How much cash should I bring to Guatemala?

If you have a credit card you can get cash advances from many banks, such as Credomatic, or bring travelers checks. While many merchants won't/can't cash them, most banks will. When you want to shop, have your friends take you to the public markets rather than the tourist traps. If your only expenses are some gifts, clothes, transportation, and the occasional night out for dinner one or two hundred dollars a week will go a very long way in Guatemala. I live in Honduras and my wife and I can go to the city, stay in a nice hotel, eat, and shop for less than four hundred US per week. You aren't paying food and lodging so you can do much better. We have visited Guatemala many times and it is no different. Food for thought, You didn't say who the gifts were for but if your friends in Guatemala are poor, gifts of cash or food are usually more appreciated.