My wife and I had an incredible time on our honeymoon doing all of the guided tours with James Dillon. By the end of it we felt like we had... read more gained a friend. We did a tour of all the villages around Lake Atitlan and he helps us get acquainted with the area and best places to go. He connected us with a driver and many other connections that helped us out. James is also very connected to the local people because he helps them run their businesses which gives him a unique perspective on the area. Loved our time there and would totally recommend it.

  Both days were excellent and are worthy of a 5* review. I am glad to see they are so highly ranked because they do bring quality to the tours they... read more run. Jim only speaks English, while Henry (see website) is fluent in English/Spanish and seemingly French. Have already recommended them to someone looking to go to Guatemala in the fall and will continue to refer travelers to Jim, et al. You can't give up on quality when you really want to experience and see a foreign beauty like Lake Atitlan. …

  James and his crew made me feel very comfortable and safe as a female solo traveler. Before my trip to Lake Atitlan he had provided me with an itinerary of... read more our Village tour day and made several suggestions to enhance my experience. He also arranged transportation for me from Antigua. I'm not a fan of "touristy" tours and James did not disappoint as he showed me traditional Mayan ways and we stayed away from "touristy" places on the tour. I was very impressed with his knowledge of the Mayan culture; but even more so respected his heartwarming relationships with the locals. It was fun to see locals smiling when they saw him, as that is not always the case being on international tours. I loved being introduced to the Mayan women weavers, their talents shining brightly as they wove beautiful products with their back strap looms. I also enjoyed sipping the coffee from locally grown coffee beans and sampling delicious chocolate from locally grown cacao. Another highlight was meeting a beautiful Mayan family as they welcomed us into their home. The next morning I enjoyed an amazing sunrise from the top of the "Mayan Nose". This was a guided hike that James had suggested and arranged for me. Henry, our Mayan guide, told us Mayan folklore as the sun majestically appeared in the background of the Fuego volcano’s red glow at the summit. It was an amazing experience and one I highly recommend for the adventurous traveler.

  I did the Lake Atitlan village boat tour, which really turned into a private "create your own tour" (per James' own words!). James was an amazingly knowledgeable guide for all... read more things Guatemala - from coffee to history to current events...he was a wealth of knowledge. Not only did I learn a lot, the tour was (as I mentioned) basically customized to my interests. We took a beautiful boat tour across the late to two of the villages, drank lots of coffee, ate an authentic lunch, visited many sites (chocolate story, weaving store supported by local Mayan women, honey store, etc.) and interacted with a ton of James' local friends. It was neat to hear their stories and see how/where some of them lived. Made the experience much more authentic in my opinion. James and I also had great conversations throughout the day. Overall, I would highly recommend this tour to anyone thinking about exploring Atitlan. James works with you to see what you're most interested in, and you ultimately get a say in what you see. Of note, I was a female solo traveler and always felt very safe.