![]() ![]() Avoid wearing flashy jewellery and keep your money well hidden. Theft is most common in Guatemala City’s Zona 1 and its bus stations, but you should also take extra care when visiting markets popular with tourists (like Chichicastenango) and during fiestas. Petty theft and pickpocketing are likely to be your biggest worry. It’s important to try to minimize the chance of becoming a victim. Officially, you should carry your passport (or a photocopy) at all times. It’s wise to register with your embassy on arrival, try to keep informed of events, and avoid travelling at night. Warnings have been posted in the Guide where incidents have occurred. There is little pattern to these attacks, but some areas can be considered much safer than others. While the vast majority of the 1.8 million tourists who come every year experience no problems at all, general crime levels are high, and it’s not unknown for criminals to target visitors, including tourist shuttle buses. Personal safety is a serious issue in Guatemala. ![]() ![]() Similarly, the ten percent Inguat accommodation tax is often excluded in luxury places, but rarely elsewhere. A sales tax (IVA) of twelve percent is usually included in the price you’re quoted in most places, except smart hotels. Things are more expensive in regions where the local economy is tourist driven (Antigua in particular). For US$75 per day you can expect to live quite well. However, if you’re after a little more comfort (travelling by shuttle bus and staying in rooms with an en-suite bathroom) you can expect to spend around US$200 per head per week, if you’re travelling as a couple, while solo travellers should reckon on perhaps US$260 a week. ![]() The extremely frugal may be able to get by on around US$140 a week in most parts of the country, or below US$120 in a budget travellers’ hub like San Pedro La Laguna. Guatemala is one of the cheapest countries in the Americas for travellers, though there are plenty of opportunities for a modest (or serious) splurge if you feel like it. ![]()
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