Our Semuc Champey Tour – What We Wish We Had Known
TL;DR
Our Semuc Champey tour review – including everything we wish we had known before!
Want to know how to get to Semuc Champey, one of the most Instagram-famous places in Guatemala? The easiest way is to book a tour from Lanquin – at least that’s what we did.
Here’s everything we wish we had known before going to Semuc Champey:
- Our Semuc Champey Tour Review
- How to Get to Semuc Champey?
- Where to Book Your Semuc Champey Tour
- What to Expect on the Semuc Champey Tour
- Our Semuc Champey Tour Review
- What Other Travellers Say About the Semuc Champey Tour
- What Does the Semuc Champey Tour Include?
- What to Bring to Semuc Champey
- Conclusion: Should You Book the Semuc Champey Tour?
Our Semuc Champey Tour Review
How to Get to Semuc Champey?
To visit Semuc Champey, you first have to get to Lanquin. You can decide to visit Semuc Champey independently or with a tour. We have decided to book a tour.
We have written a complete travel guide to Lanquin and Semuc Champey:
Where to Book Your Semuc Champey Tour
You can book the tour online (e.g. on GetYourGuide) or in person once you arrive.
We booked our tour at our accommodation (which will remain anonymous for now). While the tour was the same tour as this tour on GetYourGuide, we barely got any information and some of the information was wrong. For example, we were told that lunch is included and we do not need to bring any money – which was wrong. We have heard reports from other travellers who booked at other accommodations who were also given insufficient or incorrect information.
For reference, we paid 25$ which is slightly less than on GetYourGuide.
What to Expect on the Semuc Champey Tour
Most tours should follow the same schedule but if you book another tour then this, maybe double check.
1. The Transfer from Lanquin to Semuc Champey
Our transfer to take us from Lanquin to Semuc Champey picked us up in time. I use the term transfer very loosely here. We had to stand in the back of a truck with loads of other travellers and the wild ride began.
Although the distance between Lanquin and Secmuc Champey is only around 10 km / 6 mi it takes around 30 minutes. The road is incredibly bumpy and you have to hold on very tight. We definitely got some bruises from this trip…
2. Kan’ba Cave
Our first stop was Kan’ba Cave. Here, we got some water shoes, put on our swim clothes, and could store our stuff in a shared wooden box.
Kan’ba Cave is filled with water and the only light you get is a burning candle. There is no other light in the cave! Be aware that – depending on your size – you have to swim while keeping the candle afloat.
You also have to climb slippery metal ladders while holding onto the candle with one hand.
In the end, you have the opportunity to jump but we were absolutely not tempted to jump into the darkness without any light on us.
On the way back, our guide offered us to go down a “slide” which was basically a tiny hole with water rushing through. He told us where to grab and off we went. The drop is not deep and it was completely ok – both for me as a tiny person and for Philipp as a large person. Just know that your candle won’t burn anymore at the bottom. Alternatively, you can climb back down the ladder you came up.
You’ll walk in the cave for around 1 km (0.6 mi).
- Wear light clothes above your swimsuits to avoid chafing against the rocks.
- They rent out water shoes roughly up to size 45 (13), bring your own in case your feet are larger because you need them.
- Take some form of light with you in the cave. Your candle might not make it!
3. Rope Swing and Waterfall
We made a quick pit stop at a rope swing in Kahabon River and a waterfall before the tubing. We were told that you can swim in the waterfall (and jump) but water levels were too high during the time of our visit although we visited in the dry season.
4. Tubing on Kahabon River
We grabbed our tubes and followed the river upstream. While you float down the river on your tube, some local kids throw beers at you from a bridge if you want to. They’ll find you once you come out of the river for payment.
5. Lunch Break
We had a lunch break in between the tubing and the hike to the viewpoint. Our tour guide brought us to “Comedor Buffet Semuc Champey”. For 60Q they serve food on an all-you-can-eat basis. The food was not great but it did its job. A bit further up the road, you can find "Mi Rancho” which has better reviews.
6. Hike to the Viewpoint
The hike to the viewpoint is only around 500 m (1600 ft) long, but it’s steep so be prepared to hike up for 30 minutes or more.
You will have to cover a lot of stairs – from muddy over rocky to wooden – most of which can be quite slippery.
Your reward is the mirador or viewpoint which you have probably seen on all the Instagram pictures.
The hike is a loop so you’ll go down another route than you hike up.
7. Swim in the Waterfall
There are different sets of pools. At the first set of pools coming down from the viewpoint, you can find lockers and changing rooms but no bathrooms.
Heading down a wooden path, you’ll eventually reach another set of pools with more changing rooms and as well as toilets.
We were absolutely not alone during our visit, but as there are many pools, it’s easy to spread out and find a corner to yourself if you want to.
Our Semuc Champey Tour Review
All in all, we really liked our Semuc Champey tour. With caving, tubing, hiking, and swimming, you get a lot of bang for your buck.
Our biggest drawback was that we booked the tour with not enough information. We hope this article explaining the stops of the tour step by step will help you to arrive a bit more prepared.
Would we go out of our way again to visit Semuc Champey? Probably not. Did we still have a great day? Absolutely.
What Other Travellers Say About the Semuc Champey Tour
⭐ Rating: 4.5 / 5 (8 reviews)
Really glad we made this booking - probably not as cheap as the ones booked locally but it was just the four of us on the transfer. Just myself at the back with the guide. But we saw pick-ups with about 10 people on them. Our whole group was conveniently small. Loved the small hike up to the viewing spot, then down to the pools with guidance on how to move down from one to the other and back up. And even though it started raining, the trip to the caves was great. I’d really recommend water shoes and a waterproof headlamp though, to make it easier to move around. Overall our guide Felix was great and really supportive, making sure we were all good and together. This was a great booking.
– Laura (see more reviews)
What Does the Semuc Champey Tour Include?
This tour includes
- Local bilingual guide
- Roundtrip transportation by local safety truck
What to Bring to Semuc Champey
We recommend bringing
- Cash!
- Water
- Swimwear
- Water shoes if you have them (for the cave and the pools)
- Shoes that will get you up to the viewpoint
- Towel
- Camera (waterproof!)
- Sunglasses, sun hat, and sunscreen
- A lock if you want to use the changing room “lockers”
Conclusion: Should You Book the Semuc Champey Tour?
Semuc Champey is quite a bit away from other places in Guatemala. In case you make it all the way to Lanquin, you should absolutely book a Semuc Champey tour.
Here’s our Guatemala itinerary including Semuc Champey:
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