Places to Visit in Guatemala City, Guatemala, America

Places to Visit in Guatemala City, Guatemala, America

Guatemala City is the capital and the largest city of Republic of Guatemala geographically positioned at 14°36′48″ N 90°32′7″ W. It also serves as the administrative center of both Guatemala municipality and Guatemala Department.

Guatemala City is the banking capital of the country housing headquarters of more than ten prominent banks of the nation and also it houses ten eminent universities.

Geography of Guatemala City:

Guatemala City is situated in Valle de la Ermita mountain valley at an elevation of 1,500 meters. It covers an area of 692 sq. km. and features a subtropical highland climate with rainy season from May to October and April is the hottest month in the city.

History of Guatemala City:

The history Guatemala City dates back to 1200 BC. Guatemala City was a small town during the colonial period of the Spanish. The capital of the Kingdom of Guatemala moved from Antigua Guatemala to Guatemala City after the heavy damage made by Santa Marta earthquake (on July 29, 1773).

Connectivity to Guatemala City:

Guatemala City is served by La Aurora International Airport which is situated around 8 km from Guatemala City centre and has good connection with Mexico, El Salvador, USA, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama and Nicaragua and the air services are provided by Avianca, American Airlines, United Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Aeromexico. There are taxis always available at the airport charging around $12US to Guatemala City (Zona 10).

For local travel, taxis and buses are useful costing Q1.00 to move within the city. The major taxi operators in Guatemala City include:

Taxis Mariscal
Taxis Amarillo
Servitaxis Rotativos
Taxis Las Americas

Culture, Food and Shopping in Guatemala City:

Guatemala City is rich in its culture housing many historical buildings from the colonial period. The famous shopping centres of Guatemala City are Oakland Mall and La Pradera.

The prominent food corners in Guatemala are listed below:

Tamarindos
Tapas y Canas
El Ganadero
Del Tingo Al Tango

Things to do in Guatemala City:

Magic Place
La Pradera
Tikal Futura
Shopping
Live Guate

Places to interest in Guatemala City:

Mapa en Relieve:

Mapa en Relieve is a typical site situated at Minerva Park in Zona 2. This is an open air map of Guatemala country including Belize and rivers and was inaugurated on October 29, 1905, designed by Lieutenant Colonel and Engineer Francisco Vela and Engineer Claudio Urrutia. Admission fee is Q16 and open from 9AM-5PM.

Museo Miraflores:

Museo Miraflores is a museum located in Zona 11 of Guatemala city. It is an ideal place to know about the ancient city of Kaminaljuyu (former Guatemala). Museo Miraflores is open from 9-19 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday), 9-20 (Thursday, Friday, Saturday). Monday is off.

Ixchel Museum of traditional costumes:

Ixchel Museum of traditional costumes houses a great collection of traditional costumes, dying techniques and paintings of Carmen Pettersen. Admission fee is Q25 for adults and Q15 for students. Tourists are allowed between 9:00-17:00 from Monday-Friday.

Other places of interest in Guatemala City include:

Popol Vuh Museum
Archaeology and Ethnology Museum
Museo Nacional de Arqueologiay Etnologia
Museum of Modern Art
Aurora Zoo
Museo Miraflores
Palacio Nacional
National History Museum
Jardines Botanico
Museo Carlos F. Novella

Best time to visit Guatemala City:

From October to March is the ideal time to visit Guatemala City.

Accommodation Options in Guatemala City:

Guatemala City is home to all the types of accommodation centres ranging from budget to top end. Prices are comparatively higher than other cities of Guatemala and the budget hotels charge around $20/night, mid range-$50 and splurge-$100. List of major hotels in Guatemala City include:

Budget: