is very serious infectious disease . If you get bitten by a street dog, you will need to go to the ER to start a series of vaccines, so please stay clear of the street dogs, even though they are cute. But if you don't go near them, they should also leave you alone, so no worries!

Yes, smoking is more common in Guatemala than in the US. Yet e-cigarettes and vapes have become the norm among many smokers. In my experience, the smoke is much less potent. You may be exposed to e-cigarette or vape smoke at the wedding reception. We will try to encourage smokers to vape outside.

No! This is a tricky (and delicate!) one. Guatemala's drainage and sewage system is not as advanced as those in the States. Please put your used TP in the trash can and do not flush it:)

We will make sure that everyone has our local phone numbers, and we will also provide phone numbers for some Guatemala-based, English-speaking friends that can provide support in case we are unavailable!

We hope now that you say I DO (see what we did there?!), but please let us know if you have any other questions!!