Independent Budget Travel Through Guatemala When You Are Over 60 and Slightly Terrified.

Martyn Dawes

Sep 11

4 min read

Illuminated ornate church facade at night with a central cross, parked cars, and trees against a dark sky.

It is easy to feel daunted when thinking about travelling independently in a foreign country. Add in a tight budget, and a completely different culture to one you are used to, and it is even easier to give up and not go at all.

When telling people that we were heading to Guatemala, the immediate assumption was that it would be on some sort of organised tour. Explaining that the trip would be organised by ourselves, the immediate reaction was one of surprise, followed by a healthy dose of worry. Apparently, 'we will make it up as we go along' does not calm the nerves of a friend or relative, but rather the opposite. What followed though was an amazing three-week tour of this beautiful country, before heading to our next stop, El Salvador, which is a completely different story.

So how did we do it? What went wrong? What went right? And how difficult was it? This post is about logistics.

Our nine-week tour of Central America started in Costa Rica. We knew the country, knew it has great shuttle connections and abundant wildlife. We had booked return flights to San José from London as this was the cheapest, and quickest option. British Airways provided the only direct flight, so it was a simple matter of booking the flights directly through their website.

Getting into Guatemala

Our plan was to either fly to Guatemala City and work our way down through El Salvador and Nicaragua, or vice versa. We decided to fly up. We found our flight on Booking.com and booked our tickets directly with the airline. Once these were confirmed, I had a look at Airbnb and found a lovely stay for a few nights in Antigua.

Airport to Antigua

I do not like to hang around in transport hubs such as airports, bus and rail stations, so I messaged the owner to see if he could arrange transport. Thankfully, he arranged a taxi to collect us from Guatemala City Airport and take us to the property in Antigua. It cost $50, slightly over the normal fare, but it gave us peace of mind and a direct route out of the airport.

I ♥ ANTIGUA sign in front of a yellow colonial building under a clear blue sky, with decorative facade and street art figures.

Antigua to Lake Atitlán

From Antigua, we had no clear plan but decided to head to San Marco La Laguna on the stunning Lake Atitlán. Antigua has a number of tour operators, so we organised a direct transfer via shuttle. Easy Peasy. They picked us up from the Airbnb and dropped us in the middle of San Marco. We hopped into a tuk-tuk (after agreeing a price) and found our lovely little cabana overlooking the lake. It was so nice that we extended our stay for a few more nights!

Person in a white hat rows a small red wooden boat across calm blue water.

Lake Atitlán to Flores

We wanted to head up to Flores to see the Maya ruins at Tikal. We checked the tour operators in San Marco and found the journey by bus would be long (overnight) and around $50 each. I then checked flights and found a direct flight from Guatemala City to Flores for only slightly more, so I booked that. Flight time was around an hour. We booked a hotel on Booking.com and messaged them for a transfer. They arranged a pick-up from the airport for a few dollars.

As we could not get a direct transfer from Lake Atitlán to Guatemala City Airport at a sensible time, we decided to head back to Antigua for one night (transfer booked through a local tour operator). We then booked the same taxi who had collected us originally for the return journey from Antigua back to the airport.

Flores to Rio Dulce

The hotel arranged a transfer to Rio Dulce. It took around six hours. We booked our Rio Dulce accommodation through Booking.com.

Colorful bus on a cobblestone street with a volcano rising in the blue background, framed by trees and power lines.

Rio Dulce to El Salvador

We could not get a direct shuttle to El Salvador, so we decided to head back to Antigua, which was a transport hub, and get a shuttle from there to Santa Ana in El Salvador. We used the same tour operator, but there are a number in Antigua; they speak English, and the process is pretty simple.

Accommodation

Throughout our stay, we either used Airbnb or Booking.com. We had no problems with either. Warning: Do not click any links or respond to any emails outside of the app. There are scams, particularly on Booking.com , where you will get an email or WhatsApp telling you to 'verify' your stay or payment method. DO NOT FOLLOW ANY LINK. Only pay or message through the Booking app or website.

We used mid to lower range hotels and Airbnbs depending on how long we were staying. We typically paid around $70 per night on average and tried to book somewhere that offered a free breakfast to save on costs.

Transport

In Guatemala, we used local tour operators. If we found a taxi driver we liked, we took their WhatsApp number and contacted them directly to get a quote.

We tried using the Bookaway app but found it unreliable here.

Flights were checked using SkyScanner and booked directly on the airlines’ website. Warning: Luggage here is weighed in lbs, not KG. I didn't realise and had to pay an additional $60, but the flight was good.

Shuttles were often minibuses which were cramped and uncomfortable. Luggage was stacked onto the roof and tied down! Be prepared. Take water and snacks.

Safety

We found Guatemala to be very friendly and safe. Take the usual sensible precautions, and you will be fine.

Overall cost

Guatemala is not a cheap destination but is far more cost-effective than Costa Rica. For budget independent travel, allow around $150 per day (for two people) to include food, transport, sightseeing, and accommodation.