Erika's Santiago Atitlan Trip, October 2026
Welcome to my October 2026 Santiago Atitlán Family Trip!
This 6-night program is designed to introduce your family to the beauty of Lake Atitlán, the richness of local Mayan culture, and incredible regional cuisine.
Located right on the shores of Lake Atitlán, the Santiago Bambu campus provides direct access to kayaking, swimming, boat tours, and visits to nearby towns.
Enjoy the beautiful swimming pool, hot tub, and temazcal, along with cultural activities, arts and crafts, organized games, hikes, and guided tours.
Most importantly, this experience is about connection: spending meaningful time together, building relationships with other families while stepping into a slower pace of life.
In proud partnership with Culture Chalk, a family run community program.
The Santiago Bambu campus features direct access to Lake Atitlan, stunning views, jaw-dropping, vast green spaces for play, a swimming pool, temazcal, hot tub, koi pond, kayaks, a greenhouse for a tropical botany course, and so much more.
The Bambu world-class restaurant (breakfast and lunch are included in the package) will not disappoint!
Culture Chalk programs are about connecting with and learning from the local community in genuine ways.
PROGRAM DATES:
OCTOBER 15 - OCTOBER 21, 2026
What is included:
Welcome dinner
Delicious 'a la carte' restaurant breakfasts and lunches.
Hotel accommodations with plenty of common areas, green space, and direct lake access.
A private boat tour to different villages around Lake Atitlan
Spanish Lessons with local teachers
An English-speaking host and leader will be available to the group during your stay.
POOL - HOT TUB TIME - TEMAZCAL
"Family Pairing" with a local family with children of similar ages or interests to yours, to be hosted for an afternoon and connect with the community.
Shuttles to and from the Airport on start and finish dates.
Arts and crafts room stocked with supplies, games, books, and scheduled childcare with daily activities.
Guided bird watching tour through the jungle!
Walk to town for guided market tours.
Bracelet Weaving with Abuela Concepcion
A tuk-tuk tour through San Juan La Laguna visiting an Apiary, Cacao Demonstration, and Cotton Dying/Traditional textiles demo as well!
What is not included:
Flights
Personal Travel Insurance (Required)
Gratuity (5%-10%)
Most Suppers and one lunch out during the Boat Tour
Share and bring a friend!
Group discounts apply for families coming with others!
Join us for a 6-Night stay for this amazing program
Program Schedule
Day 1
OCTOBER 15
10:00 am
Shuttle pick up in Guatemala City
2:00 pm
Arrivals and settling into rooms
3:00 pm
The program officially starts with a welcome spread of delicious food. Meet and greet attending families and orientation/schedule review.
Evening to relax and explore the campus
Day 2
OCTOBER 16
7 am
Sun is up, coffee is on.
7 - 9
Breakfast served
9 - 11:30
Morning Activities:
You pick!
Kayak - Swim - Botany Class - Tortilla Making Class
12-1:30 pm
Lunch hours.
1:45 -3:00 pm
Afternoon Activities:
Art and crafts
5 -7
Supper time (Enjoy walking into town or order at the Bambu restaurant)
7- 8
Games
Day 3
OCTOBER 17
7 - 8 am
Breakfast served
9am - 12pm
Boat tour to San Marcos Nature Reserve
12 - 3 pm
Lunch in San Juan, Tuk-tuk tour to Apiary, Textile shops and Cacao demo
3 - 5
Bracelet Weaving in Abuela Concepcion's kitchen in San Pedro
Supper time (Enjoy walking into town or order at the Bambu restaurant)
7pm
Boat pick up and return to Santiago
8 - 9pm
Hide and go seek on campus, (Adults you play too!)
Day 4
OCTOBER 18
7 - 8 am
Breakfast served
8 - 11am
Walk into Santiago to explore Market with a member of your host family as your guide
12 - 1pm
Lunch Time!
2 -3pm
Kids pick!
Tag - Pool time - kayaking - Spanish class
3 - 5pm
History lesson from local historian, Mayan Calendar explained.
Evening
Free time
Day 5
OCTOBER 19
5 am
Early morning bird watching tour and hike through jungle
9-10
Breakfast served
10 - 12:30
Morning Activity:
Pool time, hot tub, rest.
12-1:30 pm
Lunch
1:45 -5:00 pm
Paired local families activity
5 -7:30pm
Free for dinner
8-9
Family circle on the lawn to talk about experiences with local pairings!
Day 6
OCTOBER 20
7 am
Sun is up, coffee is on.
7 - 9
Breakfast served
9 - 2
Morning Activity:
Local host families take guest families to the market to explore and purchase exotic fruits and new veggies and take them home to prepare a meal together.
Lunch with your hosts
Afternoon Activities:
Board games, pool time, art and craft time for younger children.
5 -7
Supper time
7- 8
Time to share, talk about highlights.
Day 7
OCTOBER 21
EARLY WAKE UP TO SEE SUNRISE FROM SPECIAL VIEWPOINT ON OUR WAY BACK TO GUATEMALA CITY
Good bye campfire pancake breakfast overlooking Lake Atitlan
Add on package.
Add 3 nights at the front end of the trip: Early airport pickup, breakfasts, daily Spanish lessons and a family cooking class for just $800
Where you'll be staying while in Santiago, Atitlan, Guatemala:
(PRICING INCLUDES 6 NIGHTS ACCOMMODATIONS, PROGRAMMED ITINERARY, SHUTTLES, MEALS AS LAID OUT IN ITINERARY)
The rooms in this package have 2-3 double beds and a garden or lake view so that you can enjoy the daily sunrise during your time at Lake Atitlan!
Beautiful views, local decor.
Double Bedroom
All in: including up to 3 kid's program tuition
5 Person Max
$2870
Deluxe home package with private kitchen, deck, garden, and five double beds
6 person Max
(Only one available)
Includes up to 4 kids' program tuition / scheduled child care
$3165
Premium Package
Luxury Suite Cabanas with two double beds, a private infinity pool, and a stunning lake view.
4 person Max
(Only two available)
$3450
All prices in USD
Easy, simple payment plans available!
FIRST 3 REGISTRATIONS SAVE $200
Experience a trial run of community living during your stay. With everything included in this program, we have designed it to be a budget-friendly holiday option for families who wish to settle in for a week and experience Guatemalan Culture on a different level.
We encourage scheduled community dinners, campfires in the garden, and reading circles in our shared spaces. Daily space and "time off" are given to parents during our supervised arts time in the crafts room. Board games, cards, and toys are also available! Bambu offers Wifi and Starlink internet, and private workspaces for those of you who video call regularly.
Meet your hosts!
Hi, we are the Hernandez family! We’re thrilled to invite you on an unforgettable journey to the beautiful shores of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala! When we discovered this program with Culture Chalk, we were immediately drawn to how they prioritize genuine connections bridging visiting families and local communities together.
What resonates with us the most is the opportunity to immerse ourselves in Guatemalan culture, learning from the incredible people who call this vibrant place home. In our past travels, we’ve shared enriching experiences with families in places like Morocco, Uganda, and Portugal where we forged lasting friendships and discovered the heart of each destination.
Bambu is the perfect setting to continue these connections, offering a unique opportunity to engage with the local culture while creating memories with our family.Join us as we explore the beauty of Lake Atitlán and embrace the warmth of its people. We can’t wait to experience this adventure with your family and create unforgettable moments together!
Accommodation Options
FEEL GOOD ABOUT THIS TRIP!
Culture Chalk funds and supports local initiatives that give back to the local Community, it's why they do what they do! Your trip helps:
-A local Community centre fully funded by Culture Chalk
-Building homes for single moms
-Women's health programs
-Grocery drop offs for vulnerable families.
Want to see more? Here's our promo video that tells the Culture Chalk backstory in under 5 minutes.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Join us for an incredible 7 days of play-hard fun! We are so proud to offer this experience! Once registered, you will be invited to the Hub WhatsApp group party line, where registered guests post ideas, preparation tips, and general info.
Lake Atitlan remains extremely traditional and conservative. Please remember that we are guests and behave respectfully towards our hosts.
Bringing small gifts is 100% recommended for the families we support that we will be pairing you with in our community. (Quality socks, non-lingual games (like UNO, a quality deck of playing cards, Blockus), children's art supplies, toys or a quality kitchen utensil/gadget.)
As our name, Culture Chalk, implies, we specialize in Cultural Education. We genuinely want you to experience the best of Guatemalan culture while representing your own culture with class, sensitivity and objectivity. And trust us, we know it's not always easy when experiencing new things, as good as they may be, they are still different and different can be challenging. We encourage visitors to come with an attitude of loving Guatemala for what it is and not judging it for what it is not.
Guatemala is a vibrant place, and roosters crow, dogs bark, music plays, and fireworks go off at all times of the day, all considered normal. Come ready to laugh, dance, sing, and see yourself in a brand new light.
Our goal as your hosts is for you to leave our place BETTER, in so many ways.
Cultural Immersion Retreats