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Have you ever heard of Semuc Champey in Guatemala? Well, if you haven't then you're in for a treat.

Imagine turquoise pools nestled in a lush jungle, surrounded by a variety of fun activities, away from the chaos of the big cities.

Semuc Champey is a true slice of paradise, and makes for the perfect weekend getaway. We're here to share all of the details for visiting, so that you too can have an incredible trip like we did.

📍 Where is Semuc Champey in Guatemala?

Semuc Champey is located in the middle of the jungle in Central Guatemala. It's right outside of Lanquin, a small town in the mountains of Alta Verapaz.

🗺 Map of Semuc Champey

Here is some general info and the map for when you arrive at Semuc Champey.

Time Table & Price for Semuc Champey, Guatemala

Here is all the info you need for entering Semuc Champey in Guatemala:

🕘 What Time Does Semuc Champey Open?

Semuc Champey opens at 8:00 AM and the ticket office is open until 4:00 PM. You can stay inside the park until 4:30 pm, and enjoy the river outside of the park 24/7.

Re-entry is allowed, so if you want to leave for lunch and go back in Semuc Champey park after, that's totally fine.

💵 How Much is the Entrance Fee to Semuc Champey?

The entrance fee for Semuc Champey is 50 Quetzales for foreigners, 25 Quetzales for locals, and 10 Quetzales for local students. This includes the entrance to the viewpoint and the pools.

The cave and waterfall are actually located on another private property, that charges 60 Quetzales as an entry fee. This includes your guide for the cave (which is mandatory), and although you can of course leave a tip, it's not necessary.

Semuc Champey in Guatemala: How to Spend the Perfect Day

When we finally got to Semuc Champey after an intense drive, we looked up the closest hotels in the area. While there are a lot of hotels in Lanquin that seem just a few kilometers away, it's important to note that the hotels in Lanquin are actually about 45 minutes away driving.

We arrived at our hotel and went straight to sleep, ready to start the day early.

When we woke up we had breakfast and planned to go to the park as soon as they opened. We ended up having a slower morning than we thought, and weren't ready to leave the hotel until 9 AM, which is when the tour groups all start going in.

Don't have time to read the whole article and want to save it for later? Just pin it!

Is Semuc Champey Busy?

Honestly, after visiting so many cenotes in Mexico, we were stressed imagining the hoards of tours that would be flooding the place.

Luckily, due to the location of Semuc Champey in Guatemala, it wasn't even close to being as crowded as we had imagined. There were just a few tour groups, each of which had 5-10 people max.

We did go during the slow season, so if you are going in the high season, you may experience it a bit more crowded, but not enough to not be able to enjoy your own space.

Arriving at Semuc Champey

Upon entering Semuc Champey, you'll have to cross a yellow bridge. You'll see two different parking lots, one right after the bridge, and one just a minute away that is the offiical parking lot. The first lot charges Q5 and the offiical lot charges Q10.

As we stayed in one of the few hotels right next to Semuc Champey, we opted to leave our car in the hostel's parking lot and walk there, which was just 10 minutes.

Right before the offiical entrance you'll have a few groups of people selling things on the streets such as food, drinks, bathing suits, and water shoes.

Next to the parking lot is a set of free bathrooms you can use, and signs with useful information for the park.

Entering Semuc Champey Park in Guatemala

The ticket booth is pretty basic, and entry must be paid in cash. Hold onto your ticket in case you want to leave the park and re-enter later.

Once you get your ticket there is a trail on your right-hand side. This path goes down to a view of the river and just takes 5 minutes. The woman working there wasn't impressed with it, so we honestly just decided to skip it.

Keep walking down the path and in just a few minutes you'll find a fork. If you go straight you'll arrive at the pools in just 500 meters, or you can take the stairs up the the viewpoint on the left.

The Semuc Champey Mirador

If you've seen any pictures of Semuc Champey Guatemala on Instagram, then chances are it was of the iconic viewpoint, or "mirador".

We opted to do this first, as it was a bit cooler in the morning, and it made the pools all that much more rewarding.

To get there you'll be climbing up stairs, with a few resting areas in between. We had just come from hiking Acatenango the day before, and were feeling quite rough, so took it much slower than we typically do.

We read most people take 30-45 minutes, but even at our slower-than-normal pace, we got up there in a little under 30 minutes, and got down in about 15.

The viewpoint is a platform jutting over the pools, and you can get a picture like the one below simply by walking up on the side of it.

The Pools of Semuc Champey in Guatemala

Semuc Champey, Guatemala's claim to fame is its pools, and while the photos from above are beautiful, swimming in the pools is the true highlight of the visit.

You can either reach the pools from a path straight from the viewpoint, or you can go from the fork we mentioned earlier (the path from the viewpoint was under construction when we visited).

After just a few minutes walking you'll be greeted by gorgeous turquoise pools and small cascades falling around them.

The water is at a perfectly refreshing temperature without being too cold, and the water coming down from the small falls are actually slightly warmer, making this an incredibly perfect combo.

After jumping into the first set of pools we continued along the wooden planks onto the higher area of pools, and here is where you can find lockers, a small dock, and plenty of area to swim and relax.

You'll notice that splitting the river is a long string. This is there to block off half the river. This is because there have been rocks falling from the side of the mountain, so it's fenced off to keep people safe.

Past the locker section you'll see another path of wooden boards, and a sign that says "sumidero" which is just 95 meters away.

This is where the water goes underneath the ground. I went to go check it out, and honestly there's not much to see. However, I did see that this is where the path coming from the mirador ends up.

Things to Do Outside of Semuc Champey

The park of Semuc Champey in Guatemala is simply the viewpoint and the pools. However, that's not all there is to do in the area! There are a couple of other things you can enjoy right next to Semuc Champey.

🕯 Explore K'anba Caves by Candlelight

This was honestly our favorite part of Semuc Champey, and is certainly one for the adventurous travelers out there.

We read several blogs that mentioned the caves, but their descriptions were pretty lame, and it was clear that they didn't actually do the activity. We almost skipped this, but are SO happy we didn't!

K'anba Caves are located on the private property just opposite of Semuch Champey, on the other side of the yellow bridge. You'll need a local guide to take you, which is assigned to you when you pay your ticket.

We read that tours go every half hour and you need to find a guide. Honestly, this makes us feel like people are just copying and pasting from a random site, and they have no idea what's going on.

The reality is that things are much less official here, and you'll likely have many people who will offer to take you there and be your guide. Show up anytime before 3:00 (maybe even 4:00), and you'll pay for your entrance and given a guide included with your ticket.

You'll have to leave all of your belongings, as you'll be getting wet, and we mean really wet. We highly suggest water shoes or going barefoot if this makes you more comfortable.

We also recommend bringing a GoPro or your phone in a waterproof pouch, because even though it's ridiculously dark in there, you'll definitely want to get some pictures and videos of this!

Your guide will give you a candle to carry with you as he brings you through a cave. No, it's not a simple walk, it's a full-on adventure (and definitely would not pass safety tests in many countries).

Expect climbing slippery stairs, wading through waterfalls, and shimmying along a rope to stay afloat, all while having hot wax drip on you, and trying not to set yourself on fire at the same time.

Despite us being just two people, our guide wasn't planning on staying with us apparently, so don't hang back too much! Many tour guides in Guatemala very literally just guide you, and barely talk or even check in on you. Don't take it personally, they may just need some hospitality courses.

It doesn't sound fun, but we honestly couldn't stop laughing, and had the best time doing this candlelight cave tour. We went with just the two of us, but if you go with a group it's even cooler as there will be more candles lighting up the cave.

You'll spend about 20-25 minutes going through the cave, and then you'll actually have the chance to jump from the top of the cave into a natural pool at the end of the cave. We thought our guide was insane when he did it, but we had a lot of fun joining him afterwards. 

We spent a few minutes jumping in the water and taking some pictures before heading back. The entire activity took about 45 minutes.

💧 The Waterfall at K'anba Caves

Located inside the property of K'anba Caves is also a really cool waterfall, which lies right under the park of Semuc Champey.

It's just a few minutes walking down a stone path, and is an area where you can swim, and actually fly your drone! (if you don't have one - then you definitely should get one!).

The Swing at K'anba Caves

Located right on the water inside the property of K'anba Caves you'll find a simple-looking swing. I hopped on for a picture and little ride, and after 2 seconds started screaming.

The swing goes SUPER high and fast, and you're supposed to jump in the water. No one was around so we didn't do it, but then found out it's actually more dangerous not to jump. Oops!

Anyway, the swing is free of charge, but at your own risk.

Also, you can check out the small pool that was made along the river!

🦦 Tubing on the River

We read so many blogs talking about tubing on the river, and we were stressed about finding a tour. Tubing is super relaxed at Semuc Champey in Guatemala, and it's usually just any random person or hotel giving you a tube to go down the river on your own.

Our hostel (Pachamaya Hostel) actually offers free tubing after buying two beers, so it was a pretty clear yes on our end.

The chalkboard said 4:00 pm, but since we were the only ones, we actually showed up at 5 and they just handed us the tubes to float down leisurely. We grabbed a beer from a woman selling them in her cooler next to the bridge, and then just went down to the water and floated on down right to our hotel.

Of course each hotel or person has their own system, but it's pretty easy to find tubing, and the river is slow so pretty much anyone can do it.

Where to Stay to Visit Semuc Champey

There are two different options for where to stay while visiting Semuc Champey.

You can either stay in Lanquin, which about 45 minutes away from Semuc Champey, or you can stay at one of the lodges right next to the park. Also, you can camp right at Semuc Champey for just Q10.

There are a few cabins that are right next to Semuc Champey that are cute jungle lodges. They have restaurants on site, and are perched right over the river.

🛌 Hotels at Semuc Champey in Guatemala

• Pachamaya River Hostel: the most budget friendly option, just a short walk from the park, with a restaurant, Wifi (although not the strongest), and tours offered
• El Portal de Champey: right next to the park, with great views, a restaurant, Wifi, and tours offered
• Hostal el Nawal: 3 km from the park, they have both shared and private cabins, Wifi, a restaurant, garden, and airport shuttle available for booking

Pachamaya Hostel

Lanquin isn't as ideal for location, but has more options when it comes to budget friendly food, making it ideal for backpackers. Here are some of our recommendations:

• Zephyr Lodge: a fun party hostel with a really cool infinity pool
• Hotel Kopal: has a pool, private parking, a garden, & a restaurant on site

Here are also some great options that are in between Semuc Champey & Lanquin:

• Mountain Nest: the most luxury option, which is a bed & breakfast in the mountains offering home cooked meals, and a kitchen to cook on your own food if you'd like (you need a 4x4 to reach here, and it's 30 minutes from Lanquin, and 45 minutes from Semuc Champey)
• Utopia Eco-Hotel: sustainable cabins with a fitness center, private parking, restaurant, a garden, playground, and a shared lounge - it also has good vegetarian and vegan options (10 minutes from Semuc Champey)

Other Things to Know About Visiting Semuc Champey in Guatemala

Now you know almost everything you need to know for visiting Semuc Champey, Guatemala. But don't go anywhere yet! We have a few final helpful details for you.

☀️ Weather in Lanquin, Guatemala

There are two main seasons in Lanquin, Guatemala, which are the rainy season, and the dry season. It stays consistantly warm throughout the year, getting much hotter during the rainy season, with pleasant termperatures during the dry season.

June, July, and August are the monsoon months, and it is extremely humid and rainy, with temperatures in the 30's Celcius/ 90's Fahreinheit. We visited in June, and were lucky to not have rain in Semuc Champey, despite having rain in every other city we visited in Guatemala.

September and October tourism drops, and rains are frequent, but do start to slow down. November to January is when the weather is driest and tourism is at its peak.

The rainy season typically starts in April, but this year it started in June, and can also vary from year to year.

📆 The Best Time to Visit Semuc Champey

The best month to visit Semuc Champey is in February. This is when it is still dry with pleasant temerpatures, and crowds have lessened by this point.

Another great month to visit is October (towards the end), as it's super green, and the busy season hasn't started just yet.

🎒 What to Bring to Semuc Champey

• Swimsuit
• Towel 
• Flip Flops (for walking around the pools Havaiana flip flops)
• Sneakers (for hiking the viewpoint)
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• Reusable water bottle (we suggest one that is insulated to hold the temperature)
• Waterproof phone pouch (we use the Case Mate Waterproof Phone Pouch)
• Action Camera (we use the Insta 360 X3 because it's small & waterproof)
• Extra Long Selfie Stick (a great accessory for the Insta 360)
• Drone for cool shots of the pools from outside the park (We use the DJI Mavic Mini 4 Pro)

You can fly your drone outside of the park!

🤔 Is Semuc Champey Guatemala Worth it?

Semuc Champey is definitely worth it! The pools are beautiful and refreshing, and the candle-light cave tour was one of the most unique experiences we've ever had.

⏳ How Long to Spend in Semuc Champey

One full day in Semuc Champey is the perfect amount of time to spend. You can easily enjoy the park and do all of the activities in the area between 8 AM and 5 PM like we did.

Being that Semuc Champey is so far away though, if you are driving we'd recommend spending 2 nights and one day, which is exactly what we did.

Our itinerary brought us from Antigua to Semuc Champey, and then from Semuc Champey to Flores. While we originally planned to leave around 4 and drive straight to Flores, we were exhausted and opted to spend a second night. We could have technically powered through, but relaxing in the evening, and waking up early to drive the next morning was a much better choice for us.

So are you ready to experiece the incredible Semuc Champey in Guatemala? This is the perfect place for those that want a mix of adventure and relaxation.

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