Festival of Flowers in Antigua, Guatemala: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go
Why should you trust me and take my advice?
I moved to Guatemala to be with my husband, and I’ve been lucky to call this country my new home. We spend all our free time traveling all over this incredible country, and we’ve traveled multiple times to the most popular tourist destinations in Guatemala. My advice and travel tips are based on extensive experience.
If you have a long list of questions or if you need help creating a customized Guatemala itinerary, then please click here to book a travel consultation with me. For an introduction to traveling to Guatemala, click here for my Ultimate Guatemala Travel Guide.
Every November, the beautiful colonial city of Antigua, Guatemala, transforms into a colorful garden during the Festival de las Flores (Festival of Flowers). Streets, balconies, historic buildings, and public spaces are decorated with elaborate floral displays, turning the entire city into an outdoor art exhibition.
The festival has become one of Antigua’s most popular annual events, attracting thousands of visitors. I live in Guatemala City and experienced the festival two years ago. In this article, I’m sharing everything you need to know if you’re planning a visit.
By the way, I have a free travel guide for Antigua, Guatemala, including information about hotels, transportation, restaurants, activities, and more. Click here to check it out.
When Is the Festival of Flowers?
The Festival of Flowers takes place every November in Antigua, Guatemala. The main festival activities typically happen over a weekend, although they start to set up the installations the day before it starts.
2026 Festival Dates: November 14–15, 2026.
The 2026 theme marks the festival’s 10th anniversary, with the theme Ciudad Floreciente (Flourishing City).
You can check the official Festival of Flowers website for the latest schedule and announcements.
A Little History: How Did the Festival Begin?
The Festival of Flowers was first held in 2017, inspired by the idea of celebrating Guatemala’s natural beauty, creativity, and identity as the country of eternal spring.
The festival was founded by Guatemalan entrepreneur Andrea Contreras, who wanted to create an event that brought together local artists, florists, businesses, and the community while showcasing the beauty of Antigua.
What started as a relatively small celebration has grown into a major annual attraction with thousands of visitors from all over Guatemala and the world. Each year the festival features a different theme, with increasingly elaborate floral installations and artistic displays throughout the city.
What Can You Expect at the Festival?
The main attraction is the incredible floral decorations that appear throughout Antigua.
Floral Installations: Local businesses, artists, and florists transform buildings, balconies, fountains, and public spaces with colorful arrangements. Some displays are small and intricate, while others are enormous artistic installations.
Decorated Streets and Buildings: One of the best parts is simply walking around Antigua and discovering the different decorations. You never know what you’ll find around the next corner.
Flower Markets and Local Vendors: You’ll find flowers, plants, handmade crafts, food, and other products from local vendors.
Competitions: Artists, businesses, and neighborhoods participate in floral decoration competitions, including decorated building facades, bicycles, and large-scale installations.
Cultural Activities: Depending on the year’s schedule, there may also be live music, dance performances, workshops, exhibitions, and other activities.
Where to See the Flower Displays
The best way to experience the festival is to explore Antigua on foot. Especially since the roads are blocked off, and the city center becomes pedestrian-only. The displays are spread throughout the historic center, and considering the crowds, I would give yourself plenty of time to wander.
Places to include on your walk:
📍 Parque Central: One of Antigua’s most recognizable landmarks and a great place to start exploring.
📍 Arco de Santa Catalina: A must-visit photography location, especially when decorated for the festival.
📍 Tanque La Unión: A beautiful historic setting that is worth including on your walk.
📍 5a Avenida Norte: Explore the surrounding streets for decorated storefronts and floral displays.
📍 Historic Center: Don’t limit yourself to the main attractions. Some of the most beautiful decorations are tucked away in smaller streets and courtyards.
Tips for Visiting the Festival of Flowers
A few things I recommend knowing before you go:
🌸 Start your day early: The festival gets busy, especially around the most popular photography locations. It can get so crowded that the early morning (just after sunrise) is generally best for taking pictures.
🌸 Wear comfortable shoes: Antigua’s cobblestone streets aren’t particularly forgiving, and you’ll be doing a lot of walking.
🌸 Bring your camera or have your phone charged: There are countless photo opportunities, from elaborate floral arrangements to beautiful colonial architecture.
🌸 Expect crowds: If you prefer a quieter experience in Antigua, then I would skip this event. As I’ve mentioned, the city is VERY crowded during these dates.
🌸 Stay overnight if possible: Traffic and parking can become difficult during the festival. Staying in Antigua makes it easier to enjoy the celebrations without rushing. One thing to note is that the hotels sell out early so if you cannot stay in Antigua then it is possible to stay in Guatemala City instead and to leave very early in the morning.
How to Get to Antigua Guatemala
Antigua is approximately 40–60 minutes from Guatemala City under normal traffic conditions, although travel times will be considerably longer during this festival weekend.
You can reach Antigua by:
🚗 Private transportation: Hire a driver for a convenient trip from Guatemala City or La Aurora International Airport. I recommend contacting GuateDriver and asking them for a quote for a private driver. Their email is info@guatedriver.com, and their WhatsApp number is +502-3775-7831.
🚌 Shuttle: Shared and private tourist shuttles operate between Guatemala City, the airport, Lake Atitlán, Antigua, and other destinations in Guatemala. Click here to check out the GuateGo platform for prices and the full daily schedule.
Is the Festival of Flowers Worth Visiting?
I’m going to be very honest and say that due to the size of the crowds, it might not be worth visiting Antigua during this time. If you really love lively events, flowers, and large crowds won’t bother you, then I absolutely think you should visit during this event. However, if you want to get to know the city, take tours, and have a more relaxing vacation, then I recommend avoiding the festival.
Would I return for the event? Possibly. I was overwhelmed by the crowds, but I think it’s great that it’s a free event and the displays are very impressive. Antigua has become so expensive that I think the locals deserve to enjoy a free event in the city, and it’s the only time of year when it feels as if there are more locals than foreigners in the city.
Where Should You Stay?
Antigua is the most popular tourist destination in Guatemala, and you can find a wide range of accommodation options, restaurants, and other activities in the city. If you book a hotel within the city center, then you can easily walk to the floral displays throughout the city.
PLEASE BOOK YOUR HOTEL EARLY! The hotels in Antigua during this time of year typically sell out, and the rates are expensive. However, if you book early, then you can get a better rate, and you’ll have good options.
These are the hotels I recommend in Antigua:
🛌 Porta Hotel: This is my all-time favorite hotel in Antigua. It’s on the pricier side but 100% worth the cost, as the customer service is amazing, the rooms are very comfortable, and the pool and restaurant are very nice! The hotel is within walking distance to everything in Antigua. Click here to book.
🛌 Hotel Genesis: This is a budget-friendly option with comfortable rooms and a beautiful garden! They also have a great restaurant, and the hotel is within walking distance to everything in Antigua. Click here to book.
🛌 El Carmen Hotel: This is a mid-range-priced hotel located near the Central Plaza and with a very nice terrace where you can see the volcano erupting while eating breakfast! The rooms are small but comfortable, and the hotel is within walking distance to everything in Antigua. Click here to book.
🛌 Posada Doña Luisa: This is another budget-friendly option with comfortable rooms and pleasant staff. They have an on-site spa, and it’s within walking distance to everything in Antigua. Click here to book.
🛌 Casa Santo Domingo: This is probably the most famous and luxurious hotel in Antigua. The hotel is a former convent, and there is an on-site museum. The entire property is beautiful, and it’s within walking distance to everything in Antigua. Click here to book.
🛌 Hotel Meson del Valle by AHS: This is another mid-range-priced hotel that is a great value. The property is within walking distance to everything in Antigua, and the rooms are very comfortable. Click here to book.
General Travel Tips for Guatemala
🏩 Medical emergencies and travel insurance
Guatemala’s public (free) healthcare system is not very good, but you can find very high-quality private healthcare available in the country. However, if you need to visit a private hospital, you could possibly be required to pay thousands of dollars upfront. This is why every tourist in Guatemala should have a travel insurance policy.
I recommend Safety Wing because they offer health and travel insurance, including a simple claims process and great customer service! The insurance plans cover hospital stays, medications, surgery, travel delays, lost luggage, and more. You can click here to read more and to sign up for a plan.
🗣️ Language
Most people in Guatemala speak Spanish, not English. Therefore, it’s important to at least learn the basics to be able to communicate with people. In the tourist areas, you’ll find some people who will speak a bit of English, but also many travel guides who speak English very well. The majority of drivers, people on the buses, shop owners, wait staff, etc., do not speak English.
The online language program I’ve used with the most success is Rocket Languages. I like Rocket Languages because the platform prioritizes conversational fluency and active speaking over flashcards and gamification (compared to many other language learning tools). Rocket Languages has interactive audio lessons, advanced speech recognition, and comprehensive grammar. They offer both an online and mobile option for using the platform, and you can click here to check it out.
💰 Cash, credit cards, and ATMs
You can use your credit cards in many restaurants and hotels in the main tourist areas in Guatemala. However, there are cash-only places such as small local restaurants, markets, tuk-tuk drivers, lancha (boat) transportation, tips, and more. You will absolutely need cash, and I recommend using the local ATMs to take out cash for a small fee (do not use the money exchange at the airport, as they have a very bad rate).
If you’re traveling from the U.S., many banks will allow you to pre-order Quetzales at a very good rate. This is what I’ve done through Wells Fargo many times while traveling back and forth between Guatemala and Florida.
📱 Internet & data
Most hotels, hostels, Airbnbs, and restaurants will have free wi-fi. Although sometimes it works well, at times it doesn’t! If you need consistent data and wi-fi access, then I suggest downloading an app with an eSIM. Now that I live in Guatemala, I use a local SIM, but when I was initially traveling here, I used an Airalo eSIM. This was easy to set up and convenient, rather than wasting time going into the Tigo or Claro store in Guatemala to get a physical SIM. You can click here to download the app and set up service.
🛌 Hotels & Accommodation
The website I recommend using to find hotels and apartments in various destinations in Guatemala is Booking.com. In my opinion, this is the platform with the most extensive options in Guatemala and for competitive prices. You can search on Booking.com by date, location, and preferences such as free parking, air conditioning, a private bathroom, review score, etc.
🚗 Transportation in Guatemala
In Guatemala, you can use tourist shuttles or private buses to transfer around the country but also, hire a private driver. To search for the best option for a private bus or shuttle, I recommend checking out the platform Guatego.com. This platform will give you all the best options every day, with the prices and times for the transfers. If you want to hire a private driver, then I recommend contacting GuateDriver to receive a quote. You can contact them on WhatsApp at +502-3775-7831 or at info@guatedriver.com.
👂 Noise cancellation
I recommend traveling to Guatemala with earplugs because this country can be LOUD. I am not exaggerating, as there are often roosters crowing, loud motorcycles, dogs barking, and weddings or celebrations with fireworks. If you bring earplugs with you, then you can thank me later. Click here for my favorite earplugs.
🥑 Food & Water
In Guatemala, the water from the faucet is not safe to drink; however, most restaurants will serve a glass of filtered water or bottled water. Many restaurants will insist that tourists buy a bottle of water, which costs money compared to a free glass of water, and it’s worse for the environment. However, most restaurants, especially in Guatemala City or the tourist areas, will serve you a free glass of filtered water. Whenever I’m in a sit-down restaurant, I’ll tell them I want “vaso con agua,” which means I want a glass of water instead of bottled water. If you’re worried, then you can order bottled water everywhere, but I haven’t had a problem ordering and drinking filtered water at sit-down restaurants.
I also recommend traveling to Guatemala with a water bottle with a built-in filter. I use the LifeStraw bottle in Guatemala, and it completely filters out any of the bad stuff and works well! You can buy this online by clicking here. Also, if you’re the type of person who has a sensitive stomach, then I recommend avoiding street food or eating anything raw. Usually, raw vegetables are fine, but as an extra precaution, I would skip those.
Something else to note is that tourists often get sick from eating street food or food from local markets in local areas. Unfortunately, I’ve had a parasite two times, and I needed to take medication to get rid of it. This can be very uncomfortable and can greatly interrupt your trip. Therefore, if you’re worried at all or if you already know that you have a sensitive stomach, then I would skip eating street food or food from the local market unless you’re at the Central Markets in Antigua or Guatemala City.
I’ve never been sick from the food at sit-down restaurants in Guatemala or the markets in Antigua or Guatemala City. However, travelers have commented on my posts to let me know they have been sick. I think it’s important to bring medicine for diarrhea in your luggage and be prepared with travel insurance just in case. Most likely you won’t have a problem, but anything can happen.
🔑 Portable safe
In my experience, many hotels in Guatemala do not have a safe. Therefore, I recommend buying a portable safe that can be locked to many different fixtures in a hotel room. You can put your laptop, passport, extra cash, etc. inside this safe and hide your valuables. Click here to buy the portable safe I’ve always used in Guatemala.
☀️ Sun protection
It can get very sunny in Guatemala, and sunblock can be expensive to buy in the country. Oftentimes it’s double or triple the price, so whenever I’m in the U.S., I’ll stock up and bring it back with me. Click here to buy the sunscreen I always use for my face, and this is the natural sunscreen I buy for my body.
🧭 Navigation
Most people in the U.S. tend to use Google Maps, but after living in Guatemala for a few years and traveling all over, I recommend using Waze. This is what my Guatemalan husband uses to drive around the country, and I’ve noticed that it works much better than Google Maps. For example, there are often road closures, and drivers will need to be rerouted. Waze always shows us these closures, but Google Maps does not. Also, I tried to use Google Maps in the department of Huehuetenango, but it took us to roads that did not exist. Therefore, I recommend downloading this and using it in Guatemala if you decide to drive yourself or if you want to track the route of your personal driver.
Do You Need Travel Tips for other destinations in Guatemala?
Check out my Ultimate Guide for Guatemala! This blog post provides an introduction to traveling to Guatemala, a high-level overview of how to plan a trip, what to expect, and my best travel tips for the country. Click here to review this guide.
You can also check out my guides for specific destinations in Guatemala:
📍 Antigua
📍Semuc Champey + other places in Alta Verapaz
📍Río Dulce + Livingston + Playa Blanca + Puerto Barrios
📍Tikal + other places in Petén
📍Huehuetenango: Laguna Brava + the llama farms + Zaculeu + more!
Or, if you need help with a customized itinerary, then you can book a travel consultation with me! Click here to review my calendar for availability and the cost of this service.
Please note that some links on my site are affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I earn a small commission if you click through these links and make a booking or purchase. By using these links, you’re supporting my blog so I can continue to publish content and travel recommendations for Guatemala. Something important to mention is that I only feature recommendations I believe in and use myself. Thank you!