7 BEST Lake Atitlan Hiking Tours You’ll Love in 2025
Having spent a month in Guatemala and 10 days around the lake, we wanted to share with you our top Lake Atitlan Hiking Tours recommendations
Lake Atitlan is a popular destination for tourists and locals in Guatemala. Located around a 2.5-hour drive from Antigua, this beautiful lake is home to 11 different towns and villages and 3 volcanos. Making it an epic place to explore and do some hiking.
In fact, there are some very well-known and popular hikes around the like. In this post, I will give you the details of the 7 best Lake Atitlan Hiking Tours, so you can decide which ones sound the most appealing to you.
We spent 10 days around the lake when we visited and loved it there. Each town is so different but no matter where you go the views are amazing! My top tip is to make sure you visit San Marcos La Laguna, this was our favourite spot and many of the best hikes pass through here.
Important things to consider before starting any Lake Atitlan Hiking Tour…
🥾 Get some good hiking boots – These are the ones I have and love!
🎒 Take a comfy backpack – This is the backpack I use.
💰 DON’T FORGET to get travel insurance! This is a great choice for hikers.
For more great tips on how to spend your time around Lake Atitlan, check out our full guide to the area.
7 BEST Lake Atitlan Hiking Tours
Keep in mind when planning your hiking adventures around Lake Atitlan that there are occasionally incidents where bandits prey on unsuspecting tourists. Many of the hikes in the area can be done without a guide but it is recommended to have one with you regardless just to avoid any unpleasant interactions.
Now we know how to keep ourselves safe, in no particular order, let’s dive into the 7 best Lake Atitlan hiking tours for all you adventure lovers.
1 – Indian Nose Peak at Sun Rise
This is one of the most popular hikes to do not only around Lake Atitlan but in all of Guatemala. A hike up to the famous viewpoint will give you the most incredible views across the lake and of the surrounding volcanos.
This hike is best done in the early hours of the morning so you can enjoy the spectacular sunrise over the lake. You could argue that this is the best spot on the whole lake to watch the sunset.
Luckily for us, this is a relatively short hike. At just 3km in total, this short but steep hike is great for anyone looking to get a bird’s eye view of the lake and nearby town of San Pedro.
The hike up to the viewpoint should take around 40 minutes as it is pretty steep and a little challenging in places. From the viewpoint, you can also hike an additional 5 minutes to get to the official summit of the Indian’s nose peak.
✅ Join this group tour from Panajachel up the Indian Nose Peak for sunrise!
2 – Atitlan Volcano
Of all of the Lake Atitlan hiking tours on this list, this one is for the most adventurous among us. Atitlan Volcano is the highest of the 3 volcanos surrounding the lake, making it the highest point to view the lake.
This is a challenging hike and one not to be taken lightly. At 3535m high, the altitude could also make the hike a little more challenging. The hike starts at the small town of San Lucas Toliman.
This full-day hiking tour starts in the early hours of the morning because it can take anywhere from 5-8 hours to reach the summit, depending on the pace of the group.
Not to worry the experienced guides will be there to make sure everyone makes it in one piece and enjoys the day.
✅ Take a look at this guided, one-day tour up Atitlan Volcano!
3 – Lower Mayan Trail Hike
The Lower Mayan Trail hike is a fabulous hike that technically can be done without a guide. It is the pathway that was used for centuries by the ancient Kaqchikel Mayans and is still there for us visitors to enjoy.
We only managed to hike part of this trail as we were short on time and hadn’t booked a guide, but we were blown away by the views that we did get to see.
The hike is a one-way hike between the towns of San Marcos and Santa Cruz. If you choose to go alone, you can do it in either direction and just take the boat back to the start. However, I would recommend hiking towards San Marcos for the best views in front of you as you walk.
The hike is around 9km in total and is a fairly easy hike. Many tourists tackle this one solely with other travellers they meet. However, if you want the security and local knowledge of a guide then there are tours you can join.
✅ Hike the lower Mayan Trail with a local guide on this guided hike!
4 – Xela to Lake Atitlan 3-day hike
For those adventurous hikers out there who love a multi-day hike then this one is for you. The journey from Xela to Lake Atitlan will see you hike 46km over 3 days, through villages and over mountains.
On this guided 3-day hike you will be shown forests, traditional villages and ways of life, local flora and fauna and have the chance to stay with a different local family each night.
If you have a good level of fitness and are looking for a great story to tell the folks back home, then hiking from Xela to Lake Atitlan will do just the trick.
The most special part of the 3-day hike is waking up early on the morning of day 3 to hike to a viewpoint over the lake in time to watch the sunrise.
✅ Take a look at the details of this epic 3 day hike to Lake Atitlan here!
5 – Hike and Kayak Adventure from Panjachel
For those of us who love hiking but also love to be on the water, this day tour is ideal. Combining a scenic shoreside hike with kayaking on the lake and even the chance for some cliff jumping into the lake if you are feeling brave.
I once jumped off a 4m waterfall and that is my limit, so kudos to you if you can do higher.
This is arguably the best Lake Atitlan hiking tour because it scores the highest on both Trip Advisor and Viator! It is an ideal choice if you are short on time and want to experience as much as possible in a day.
I just hope you have a calm day because when we kayaked on the lake it was windy and the waves on the lake made it quite challenging.
✅ See the details of the Hiking and Kayaking tour here!
6 – Indian Nose Peak and Kayaking
Another great hiking tour option for those short on time is to combine the popular Indian nose hike with some kayaking fun.
This tour starts bright and early so you get to see the sunrise over the lake, like with the regular hike. Only this time, once you are done you will head down to the lake for a couple of hours of kayaking.
With this combination, you will get to see the area from 2 of the best vantage points on the same day. From above and from on the lake.
✅ Book your spot on the Indian nose hike and kayaking tour here!
7 – Upper Mayan Trail Hike
If you are looking for a hike that combines experiencing some local culture then this day trip will be perfect. Starting in Panajachel, you will hike the upper Mayan trail from Santa Cruz.
Not only will you get to enjoy the incredible views along the way but you will also get to stop and spend time with two local tribes along the way and experience some of their traditional rituals.
A final stop of the hike will be a trip to the second-largest market in the country. Similar to the famous market at Chichicastenango, only with far fewer tourists.
This is a long and moderately challenging day, as the hike is mostly steep and uphill. But for those looking to experience some of the real Guatemala, their efforts will be rewarded.
✅ Experience the Guatemalan culture on this Upper Mayan Trail hike, see more details here!
Where To Stay In Lake Atitlan
As I mentioned before, Lake Atitlan is home to 11 different towns and villages so you have a lot of options when it comes to places to stay. We stayed in San Pedro, San Marcos and Santa Cruz.
I can highly recommend San Marcos and San Pedro but Santa Cruz is very small with not much to do so best visited as a day trip or part of one of the Mayan trail hikes.
Here are my top 3 picks for places to Stay around Lake Atitlan;
📍 Panajachel
The Selina Hostel in Panajachel is one of the best places to stay in town. Selina has a chain of hostels all over the world but this location is one of their best! With epic views from their terraces, beautiful rooms and a great pool area you would have an awesome time staying here.
🏠Book your stay at the Selina in Panajachel here!
📍 San Marcos La Laguna
We stayed in Del Lago Hotel in San Marcos and it was perfect. Right on the edge of the lake, it has a private pier and a beautiful yoga studio overlooking the water. The rooms are all private cabins away from any street noise. There is also a restaurant on site that serves really great tofu tacos and is ideal for meeting other travellers.
🏠Book your stay at Del Lago Hotel Here!
This hostel even made it onto our list of the best hostels in Central America.
📍 San Pedro La Laguna
When in San Pedro we stayed further in the town and were kept awake by barking dogs all night, every night! For this reason, I would recommend staying somewhere like Mikaso Hotel.
It is located right on the water’s edge and has a big terrace over the lake and a private pier to access the water.
🏠Book your stay at Mikaso Hotel here!
Lake Atitlan Hiking Tours FAQs
Now that you have some great hiking tours to choose from and suggestions on places to stay, allow me to answer a few more questions that may come up when planning your time in Lake Atitlan.
When is the best time to visit Lake Aititlan?
Lake Atitlan is a great place to visit all year round but many prefer to visit during the dry season from December to March.
We went in December/January and it was lovely. Great temperatures and no rain. Wondering if it ever snows in Guatemala then read more here.
How many days do you need at Lake Atitlan?
I would recommend having at least 3 days around the lake to be able to experience a few different towns and activities.
Which is the best volcano hike in Lake Atitlan?
This will all depend on what you like but San Pedro Volcano is the most popular to hike, whereas hiking Volcano Atitlan will be the most rewarding.
A little further from Lake Atitlan is the famous Acatenango volcano which is known to be one of the best hikes in Central America.
Is Lake Atitlan expensive?
No, we found Lake Atitlan to be very affordable. Rooms can be very cheap and the boats around the lake only cost a few dollars. It is also easy to find cheap street food around the lake too.
Can you do a day trip from Antigua to Lake Atitlan?
You certainly can. There are many day trips you can join but this is one of the most highly rated ones we could find;
Day trip from Antigua to Lake Atitlan
On this trip, you stop at viewpoints along the way and get to visit 4 different villages around the lake by boat.
You can also check out our guide for more tips on things to do in Antigua.
Should you swim in Lake Atitlan?
You can swim in the lake but I recommend not swimming around the larger towns. It is rumoured to not be the cleanest water and many people think they get a little sick after taking a dip.
I decided to go in because I couldn’t resist and I survived to tell the tale, so I will leave that choice up to you.
Lake Atitlan Hiking Tours – Final Thoughts
So there you have it, our list of the 7 best Lake Atitlan hiking tours that we trust and would join if we could go back. I wish we were going back soon.
Lake Atitlan was a wonderful part of the country and as long as you are sensible and prepared we know you will have a fantastic time!
If you are combining your visit to Lake Atitlan with a longer trip then take a look at our Mexico, Belize and Guatemala Itinerary.
