A plan for Guatemala City

Guatemala City is in the department (territorial division) of Guatemala, and it's the capital of the country. All the main highways start at Kilómetro 0, inside Palacio Nacional de la Cultura (National Palace), in Centro Histórico (Historic Center).

Guatemala City became the capital after Antigua Guatemala had been destroyed by an earthquake in 1773.

Tourist information

INGUAT, 7 Avenue 1-17, Zone 4. Travellers have mixed reports about the service being unreliable here at the official travel office. There is little written material. You can get some nice posters for Q6 (quetzales), and if you bring your own blank CD, they will copy some marimba music for you.

Although it holds a repelling reputation for violent crime, Guatemala is also known for its good-natured, friendly citizens.

Antique churches provide the capital city with a very special historic and architectural touch, such as Cerrito del Carmen, Catedral Metropolitana, Calvario, Iglesia de Santo Domingo, Iglesia de Yurrita, and Iglesia de la Merced. The archaeological site of Kaminal Juyú is in this capital city, which according to specialists, is a city buried under one of the most commercial areas of the city, comprising Zona 7 and Zona 11.

1 National Palace of Culture (Palacio Nacional de la Cultura). Symbol of the city and former presidential palace. Tours operate every 15 minutes. You can see the interior courtyards and official function rooms, decorative artwork, wall murals, and a small statue commemorating the end of the civil war: a pair of hands that hold a fresh rose. Entrance Q40 for foreigners. (updated Aug 2020)

2 Mapa en Relieve, ☏ +502 2254-1114. Daily 09:00-17:00. At Minerva Park, at end of Av. Simon Cañas, Guatemala Zona 2. Entrance is Q16. This relief map depicting Guatemala's precipitous topography is so immense you have to view it from an observation tower. What makes it even more amazing is that it was built in 1904, before satellite or even aerial photography.

3 La Aurora Zoo, Zona 13. See local and exotic animals in a decent environment. Make sure to listen to the songbirds that gather in the trees above.

4 Kaminal Juyu Parque Arqueologico, Zona 7. An early Maya ruin right in the heart of the city. The buildings are mostly mounds, however, the excavations have opened up a lot of areas that are interesting to tour.

5 Parque Central (Plaza de la Constitucion). A town square established in 1776.

6 Catedral Metropolitana de Santiago de Guatemala. Consecrated in 1815. Beautiful, outside and inside.

7 Jardines Botánico, Calle Mariscal Cruz 1-56, Zona 10, ☏ +502 334 6064. First botanical garden in Central America. Houses a large variety of indigenous and exotic plant species in a mature, well-maintained facility. The garden is part of the Museum of Natural History, an operation of UCA.

8 Cayalá City (Ciudad Cayalá). A planned district built in a traditional style. Popular with locals and tourists. (updated Mar 2021)

Museums

9 National History Museum (Museo Nacional de Historia), 9A Calle 9, ☏ +502 2253 6149. (updated Mar 2021)

Recreational activities can be done as well, from climbing volcanoes (Agua and Pacaya), to swimming in several recreational facilities, as well as water sports in Lago de Atitlán (lake).

For recreation, you can visit 4 Grados Norte: pedestrian roads that offer great entertainment, commerce and cultural activities, and Zona Viva, an area of Zona 10 that has become the main center for nightlife. Guatemala City is an urban center with cultural diversity, cosmopolitan as well as traditional, in which traditional and folkloric abundance stands out, with legends such as El Cadejo or La Llorona. The city offers the tourist all the services and commodities and is normally the center of operations to set out to any of the other destinations in the Republic.

Shopping at the Central Market

Every Sunday hundreds of People stroll at the Main Plaza ("Plaza Mayor") in Zona 1, where music, arts and food is provided

Cinema

Los Proceres

La Pradera

Miraflores.

Tikal Futura

Pradera Concepcion. Newest cinemas in Guatemala with IMAX Theater

Football

1 Guatemala National Football Team (Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores), 10A Avenida, ☏ +502 2412 7500. If you want to experience a football game in a country that's obsessed with football (Spanish: fútbol; North American/Oceanian English: soccer), spend a Sunday morning/afternoon at Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores. The most popular football club in the country, CSD Municipal ("Los Rojos"). Tickets are cheap and you can get them at the stadium entrance. Go to [1] to see when there is a local match. "Palco" is the most expensive seating with ample spaced seats followed by "Preferencia", "Tribuna", where the "hinchas", or fanatics, sit and "General Sur y Norte" which are the cheapest. The first three are best for a good view. The other big Guatemala City football team is Comunicaciones ("Los Cremas"). If Municipal isn't playing, go see Comunicaciones play as they share a stadium as their home venue. (updated Nov 2022)

Fast food

You can find quite an array of American fast food restaurants (McDonald's, KFC, Burger King, Wendy's, etc.) as well as Pollo Campero which is the most popular Guatemalan fast food chain. Fast food restaurants in Guatemala are very clean and accessible.

Street food

Though a little risky, there are great street vendors that offer a variety of good local foods. Just remember to scope out the one with the best hygiene. This is the most more local.

Shucos can be found in carts that are usually parked in between "Estadio del Ejercito" and "Campo Marte" zona 5. They are comparable to a super charged hot dog with guacamole, meats such as "longaniza", "chorizo", and bacon. Just make sure you get the one with everything (Con todo).

Mangoes or cucumbers with salt, pepitoria & limón - you can also get sliced fruit such as mangoes with "pepitoria" (roasted, crushed pumpkin seeds), salt, and lemon in a small clear bag. Or sliced oranges from carts all over the city.

Gauchitos are also good cart foods. They are basically a pattie with scrambled egg, "chimichurri" and some dressings on a bun. You can find them in various places throughout the city. One favorite is on the "Mirador" on Carretera an El Salvador. It sits adjacent to Cafesa, diner like restaurant, on an outlook overlooking the city. You can order a "Súper Gauchito", a soda, and sit and admire the hustle and bustle of the city below.

Atol de Elote is a very local and custom drink made from a corn (maize) base. It's somewhat sweet and a drink you must try. It's very rich so if you're not too hungry you can substitute it for a meal. The best place to try it is on the outlook on the other side of the city leaving towards Antigua. Just before you get to San Lucas. It's also another place where you can sit and admire the city from atop a mountain.

Carretera a Antigua Guatemala

Restaurante La Abuelita, the best homemade food in San Lucas.

Zona Viva, between Avenida La Reforma, 6 Avenida, 16 Calle and 10 Calle in Zona 10 is the best place to find restaurants, bars and nightclubs.

4 Grados Norte. A cultural district in Zona 4 in Guatemala City. It was a project of the municipality to convert this area into an attractive pedestrian area in 2002. Many green areas were created. Today the district also features bars, restaurants, shopping and cultural activities and has become one of the city's trendy and open minded areas, competing with Zona Viva in Zona 10. The most interesting places are perhaps the ones just outside the main street. It has, however, become less popular and developed a poor reputation.

Bodegita del Centro, 12 Calle 3-55, Avenidas 3/4, Zona 1.

El Portal, inside the complex (entrances from 8 Calle, 9 Calle and 6 Avenida) facing Parque Central, Zona 1. Supposedly Che Guevaras favorite place when he lived in Guatemala City in the early 1950s.

El Establo, 14 Calle 508, Zona 10, ☏ +502 4206 9554. Daily 12:00-01:00. Everyone is just really chill and relaxed.

The gay circuit in Guatemala is somewhat extensive, and it is growing every day.

Genetic Majestic Club, Ruta 3, near 4 Grados Norte. Fri Sat 19:00-0:100. It is Guatemala's biggest gay club, where you can get for free if you come before 21:00. It has two floors, and shows a variety of music: from Latin beats to europop. US$12.

The city is divided into 21 zones (zonas). Zona 1 is the old historic center. Here are the national palace, the presidential palace, the cathedral, the main plaza, and the Central Market. South of Zona 1 is Zona 4, with many of the official buildings like the national bank, the national theatre, and the tourist board (INGUAT). Farther south is Zona 10 and Zona 9, divided by Avenida La Reforma. Zona 10 hosts most of the high class hotels, restaurants, bars, shopping facilities. A small part of Zona 10 is called Zona Viva (the lively zone) because of its nightlife.

If you walk, make sure to do so accompanied.

By bus

Transmetro is Guatemala City's bus rapid transit (BRT) system. The fleet consists of (green) modern buses that have fixed stops and partly run on dedicated lanes, avoiding other traffic. Stops and vehicles are guarded by municipal police. The system has seven lines, numbered 1, 2, 6, 7, 12, 13, and 18. Service on each line begins between 04:30 and 05:30, and ends between 20:00 and 22:00. You must pay using a "Citizen's Card", which is available from the machines at each bus stop. It costs Q20, and includes 5 free trips. Subsequent trips are 1Q each (2025). You may also use a Visa or MasterCard contactless credit or debit card. Cash is no longer accepted.

Transurbano (blue & white) buses provide slower service on more routes. To use this system you have to buy a pre-paid card from special booths, such as in Zona 1's Plaza Barrios, the CentraNorte bus terminal and the Zona 10 TransUrbano office on Av La Reforma. Cash is not accepted on board. It has surveillance cameras, and panic buttons in the units, which communicate directly to police officers.

The old red city buses, los rojos, are hotbeds of violent robbery and extortion, and should only be used in an emergency.

Guatemala City has a high level of crime. Crimes include carjackings on the road from the airport, robberies and assaults of tourist vans, ordinary buses and cars.

Even though it has a lot of crime, if you stay alert and follow good travel safety practices, you likely won't be exposed to any of it. Make sure you sharpen your street smarts and stay aware of your surroundings at all times.

If you experience a robbery, give away anything the robbers want. Though some would suggest to just stay inside in most places after sunset, at night you can have fun safely in Zona Viva (Zona 10), Zona 14, or 4 Grados Norte.

But despite some of its negative aspects, Guatemala City is the largest Central American capital city, and one of the most beautiful in Latin America, with varied and rich culture. It is important that visitors not return to their hotels too late, and that they don’t walk alone in dark places, but as long as they keep this in mind, they should have a beautiful stay.