A quick checklist for your Guatemala holiday

British passport holders do not require a visa to enter Guatemala for stays up to 90 days. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after your planned date of return to the UK.

All travellers entering Guatemala must also complete an online immigration, pre-clearance form from 2 weeks prior to arrival. You will receive a confirmation email, which you should print and take with you and / or have a screen shot of the QR code.

Non-UK citizens should check entry requirements with their nearest Guatemalan embassy.

If you are flying via the US, British and most other nationalities will require at least an ESTA, perhaps even a full US Visa. Please be certain to check your individual requirements before committing to any booking.

Spanish is the official language of Guatemala although many hotels in the key tourist destinations will have at least some English-speaking employees. Typically, the further you venture from these major tourist centres, the less likely you are to find English-speakers.

All our experienced Driver / Guides speak fluent English.

In addition to Spanish, Guatemala is home to countless Mayan languages and dialects as well as Garifuna (in Livingston) and Xinca.

The Guatemala currency is the Quetzal (named after the national bird) which is further divided into 100 centavos.

From the UK, it is now possible to buy Quetzales in advance of travelling to Guatemala. Once in-country, there are ATMs in all the major tourist destinations as well as within convenience stores.

Guatemala is 6 hours behind GMT all year round. So, during the winter Guatemala is 6 hours behind the UK, while in the summer it is 7 hours behind.

For anyone in the US, Guatemala is on Central Standard Time all year round.

There are no compulsory vaccinations for travel to Guatemala from the UK. If you are travelling to Guatemala from a country at risk of Yellow Fever, you may need to provide proof of inoculation.

In terms of what vaccinations may be recommended for travel to Guatemala, we suggest you speak to your local medical practise and / or visit the Travel Health Pro website for guidance.

There is currently no law in Guatemala requiring visitors to have travel insurance.

However, it is a condition of booking with Beyond The Ordinary that clients have full travel insurance in place before travel. We recommend taking this out as soon as you book and ensuring that such a policy includes Cancellation & Curtailment Cover.

Value for money is a very subjective concept and depends on one’s individual circumstances, where one lives, personal travel experiences etc.

Naturally, accommodation prices vary depending on the quality of accommodation although they compare favourably to Europe, the US and even nearby destinations such as Costa Rica.

All our Guatemala holidays are arranged on the basis of bespoke, private tours with experienced, English speaking Driver / Guides. While such holidays are never going to be cheap, such arrangements are better value in Guatemala than the majority of other Latin American destinations.

Out and about, food and drink prices in towns and cities are generally good value for money. In instances where clients are staying in remote accommodation, without access to external bars and restaurants, prices will be higher, often significantly so in upmarket hotels.

The standard voltage in Guatemala is 120v with a frequency of 60Hz. Depending on your device, you may therefore need a voltage converter.

In Guatemala, they use Type A and Type B plugs. The type A has two flat parallel pins, while the less common Type B has two flat parallel pins and a grounding pin.

As to whether you need an adaptor will depend on where exactly you are travelling from but, if from the UK, then yes, will need to take a travel adaptor with you. We recommend always travelling with a universal plug adaptor which can be bought online or, in emergencies, at most major airports.

While Guatemala has a long Pacific coastline, if it’s picturesque, tropical, sandy white beaches that you’re after, you will be disappointed.

Beach hotels in Guatemala are also relatively limited in both quantity and quality with the vast majority of guests being locals.

On the other side of the country, facing the Caribbean, Guatemala only has a tiny stretch of coastline and much of that is mangrove.

If you can’t go on holiday without visiting the beach, there is a small, sandy white beach (Playa Blancas) a short boat ride from Livingston.

A holiday to Guatemala can be combined with visits to El Salvador, Honduras, Belize & Mexico.

For holidaymakers who wish to combine exploration with time at the beach, we would suggest (and can help arrange) starting in Guatemala before crossing by land into neighbouring Belize which has numerous wonderful beach options.

In addition to Guatemala, we also offer holidays to Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula to the north.

There are no direct flights between the UK and Guatemala and, currently, the only direct flights between Europe & Guatemala are with Iberia from Madrid (and return flights operate via El Salvador).

Flying indirectly from the UK to Guatemala, either via Madrid or the US, normally takes around 15 hours including stopovers.

As with the rest of the region, the high season in Guatemala broadly runs from November through April.

In part this is because the weather at this time of year tends to be at its best and most predictable. However, it is also because this time of year coincides with when the weather is at its worst in the key markets of North America & Europe.

The busiest time of year is Easter Week, aka Semana Santa, with its famous religious processions. This week, and indeed the build up to it, is popular not just with overseas visitors but also returning Guatemalans. Visitors should book as far in advance as possible and be aware of minimum stay rules in many hotels.