# Things to see in Quetzaltenango (Guatemala): 12 places and when to go > Quetzaltenango is a city in Guatemala with around 575,000 inhabitants, and this site lists 12 places in and around it, mainly Nature (9), Mountains (6), Temples (1). The best known are Santa María, Almolonga and Chicabal. The best time to come is November to March; also possible: April to May, July to August and October. In June there are 12 h 52 of daylight, and in December, 11 h 08. Here is what there is, when to go, how to get there and what else is nearby. - Address: https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/quetzaltenango/ - Reviewed on: 2026-10-12 - Language: en ## In a nutshell - **Where:** Guatemala · 14.83, -91.52 - **Population:** About 575,000 - **Places:** 12 places on this site, in the town and around it. - **What people come for:** [Nature](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/naturaleza/) (9) · [Mountains](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/montana/) (6) · [Temples](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/espiritual/) (1) · [Wildlife](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/fauna/) (1) · Hot springs (1) · [Hiking](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/senderismo/) (1) - **Best time:** November to March. - **Also possible:** April to May, July to August and October. - **Nearest airport:** GUA Guatemala City, 110 km as the crow flies - **Highest point:** Santa María, at 3,810 m. ## What to see in Quetzaltenango The places in and around Quetzaltenango, best known first, each with its own page: what it is, when to go and what is next to it. Distances are from the centre, as the crow flies. - [Santa María](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/volcan-santa-maria/): Active volcano in Guatemala · 8.8 km - [Almolonga](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/almolonga/): Mountain in Guatemala · 3.7 km - [Chicabal](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/chicabal-volcano/): Volcano · 15 km - [Santiaguito](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/santiaguito/): Volcano in Guatemala · 11 km - [Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/quetzaltenango-guatemala-temple/): Building in Quetzaltenango Department, Guatemala · 3.0 km - [Cerro Chonajtajuyub](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/cerro-chonajtajuyub/): Hill in Quetzaltenango Department, Guatemala · 9.4 km - [Cerro Chuicham](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/cerro-chuicham/): Hill in Quetzaltenango Department, Guatemala · 10 km - [Cerro Huitán](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/cerro-huitan/): Mountain in Guatemala · 5.3 km - [Cerro Jolom](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/cerro-jolom/): Hill in Quetzaltenango Department, Guatemala · 9.7 km - [Cerro La Pedrera](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/cerro-la-pedrera/): Hill in Guatemala · 1.2 km - [Baños Balcarcel](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/banos-balcarcel/): Hot spring bath · 1.1 km - [Treehouse Hostel](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/treehouse-hostel/): Mountains · Hiking · 2.3 km ## When to go to Quetzaltenango The best time to visit Quetzaltenango is **November to March**; also possible: April to May, July to August and October. This comes from its own places: a month counts as the town's best time when it is the best time for half of what there is to see. | Mes | Época | Hours of daylight | | --- | --- | --- | | January | Best time | 11 h 13 | | February | Best time | 11 h 31 | | March | Best time | 11 h 54 | | April | Possible | 12 h 20 | | May | Possible | 12 h 41 | | June | Better not | 12 h 52 | | July | Possible | 12 h 48 | | August | Possible | 12 h 30 | | September | Better not | 12 h 05 | | October | Possible | 11 h 39 | | November | Best time | 11 h 18 | | December | Best time | 11 h 08 | In June there are 12 h 52 of daylight, and in December, 11 h 08. In January, 12 of the 12 places are at their best. When to go to Guatemala in general, with its festivals and peak seasons, is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/#cuando-ir). ## Getting to Quetzaltenango The nearest main airport is La Aurora International Airport (GUA, Guatemala City), 110 km as the crow flies. How to get around Guatemala (train, car, bus) is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/#moverse), and what to sort out before you leave is in [its checklist](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/#antes-de-salir). - [Where it is](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=14.83%2C-91.52) - [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=14.83%2C-91.52) ## Other towns nearby - [Chimaltenango](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/chimaltenango/): 7 places · 78 km - [Antigua Guatemala](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/antigua-guatemala/): 23 places · 90 km - [Guatemala City](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/ciudad-de-guatemala/): 18 places · 109 km - [Puerto San José](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/puerto-quetzal/): 7 places · 125 km - [Jutiapa](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/jutiapa/): 21 places · 185 km - [Esquipulas](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/esquipulas/): 11 places · 235 km And all of Guatemala, in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is there to see in Quetzaltenango? The best known: [Santa María](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/volcan-santa-maria/), [Almolonga](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/almolonga/), [Chicabal](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/chicabal-volcano/), [Santiaguito](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/santiaguito/), [Quetzaltenango Guatemala Temple](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/guatemala/quetzaltenango-guatemala-temple/). In all, 12 places in the town and around it, all on your trip map from day one. ### When is the best time to visit Quetzaltenango? November to March; also possible: April to May, July to August and October. In June there are 12 h 52 of daylight, and in December, 11 h 08. ### How do you get to Quetzaltenango? The nearest main airport is La Aurora International Airport (GUA), 110 km away. From there, [directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=14.83%2C-91.52) opens the route on the map. ### How do I add it to my trip? Create a trip with Quetzaltenango as the destination and these 12 places are on your map, each with its category. The ones you like go into a day's plan with one tap, and Kokai reminds you when you pass nearby. Data from [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright), licensed under the ODbL, from [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/), CC0, cities from [Natural Earth](https://www.naturalearthdata.com/) and airports from [OurAirports](https://ourairports.com/data/). Daylight hours are calculated from the latitude. More in [credits](https://kokai.app/en/aviso/#creditos).