Guatemala
City

The National Palace, Kaminaljuyú and the museums of the capital

Before you go, understand the place.

In zone 1, the National Palace of Culture, built from 1939 to 1943, stands on the Central Plaza of the Historic Centre and is visited on guided tours only, according to the Ministry of Culture.

By Asesordeviaje.com Editorial Team · updated October 4, 2026

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The National Palace and Kaminaljuyú
The National Palace of Culture, visited on guided tours only from Monday to Friday, and the Kaminaljuyú archaeological park, whose hours are unconfirmed.
Open the full guide
Museums of the capital
The hours of the Ixchel Museum of Indigenous Dress come from its own website. The details for the Popol Vuh Museum and MUNAE come from the Ministry of Culture's directory and the press, and each card notes what doubts remain.
Open the full guide

Plan your visit

The practical information you need to plan your visit

The essentials

Best time to go: According to the United Kingdom, the rainy season normally runs from May to November, with frequent flooding and landslides; poorly maintained roads and bridges have been known to collapse.
Getting there: Visitors to the National Palace enter through the main door on 6.ª calle, according to the Ministry of Culture. Each place's address is on its card.

The National Palace of Culture on a guided tour
La Acrópolis and La Palangana at Kaminaljuyú
Indigenous dress at the Ixchel Museum

Where to stay

Zone 10 (Zona Viva): According to the United Kingdom, it is popular with tourists and foreign residents, although no part of the capital is free from crime.
Zone 1 (historic centre): According to the United Kingdom, this is where the cheaper hotels are and several bus routes end; tourists have been targeted by opportunistic criminals.

Tips and precautions

At the National Palace you must show ID and allow your bags to be checked; payment is in local currency only (Ministry of Culture).
Several museums have hours and fees only from a directory or the press: read each card.
The Ixchel Museum closes on Sundays and public holidays, according to its website.

Safety and precautions

According to the United Kingdom (advice current on 3 October 2026), Guatemala has one of the highest violent crime rates in Latin America, and incidents can also happen in tourist areas.
Spain (update of 8 May 2026) lists among the risk areas to avoid zones 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12 and 18 of Guatemala City, Villa Nueva and Mixco, and the departments of San Marcos, Huehuetenango, Escuintla, Petén and Izabal. It rates the rest of the country as medium risk and warns that there are no completely safe areas.
The US Department of State advises reconsidering travel to Guatemala because of crime and terrorism (level 3, advisory issued on 12 March 2026). It advises against travel to the departments of San Marcos and Huehuetenango, zone 18 of Guatemala City and Villa Nueva (level 4).
According to the Ministry of the Interior, a 15-day state of prevention came into force on 21 April 2026 in the departments of Guatemala, Escuintla, Izabal, San Marcos and Huehuetenango (Government Decree 6-2026). Whether one is in force now is unconfirmed.
INGUAT tourist assistance: 1500, free and 24 hours. National Civil Police: 110 and 120.

Frequently asked questions

Can you visit the National Palace without a guide?

No. According to the Ministry of Culture, there are guided tours only, Monday to Friday, which may change because of official events.

How much does Kaminaljuyú cost?

The Ministry of Culture's directory gives Q5 for Guatemalans and Q50 for foreign visitors under Government Agreement 282-2007; it is unconfirmed.

What should you bring to the National Palace?

ID: the Ministry of Culture asks you to show it and allow your bags to be checked. Guatemalans enter free with their DPI and foreign visitors pay Q40, in local currency only.

Sources

Information checked in October 2026. Prices, hours and rules change: confirm them with the official source before you travel.

Everything you can do

Closed or restricted places are included and flagged, so you know what to expect.

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Showing 6 of 6 · 4 unconfirmed, flagged

Living culture · 6

Photo: Reg Natarajan from Vancouver, Bogotá · CC BY 2.0
National Palace of Culture
CultureOpen
A palace on the Central Plaza of the Historic Centre, built from 1939 to 1943 and once the seat of government. According to the Ministry of Culture, its earthquake-resistant design joins three independent buildings and mixes Baroque, Neoclassical and Mudéjar styles.
Practical details and sources
Entry
Foreign visitors Q40; Guatemalans free with their DPI. Payment in local currency only (Ministry of Culture).
Hours
Guided tours only, Monday to Friday, at 9:30, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00; visits may change because of official events (Ministry of Culture).
Source
Ministerio de Cultura (CulturaGuate) – Palacio Nacional de la Cultura · 2026
Tip: You must show ID and allow your bags to be checked; alcohol, drugs, firearms, knives and blades are not allowed (Ministry of Culture).
Nearby: The Burning of the Devil (0.1 km) · Popol Vuh Museum (4 km) · Kaminaljuyú Archaeological Park (4 km)
Sources: Ministerio de Cultura (CulturaGuate) – Palacio Nacional de la Cultura
Central Plaza, zone 1. Visitors enter through the main door on 6.ª calle (Ministry of Culture). The pin marks the palace in OpenStreetMap.2.9 km in a straight line from the regional map centre
Kaminaljuyú Archaeological Park
CultureStatus unconfirmed
The largest surviving part of Kaminaljuyú, the most important pre-Hispanic capital of the central highlands; the park has two areas, La Acrópolis and La Palangana, with excavated structures on view, according to the Ministry of Culture's cultural directory.
Hours and fee unconfirmed by the operator.
Practical details and sources
Entry
Guatemalans Q5 and foreign visitors Q50 under Government Agreement 282-2007, as cited by the Ministry of Culture's directory.
Hours
Monday to Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., according to the same directory.
Source
SIC (Ministerio de Cultura) – Kaminaljuyú «Cerro de los Muertos» · 2026
Nearby: The Burning of the Devil (3.9 km) · National Palace of Culture (4 km) · National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology (MUNAE) (4.3 km)
Sources: SIC (Ministerio de Cultura) – Kaminaljuyú «Cerro de los Muertos»
Calzada San Juan and 30 avenida, zone 7. The pin is the centre of the "Kaminal Juyú" archaeological site in OpenStreetMap, which contains the location the Ministry of Culture publishes; it is not the entrance.2.7 km in a straight line from the regional map centre
Photo: jjmusgrove · CC BY 2.0
National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology (MUNAE)
CultureStatus unconfirmed
The national museum of archaeology and ethnology at Finca La Aurora, zone 13, according to the Ministry of Culture's cultural directory.
Hours and fee unconfirmed by the museum: the Ministry of Culture's directory and the press give different hours, and the fee comes only from the press.
Practical details and sources
Entry
According to guatemala.com (April 2026), foreign visitors Q60 and Guatemalans Q5; other sources give Q50 for foreign visitors. Unconfirmed by the museum.
Hours
The Ministry of Culture's directory gives Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; guatemala.com (28 April 2026) gives Tuesday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and weekends 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 to 4:00 p.m.
Source
SIC (Ministerio de Cultura) – Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología · 2026 · +1
Nearby: Ixchel Museum of Indigenous Dress (2.8 km) · Popol Vuh Museum (2.9 km) · Kaminaljuyú Archaeological Park (4.3 km)
Sources: SIC (Ministerio de Cultura) – Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología · guatemala.com – Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología (28 abr. 2026)
6.ª calle and 7.ª avenida, Finca La Aurora, zone 13. The pin marks the museum according to Wikidata; it is not the entrance.2.5 km in a straight line from the regional map centre
Photo: Freddy eduardo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Popol Vuh Museum
CultureStatus unconfirmed
A museum run by Francisco Marroquín University on its zone 10 campus, according to the Ministry of Culture's cultural directory.
Hours and fees unconfirmed by the museum.
Practical details and sources
Entry
Adults Q45; students with a card Q25; children aged 2 to 12 Q15, according to the Ministry of Culture's directory.
Hours
Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; closed on Sundays, according to the same directory.
Source
SIC (Ministerio de Cultura) – Museo Popol Vuh · 2026
Nearby: Ixchel Museum of Indigenous Dress (0.1 km) · National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology (MUNAE) (2.9 km) · The Burning of the Devil (3.9 km)
Sources: SIC (Ministerio de Cultura) – Museo Popol Vuh
6.ª calle final, zone 10, Francisco Marroquín University campus. The pin marks the museum in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.2.7 km in a straight line from the regional map centre
Ixchel Museum of Indigenous Dress
CultureOpen
A non-profit institution, founded in 1973, that collects, researches and exhibits Guatemalan indigenous dress, according to the Ministry of Culture's cultural directory.
Practical details and sources
Hours
Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; closed on Sundays and public holidays (museum website).
Source
Museo Ixchel del Traje Indígena – sitio oficial · 2026 · +1
Nearby: Popol Vuh Museum (0.1 km) · National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology (MUNAE) (2.8 km) · The Burning of the Devil (3.9 km)
Sources: Museo Ixchel del Traje Indígena – sitio oficial · SIC (Ministerio de Cultura) – Museo Ixchel del Traje Indígena
6.ª calle final, zone 10, Francisco Marroquín University Cultural Centre. The pin marks the museum in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.2.6 km in a straight line from the regional map centre
The Burning of the Devil
CultureStatus unconfirmed
Every 7 December at 6:00 p.m., families across Guatemala light bonfires outside their homes and burn devil figures made of paper and piñata. It falls on the eve of the Immaculate Conception, grew out of the lights that lit the Virgin's procession and today marks the start of the Christmas season. In the capital it happens neighbourhood by neighbourhood, and in the days before, devil piñatas fill the Historic Centre.
Every 7 December at 6:00 p.m.; in 2026 it falls on a Monday. It is neighbourhood bonfires with no central event, and the 2026 programme is unconfirmed.
Practical details and sources
Source
Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes – Devotos celebraron el tradicional Rezado de la Inmaculada Concepción (9 dic. 2025) · 2025 · +9
Tip: Do not burn tyres, plastics, polystyrene, aerosols, paint or batteries; keep bonfires small and away from power lines, and protect pets from the smoke and noise. Children are not allowed to handle fireworks. The smoke worsens the air quality that night, so bear it in mind if you have breathing problems. Emergencies: 119 (CONRED). The same night, in Ciudad Vieja (Sacatepéquez), the «La Legión de los 24 Diablos» (Legion of the 24 Devils) dance takes to the streets; it is National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Nearby: National Palace of Culture (0.1 km) · Popol Vuh Museum (3.9 km) · Ixchel Museum of Indigenous Dress (3.9 km)
Sources: Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes – Devotos celebraron el tradicional Rezado de la Inmaculada Concepción (9 dic. 2025) · Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes – Tradición de siglos sigue ardiendo, con fuegos más modernos (7 dic. 2024) · Diario de Centro América – La Quema del Diablo evoluciona (7 dic. 2018) · CONRED – Quema del Diablo, tradición con prevención (7 dic. 2024) · Diario de Centro América – Niños tienen vedado manipular pólvora (5 dic. 2025) · Diario de Centro América – Calidad del aire se deterioró por la quema del diablo (10 dic. 2025) · Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes – La Legión de los 24 Diablos (7 dic. 2025) · CONRED – Recomendaciones por Quema del Diablo (7 dic. 2021) · AGN – Ministro de Ambiente hace llamado a celebrar responsablemente la «quema del diablo» (7 dic. 2020) · AGN – Quema del Diablo: así puedes proteger a tus mascotas este 7 de diciembre (6 dic. 2025; recomendaciones del MAGA)
Neighbourhoods of Guatemala City; in the days before, the piñata shops of the Historic Centre (zone 1). The pin is the Parque Central in OpenStreetMap: there is no central event.2.8 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

Before you go, understand the place.

Themed guides

The National Palace and Kaminaljuyú

Museums of the capital

Plan your visit

The essentials

Where to stay

Tips and precautions

Safety and precautions

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Everything you can do

Living culture · 6

National Palace of Culture

Kaminaljuyú Archaeological Park

National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology (MUNAE)

Popol Vuh Museum

Ixchel Museum of Indigenous Dress

The Burning of the Devil

Keep exploring Guatemala

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Atitlán & Chichicastenango

Quetzaltenango

Petén

Izabal & Río Dulce

Las Verapaces

Pacific coast