Location
  • Guatemala
    • Antigua
    • Guatemala City
    • Xela

Program Details

Language
English
Age Min.
18
Timeframe
Spring Break Summer Winter Year Round
Housing
Guesthouse Host Family Hostel Tent
Groups
Small Group (1-15)

Pricing

Starting Price
1183
Price Details
Our program fee includes all on-the-ground costs including a comprehensive program itinerary, accommodations, meals, excursions, and experienced program leaders with you 24 hours a day.
This does not include flights, insurance, or personal expenses such as souvenirs.

We are committed to financial accessibility. Our Financial Needs Grant can cover 15-25% of your five- or six-week program fee and is available for anyone experiencing financial strain.
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Meals Transportation
What's Not Included
Airfare Travel Insurance Visa
Jul 15, 2022
Oct 12, 2019
35 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Nestled in Central America, Guatemala has one of the most interesting, yet tragic histories. Home to the Mayan civilization, invaded by the Spanish, and eventually ruled by successive dictatorships propped up by the United Fruit Company, Guatemala has had its fair share of political strife. A 30-year civil war helped create “liberation theology” but left many scars that remain to this day.

To travel to Guatemala is to challenge yourself physically and mentally – by climbing mountains and volcanoes, and by meeting farmers who see the coffee and mining industries as the cause of their poverty. It is shocking, empowering, exciting, and challenging all in one beautiful country.

At Operation Groundswell, we explore all the far corners of this strangely-shaped country and immerse ourselves deeply in all its culture has to offer. We dive deep into the hard issues of indigenous rights, environmental sustainability, fair trade, and food justice in our various program offerings.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Get your hands dirty learning about coffee alongside local farmers on the side of an active volcano.
  • Deconstruct the myths and discover the realities of today’s global food system at origin.
  • Immerse yourself in modern Guatemalan culture and hear about its history from the descendants of the Maya.
  • Get an intimate look at Guatemala’s history speaking with former guerrillas who have traded their guns for farming tools.
  • Brush up on your Spanish in Xela with one-on-one language lessons with the certified school and social enterprise Escuela La Paz.

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Program Reviews

4.96 Rating
based on 27 reviews
  • 5 rating 96.3%
  • 4 rating 3.7%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Impact 4.7
  • Support 4.95
  • Fun 4.8
  • Value 4.8
  • Safety 4.85
Showing 9 - 16 of 27 reviews
woman in nature
Emily
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Don't think twice, jump right in!

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What would you improve about this program?
A few things I would have liked to know beforehand:
- Bring a sleeping mat if you can fit it.
- Don't underestimate how important good hiking shoes are.
- Bring some casual, non-hiking or working-in-the-field clothes too.
- It's going to be dirty, there will be bugs, the toilets are going to smell, you may not even have access to a toilet for days. Don't expect the same standard of living as your home and don't act like you're better than the people and places you're travelling through. They may not like their smelly compost toilets any more than you do, but that doesn't give you the right to insult them. Embrace the experience and realize that these people have had to learn to live like this because of factors that are out of their control.
81 people found this review helpful.
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Chelsea
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Adventure Time

I chose operational groundswell for it's safety and community impact. Traveling without purpose or learning about people whose country you are a foreigner in seems wrong to me. The organization was very supportive and took us through the steps from preparing to leave, safe in country travels, and what to do when you got back. I would totally travel with them again. Our program leaders were top notch as well as all the support staff. My favourite memories include connecting with people in our homestays and volunteer placements. I went looking to become more comfortable with travel and I succeeded in that with this other.

What would you improve about this program?
I think it'll improve organically. The experience I had was awesome though.
76 people found this review helpful.
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Katie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

First Time Backpacking

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79 people found this review helpful.
Maddie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Exciting. Thought-provoking. Hilarious

Exciting: This was my first international experience. I wanted a program that was more than visiting popular tourism sites; I wanted a program that immersed you in a culture and forced you out of your comfort zone. OG did just that in a way that I always felt safe and supported.

Thought-provoking: Through scheduled discussions and impromptu chats on bus rides, OG opened my world to new questions I had never asked. Learning about others experiences and comparing those to my own makes me feel grateful for the opportunities I have had and inspired to give back.

Hilarious: Each memory is filled with laughs. From breaking out in song on bus rides to dancing around with pizza on our last night, my trip was filled with a unique and amazing group of individuals. Stories from this trip are my favorite to tell because I can't tell them without laughing and smiling.

81 people found this review helpful.
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Sydney
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Mayan Roots

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71 people found this review helpful.
Ramona
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Life-Changing Experience

I took on the Mayan Roots Program in Guatemala with Operation Groundswell for two weeks during the month of July. From the moment I arrived to the moment I flew back home, we were constantly learning, moving, talking, performing, sharing, and experiencing. I felt like a blindfold had been removed from my eyes after talking to the locals and learning about the culture and diversity of the country alongside my mentors - whilst creating my own image of this beautiful country. OG really helped take me out of my comfort zone in a safe and supporting manner, teaching me lifelong skills of communication and teamwork. There is no doubt in my mind that I will return for another OG adventure, it's something that HAS to be experienced at least once, but will make you hungry for more.

80 people found this review helpful.
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Jillian
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Guatemala changed my life!

My time in Guatemala through Operation Groundswell remains the most influential and coolest thing I have done in my life! I would recommend it to anyone ready to get out of their comfort zone and have a life changing experience. I still to this day relate many of my thoughts and experiences in my career to the experience of being in Guatemala.

Operation Groundswell creates an authentic experience that is unlike any other.

81 people found this review helpful.
Laura
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

New Perspectives

I signed up for the program as a late twenties working professional, I was well travelled and open minded but secure in my sense of self / life. Therefore, I wasn't sure what I would get out of the trip if anything but I was absolutely blown away. I had conversations about things I thought I knew inside and out but discovered a whole new perspective, I was challenged to use my language skills (thanks Duolingo) which improved immensely while I was there. It was really interesting to see how the other people in the group reacted to situations as they were generally a lot younger than myself and had less life experience, observing their reactions helped me to see how each individual person's interpretation and memory of an experience are completely unique to them and it's helped me to interact better with my co-workers and kids I work with back home in Canada.

What would you improve about this program?
Emphasize the importance of learning the language so as to maximize the learning potential.
68 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers