The following information about the Transportation in Guatemala – How to get to Antigua Guatemala & Lake Atitlan should help you figuring out how to get around in Guatemala and as well without paying too much.
How to get from Antigua Guatemala to Panajachel and to San Marcos la Laguna
Costs for the shuttle and boat (return).
It costs 75 Quetzales from Antigua to Panajachel with the shuttle. It takes between 3 and 4 hours and I recommend to leave Antigua at 8am. It’s a nonstop curvy mountain road all the time. So your stomach better be in a good mood 😉 Otherwise take some sea sickness pills before. The view down to different valleys and to some volcanos is great.
The shuttle will drop you off directly at the boat dock. I was told that the boat leaves every 20minutes. From Panajachel to San Marcos la Laguna it costs 25Q and the boat ride is about an hour. The boat from Panajachel stops at every village around the lake in case you want to explore another village on another day.
San Marcos back to Antigua
I took the direct shuttle (without taking the boat and not going via Panajachel). The price for the direct shuttle from San Marcos la Laguna to Antigua is 75 Quetzales. The last shuttle leaves San Marcos at 2pm and takes around 4hours.
I never took the chicken bus, therefore I can’t give you any information about the price, schedule or duration from it. But you can check out the website from Always the Adventure for some good information about the four chicken buses from Antigua to Panajachel (Lake Atitlan).
How to get from Caye Caulker Belize to Antigua Guatemala by bus
For information about how to get from Belize to Guatemala check out my How to get from Caye Caulker Belize to Antigua Guatemala – the longest travel day I have ever had post.
How to get from Antigua Guatemala to Leon Nicaragua (or El Tunco in El Salvador)
If you take a shuttle (which I recommend) it’s pretty straight forward. Head to a Hostel or a travel agency and you can book your ticket with them. They help you as well all the border in case you have problems during immigration.
I have booked my Antigua to Leon shuttle ticket for 55$ at “American Travel” in Antigua.
In total it takes between 15 and 18 hours from Antigua Guatemala to Leon Nicaragua, depending on traffic and the amount of people at the border. You will cross three borders, but the only one which took longer and is a little bit more complicated is the entry to Nicaragua.
Our shuttle left at 3am in Antigua and it arrived at 9pm in Leon. In between we had a breakfast and drop off & pick up stop in El Tunco (beach and surf village in El Salvador) and a stop at a gas station before the El Salvador-Honduras border for lunch.
Overview
18 hours
55$ Shuttle
3$ Honduras entrance fee
14$ Nicaragua entrance fee
Free entry & exit in El Salvador (no stamp)
Free entry & exit Guatemala
If you are lucky, you will have this stunning sunset, where the whole sky was on fire, at the border to Nicaragua.
How to get from Leon Nicaragua to Antigua Guatemala
The price I paid was 37$ at Bigfoot Hostel (yes, that way it can be cheaper than starting in Guatemala, but expect to pay 50$).
Pick up in Leon was at 2am and we arrived safe and sound in Antigua at 8pm. On the way we stopped at a gas station after the border in El Salvador for a toilet break. For lunch we stopped in El Tunco in El Salvador.
Overview
16 hours
37$ Shuttle ticket
4$ Nicaragua exit fee
3$ Honduras entrance fee
Free entry & exit in El Salvador (no stamp)
Free entry & exit Guatemala
Transportation overview and schedules for Shuttles from Antigua to several destinations
There are many places where you can book shuttles. Many hostels, travel agencies or even some restaurants offer transportation services. Compare the prices at a few places before you book your ticket, as there can be a big price difference.
I can recommend Frank&Fre Hostel (often the cheapest I could find), Bigfoot Hostel or AmericanTravelAntigua for booking your ticket.
Antigua to:
El Paredon Beach (duration: 2.5 hours)
Departures: 09:30, 14:00
Airport Guatemala City (duration 1-2 hours)
Departures: 03:00, 04:00, 07:00, 09:00, 11:00, 12:30, 15:00, 18:30
Panajachel, Lake Atitlan (duration 2.5 – 3hours)
Departures: 05:30, 07:00, 08:00, 12:30, 16:00
San Pedro & San Marcos, Lake Atitlan (duration: 3 – 4hours)
Departures: 08:30, 11:00, 14:00
Quetzaltenango, Xela (duration: 5 hours)
Departures: 08:30, 11:00, 14:00
Huehuetenango, La Mesilla (duration: 6 hours)
Departures: 05:30
Lanquin, Semuc Champey (duration: 8 hours)
Departures: 08:00
San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico (duration: 12 hours)
Departures: 05:30
La Ceiba, Honduras (duration: 11 hours)
Copa, Honduras (duration: 6 hours)
Enjoyed reading my Transportation in Guatemala guide?
- My Top things to do in Guatemala or Antigua City guide might be interesting for you as well.
