Auto Safari Chapín is a drive-through wildlife park on the road to Guatemala’s Pacific coast, and a ticket costs Q75 per person for everyone aged 2 and up. That one price covers the safari drive, the giraffe dock, a walking zoo, a boat ride and the swimming pools. It is open Thursday to Sunday from 8:30 a.m. and closed Monday to Wednesday — except on public holidays, when it opens. It sits at km 87.5 on the road to Taxisco, in Guanagazapa, Escuintla.
If you have seen “Q150–200 per vehicle” quoted (our own Escuintla city page said so until we corrected it on 24 September 2026), that is wrong: the park charges per person, and the price is Q75. Everything below comes from the park’s own price, schedule, restaurant and history pages, the Ministry of Culture’s Sistema de Información Cultural listing and Guatemala.com (updated March 2026), read on 24 September 2026.
What it costs
USD is approximate at the Banguat reference rate of Q7.63 per US dollar (23 September 2026).
| Ticket or extra | Price | ~USD | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual entry, adults and children from age 2 | Q75 | ~$9.80 | Park price page; SIC; Guatemala.com (Mar 2026) |
| Feeding the giraffes | Q10 per person | ~$1.30 | Guatemala.com; tour operators (9:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.) |
| Photo with the baby lions | Q25 per person | ~$3.30 | Guatemala.com (Mar 2026) |
| Group of 20+, entry only — adult (11+) / child (2–10) | Q55 / Q45 | ~$7.20 / $5.90 | Park price page; not on holidays (see note below on days) |
| Group of 20+, entry + deluxe burger, fries and 12 oz soda | Q85 | ~$11.10 | Park price page |
| Group of 20+, entry + churrasco | Q115 | ~$15 | Park price page |
| School rate (groups of more than 40 pupils) | Q75 per pupil | ~$9.80 | Park price page |
What the Q75 includes: the vehicle safari, access to the giraffe dock, the walking zoo, a boat ride and use of the pools. Group meal packages must be requested five days in advance with the arrival date and chosen menu, and groups of 20 or more are billed on a single invoice. The park’s own page is inconsistent on which days the group discount applies — Tuesday to Friday in one line, Tuesday to Sunday in another, and it excludes holidays and high season — so confirm when you book. The bus driver does not pay entry, and on school visits one teacher enters free for every 20 pupils.
When it is open
| Status | |
|---|---|
| Thursday–Sunday | Open from 8:30 a.m.; SIC gives closing as 4:00 p.m. |
| Monday–Wednesday | Closed |
| Guatemalan official holidays | Open |
| Salvadoran holidays and festivities | Open |
| A holiday on a Monday | The park says it will very probably open — call first |
Before any weekday or holiday visit, confirm on (+502) 2425-4935 or 5517-1705. The park’s main line is (+502) 2244-7400, WhatsApp (+502) 3603-2140, email contacto@autosafarichapin.com.
How the visit works
The Ministry of Culture describes the visit in three stages:
- The vehicle safari — you drive (or ride the tour bus) through areas where animals live in semi-freedom. Guatemala.com notes you can enter with your own car and drive through areas where animals such as giraffes, lions and deer live.
- On foot — trails and enclosures similar to a traditional zoo. Separately, Guatemala.com describes the giraffe dock, where visitors can get out of the vehicle to feed the giraffes.
- The boat ride — which the Ministry says completes the experience.
Then there are the pools, included in the ticket, and a restaurant. The park says it has 96 animal species and 70 plant species; the Ministry lists lions, jaguars, zebras, giraffes, ostriches, vervet monkeys, hippos, deer and macaws among them, and says the park has 14 enclosures.
Bring swimwear and a towel — both day-trip operators put them on their packing lists, and Nómadas.gt adds sunscreen and light, comfortable clothes.
No car? Day trips from Guatemala City
The park is designed around driving through it, but you do not need your own car. Local agencies run day trips from the capital on set dates — both we found were Sundays — and on Feliz Viaje’s itinerary the tour of the park starts in the bus.
| Operator | Date seen | Price per person | Departs / returns | Not included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feliz Viaje Guate | 26 April 2026 | Q115 (promotion); under-3s without a seat free | 6:00 a.m. / ~7:30 p.m. | Q75 entry; Q10 giraffe feeding |
| Nómadas.gt | 28 September 2025 | Q100 promotion, Q150 normal | 6:00 a.m. / ~7:30 p.m. | Q75 entry; Q10 giraffe feeding; food |
Both left from Calzada Roosevelt, Zona 7 — Feliz Viaje from the Shell Carabanchel station at Calzada Roosevelt 12-66 — and reached the park around 8:00 a.m. Feliz Viaje’s listing includes INGUAT-authorised transport and passenger insurance, and says card payments are not accepted. Budget roughly Q175–Q225 per adult for transport plus entry on these trips, before food and extras.
These trips are sold date by date on the agencies’ own sites; when we searched GetYourGuide on 24 September 2026 there was no Auto Safari Chapín listing.
Food: the no-outside-food rule
Feliz Viaje states plainly that food, drinks, pets and firearms are not allowed into the park, and Nómadas.gt says the same for food and drinks. Inside, the park’s restaurant publishes its prices:
| Dish | Price |
|---|---|
| Hot dog Safari Deluxe | Q25 |
| Hamburguesa Safari Deluxe | Q35 |
| Safari burger combo with fries and soda | Q55 |
| Large churrasco with fries | Q75 |
| Churrasco to share with fries and 1.5 L soda | Q150 |
| Pollo Big Safari family meal (5 pieces, fries, slaw, tortillas, 1.5 L soda) | Q135 |
Driving there
The park’s own address is km 87.5, Ruta a Taxisco, Guanagazapa, Escuintla. The Ministry of Culture puts it about 20 minutes from Escuintla and 20 minutes from Taxisco, and gives this route from the capital: Calzada Aguilar Batres → Amatitlán → the Palín–Escuintla highway, then continue towards Taxisco. Feliz Viaje’s bus left Zona 7 at 6:00 a.m. and reached the park at 8:00 a.m.
One address quirk: the Ministry’s listing describes the location as km 87.5 on the road to Taxisco, Santa Rosa. The park and Guatemala.com both place it in Guanagazapa, Escuintla — see our Guanagazapa municipality page.
Since 1980: a breeding park as much as a safari
The idea for a wildlife reserve came in 1975 from Roberto Berger Lehnhoff and Ricardo Mata; the first animals to arrive were 15 white-tailed deer, donated by Rafael Herrera. The park opened to the public on 26 January 1980, and in 1994 it began a progressive programme of renovating its cages and enclosures.
The park reports successful breeding of native species at risk, including white-tailed deer, huitzizil deer, coche de monte, jabalí, jaguars, spider monkeys, capuchin monkeys, red and blue macaws, parrots and parakeets, alongside its African collection.
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Day trips from Guatemala City
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Where to stay
Sleep in Guatemala City. Every organised day trip we found leaves from Zona 7 at 6:00 a.m. and is back by about 7:30 p.m., and the Ministry’s driving route starts in the capital. We found no published departure or drive time from Antigua, so we do not suggest basing yourself there for this trip. If you are continuing to the Pacific coast afterwards, see our Monterrico turtle release guide.
Where to stay in Guatemala City
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Our Guatemala City zones comparison and Guatemala City bus terminals guide help you pick where to base yourself.
More in the area
- Escuintla department and Escuintla city
- Guanagazapa, the municipality the park is in
- All our activities
Verified on 24 September 2026 against Auto Safari Chapín’s own website (prices, schedule, restaurant, history and contact pages), the Ministry of Culture and Sports’ Sistema de Información Cultural listing, Guatemala.com (updated 19 March 2026), and the day-trip listings of Feliz Viaje Guate (26 April 2026) and Nómadas.gt (28 September 2025). USD equivalents are approximate at the Banguat reference rate of Q7.63 per USD (23 September 2026).
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the entrance fee to Auto Safari Chapín?
Q75 per person for adults and children from age 2, according to the park’s own price page, the Ministry of Culture’s SIC listing and Guatemala.com (updated March 2026). The ticket includes the drive-through safari, the giraffe dock, the walking zoo, a boat ride and use of the swimming pools. Feeding the giraffes costs Q10 per person and a photo with the baby lions Q25 per person.
What days and hours is Auto Safari Chapín open?
Thursday to Sunday from 8:30 a.m.; the Ministry of Culture’s listing gives the closing time as 4:00 p.m. The park’s own schedule page says it is closed Monday to Wednesday, but it opens on Guatemala’s official holidays and on Salvadoran holidays, and says that if a holiday falls on a Monday the park will very probably open. Confirm by phone on (+502) 2425-4935 or 5517-1705 before a weekday trip.
Can I visit Auto Safari Chapín without a car?
Yes, on an organised day trip from Guatemala City. Feliz Viaje sold one on 26 April 2026 for Q115 per person and Nómadas.gt one on 28 September 2025 for Q100 on promotion (Q150 normal price). Both left from Calzada Roosevelt, Zona 7, at 6:00 a.m. (Feliz Viaje from the Shell Carabanchel station), reached the park around 8:00 and were back around 7:30 p.m. The Q75 park entry is not included, and Feliz Viaje’s listing says card payments are not accepted.
Can I bring my own food to Auto Safari Chapín?
No. Feliz Viaje’s day-trip listing states that food, drinks, pets and firearms are not allowed into the park, and Nómadas.gt also says food and drinks are not allowed. There is an on-site restaurant: its published menu has a Safari burger for Q35, a large churrasco plate for Q75 and a five-piece family chicken meal with fries and a 1.5-litre soda for Q135.
Where exactly is Auto Safari Chapín?
At kilometre 87.5 on the road to Taxisco, in the municipality of Guanagazapa, Escuintla, according to the park’s own address. The Ministry of Culture’s listing puts it about 20 minutes from Escuintla and 20 minutes from Taxisco. From Guatemala City the Ministry’s suggested route is Calzada Aguilar Batres, Amatitlán, the Palín-Escuintla highway, and then on towards Taxisco.
What animals are at Auto Safari Chapín?
The park says it holds 96 animal species and 70 plant species. The Ministry of Culture lists lions, jaguars, zebras, giraffes, ostriches, vervet monkeys, hippos, deer and macaws among them, across 14 enclosures. The park also reports breeding native Guatemalan species including white-tailed deer, jaguars, spider monkeys, capuchin monkeys and red and blue macaws.
