You can buy just about anything you would get in the U.S. but if it is imported it will generally cost you more than it would in the States. Guatemala has a good food industry where Kelloggs makes cereals and you can get about half of the things you buy made within the country at a comparable U.S. price. Fruits and vegetables are plentiful and in most cases more varied than what you could get in the U.S.
Though you can get just about everything at the grocery stores it can be fun to go to the food market and see the way it is done there. It is also the best way to buy bulk oranges and lemons for juicing. Some areas have men who come around in a truck to sell you their bulk oranges ect.. for about the same price as the market. Prices fluctuate according to season but you can usually get 100 oranges for about $5 and lemons are about half that price. By the way we call them lemons down here but it is almost impossible to find a true lemon. We have limes which are just as good.
The central market is usually teeming with foreign tourists so you can imagine the fun there. Image 3 levels of Pier 1 Imports where you get to barter over the price. Hand made rugs, traditional weavings, wood carvings, silver, jade, artifact replicas, baskets, pottery, leather goods, machetes, and much much more!
Guatemala has about as much selection in clothing and shoes as the U.S. and you can get your articles in nice malls with great parking or you can go downtown and get factory outlet goods for a lot less than you would pay even in the U.S. There is also the luxury of getting a seamstress or tailor to custom make your clothes for as little as $10 a dress. You can even have your shoes custom made.
Guatemala City has some excellent museums. Most of them are related to Mayan artifacts and culture. There are two museums on history and anthropology together just blocks away from the international airport. Another good one is the Museo Ixchel del Traje Indigena in zone 10.
Guatemala City is filled to the brim with great restaurants. There are Italian, French, Mediterranean, Typical Guatemalan, and American Cuisine to name a few. You can even go to Sizzlers, McDonalds, Wendy's, Taco Bell, Bresslers Ice-Cream, Pizza Hut and Dominoes.
There are plenty of movie theaters where you can see your movies in English with Spanish Subtitles. More and more of the children's movies are being translated and dubbed though so it can be hard on the kids. You can also rent plenty of videos at video stores all over town.
There are things such as the latest in Bowling with computerized lanes, Laser Shots (you know those places where you go in and pretend your shooting each other and then a computer prints out how well you have done), a brand new place called Play Zone that is a three story maze, slides and tunnels place for kids to play, clubs you can join for pools, tennis and golf. Something we have found great fun has been the small time circus. You invariably get to participate in an act which is thrilling for the whole family. Once our son got to ride on the shoulders of a clown as he rode his unicycle while another son rode what looked to be a normal bicycle but turned out to fall apart as he went around (He became the clown). Another time he tossed a ball to a performing bear. Knowing that you are likely to become part of the circus adds a lot to the event but none of this is for the non adventurous. Things are likely to happen that can only happen in a country where there are no legal repercussions. Such as a lion performing with no cage to protect us from him.
For Women (Some men really get into this too) Get a massage, pedicure or manicure for the same price in Quetzales as you would pay in dollars ($1=Q6)
There are many places to go to see ruins from the ancient Maya. Some of the best ruins in Central America are in Guatemala. The ruins are spread over almost the entire country so wherever you travel, you can visit some ruins. Not all ruins are in the hot jungle. Some are at high elevations where it never gets hot, so it can be pleasant to travel even when you don't feel like being out in the hot weather.
The Pacific Coast is known for its velvet soft black sand beaches. But you may want to take a long weekend and travel to El Salvador (only four hours away) for great beaches.
There are some spectacular volcanoes in Guatemala. While most of them are extinct there are four or five active volcanoes here. From Guatemala City you can see the moderately active Pacaya to the south and the extinct but perfectly cone shaped Agua to the southwest. You can hike to the summit of both of these volcanoes, which offer great views of the city and the coast.
To really see how Guatemalans live you have to get out of the city. There are some great places to visit all through the country. I personally prefer the lesser known towns. Just about any place you go will have some sort of accommodation where you can stay the night. Different regions of the country have different style of dress, houses, ect.. so you have to get around to see it all.
There are some great rivers to run in Guatemala. The guides are experienced river rafters (most of them are from the U.S.) There are rivers to meet every ones needs; calm and easy or wild and crazy. River rafting is a great way to see some untouched areas because they are only accessible by the river.
Guatemala has several conservationist organizations that are helping to establish protected areas and habitat reserves. These include The Manatee Reserve, Quetzal Reserve, and The Mayan Biosphere Reserve.
Nearby Belizian Cays: Some of the lower Belizian Cays are only an hour off the coast of Guatemala. Though I didn't find the snorkeling as great as the Honduran Cays the access was much closer and easier. You can stay on an island and camp for almost nothing or you can stay in some hotels on a nearby Cay.
There is a resort hotel in Zacapa that has a lake with paddle boats and huge slides. There are also several water parks with slides where you can go and spend the day.
Easy access to other Central American Countries with all of their Tourist attractions. Neighbors; Honduras: Some of the Best Cays in the Caribbean (Cheapest Too) & more Mayan Ruins. Belize: Also great Cays (much more expensive) as well as ruins & fast becoming known for its ecological reserves. El Salvador: Beaches & ocean fishing.