Guatemala Safety Guide
Health, security, and travel safety information
Emergency Numbers
Save these numbers before your trip.
Healthcare
What to know about medical care in Guatemala.
Public hospitals are under-funded; private hospitals in Guatemala City and Antigua offer modern facilities and English-speaking staff.
Hospital Herrera Llerandi (Guatemala City) and Hospital Privado Hermano Pedro (Antigua) accept international insurance.
Farmacias del Dr. Simi and Farmacia Cruz Verde branches stock antibiotics and altitude pills without prescription. Carry Spanish names of your medicines.
Not mandatory but strongly recommended. Policies must state coverage for medical evacuation.
- ✓ Pack a Spanish list of allergies and blood type. Doctors appreciate it.
- ✓ Bring altitude sickness tablets if heading to Lake Atitlán or Xela.
Common Risks
Be aware of these potential issues.
Pickpockets slash backpack bottoms on chicken buses and crowded markets.
Victims forced to withdraw cash from ATMs, then released within hours.
Headache and nausea above 2,000 m in towns like Quetzaltenango or on Acatenango volcano.
Scams to Avoid
Watch out for these common tourist scams.
Men wearing fake badges offer to 'fast-track' paperwork at El Ceibo or La Mesilla borders for a fee, then disappear.
Someone 'accidentally' squirts mustard on you, apologizes, helps clean, while an accomplice lifts your day-pack.
Unofficial guides quote low prices, then demand extra at the summit, claiming park fees weren't included.
Safety Tips
Practical advice to stay safe.
- • Book shuttle vans with companies like Atitrans or Rainbow rather than chicken buses after dark.
- • Sit behind the driver on public buses. Bags on your lap, not overhead.
- • Carry two cards: one stays in the hotel safe, the other in a hidden pouch.
- • Withdraw cash inside BAC or G&T Continental banks. Reject any offered 'help'.
- • Finish drinks before leaving the bar. Spiking happens in Zona Viva, Guatemala City.
- • Walk in pairs on Antigua's cobblestone lanes. The faint glow of street lamps leaves shadowy doorways.
Information for Specific Travelers
Safety considerations for different traveler groups.
Solo women usually feel secure in Antigua and Panajachel. But street harassment in the capital includes hissing and cat-calls.
- → Wear sunglasses and avoid eye contact on Guatemala City streets. It reduces unwanted remarks.
- → Choose women-only dorm rooms in hostels. Many Antigua guesthouses offer them.
Same-sex relations legal since 1871; anti-discrimination law added 2018.
- → Book double beds in advance. Some budget hotels feign 'full' when two men request one bed.
- → Use dating apps discreetly. Arrange first meetings in cafés, not isolated parks.
Travel Insurance
Protect yourself before you travel.
Guatemala's private hospitals demand payment up-front; evacuation to Miami costs upwards of US $25,000.
Ready to plan your trip to Guatemala?
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