Guatemala
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Sit at a sacred fire in a 1500s church while a Maya shaman tells you your spirit animal, build a giant kite with the barrileteros of Sumpango and wake up to three volcanoes on Lake Atitlán. This is Guatemala the way the women who live there share it. Along the way you’ll walk Antigua’s cobblestones under a smoking volcano, eat lunch with a Maya weaving collective, drink coffee on a family farm in the hills and wander Sololá’s rainbow cemetery. Your two nights on the lake are at Hotel Atitlán, an old coffee plantation with an infinity pool facing the volcanoes.
Inclusions
Handpicked stays
Six nights in handpicked hotels, including a colonial hotel in Antigua and a lakeside hotel on Atitlán. The July trip swaps the lake for a historic family-run inn in Cobán.
12 meals
6 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 2 dinners, including a welcome dinner, a Maya lunch with the weavers of Chokojol Juyú, a long lunch with a coffee family and a farewell dinner.
All activities, included
- ✓A Maya fire ceremony, where you learn your nawal
- ✓Building a giant kite with the barrileteros of Sumpango
- ✓Lunch and weaving with the women of Chokojol Juyú
- ✓Coffee picking with a family farm, plus lunch
- ✓Hand-ground chocolate in San Juan del Obispo
- ✓Casa Santo Domingo and Antigua’s main plaza
- ✓The painted villages of Lake Atitlán
- ✓Sololá’s rainbow cemetery
A local female guide
A local woman guides you all week. She specializes in community-based travel and takes you into villages most visitors never see.
All transport
Your airport pickup on day one and a private air-conditioned vehicle all week. Your guide will help you book your ride to the airport at the end.
Matched roommates
Rooms are twin share, and our compatibility quiz pairs you with someone you’ll actually click with. Prefer your own space? Upgrade to a private room.
Most tips
Porter, housekeeping, restaurant and local host tips are covered, so you’re not fumbling for quetzales at every stop. Tipping your guide and driver is up to you.
Highlights
Wake up to three volcanoes on Lake Atitlán
Two nights on the shore, with an infinity pool that faces them.
Walk Antigua under a smoking volcano
Pastel walls, ruined churches and Fuego puffing on the horizon.
Find your spirit animal at a Maya fire
A Maya shaman reads the ancient calendar in a ruined 1500s church and tells you your nawal.
Build a giant kite with the barrileteros
In Sumpango, kites carry messages to the people you’ve lost. Make your own with the makers.
Walk Sololá’s rainbow cemetery
Tombs in pinks, blues and greens, repainted every year by the families who love them.
Wake up to three volcanoes on Lake Atitlán
Two nights on the shore, with an infinity pool that faces them.
Walk Antigua under a smoking volcano
Pastel walls, ruined churches and Fuego puffing on the horizon.
Find your spirit animal at a Maya fire
A Maya shaman reads the ancient calendar in a ruined 1500s church and tells you your nawal.
Build a giant kite with the barrileteros
In Sumpango, kites carry messages to the people you’ve lost. Make your own with the makers.
Walk Sololá’s rainbow cemetery
Tombs in pinks, blues and greens, repainted every year by the families who love them.
Three ways to go
We run this trip three times in 2027, and each date is built around something different. The itinerary below is the April trip. The cards show what changes in July and November, from where you sleep to which days look different.
APRIL 9–15, 2027
The classic
$3,350
- Built around
- Antigua, the kite makers of Sumpango and Lake Atitlán, with a Maya fire ceremony and the painted villages on the shore.
- Where you sleep
- 1 night Guatemala City, 2 Antigua, 2 Lake Atitlán, 1 Guatemala City
- Itinerary
- The one below, day for day.
JULY 29–AUG 4, 2027
Rabin Ajaw
$3,350
- Built around
- Rabin Ajaw in Cobán, when young Maya women from across the country gather in the traje of their regions to crown the woman who represents them all.
- Where you sleep
- 3 nights Antigua, 2 Cobán, 1 Guatemala City
- What changes
- Days 4 to 6 swap the lake for the cloud forest: the Rubel Chaim waterfall at Ram Tzul, black tea at the Chirrepeco cooperative, the Rabin Ajaw night and the orchids of Orquigonia.
OCT 29–NOV 4, 2027
Day of the Dead
$3,550
- Built around
- The Sumpango Kite Festival on November 1, when giant kites go up beside the cemetery to carry messages to the dead.
- Where you sleep
- 1 night Guatemala City, 3 Antigua, 1 Lake Atitlán, 1 Guatemala City
- What changes
- Day 4 is the festival instead of the kite workshop. You drive to the lake on day 5 for the fire ceremony and skip the painted villages.
Your Itinerary
AFTERNOONLand at La Aurora airport in Guatemala City (GUA) and look for your driver with the SoFe sign. Grab a window seat on the way in if you can: the city is ringed by volcanoes, and a few of them still smoke.
EVENINGMeet your group and your guide at 6pm, then sit down to a welcome dinner with the women you’ll spend the week with.
Dinner
MORNINGDrive about 90 minutes to Antigua: cobblestone streets, faded pastel walls and three volcanoes standing guard, one of them, Fuego, still puffing smoke. Wander Casa Santo Domingo, a monastery flattened by an earthquake in 1773 and never rebuilt, then get your bearings around the main plaza.
AFTERNOONHead to San Antonio Aguas Calientes for an afternoon with the women of Chokojol Juyú, a weaving school one woman started because the girls had no one left to learn from. They’ll tie a backstrap loom around your waist, show you how their grandmothers did it and tell you what the patterns mean. Then they feed you a Maya lunch made by hand.
Breakfast, lunch
MORNINGHead into the hills to the Gonzalez family farm in San Miguel Escobar, four generations deep in coffee. Pick the ripe red cherries off the bushes, roast and grind them back at the house, then drink your cup with the family over a long, lazy lunch.
AFTERNOONVisit San Juan del Obispo, where one family still makes chocolate the old way: cacao dried on the ground in the sun, roasted, then ground by hand on a stone. Make your own and eat it warm. The rest of the day is yours in Antigua. Find a rooftop, hit the markets or ask your guide where to eat.
Breakfast, lunch
MORNINGDrive to Sumpango, home of the barrileteros, the Maya kite makers. Their biggest kites stand forty feet tall, covered inch by inch in hand-cut tissue paper, and they’re flown to carry messages to the people they’ve lost. Sit with the makers, hear the story and build a kite of your own, with local snacks to keep you going.
AFTERNOONRound the last bend and Lake Atitlán opens up below you, deep blue water with three volcanoes standing over it. Check into your hotel on the shore, then wander the textile stalls and cafés of Panajachel. Dinner’s on you tonight, and plenty of spots face the water for sunset.
Breakfast, snacks
MORNINGHead up to San Andrés Semetabaj, where a Maya shaman, an ajq’ij, leads a fire ceremony inside the ruins of a 1500s church open to the sky. Candles, copal and offerings go into the flames. Then, reading the Maya calendar against the day you were born, the shaman tells each of you your nawal, the animal spirit said to walk beside you through life. Afterward, lunch cooked from old family recipes.
AFTERNOONBack down by the water, visit Santa Catarina Palopó, where families have painted their houses in bright blues and greens covered in Maya designs, and San Antonio Palopó, a steep little town of potters.
Breakfast, lunch
MORNINGDrive up to Sololá, the Kaqchikel capital on the rim above the lake and one of the few places where traditional dress is still everyday wear. Visit the town cemetery, its tombs painted in blues, pinks and greens and repainted by the families every year.
AFTERNOONStop for lunch in Tecpán, a mountain town known for hearty Guatemalan cooking, then drive back to Guatemala City.
EVENINGOne last dinner together, everyone around one table.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner
MORNINGBreakfast together one last time, then head to the airport whenever your flight leaves. Your guide will help you book your ride. You go home with a bag full of coffee and chocolate and a group of women who were strangers a week ago.
Breakfast
From $3,350 · 7 days · Max 14 women · $550 holds your spot
Where you’ll stay
LAKE ATITLÁN · APRIL + NOVEMBER DEPARTURES
Hotel Atitlán
A lakefront hotel on an old coffee plantation, with gardens of roses, orchids and bougainvillea running down to the water and enough birds that people come just to watch them. Every room has a balcony, and the infinity pool faces the lake.
COBÁN · JULY
Hotel La Posada
A colonial home on Cobán’s central plaza, run as a hotel by the same family since 1939. Wood floors, beamed ceilings, antique furniture and a porch with hammocks over the garden. The dining room has a fireplace for cool cloud forest nights.
Roommates, matched
Our compatibility quiz, built with a matchmaker and psychologist, pairs you with someone you’ll actually click with. Or upgrade to a private room. Nights in Guatemala City are at a comfortable hotel near the airport.
Who you’ll travel with
Up to 13 other women, most of whom booked on their own. They range from 28 to 88, and it’s the long lunches, the shared ceremonies and the late walks back through Antigua that bond you. 92% of our travelers say they keep in touch after the trip ends.
✓Meet your group on WhatsApp before you fly
✓A welcome dinner on night one, with your guide making the introductions
✓Solo time built in, so you’re never forced to be “on”
“I made the best friends, it was like a girls trip but they started out as strangers.”
Grace K. · Japan
The people behind your trip
Your guide
Ivania
Ivania is Guatemalan and leads community-led trips for SoFe, born out of a deep love for her country. She takes you into villages most visitors never see, and she knows the weavers, farmers and families you’ll meet personally. She can’t wait to show you a side of Guatemala that only women get to see. At home, she has a daughter and two puppies.
Founder
Amanda Black
After getting robbed as a backpacker, Amanda vowed no woman traveling alone should ever feel that stranded. Since 2018 and hundreds of group trips, she’s still keeping that promise.
Behind the scenes
Our operations team
You’ll see Ivania and our local hosts. Behind them, our team follows every day of your trip to keep you safe and on track.
What women say about SoFe
★★★★★ 4.7 on Trustpilot · Read all reviews
★★★★★
“The feeling of community was so strong that everyone just belonged.”
Anna D.
Japan
★★★★★
“I’d travelled with SoFe before and knew I was in good hands.”
Alyssa W.
Kyrgyzstan
★★★★★
“Communication is one of the best parts about booking a tour with SoFe!”
Rocky R.
Egypt
Your Safety on tour
Never on your own, unless you want to be
“This company has allowed me to travel safely as a female and make new friends.”
Erica L. · Egypt + Iceland
A local female guide, every day
We meet you at the airport
Private transport, vetted routes
Pre-trip guides, so you land prepared
Guides who handle the hassle so you don’t have to
One guide in front, a whole team behind her
“This company has allowed me to travel safely as a female and make new friends.”
Erica L. · Egypt + Iceland
Choose your departure
$550 holds your spot
It comes off your total.
Pay at your pace
As much and as often as you like. Balance due 90 days out.
Plans change? Transfer for free
Move your spot to another date or trip with 90+ days’ notice.
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Loading trips...
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Questions women ask before booking
Is this trip right for me?
It’s a culture trip. You go into villages, kitchens and ceremonies most visitors never see, with the families who live there. Expect more conversations than checklists.
It’s built around women. A women-only group, a Guatemalan woman leading you all week and lunch with a women-run weaving collective.
Things run on Guatemala time. We spend our days in small communities, and the best moments are usually the ones nobody planned.
How active is this trip?
Moderate. You’ll walk a few hours a day, often on cobblestones, uneven village streets and sloping coffee farms, so bring sturdy shoes. The July trip adds a forest trail to a waterfall.
Antigua sits at about 1,500 meters (4,900 ft), so take it easy at first if you feel the altitude. You travel by private air-conditioned vehicle all week. On the days you move between Antigua, the lake and Guatemala City, you’ll spend a few hours on the road, with stops along the way.
Where do I arrive and leave from?
Arrive: Guatemala City (GUA), any time on day one. Your driver meets you at arrivals with a SoFe sign. We recommend landing by 3pm so you have time to settle in before the 6pm welcome meeting and dinner.
Leave: Guatemala City (GUA), any time on the last day. The airport drop-off isn’t included, but your guide will help you book one, and it’s about 30 minutes from the hotel. You fly in and out of the same airport, so a round-trip ticket works.
Do I have to share a room?
Only if you want to. Rooms are twin share, and we pair you with a roommate using our compatibility quiz, built with a professional matchmaker and psychologist. Prefer your own space? Upgrade to a private room when you book.
Will we stay in the places shown on this page?
Usually, yes. These are the places we book. Now and then one is unavailable, and we swap it for a stay of the same standard or better.
Do I need a visa?
Most travelers don’t. Citizens of the US, Canada, the UK, the EU and Australia can visit Guatemala as tourists for up to 90 days without a visa. You may be asked to show proof of onward travel.
Rules can change, so once you book, we’ll walk you through exactly what you need.
Do I need travel insurance?
Yes, travel insurance is required for every traveler. When you book your spot, you can add a plan from our preferred insurance partner in a couple of clicks, or choose your own provider and add your policy details any time before departure.
What’s not included?
International flights.
Travel insurance, which is required.
Your airport drop-off on the last day.
Tips for your guide and driver.
Meals not listed, and drinks beyond the one included with each meal.
Optional extras, like a cooking class or ceramics workshop, booked on the ground.
What if I need to cancel?
90 or more days before departure: we’ll transfer your deposit to another SoFe trip, any date or any destination. Or we’ll hold it for up to a year until you’re ready to choose.
Fewer than 90 days before departure: payments are non-refundable, so you’d claim through your travel insurance. That’s exactly what it’s there for.
How much luggage can I bring?
There’s no strict limit. A rolling suitcase and a small daypack work best. You’ll change hotels two or three times, with no domestic flights. Just leave room for the coffee, chocolate and textiles you’ll be bringing home.
Everything you need before you go
Money and tipping, what to pack for cobblestones and cool highland nights, and how to spend your free afternoon in Antigua.
Your spot is waiting.
From $3,350 · 7 days · Max 14 women · $550 holds your spot
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