How to Get Around Guatemala

If you’re currently planning your Guatemala itinerary, then you may be wondering how to get around the country. Whilst Guatemala is nowhere near as large as it’s neighbour Mexico, it’s still the third largest country by land area in Central America. (Or the fourth, depending on whether you include Mexico as part of Central America or not). This means that some places are reachable within a couple of hours, whereas others may take much longer. There’s a huge variety of transportation options available in Guatemala, including public buses, tuk-tuks, boats, and of course tourist shuttles.

Spending a full 2 months in Guatemala allowed us to use pretty much all these methods of transport at one point or another. We held on for dear life on the chicken buses, negotiated tuk-tuk fares, hung on the back of pick-up trucks, and hoped that our tailbones wouldn’t snap on bumpy water-taxis.

We also used shared tourist shuttles to cover the longer distances where public transport would have just been too much of a hassle. On one occasion we also had the chance to travel on a more comfortable Pullman bus, and ended up taking a private transport once for the same price as a shared shuttle. So, as you can see, we definitely took (and survived) a variety of transport methods in Guatemala.

We also documented all of our adventures on YouTube, where you can now watch our entire Guatemala series for some extra visual inspiration.

Ways to Get Around Guatemala

As mentioned above, there are many ways to get around Guatemala in Central America. Below we’ll go into the details of each of them and include some popular routes that you’ll likely need to take if you’re visiting the country. If you’re currently in the planning process, make sure to check out our 2-week Guatemala itinerary which covers all the most visited places. Alternatively, you can also read about how to spend 3 weeks in Guatemala if you have a bit longer and want to visit some less touristy areas too.

Getting Around Guatemala by Plane

Unless you’re crossing the land border from Belize or Mexico, you’ll most likely arrive to Guatemala by plane. All international flights arrive to La Aurora International Airport (GUA) located in Guatemala City, the country’s capital. It’s actually Guatemala’s primary airport, so you’d need to use this airport if you want to fly out of the country too.

For those planning to get from A to B by plane, we have some bad news. There are only a few domestic flight routes available from the capital. One of them is to Flores, the closest city to Tikal Maya Ruins. We would only recommend flying between these two locations in Guatemala, since they are quite far from each other. So, flying to and from Flores might be worth it if you’re really in a rush. Luckily, you can get to most other popular destinations within a few hours by road. For this reason, we recommend planning to use mainly ground transportation to get around Guatemala.

Getting Around Guatemala by Car

Rental Car

If you enjoy the freedom of travelling around a country in your own time, you could consider renting a car in Guatemala. To hire one you’ll need a valid driver’s license, passport, and a credit card with sufficient funds on it.

Based on the road conditions we saw when using public buses and tourist shuttles, we’d recommend hiring a 4×4.

Generally speaking, the main roads that connect the bigger cities are in pretty good condition. However, if you’re planning on driving to places like Lanquin and Flores, be aware that these roads might not be up to the standards you’re used to driving on. They can be narrow and bumpy, and in the rainy season they may even get closed. On top of that, drivers tend to be a bit crazy here and navigating in and out of the cities can be quite stressful.

Since getting around the country using public transport or shuttles is super easy, we didn’t feel the need to hire a car. If this would be your first time driving in Latin America, perhaps consider choosing another mode of transport. Personally, we felt much more confident driving a car in Belize for a few days, or in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, than we would’ve been driving in Guatemala. Even if you do decide to hire a car, make sure to avoid driving at night as it’s not considered safe.

Taxi / Uber

Traveling shorter distances, or within a bigger city, is easy with either a taxi or Uber. It’s worth noting that Uber only really exists in the two big cities though: Guatemala City and Xela (Quetzaltenango). We used an Uber or taxi to travel to/from our accommodations when we had our big backpacks with us (if it wasn’t within walking distance of course). However, we also used Uber to get to a few hiking trails around Xela, such as Laguna Chicabal.

Otherwise, we used taxis when Uber wasn’t available. Make sure to always use official taxis and agree on a price before setting off if you’re using them for longer journeys. If you don’t want to flag one down on the road when travelling to bus stations or the airport, just ask your hotel / hostel to call you one. Thankfully, we didn’t have any issues with taxi drivers and the ones we did have were usually nice and chatty.

Note. Many smaller towns only use tuk-tuks as their main taxis. We’ll talk more about tuk-tuks further down.

Private Transport

If you’re trying to get from A to B in style, you can opt to book a private transfer. Private shuttles are definitely the most comfortable way to travel in Guatemala. You won’t need to speak much Spanish, or navigate the intimidating maze of chicken bus stops. You also won’t get crammed into a minivan full of fellow travellers.

Of course, this option is also going to be the most expensive way to get around Guatemala. If you’re on a tighter budget, we don’t recommend booking private shuttles.

During our time in the country, we only took a private transport once, from Xela (Quetzaltenango) to San Marcos la Laguna, the town we stayed in on Lake Atitlan. We booked the shared shuttle option, but since we were the only ones traveling that route that day, we got to experience what a private transfer would be like. Our driver was super friendly and told us many things about Guatemala along the way.

Getting Around Guatemala by Public Transport

The main mode of transport that the locals use to get between towns in Guatemala is the camioneta, known to tourists as the chicken bus. For shorter distances, they tend to use colectivos or tuk-tuks, depending on what’s available.

As a visitor, we encourage you to try these modes of transport at least once during your stay in the country. They weren’t only the most affordable way to get around, but were also the most memorable journeys we had during our 2 months in Guatemala. Below we’ll discuss each mode of public transport and give you some safety tips.

Chicken Buses (Camionetas)

If you’re up for an adventure, are on a tighter budget or don’t have a huge amount of luggage with you, definitely consider taking the chicken bus, or camioneta. They are old American school buses that have been redecorated and repurposed, and are the main mode of transport for most locals.

Travelling around Guatemala on the chicken buses usually requires some navigational skills, a handful of Spanish knowledge and good arm strength to keep your butt on the seat whilst you tear around tight corners way faster than you should.

You can get pretty much anywhere on camionetas, although you’d need to change buses multiple times for longer journeys. For example, travelling to Lake Atitlan on a chicken bus from most places requires three changes. We also needed to change three times when we did a day trip to Chichicastenango market from Panajachel.

For this reason, we only recommend using the chicken buses to get between A and B if these places are located relatively close to one another. We wouldn’t advise attempting the journey from Antigua to Semuc Champey or Flores on the chicken buses because you more than likely won’t even make it there in one day.

Things to know before taking the chicken bus in Guatemala

• The bus terminals are usually pretty hectic and not the prettiest places. Conductors will shout different locations but we suggest asking someone to direct you to the correct bus.
• You should be able to speak and understand some basic Spanish when navigating these buses. You’ll pay for your tickets on board and everything happens so quickly that there’s usually no time for Google Translate.
• Have enough small change with you to pay for your ride.
• The drivers are pretty crazy and drive relatively fast, even on curvy or steep roads.
• The buses can get quite crowded, so always stay vigilant and keep your belongings close to you!

Coaches

There are a few coaches (first class buses) operating in Guatemala. They mainly go between the bigger cities like Guatemala City, Xela (Quetzantenango), Huehuetenango and Flores. These buses are more like the ones you may be used to in Europe or the United States. They are more comfortable than the tourist shuttle minivans but nowhere near as luxurious as the long-haul buses we travelled in across Mexico for example.

We only took one of these buses from Guatemala City to Xela (Quetzaltenango), the second largest city in the country and definitely a less touristy destination. You would also likely be on a coach if you travelled from San Cristobal de las Casas in Mexico to Xela.

Tuk-Tuks

In many smaller locations, such as the towns along Lake Atitlan, you’ll notice a large number of tuk-tuks. They’re basically the area’s taxis because it’s much easier and quicker for them to get around the small streets of the towns than it would be for a car.

We used tuk-tuks to travel between the towns dotted along Lake Atitlan if they were connected by road. They’re also common around Antigua and we rode plenty during our visit to Flores. The only downside to tuk-tuks is that there’s not much space, so if you have a lot of luggage with you it might take a few minutes and some Tetris skills to load everything into them.

Tuk-tuks are more affordable than regular taxis or Ubers, however the fare is usually per person rather than a combined fee. We often had a tuk-tuk all to ourselves, but don’t be surprised if your driver stops to pick up other people along the way.

Top Tip. Always ask the tuk-tuk driver the price and agree on it before you hop in. Most of the time they quoted a reasonable price, although they definitely tried to overcharge us by a ridiculous amount in Panajachel.

Colectivos (Pickup Trucks)

Another mode of transport you can use in Guatemala are colectivos. They function like local buses but are usually pickup trucks because they’re more suited to driving on the rougher terrain. Although you probably won’t use them as often as tuk-tuks, if you visit Semuc Champey you’ll most likely be on one of them to get to the entrance from Lanquin.

We also travelled on one of these pickup trucks from Santa Catalina back to Panajachel on Lake Atitlan, and it was a ride we’ll never forget. It actually reminded us of riding on the back of a Willy’s Jeep from Salento to the Cocora Valley in Colombia.

Lastly, we also used a ‘torito’ (essentially a pickup truck with bull horns) to get up to Laguna Chicabal, one of the best volcano hikes around Xela (Quetzaltenango).

Getting Around Guatemala by Boat (Water-Taxi / Lancha)

Another popular mode of transport for getting around Guatemala are boats. These are most common around Lake Atitlan because it takes less time to go across the lake than it would to go around it on the roads. In many instances, boats are the only way to reach some of the smaller towns.

These water taxis, or lanchas, operate like colectivos. So the boat will make multiple stops along the lake to pick up and drop off passengers. We’ve summarised everything you need to know about getting around Lake Atitlan by boat in a separate blog post.

We also had to take a few boat rides in Flores, to get from Isla de Flores to San Miguel so that we could hike up to Mirador del Rey Canek and visit Chechenal beach, which are some of the best things to do in Flores.

If you’re planning on going to Livingston or Rio Dulce, then you’ll also need to use boats.

Getting Around Guatemala by Tourist Shuttle

An easy and convenient way to get around Guatemala is by tourist shuttle. Unlike chicken buses, tourist shuttles take you to your final destination without the need to change or navigate hectic bus stations. You also won’t need to use much Spanish, so it’s perfect if you can only say a few basic phrases. In addition, you’ll be travelling with other tourists, which is great if you want to socialise and meet new people.

Obviously, this added safety and convenience comes with a higher price tag. So, if you’re a budget backpacker, consider only using these tourist shuttles for some of the longer journeys, such as between Antigua and Semuc Champey or Flores. For shorter trips, like from Antigua to Lake Atitlan, you can travel fairly easily using the chicken buses.

It’s also worth noting that tourist shuttles are generally smaller minivans rather than big buses. So don’t expect too much comfort on board. They’re also almost always going to be full, especially in the high season. So, whilst travelling across Guatemala in a shared shuttle is convenient, it may not necessarily be comfortable. If you want to travel a bit more luxuriously, you may want to consider booking a private transfer instead.

You can book a tourist shuttle at most tour agencies and sometimes with your hostel / hotel. We recommend pre-booking your trip to/from the airport though so your spot is secured. In the high season, we also suggest booking most shuttles when you arrive to your destination. Spaces are limited and you don’t want to get stuck trying to get to your next stop.

Final Thoughts on How to Get Around Guatemala

We hope that this blog post has given you a better idea of how to navigate around Guatemala. As we said at the beginning, during our two months in the country we used every single mode of transport other than renting a car. We had some more adventurous journeys, like when we had to stand on the back of a pickup truck, and some very long and boring ones, such as the 9-hour ride from Antigua to Semuc Champey.

Overall though, we really enjoyed using these varied modes of transport, as they allowed us to see more of the countryside than we would’ve done had we flown everywhere.

Have you ever travelled across Guatemala? If so, which of the above modes of transport did you use? If not, would you rather get around using only chicken buses, shared tourist shuttles or a bit of everything for the full experience? Let us know in the comments below.