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Iximché Ruins and Antigua City Tour: Explore Mayan History and Spanish Colonial Sites
4.8
24 Ratings
Tecpan
Immerse yourself in Guatemala’s rich history on a full-day tour of the Iximché Ruins and Antigua City. Discover Mayan heritage at the archeological site of Iximché, then explore the Spanish colonial charm of Antigua’s iconic landmarks. Perfect for families!
Immerse yourself in Guatemala’s rich history on a full-day tour of the Iximché Ruins and Antigua City. Discover Mayan heritage at the archeological site of Iximché, then explore the Spanish colonial charm of Antigua’s iconic landmarks. Perfect for families!
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Iximché - Begin your journey with a pickup from your Antigua hotel and travel northwest for about an hour to the quaint town of Tecpán. Here, explore the Mayan ruins of Iximché, the former capital of the Kaqchiquel Maya and a must-visit site in Guatemala. Upon entering, you’ll encounter four ceremonial plazas, encircled by towering temple…
- Iximché - Begin your journey with a pickup from your Antigua hotel and travel northwest for about an hour to the quaint town of Tecpán. Here, explore the Mayan ruins of Iximché, the former capital of the Kaqchiquel Maya and a must-visit site in Guatemala. Upon entering, you’ll encounter four ceremonial plazas, encircled by towering temple structures and two ball courts. Accompanied by a knowledgeable guide, delve into the rich ancient history of Guatemala.
- The Plaza Central Park - Enjoy a lunch break at a local restaurant (at your own expense) before heading to the Central Plaza with your guide.
- Casa del Jade - Observe artisans transforming stones into exquisite jewels and explore the jade collection at the museum. After the tour, you’ll be returned to your hotel.
- Iglesia de La Merced - Proceed to La Merced Church, renowned for its stunning Baroque-style façade.
- Iglesia de San Francisco El Grande - Finally, return to Antigua’s Central Plaza to visit San Francisco Church, which houses the shrine of Peter of St Joseph Betancur. Also, admire the famous Santa Catalina Arch, constructed in the 17th century, which was once part of the Santa Catalina Convent.
What's Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Professional guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Professional guide
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Experience Guatemala’s mixture of Spanish and Mayan influences on this full-day tour of Iximch and Antigua. Learn about Mayan history from your knowledgeable guide as you explore the archeological site of Iximch. Then, head to the Spanish colonial city of Antigua to visit some of its most famous sites, including San Francisco Church, Calle del Arco, La…
Experience Guatemala’s mixture of Spanish and Mayan influences on this full-day tour of Iximch and Antigua. Learn about Mayan history from your knowledgeable guide as you explore the archeological site of Iximch. Then, head to the Spanish colonial city of Antigua to visit some of its most famous sites, including San Francisco Church, Calle del Arco, La Merced Church and Plaza Central. This day tour is perfect for the whole family!
Location
Iximche
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(24 Ratings)
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Rebekah_r
Feb 15, 2026
This tour was very... - This tour was very informative and fun! My friend and I were visiting from the US and only had two full days in Antigua, so we were really hoping to get as much history and sight-seeing in as possible. Pablo was a great and engaging tour guide, speaking to us in English but did some translation to French for the other three people in our group.
In Iximché, we learned a lot about Mayan history, the colonization of the area, and even got to see a Mayan ceremony being done. In Antigua, we went to several churches and ruins, where we learned about Spain's colonization and how local Mayans were affected. The tour also included stops to a chocolate store and a jade store, where we didn't feel forced to purchase anything.
Thanks again to Pablo for such an engaging tour and for the recommendations in Antigua.
Review provided by Viator
Rodrigo_f
Jan 21, 2026
It was great. Guide was... - It was great. Guide was very informative and kept us up to date on everything. Transportation was included and we had a wonderful time.
Review provided by Viator
Amanda_m
Mar 19, 2025
Great Tour - Great tour, we really enjoyed it. It was about an hour drive to get to the ruins from Antigua, so be really for that. However, our guide picked us up from our hotel on time. He was very knowledgeable about the country and the ruins. The bathroom at the ruins were clean. We were lucky to see a ceremony happening while we were there. Then we drove back to Antigua to see all the sites, but we had already seen most of them on our own and were very tired from the long ride and hot sun.
Review provided by Viator
Deanna_j
Oct 7, 2024
Perfect tour of Antigua & Iximche - Our guide Oscar was absolutely brilliant. His depth of knowledge about everything we saw was very impressive, and speaking as a history teacher and former archaeologist, that is hard to do.
Oscar was very kind and went out of his way to make us feel valued, and safe. One of the passengers on our tour became ill, and he made sure we stopped a few times when she needed a pharmacy.
I really felt like this trip was worthwhile, and would highly recommend it. We saw a lot and had a great time experiencing Iximche and Antigua.
Our driver Jorge also deserves praise, he drove very safely, and navigated alternative routes when the main road was under construction.
Review provided by Viator
Bryan_h
Sep 6, 2024
Good Tour With Lots To See, Made Better With A Great Guide - The tour guide picked us up from our hotel in Guatemala earlier than expected to do as much as possible before the rain came. (We went in late August during the rainy season.) We stopped at a large restaurant before the ruins for snacks and a clean bathroom. I really appreciated the tour guide. He was very knowledgeable about all the subject matter and conversed easily in both Spanish and English. We had excellent pictures of the Mayan ruins and even took pictures with some locals who were excited to see us (and they took their own pictures of us also). The city of Antigua was equally good. While dodging the heavy rain showers, we were able to see all the major sites: Iglesia de La Merced, Arco de Santa Catalina, Jade Museum, Parque Central, Catedral San José, Tanque La Unión, Iglesia de San Francisco (while a wedding took place there), and the Mercado de Artesanias. Our tour guide was very flexible. He allowed us to re-order the activities, skip lunch, and wait in some locations longer than we should have - so that we can minimize getting wet. I'm pretty sure we arrived back at the hotel at least an hour late because of us, so I appreciate the guide for his patience.
Review provided by Viator
Darvin_s
Mar 17, 2024
Definitely worth the time - Great private tour with knowledgeable guide. The ruins are a long way from Antigua so be prepared for an hour long ride. The guide was proud of his city and the Antigua tour was worth every minute. Antigua has a rich history and hearing from a local was exactly what I was looking for
Review provided by Viator
Luca_e
Jan 5, 2024
Knowledge makes a difference - Tour guide was excellent. Don José gave us a lot of information and explanations. Really enjoyed his knowledge and we felt very satisfied.
Review provided by Viator
Rebecca_j
Aug 30, 2023
Fantastic experience - We had a wonderful time on this tour. It was a good amount of time in both places. We got to see the beauty, history, and architecture of the city with time left to shop and eat, and then headed to the ruins. Our tour guide, Mirco, was fantastic. He was knowledgeable and very personable. We plan to use this group for future adventures.
Review provided by Viator
Elizabeth_p
Jan 30, 2023
A beautiful exploring ancient civilization - I thoroughly enjoyed my day of adventure with Jose. We were lucky enough to to get to see some Mayan rituals at Iximche. It was a great treat to have a private tour of such a special place.
Review provided by Viator
David_s
Jun 7, 2024
Walking tour through Maysn and post Maysn - Iximche was a special memory. So much history and incredible view into Maysn history. Antigua was special for its Italian engineer and Moor architecture. Ancient uneven cobblestone street is challenging for mobility impaired.
Review provided by Viator
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