Things to do & places to visit in Alta Verapaz Department, Guatemala

Alta Verapaz Department #5 destination in Guatemala 2023. The average rating score is 4.84 based on 2.421 traveler reviews, of 44 attractions. Timezone: America/Guatemala, current date and time: Thursday, May 09, 2024, 10:29.

Top things to do (36)

Top places to visit (30 attractions) view more »

5.0 Semuc Champey (1.238 reviews)
- Jose, The best tour guide!
Bodies of Water • Waterfalls

Absolutely amazing natural phenomenon, very warm even if it’s raining like hot rain. stunning water colour. So much to do, like swimming in caves and tubing down the river, there is a two hour hike to a stunning view point. There are lockers and lots to buy there, water shoes, beer, food whichever you need. Cliff jumping and of course swimming in Semuc Champey. I highly recommend my friend Jose, whatsapp +502 4797 6625 as a tour guide, he is awesome takes care of you and your stuff and shows you additional things like the plants and cacao fruit. I had an epic time as a solo traveller i felt at home. See more..
5.0 Orquigonia (356 reviews)
- Great tour!
Thursday: 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM Nature & Wildlife Areas

I didn't have any expectations when we stumbled upon the Orquigonia today. We paid 50 Q per person and it included a short introduction video, a guided tour, and a nice cup of tea at the end of our tour. The tour lasted about an hour and our guide, Fernando, was so knowledgeable. There were many great views and we saw many birds. This was such a nice experience! See more..
5.0 Candelaria Caves (25 reviews)
- Visit to Candelaria Caves at Los Nacimientos
Spent 2-3 hours Caverns & Caves

My family (3 young adults between 19 and 23 years old, a 70-year old cousin and I) visited Raxruha to see Candelaria Caves. We did not realize before arriving that there are at least four different sections of the caves that you may visit, each one under a different administration. Once there, we were not sure which park to visit. We chose to take a tubing tour of the caves at Los Nacimientos (which started from Hotel Cancuen) and we were not disappointed!! The very nice, attentive guide took us first to a very impressive dry cave inside Los Nacimientos park, and then guided us for an awesome tubing experience under the mountain, on a subterranean river for about 2 Kms. that turned out to be truly out of this world! Rudy´s 10 years of experience guiding tours showed in his knowledge of history, geology, the rapid river currents and everything necessary to make of our tour a very pleasant adventure. See more..
5.0 Parque Natural Las Conchas (13 reviews)
- Beautiful falls without a crowd
Spent More than 3 hours Bodies of Water • Nature & Wildlife Areas • Dams • Waterfalls

We saw a sign for these falls while driving and decided to stop, they are totally amazing and there was hardly anyone there. You can even swim here, unfortunately we weren't prepared for that. There's nice boardwalks and an elevated viewing tower (totally the best view from the top). There's tables if you want to pack a picnic. We ate lunch at a local restaurant near the parking area that was fantastic (yet simple) food - I recommend the chicken. See more..
5.0 Tuqtuquilal Cacao Tour Experience (13 reviews)
- A wonderful afternoon at this inspiring project.
Thursday: 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM Spent 2-3 hours Farms

Our unique Cacao Tour Experience takes your through a comprehensive journey of cacao cultivation, artisanal processing methods, and learning about the Q'eqchi' Mayan Cosmovision. On the tour, you will taste plenty of cacao fruit, juice in different forms, beans, and make your own chocolates! You will also learn about the regenerative agriculture and bioconstruction methods we use at the Center! Tuqtuquilal (tuuk-tuuk-iyl-lahl) is a Q’eqchi’ word best translated into English as ‘harmony'. We're a thriving living, learning, and healing center in Lanquin practicing regenerative techniques, technologies, and ways of living to empower and inspire local communities and visitors, and to nourish the bodies, hearts, and souls of our collaborators and customers. We work with a network of 70 local Q'eqchi' families to process organic cacao, turmeric and copal in Lanquin close to Semuc Champey. We also offer rentable cabins and serve meals cooked with ingredients grown here! See more..
5.0 Cuevas de B'omb'il Pek y Jul Iq' (7 reviews)
- Fun at the b
Spent More than 3 hours Caverns & Caves

David and Jenny ate fantastic people with assisting we my best friend birthday celebration at the b. I would definitely come back See more..
5.0 Las Cuevas de Bombil Pek (6 reviews)
- Absolutely incredible
Spent 2-3 hours Caverns & Caves

Awesome and incredible experience. The rappelling is a must, to go into the cave itself you will need to be on the more fit side, as it is not easy and you have to use your body to get through very small spaces. Absolutely worth everything. See more..
5.0 Tuqtuquilal (5 reviews)
- Paradise
River Rafting & Tubing • Taxis & Shuttles • Walking Tours • Cooking Classes • Hiking & Camping Tours • Private Tours • Food Tours • Day Trips

We have spent many amazing holidays in Lanquin and enjoy the River Lanquin and tubing. Recently Tutuquilal Eco Lodge and Impact Center opened and what a great place it is. It is set in a gorgeous location on the river, with spectacular views, great food and a wonderful atmosphere, it has comfortable cabanas and is on the river, so without a doubt this will be our holiday spot from now on. We love going to Semuc Champey which is so easy to get to from here. One of the highlights of our stay was the Cocoa Experience Tour. Tuqtuquilal also is a regeneration project so the main aim of the Eco Lodge is creating regenerative economic opportunities and environmental education programs that will provide healthier living conditions, economic opportunity, and initiate lasting benefits to the local community, so when you stay there you know you are also impacting the village. Highly recommend See more..
5.0 Guat2do (5 reviews)
- Beautiful Semuc
4WD, ATV & Off-Road Tours • Adrenaline & Extreme Tours • Taxis & Shuttles • Eco Tours • Private Tours • Day Trips

Had a wonderful experience with the team provided. Driver was super friendly and fun! Loved the lunch, great service! Would totally do it again! See more..
5.0 Canopy Guayaha (2 reviews)
- Ziplining
Spent 2-3 hours Sports Complexes

Canopy, 3 cables de diferentes longitudes y angulos crean una aventura de adrenalina al maximo, nuestras estaciones estan ubicadas a lo ancho de la propiedad por lo que el recorrido pasa por encima de las piscinas y el restaurante. See more..
5.0 Antik´s Antik´s Sports Bar (1 review)
- Un lugar magnífico!
Bars & Clubs
The Place to Be in Cobán!fun and comfort to share with friends and family. Enjoy live music, drinks, Guatemalan beer and much more! See more..
5.0 Lanquin Chocolate (1 review)
- Yummy tour with funny guide!
Spent 2-3 hours Lessons & Workshops

One of the best chocolate workshop you will ever find! - You will learn how to make "bean to bar" chocolate - You will be able to eat as much freshmade chocolate as you can - You will learn all about the different kind of chocolate, the industrial process, the blood cacao, the history of chocolate, the health benefits of cacao and much more... - Its also fun and chill! See more..
5.0 De Ruta En Ruta (1 review)
- Muy buena
Multi-day Tours • Taxis & Shuttles • Private Tours • Bus Tours • Day Trips

Muy buen precio y muy responsable el piloto. 100 puntos y muy buenos destinos y atención especial para mi los invito a que viajen See more..
5.0 Finca Sacmoc (1 review)
Spent More than 3 hours Ranches

See more..
4.5 Lanquin Caves (258 reviews)
- Adventurous
Spent < 1 hour Caverns & Caves

These limestone caves are part of a national park system, with many of the caverns lit by lanterns for visitors to explore. See more..
4.5 Biotopo del Quetzal (143 reviews)
- Definity not in coban
Nature & Wildlife Areas

About an hour and ten minutes south of Coban by chicken bus. Definitely worth a stop if your passing through, but if you have any desire to see the quetzal, i suggest you stay next door at los Ranchitos (listed in LP as parque ecologico Gucamatz) they also have some hiking trails, though not quite as manicured as in the biotope. The morning we were leaving the young daughter (of the owners) came knocking in our door. She had a big smile on here face and i thought she was saying "que pasa". When she started to flap her arms, it became very clear (in my foggy morning stupor) that the quetzal was hanging out near the restaurant. Managed to get a few awesome pics, before jumping on a chicken bus and continuing in our way. See more..
4.5 Grutas Las Marias (118 reviews)
- Great Bat cave
Caverns & Caves

A great experience seeing 1000s of bats flying out of the cave at dusk. Place is easy yo reach from Lanquin, and a different thing to do. See more..
4.5 Parque Nacional Laguna Lachua (59 reviews)
- This is the most beautiful Lagoon
National Parks

Chrystal clear water, I have never seen such a beautiful piece of warm water, the 4 kms walk is worth, and is well protected and managed. we did a Loop from Guatemala city, Coban, Lachua, Candelaria caves, Las conchas cascades and end up in Rios Dulce to come back to Guatemala city. It was the most amazing 5 days I have travel in my country, and my teenagers kids enjoyed it. tubing, kayaking hiking and swimming. See more..
4.5 Coffee Tour Chicoj (54 reviews)
- A charming coffee tour, all to ourselves
Sightseeing Tours • Hiking & Camping Tours

The staff at the Chicoj coffee collective are very humble and caring. They took us around the plantation and explained how the plant is farmed and its challenges, and then presented a full variety of common methods for brewing the hot beverage and we were able to sample three of them, of our choice. Due to lower tourist numbers in Guatemala there is not much patronage here at the moment so we had the tour all to ourselves. It was quite a relaxing afternoon. There's also a camp ground and some trails here. I highly recommend the 15 minute excursion from Coban if you're staying or passing through, no appointment is required, just turn up! See more..
4.5 Grutas del Rey Marcos (37 reviews)
- Embrace the Unique Beauty and Mystery of the Cave
Spent More than 3 hours Bodies of Water • Geologic Formations

The caves are wet, the path is rocky and sometimes very tight. The tour guide provided me with rain boots and a miner’s helmet with an attached flashlight. I was the only one on the tour on this day, and this was somewhat unsettling. This was the second cave that I explored on this trip to Guatemala and both were very interesting, and a bit scary but beautiful to behold. Exploring the cave challenged my flexibility and willingness to enter a dark place, but I wanted to confront my fear, so I summoned up my courage and went in. The cave is considered sacred and if you are willing to believe, you will be able to feel the energy. I chose to embrace the unique beauty and mystery of the cave. Now, I know to take my own head lights ... If their flashlight fails, you have a backup.it would be a good idea to have a back-up. See more..
4.5 Vivero Verapaz (14 reviews)
- nice to see nearly 30,000 plants
Gardens
the wide variety of plants available. The orchid collection really stood out, and we wished we could take some home. See more..
4.5 Lanquin Outdoors (12 reviews)
- Mountain biking
Bike Tours • Hiking & Camping Tours

We joined Remy for the riverside tour. Remy is a great guide, giving us mountain biking tips to help make the experience as enjoyable as possible and making sure we were enjoying the trip. The bikes were in great condition (no dodgey brakes!) and safety equipment was all supplied. We had a great day and would definitely recommend joining Remy for a ride when you are in Lanquin. See more..
4.5 Cuevas de Candelaria Mucbilha (11 reviews)
- Great adventure
Spent More than 3 hours Caverns & Caves

My niece and I visited Candelaria Caves enroute between Flores and Semuc Champey and it turned out to be the highlight of our trip! It is off the busy tourist route so takes a little more effort to get here but definitely is very worth it. The cave formations and Mayan archaeology and spiritual significance is amazing. Cesar and Letticia the owners of Hotel Cancuen gave us a fantastic full day tour. I wish we had allowed for more than 2 nights here since there are many significant archaeological sites. My niece hasn't been very interested in caves nor archaeology in the past but said the way the information was explained, made it understand able and very interesting to her. Definitely the wonderful highlight of our trip to Guatemala. See more..
4.5 Utopia Cacao Farms (7 reviews)
- Awesome chocolate tour!
Thursday: 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM Factory Tours

This tour is very fun, informative, and, most importantly, delicious! You learn all about how cacao is grown, its history and significance in local Mayan culture, the many health benefits, and modern chocolate production. Meanwhile, you are guided through how to make your very own chocolate, which is a super simple process you can repeat at home. At the end of the day, you get to eat the tasty chocolate you made and customized yourself! Overall, this tour is a great way to spend a few hours enjoying the beautiful jungle scenery at Utopia, learning about local history and culture, and making treats you can enjoy for the rest of your stay. See more..
4.5 Cuevas de Se'tzol (2 reviews)
Spent 1-2 hours Caverns & Caves

See more..
4.0 Grottes de la Candelaria (7 reviews)
- Amazing experince
Spent 1-2 hours Geologic Formations

Candelaria Lodge and its cave! The lodge is an amazing placing nothing what I would have expected from the side of the road. We started with a very welcoming check in by a wonderful man Sergio that took us to our beautiful rooms nice and clean and sealed from bugs! Then an amazing lunch from a huge selection of gourmet food, really.... I had a chicken cordon blue out of this world and especially out in the middle of no where! Then we went for what we came for.... the candelaria cave. A 15 min walk through the lodges gardens then through a natural mountain hike right to the river where they met us with water tubes where we jumped in for an amazing tubbing for the next hour and a half . Its a must and specially now that I found this lodge. Nothing like having fun but eating and sleeping like kings See more..
4.0 Parque Nacional Las Victorias (5 reviews)
- Tranquility in the city
National Parks

I found it quite amazing to discover this park in the middle of Coban. It is only accessable by hiking/walking paths, so you will need some good shoes. It is quiet and full of nature, and near the city downtown. See more..
4.0 Parque Central (2 reviews)
- Historical
Parks

Well I like the history of the towns, and this city has a central park. The city has a kick name as the city of Charles V. Kind of Spain of 18th century I think. You could walk around see the cathedral, statues, people, and a historic places. See more..
4.0 Piscinas El Manantial (1 review)
- Pretty Place to swim but very strange owners
Thursday: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM Sports Complexes

The owners are not nice people.. The nature is really pretty and there are many shallow pools and one pool which has a section where there is deep water. I really liked it here too bad about the owners. See more..
3.5 Coban Travels (9 reviews)
- Semi champey amazing
Nature & Wildlife Tours

Hello I just want to share with you my experience of coban travels for my tour to semuc champey. First: communication is great via WhatsApp (English or Spanish). Second: the tour is well organized. A driver picks you up on time, explains how the tour will work. Arriving in lanquin, you are taken in charge by locals to drive you to semuc Champey, no risk of scams. The mirador was amazing. The swimming in the lakes was delicious, see the wonderful picture attached. the ride in the cave was very good carrying only a candle with my guide luis ! We did an incredible adventure, finishing with a ride on some buoys on the river, Which was fun. Well to conclude, a wonderful day :) See more..