Guatemala is the northern-most country in Central America. The country is most famous for its indigenous culture, which covers over 60% of the country’s population and the fascinating history of The Maya civilization. There is also a marvelous colonial city, which is UNESCO patrimony, archeology sites, hidden boutique hotels, romantic restaurants, lakes, rivers, Sail Fishing, Golf and fantastic people.

As a country, Guatemala is strategically located with access to two oceans, the Yucatan Peninsula and the Maya Riviera of Mexico, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras. Guatemala has a variety of biological and cultural attractions of its own, making it a magical place where you can have a close encounter with nature, the living Maya Culture, fascinating archeological temples and colonial architecture.

Getting Here

Traveling to Guatemala from the US and Canada is quite easy. Even though there are two International Airports in Guatemala, all commercial flights come in to La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City (GUA) and a few international and regional airlines fly directly into Flores Airport (FRS) near Tikal.

Major Airlines

From North America — American Airlines, Copa, Delta, Avianca, Iberia, Spirit, Aeromexico, Volaris, Veca and United all have regular flights from several US, Mexico, and Central American hub cities. Presently, there are no direct flights from Canada to Guatemala, but with the abundance of service from the USA, Canadian visitor numbers are on the rise.

From the U.K. & Europe — There are no direct flights to Guatemala from the U.K., although Iberia does have a direct flight from Madrid. Avianca hosts hubs in Bogota and El Salvador and serves several direct flights to Guatemala. Copa hosts the “hub of the Americas” in Panama and serves several direct flights to Guatemala. Otherwise, you will have to fly via the USA or Mexico and connect with one of the airlines mentioned above.

From Australia & New Zealand — To get to Guatemala from Australia or New Zealand, you’ll first have to fly to Los Angeles, some other US hub city or Mexico, where you can connect with one of the airlines mentioned above. Another option will be to fly to a South American country and connect up north to Guatemala.

By Land

Border with Mexico, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. There are regular bus services. In terms of travel time and convenience, it’s always better to get a direct bus rather than one that stops along the way. By country, these are the main border crossings:

• From Mexico, the main border crossing is at La Mesilla, north of Huehuetenango.
• From Honduras, the main border crossing is at El Florido, on the route from Copán.
• From Salvador, the main border crossing is at San Cristobal, along the Pan-American Highway.
• From Belize, the main border crossing is at Melchor de Mencos, in the Petén district.