Antigua Villages Tour: Artisan traditions and colonial churches

Meet jade carvers, chocolate makers and weavers in the villages surrounding Antigua

A four-hour guided tour from Antigua through four surrounding villages, each known for a distinct craft or cultural landmark. You visit artisan workshops where locals make chocolate, wine, jade and textiles using traditional techniques; explore a colonial palace turned museum dedicated to Guatemala's first bishop; and see a 1674 church in an indigenous Kachiquiel village. Professional guide, air-conditioned transport and bottled water included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Antigua and nearby villages

• Learn about artisans' crafts
• Visit colonial palace museum
• Admire indigenous village folklore
• See colonial church from 1674
• Observe laundry at main square
• Meet jade carving family
• Explore mudslide remains at city hall
• Visit town main square and church
• Meet Kakchiquel Mayan community
• See handmade textiles and museum

The experience

If you have a free afternoon in Antigua and want to step beyond the city's own colonial center, this tour strings together four villages, each built around a different craft or landmark. The guide interprets what you see (the forms of income that sustain each place, the history behind the buildings, the cultural weight of the techniques) rather than just pointing. You travel by air-conditioned van, which matters because the villages sit at different elevations and the roads between them wind through the highlands.

The first stop centers on artisan work: chocolate makers, wine producers, and craftspeople working in wood and other materials show how they practice their trades. Then you move to a colonial palace, now a museum, built around the life of Guatemala's first bishop: a place the operator describes as mystic, though what you actually encounter is the architecture and the history embedded in it. The third village sits partly buried: remains of constructions destroyed by a mudslide from Agua volcano lie within the city hall, and you walk the main square to see the colonial church that survived. The final stop is a Kachiquiel Mayan village over 90 percent indigenous, known for hand-woven textiles made on backstrap looms. A museum there holds a collection of the finished pieces.

The tour runs four hours total. A professional guide speaks English, Spanish, Italian or French depending on the option you choose at checkout. Pickup from your Antigua hotel is included in at least one option. If you book from Puerto Quetzal instead, transport from the port is arranged. Children from age one travel free when accompanied by two paying adults.

What’s included

• Professional guide in your choice of English, Spanish, Italian or French.
• air-conditioned transport.
• bottled water.
• hotel pickup from Antigua or transport from Puerto Quetzal depending on which option you select.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (18 to 88 years) · Senior (89 and older) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (4 to 12 years) · Infant (1 to 3 years)

GroupUp to 12

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 6 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by MB Guatemaya Travel

Is this one for you?Book from Antigua if you're based in the city and want to explore the surrounding highlands in a single afternoon. Book from Puerto Quetzal if you're arriving by cruise and have a few hours between port and your next commitment, since the tour is timed to fit inside a port day.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (4 to 12 years); Infant (1 to 3 years).

What do artisans actually make in the villages on this tour?

The villages specialize in different crafts. You'll see chocolate and wine makers at work, woodcarvers and other artisans in their workshops, jade carvers whose technique is central to Mayan culture, and textile weavers using the traditional backstrap loom method that defines the Kachiquiel village.

Can I book this tour if I'm staying in Puerto Quetzal instead of Antigua?

Yes. One of the two purchase options departs from Puerto Quetzal with transport included. The other starts from Antigua hotels. Choose the option that matches where you are staying.

What is the colonial palace museum actually about?

The palace was built around Guatemala's first bishop and is now a museum dedicated to his role and importance to the country. It's a colonial-era building that the tour describes as a mystic place where you learn about that history.

Is there a dress code for the churches and other sites?

Yes. A dress code is required to enter places of worship, so wear clothing that covers your shoulders and knees.

How many people need to book together for this tour to run?

A minimum of two people per booking is required for the tour to operate.