Must-see attractions in Guatemala City

  • Casa MIMA

    Guatemala City

    A wonderfully presented museum and cultural center set in a house dating from the late 19th century. The owners of the house were collectors with eclectic…

  • Honor guards at National Palace, Guatemala City, Guatemala

    Palacio Nacional de la Cultura

    Guatemala City

    On the north side of Parque Central is this imposing presidential palace, which was built between 1936 and 1943 during the dictatorial rule of General…

  • Guatemala City, Guatemala

    Museo Ixchel

    Guatemala City

    This museum is named for the Maya goddess of the moon, women, reproduction and textiles. Photographs and exhibits of indigenous costumes and other crafts…

  • Museo Miraflores

    Guatemala City

    This excellent modern museum is inauspiciously jammed between two shopping malls a few kilometers out of town. Downstairs focuses on objects found at…

  • Museo Popol Vuh

    Guatemala City

    Inside Museo Popol Vuh you'll find well-displayed pre-Hispanic figurines, incense burners and burial urns, plus carved wooden masks and traditional…

  • Mapa en Relieve

    Guatemala City

    North of Zona 1, Zona 2 is mostly a middle-class residential district, but it's worth venturing along to Parque Minerva to see this huge open-air map of…

  • Museo del Ferrocarril

    Guatemala City

    This is one of the city's more intriguing museums, with lots of photos and interesting memorabilia from the train days of old. Documented here are the…

  • Museo de Historia Natural

    Guatemala City

    The university's small yet packed Museo de Historia Natural is at the same site as the Universidad de San Carlos' botanical garden, which is also included…

  • Catedral Metropolitana

    Guatemala City

    Facing Parque Central, this cathedral was constructed between 1782 and 1815 (the towers were finished in 1867). It has survived earthquake and fire,…

  • Parque Central

    Guatemala City

    Guatemala City's central plaza is an excellent starting point from which to begin your journey to other Zona 1 sights. Parque Central and the adjoining…

  • Museo de los Niños

    Guatemala City

    Almost opposite the zoo entrance is this hands-on affair that is a sure success if you have kids to keep happy. The fun ranges from a giant jigsaw-map of…

  • Museo Nacional de Arte Moderno

    Guatemala City

    Here you’ll find a collection of 20th-century Guatemalan art including works by well-known Guatemalan artists such as Carlos Mérida, Carlos Valente and…

  • La Aurora Zoo

    Guatemala City

    This is not badly kept as far as zoos in this part of the world go, and the lovely, parklike grounds alone are worth the admission fee.

  • Parque Arqueológico Kaminaljuyú

    Guatemala City

    Containing remnants of one of the first important cities in the Maya region, this park is just west of 23a Av and is some 4km west of the city center. At…

  • Centro Cívico

    Guatemala City

    Pride of Zona 4 (actually straddling its borders with Zonas 1 and 5) is the Centro Cívico, a set of large government and institutional buildings…

  • Parque Minerva

    Guatemala City

    Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, technical skill and invention, was a favorite of President Manuel Estrada Cabrera. Her park is a placid place, good…

  • Centro Cultural Metropolitano

    Guatemala City

    To the rear of the ground floor of the palacio de correos (post office), you'll find a surprisingly avant-garde cultural center, hosting art exhibitions,…

  • Jardín Botánico

    Guatemala City

    The Universidad de San Carlos has a large, lush botanical garden on the northern edge of Zona 10. The admission includes the university's Museo de…

  • Museo Nacional de Historia

    Guatemala City

    This museum hosts a jumble of historical relics with an emphasis on photography and portraits. Check out the carefully coiffed hairstyles of the 19th…

  • Banco de Guatemala

    Guatemala City

    It's interesting to visit this bank building, which bears relief sculptures by Dagoberto Vásquez depicting his country's history.

  • Torre del Reformador

    Guatemala City

    A spectacularly strange medium-scale reproduction of the Eiffel Tower, plonked down in the middle of Zona 9.

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