What to Do in Antigua Guatemala in October 2026
GUATEMALA · ANTIGUA GUATEMALA · EVENTS
Key Facts
- •The city Antigua Guatemala was the capital of the Spanish colonial Captaincy-General of Guatemala until the 1773 Santa Marta earthquakes forced the authorities to move it. Its baroque churches and ruins have been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979, and the city sits about 1,530 metres (5,020 feet) up, below the cone of Volcán de Agua.
- •Why October It is the tail of the rainy season, which the national weather service, INSIVUMEH, says usually runs from May to October. It is also the run-up to the 10th Festival de las Flores, the city’s flower festival, in November.
- •The big date The 10K de Leyenda, a night run in costumes from Guatemalan folk tales, starts at Parque Central at 7 p.m. on Saturday 10 October. Entry costs Q160 (about US$21.65).
- •Flower season The 10th Festival de las Flores runs October previews on Sunday 18 October (a cooking contest with edible flowers) and Sunday 25 October (an art exhibition) before its main weekend on 14 and 15 November.
- •The holiday Tuesday 20 October is Revolution Day, a paid public holiday that stays on the Tuesday this year rather than moving to a Monday.
- •What it means for you US citizens need no visa for stays of up to 90 days. The US State Department rates Guatemala Level 3, Reconsider Travel, over crime and terrorism, but names Antigua among the places its own staff may visit.
- •Still open The start times and street addresses of the October flower events, and the date of a festival beer launch, have not been published.
Antigua Guatemala in October has one headline event and a handful of smaller dates worth planning around. The 10K de Leyenda night race fills the cobbled centre on Saturday 10 October, the Festival de las Flores holds two preview events later in the month, and Tuesday 20 October is a national holiday.
For a foreign visitor or resident, the point is simple: the city is busiest on those dates, and October is still the rainy season. This guide lists only events from Thursday 8 October onward that the organisers or Guatemalan media have confirmed; events from the first week of the month are over and are left out.
Prices are given in quetzales with the US dollar value at the Tuesday 6 October close of Q7.39 per US dollar.
The 10K de Leyenda Night Race on Saturday 10 October
The 10K de Leyenda is a 10-kilometre night run through Antigua’s stone streets, and Prensa Libre, a Guatemala City daily, reports that the 2026 race is its fifth edition. The organiser’s event page confirms the start at 7 p.m. on Saturday 10 October from Parque Central, the main square in front of the cathedral.
The idea is to run as a character from Guatemala’s oral tradition. Runners come dressed as La Llorona, the weeping woman; El Sombrerón; La Siguanaba; La Tatuana; the Carroza de la Muerte, the death cart; or the nazarenos of Holy Week processions. Prensa Libre reports that children, adults and pets may take part.
The organiser is Tiempo Total, a Guatemalan race-timing company, which says the event is promoted by the Antigua Guatemala municipality with support from the lender Banco Industrial. Its event page links to online registration through the Proticket ticket store. Prensa Libre lists the fee at Q160 (about US$21.65) per runner, covering a bib with timing chip, a medal, water and fruit, a digital certificate, photos and insurance.
If you are not running, the square and the streets around it are where the costumes are easiest to see. Evenings at this altitude can be cool, so bring a layer.
Cooking With Flowers on Sunday 18 October
The Festival de las Flores is Antigua’s flower festival, held since 2017 with the Guatemalan lender Banco Industrial as its main sponsor. In 2026 it reaches its 10th edition under the theme Ciudad floreciente, the flowering city, and the organisers have begun the programme in October.
The first public date is Cocinando con Flores on Sunday 18 October at Verde Eventos in Antigua. Chefs and cooks compete with dishes made from edible flowers in four categories: main course, starter, dessert and mixology, and a jury picks the winners.
The festival has not published a start time or ticket price for the contest. Check its official social media accounts in the week before.
Revolution Day Holiday on Tuesday 20 October
Guatemala marks the uprising of 20 October 1944 with a paid public holiday. That revolt ended 14 years of dictatorship under Jorge Ubico and opened a decade of democratic reform that a coup cut short in 1954, according to AGN, the state news agency. In 2026 the holiday falls on a Tuesday.
Some Guatemalan holidays can be moved to a Monday to create long weekends, but this one cannot. Emisoras Unidas, a Guatemalan broadcaster, reported that a Constitutional Court ruling keeps Revolution Day on its date, so it will be observed on the Tuesday.
Government offices close, and many businesses do too. Do banking and paperwork before or after.
A Flower Festival Art Show on Sunday 25 October
On Sunday 25 October the festival opens a collective exhibition with Azul Studio. The organisers describe it as painting, sculpture, floral art and textiles inspired by Antigua’s botanical side, with work by local and international artists and a special appearance by the artist Manfredo Escobar.
The festival also plans an evening with Antigua Cerveza, the local brewery, to launch a commemorative Festival de las Flores beer. That event is listed for October, but no date has been announced.
For a Rainy Afternoon
The Museo Nacional de Arte de Guatemala, known as MUNAG, is a state museum inside the Real Palacio de los Capitanes Generales, the colonial government palace on the central square. Its first phase opened on 10 September 2021, and by its first anniversary it showed more than 90 works spanning over 3,000 years of Guatemalan art, according to AGN.
It is the obvious indoor option when the afternoon rain arrives. Opening hours and current entry fees should be checked at the door.
Looking Ahead to November
Anyone staying into November should know the Festival de las Flores calendar, because it is when the city fills up:
- Saturday 7 to Sunday 15 November: Jardines Conmemorativos, private spaces in Antigua opened as gardens themed on past editions.
- Sunday 8 November: Las Flores Trail Run, a 5-kilometre and 10-kilometre mountain race on the Carmona Trails, open to families and pets.
- Friday 13 November: Inicia la Primavera, a parade of decorated cars to open the festival; the route has not been published.
- Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November: the main festival, with floral installations and contests across the city, a flower market and open-air concerts.
Sunday 1 November, All Saints’ Day, is also a public holiday in Guatemala.
What It Means for You
For US citizens, entry is straightforward. The State Department says no tourist visa is needed and tourists may stay up to 90 days; anyone who stays longer pays a daily fine in cash at the airport on departure. Travellers must complete an electronic immigration and customs declaration before entering and before leaving.
Safety deserves a clear reading. Guatemala carries a Level 3, Reconsider Travel advisory, last updated on 12 March 2026, because of crime and terrorism. The State Department lists Antigua among the places its employees may visit, while San Marcos, Huehuetenango, Zone 18 of Guatemala City and Villa Nueva are Level 4, Do Not Travel. It also tells its staff to avoid driving outside Guatemala City at night, which matters if your flight lands late and you are heading to Antigua.
The volcanoes are part of the view and of the risk. INSIVUMEH reported on 3 August 2026 that Volcán de Fuego, southwest of the city, had entered a new eruptive phase, and the State Department notes that hikes on Fuego are off-limits under Guatemalan rules even though some guides sell them. Follow CONRED, the national disaster agency, and INSIVUMEH for alerts.
On practical matters: carry rain gear for every evening event, book the night race early, and keep cash in quetzales for small vendors.
What Is Not Known
The Rio Times could not confirm whether places in the 10K de Leyenda are still available, or the exact race route and road closures. The Festival de las Flores has not published start times, street addresses or prices for its October events, nor the date of the beer launch with Antigua Cerveza.
Smaller bar, brewery and gallery listings circulating for October could not be confirmed with the venues, so they are not included here. Nor is it known how much rain the last weeks of the season will bring, or whether volcanic activity will disrupt plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main event in Antigua Guatemala in October 2026?
The 10K de Leyenda night race, which starts at Parque Central at 7 p.m. on Saturday 10 October. Runners dress as characters from Guatemalan folk tales, and registration costs Q160 (about US$21.65).
Is 20 October a holiday in Guatemala?
Yes. Revolution Day is a paid public holiday, and in 2026 it is observed on Tuesday 20 October rather than being moved to a Monday.
When is the Festival de las Flores 2026 in Antigua?
The main weekend is Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November. Preview events are a cooking contest with edible flowers on Sunday 18 October and an art exhibition on Sunday 25 October.
Do US citizens need a visa to visit Guatemala?
No. US citizens can stay up to 90 days without a tourist visa, according to the State Department, which rates Guatemala Level 3, Reconsider Travel, over crime and terrorism.
Sources: US State Department, Guatemala Travel Advisory, 12 March 2026, US State Department, Guatemala country information, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Antigua Guatemala, AGN, INSIVUMEH on Volcán de Fuego, 3 August 2026, AGN, Revolution Day, 20 October 2024, AGN, MUNAG at one year, 10 September 2022, Tiempo Total (organiser), 10K de Leyenda event page, Prensa Libre, 10K de Leyenda 2026, 4 August 2026, Prensa Libre, Festival de las Flores programme, 28 July 2026, Prensa Libre, Festival de las Flores agenda, 23 July 2026, Prensa Libre, remaining 2026 holidays, Emisoras Unidas, Guatemala holidays 2026, 30 December 2025, Emisoras Unidas, INSIVUMEH rainy season outlook, 15 April 2026. Exchange rate: Tuesday 6 October 2026 close, Q7.392 per US dollar. All retrieved 7 October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief