Big, noisy and chaotic, Guatemala City is the country's undisputed urban hub.
Guatemala City may not be strictly pretty, but it is the largest urban agglomeration in Central America. Sprawling across a range of flattened, ravine-scored mountains, the city blankets an entire mountain plain. Its rickety chicken buses and chaotic marketplaces are straight off a postcard.
Street crime, including armed robbery, remains an issue in parts of Guatemala City. Use normal urban caution: don't flaunt anything of value, and avoid walking downtown alone late at night. Stay alert and leave your valuables in your hotel. Car-jackings against foreigners have been reported, particularly on the road to and from the airport.
severity: High-level alert
3,100,000
Name: Quetzal
Code: GTQ
Symbol: Q
115V-125V 60Hz
Official: Spanish
GMT/UTC -6
+502
Metric
Want more information? Download the free Getting Started chapter or buy individual chapters from our Guatemala City guide, in our online Shop.
> Go to the Guatemala City download page.
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