Culinary Break in Antigua
7 days
Walk the cobblestone streets of colonial Antigua Guatemala. See the bustling market of Antigua to explore fresh ingredients. Learn about assorted types of cacao and prepare your chocolate treats. Go on a coffee tour and learn about the production process.
Antigua Guatemala
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Mayan Cuisine
Traditional tortillas
Escorted tours
Street food
Culinary experience
Community tourism
Highlights
Antigua Guatemala, San Miguel Escobar, San Juan Comalapa, Mayan markets, coffee and macadamia farms.
GUATEMALAN CUISINE’S ANCESTRAL ORIGINS.
Culinary break
Guatemala was once a proud member of the great Maya civilization that extended across several nations. Despite facing numerous challenges throughout history, including Spanish colonization, the spirit and legacy of the Maya people continue to live on today in Guatemala’s vibrant culture and delicious cuisine. Let us take inspiration from their resilience and proudly celebrate the enduring influence of their civilization.
We can trace the roots of this cuisine back to the ancient Maya civilization. Over time, its people have successfully preserved the traditional and ceremonial dishes with unique flavors and aromas.
Itinerary
Arrive at the international airport in Guatemala City and transfer to Antigua Guatemala, your new home, during your Guatemala culinary trip. Enjoy a stay at a boutique hotel. The acclaimed Meson Panza Verde is favored for dinner this evening, and the restaurant offers international cuisine options.
Enjoy the morning free to wander the cobblestone streets of Antigua Guatemala. Accustom yourself to this delicate colonial city and its breathtaking ruins and volcano views. The day begins with a visit to the bustling Antigua local market. People come from surrounding towns daily to sell and buy produce, fish, meats, flowers, animals, and more. You can also discover traditional textiles, handicrafts, pots, and clothes here.
Guatemala offers a long and proud food culture and history and welcomes the chance to share its most esteemed dishes with tourists. Tortillas, Pepian Revolcado (Brain stew), and Tamales are all well-known choices. On weekends locals go to the streets to eat. Because many traditional Guatemalan dishes need a long preparation time, they are commonly only made on certain occasions.
Later in the day, your guide will take you on a tour of street food and hot spots, where you will have the opportunity to taste some of the most authentic cuisines of Guatemala. These are the locations where long lines of locals are a fixture, and for an excellent reason: the food served is exquisite and well-prepared. Learn the cultural and historical meaning of the dishes on offer and visit the bustling local market to explore the colorful variety of ingredients used in Guatemalan cuisine.
Please keep in mind that this tour is for more adventurous eaters. If you still have a place for dinner, your suggested Guatemalan cuisine tonight is at the La Fonda Calle Real restaurant.
Today, discover the indulgent art of chocolate making with a hands-on workshop at ChocoMuseo. Learn first about the Mayan history and findings of the cacao bean and how it has led to the mass production of chocolate worldwide. Learn about different types of cacao and its health gains before taking on the challenge of making your chocolate delicacies. Begin with the bean and work it into cacao tea, Maya hot chocolate, and European hot chocolate.
Later practice your creativity by adding ingredients such as almonds, coffee beans, sea salt, ginger, and more to create your chocolate bar creation. Enjoy some free time in the afternoon. Later, you will walk from your hotel to a local restaurant famous for its authentic flavors of Guatemalan eats.
You will be able to participate in this experience fully. After a short introduction, a local chef starts by teaching you about the amusing mixture of Spanish and Mayan impacts on Guatemalan flavors using the best quality vegetables, herbs, meats, and spices from the local market. Cook in a retro kitchen while enjoying the authentic flavors of a full Guatemalan meal you have prepared.
Come one hour outside the city today with your local guide to San Juan Comalapa. This town is home to many local painters. Visit the distinguished mural painted by school children in 1996 depicting Guatemala’s recent civil war events.
Discover the market today, the central shopping heart for many locals, and witness those still wearing traditional Maya dresses. See the tiny museum devoted to the composer of the national anthem of Guatemala and enjoy lunch before going back this afternoon to Antigua.
The most significant contribution to the worldwide cuisine market of Guatemala is its coffee. Today, explore the production process on a coffee excursion in the local town of San Miguel Escobar. ‘As Green as it Gets’ is a charity working to help small independent coffee producers and boost sustainable agriculture practices.
Visit some of the families backed by the organization during this experience and the coffee season (Nov-Mar); you can work alongside the coffee farmers and help with a couple of steps in the production process.
Experience how the coffee is roasted over an open fire and ground by hand before examining the handiwork. End the experience by tasting a traditional lunch at a community member’s home. The tour includes a small donation to the organization as well.
Return to Antigua Guatemala, this evening and enjoy the remainder of the day free to explore at your leisure. Tonight you could try out Hector’s restaurant in front of La Merced Church.
A short 10-minute drive from Antigua, we will find this beautiful and peaceful spot. This organic and sustainable nut farm guarantees a delicious and unforgettable experience. You’ll start with a breakfast of Valhalla’s legendary macadamia pancakes with nut butter and blueberry jam.
After a sweet breakfast, we will tour the farm, learning about the history of macadamia trees and how they’re cultivated and processed. You will try some of the products, delicious macadamia nuts and chocolates, and even get a facial massage with macadamia oil.
For lunch, you will taste the exclusive macadamia-smoked BBQ. In the afternoon, you will enjoy the beautiful and peaceful gardens of the farm and take a relaxing steam sauna, perfect to end the day. You will be driven back to your hotel in Antigua after that.
Your driver will take you back to the airport in time for your return flight home.
map, expenses & price
Culinary Break in Antigua
Expenses included:
-All private transportation.
-Six nights of hotel accommodations.
-Tours and excursions as listed.
-Entrance fees.
-Professional local guides.
-Three traditional lunches.
-Daily breakfast.
Extension
extensions
You’ll hike above the cloud line, and along with the altitude, you’ll be on airplane level. The sight from Acatenango is magnificent. Volcano de Fuego will put on a mighty display. BOOM, vast plumes of smoke and loud grumbles. It’s hard to see the vibrancy of the lava during the daylight, but by darkness, the red glow of erupting lava is intense. Watching a volcano erupt is like nothing else in the world—a unique experience. As the daylight subsides, we’ll huddle around the fire, captivated by Fuego bursting repeatedly.
