Guatemala City is the capital of Guatemala. It became the capital after Antigua was destroyed by an earthquake in 1776. With a population of around 3 million people, Guatemala City is the largest and most modern city in Guatemala and the country's centre for finance and politics. The city is divided into 21 zones (zonas). Zona 1 is the old historic centre, here you'll find the national palace, the presidential palace, the cathedral and the main plaza. South of Zona 1 is Zona 4 where many of the official buildings are situated, like the national bank, the national theatre, the tourist board (INGUAT). Further south is Zona 9 and Zona 10, divided by Avenida La Reforma. Zona 10 hosts most of the high class hotels, restaurants, bars and shopping facilities. A small part of Zona 10 is called Zona Viva, the lively zone, because of its night-life.

Tourist Offices
INGUAT, 7 Avenida 1-17, Zona 4. Don't expect to get too much information here except for a decent copy of a city map.

Dangers and Annoyances
If you experience a robbery, please be advised to give away anything the robbers want. It would be best to just stay inside after sunset, but you can have fun safely in Zona Viva. Don't eat the food prepared in the streets. Even the locals get sick from time to time eating this food. Your chances are probably worse. Some locals even call the mangoes sold on the street "Cholera Mangoes."

Sightseeing
There are numerous museums to visit and you can attend a Sunday evening gathering of hundreds of locals at the main plaza, it is certainly an unforgettable experience. Visit the Parque Minerva, a park and sports complex on the edge of the city. Here there is a quirky map of the country covering 2500 sq metres. To get the best view climb up one of the towers. The Botanical Gardens has a beautiful, if somewhat small, selection of species. There is also a natural history museum inside. Palacio Nacional, Zona 1, can be seen via free guided tours that operate every 15 minutes. You can see the interior courtyards and official function rooms, as well as some decorative artwork and wall murals, and a small statue commemorating the end of the civil war, a pair of hands that hold a fresh rose.

Getting there
Guatemala City has one big airport, La Aurora. There are daily arrivals from the US, Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama. The Central American highways CA1 and CA9 run through Guatemala City. In almost any town in Guatemala you will find a bus that eventually will take you to Guatemala City. The 2nd class extra-urbanos are often crowded and not very comfortable, but cheap. Expect to pay around Q5 per hour. There are also various 1st class buses from some of the larger cities and from neighbouring countries. Most buses end up in Zona 1 or Zona 4.

Getting around
The common way to get around in Guatemala City is by bus or taxi. The buses run from early morning till about eight in the evening. There are two kinds of taxis, the ones with a metre, the yellow ones, and the ones where you have to agree on a price before the trip, the white ones. Normally the white taxis should be cheaper, but if you're not that good at negotiating, the yellow taxis might actually be the cheaper choice.