You can loop through Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras in 10 to 14 days on tourist shuttles: Antigua to Copán Ruinas (daily, 7 hours, 55 USD), Copán to El Tunco on the Salvadoran coast (Monday, Wednesday and Friday, about 7 hours, US$71), and a daily early-morning shuttle from El Tunco back to Antigua; the longer loop reaches El Tunco from El Paredón on Guatemala’s Pacific coast instead. All three countries draw on the same CA-4 stay of up to 90 days, and British passport holders need a visa for Honduras. Three sellers run these legs, each with its own booking rules, and every fare is the one each listed on 4 November 2026.

TL;DR: Plan the Copán to El Tunco day first (it runs three days a week), then fit Antigua and Lake Atitlán around it. The published cross-border legs run 6 to 8.5 hours. Keep your passport stamped at each crossing and the US$3 Honduran border receipt until you leave Honduras.

Extensions, border runs and overstay fines under the CA-4 agreement have their own CA-4 border run page; what follows is routing: which shuttle, which day, which border.

Quick summary: the shuttle legs

RouteSold byLeavesStated timePriceIn C$ / £RunsDetail
Antigua → Copán RuinasAdrenalina Tours03:307 hours55 USD77 / 43DailyGuatemala to Copán
Copán Ruinas → AntiguaAdrenalina Tours06:008 hours55 USD77 / 43DailyGuatemala to Copán
Copán Ruinas → El TuncoGekko Trails11:00About 7 hoursUS$7199 / 55Mon, Wed, FriCopán to Santa Ana
El Tunco → Copán RuinasGekko Trails03:15 or 03:30About 6 hoursUS$7199 / 55Mon, Wed, FriCopán to Santa Ana
Copán Ruinas → Santa AnaAdrenalina Tours06:006 hours75 USD105 / 58DailyCopán to Santa Ana
Antigua → El TuncoAdrenalina Tours09:006.30 hours50 USD in the listing, $55.00 on the booking button70-77 / 39-43DailyAntigua to El Tunco
El Tunco → AntiguaGekko Trails03:00, 03:30 or 04:00Not stated in the listingFrom US$3752 / 29Every dayAntigua to El Tunco
El Paredón → El TuncoCA Travelers09:008.5 hoursFrom US$5070 / 39—El Paredón to El Tunco
Panajachel → El ParedónAdrenalina Tours13:004 hours35 USD49 / 27DailyAntigua to El Paredón
Antigua → El ParedónAdrenalina Tours09:00 or 14:003.30 hours25 USD35 / 19Every dayAntigua to El Paredón
El Paredón → AntiguaAdrenalina Tours09:00 or 15:003.30 hours25 USD35 / 19—Antigua to El Paredón
Antigua ↔ PanajachelAdrenalina ToursSeveral a day3 hours25 USD35 / 19Every dayAntigua to Lake Atitlán

Booking rules differ by seller. Adrenalina wants 48 hours’ notice and, on its Copán list, guarantees a seat only when it is prepaid 72 hours ahead; Gekko lets you change or cancel up to 48 hours before departure. The Copán to Santa Ana row is Adrenalina’s product page for that shuttle; its Copán list prints a different block (Monday, Thursday and Friday at 11:00, 55 USD) under a Quetzaltenango heading, so confirm the day and fare when you book.

Seller pages behind the table, all as of 4 November 2026: Adrenalina Tours’ Antigua, Copán and Panajachel lists, its El Paredón to Antigua and Copán to Santa Ana product pages; Gekko Trails’ two Copán Ruinas–El Tunco pages; CA Travelers’ El Paredón to El Tunco page. The Canadian-dollar and sterling columns convert each US-dollar fare through Banco de Guatemala’s 3 November 2026 reference rates: Q7.63621 per US dollar, Q5.46087 per Canadian dollar, Q9.8002 per pound.

Gekko describes both of its Copán to El Tunco directions as passing through Guatemala for part of the trip, so expect a Honduras-Guatemala crossing and a Guatemala-El Salvador crossing on that day, not the direct Honduras-El Salvador border.

10-day loop: Antigua, Copán, El Tunco, Lake Atitlán

Day(s)BaseTransfer
1-2AntiguaArrive from Guatemala City
3-4Copán Ruinas (Honduras)Day 3: Antigua → Copán at 03:30 (7 hours, 55 USD)
5-6El Tunco (El Salvador)Day 5, a Monday, Wednesday or Friday: Copán → El Tunco at 11:00 (about 7 hours, US$71)
7AntiguaDay 7: El Tunco → Antigua, early-morning departure (from US$37)
8-9Lake AtitlánDay 8: Antigua → Panajachel (3 hours, 25 USD)
10Fly homeThe Panajachel shuttle to Guatemala City (40 USD, 4.30 hours; 09:00, 12:00 or 16:00) stops at La Aurora airport and in zones 9, 10 and 13

14-day loop: the Pacific route through El Paredón

Day(s)BaseTransfer
1-2AntiguaArrive from Guatemala City
3-5Lake AtitlánDay 3: Antigua → Panajachel (3 hours, 25 USD)
6-7El Paredón (Guatemala’s Pacific coast)Day 6: Panajachel → El Paredón at 13:00 (4 hours, 35 USD)
8-9El Tunco (El Salvador)Day 8: El Paredón → El Tunco at 09:00 (8.5 hours, from US$50)
10-12Copán Ruinas (Honduras)Day 10, a Monday, Wednesday or Friday: El Tunco → Copán at 03:15 or 03:30 (about 6 hours, US$71)
13AntiguaDay 13: Copán → Antigua at 06:00 (8 hours, 55 USD)
14Fly homeAntigua to Guatemala City

Running the 14-day loop the other way round works too: Antigua → Copán (03:30 daily), Copán → El Tunco (11:00, Monday, Wednesday or Friday), then El Tunco → Antigua (daily, from US$37) or on to El Paredón if your seller lists that direction.

Border crossings and their hours

CrossingBetweenHours (Salvadoran side)Advisory notePage
El FloridoGuatemala and HondurasNot an El Salvador crossingOn Canada’s list of Guatemalan crossings to avoid for non-essential travelHonduras border crossings
La HachaduraGuatemala and Ahuachapán (El Salvador)24/7On Canada’s listEl Salvador border crossings
Las ChinamasGuatemala and Ahuachapán24/7Not on Canada’s listEl Salvador border crossings
San CristóbalGuatemala and Santa Ana (El Salvador)24/7On Canada’s listEl Salvador border crossings
AnguiatúGuatemala and Santa Ana24/7On Canada’s listEl Salvador border crossings
El PoyEl Salvador (Chalatenango) and Honduras24/7Not a Guatemalan crossing—

Hours: El Salvador’s Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería, land-border hours page. Advisory: Government of Canada, Guatemala travel advice, which tells Canadians to avoid non-essential travel to the border crossings on these highways because of very high levels of violent crime. Both read 4 November 2026. The shuttles above do not say which crossing they use; ask when you book.

Fees on the loop

ChargeAmountSource
Honduras land border feeUS$3 in cash, which immigration may charge on arrival; keep the receipt until you leave HondurasGOV.UK Honduras entry requirements
Copán archaeological park and Las SepulturasUS$20.00 (foreigners from outside Central America); US$10.00 (Central Americans)Sitio Maya de Copán, entry fees
Copán tunnelsUS$15.00Sitio Maya de Copán
Copán sculpture museumUS$10.00 (outside Central America); US$5.00 (Central Americans)Sitio Maya de Copán
Copán regional archaeology museumUS$5.00Sitio Maya de Copán

Copán’s fees are in dollars or the lempira equivalent at the exchange rate. US$20 is about C$28 or £16. Leaving Guatemala overland costs nothing: the INGUAT law, Decreto 1701, Art. 21 c, exempts land departures from its exit tax. Canada’s Honduras advice also tells travellers to keep the border-fee receipt until they leave the country. Honduras asks every traveller to complete its online customs declaration form and show the QR code to customs on entry and exit, according to the UK government.

How the CA-4 clock works on this trip

Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua share one stay under the CA-4 agreement. Each government’s advice reads it slightly differently:

PointUK government (British citizens)Government of Canada (Canadians)
How longUp to 90 days between Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua without a visaUp to 90 days between the CA-4 countries, but not automatically granted: the officer at your first entry point decides
When it startsWhen you enter any of these countries; it does not restart when you crossThe officer at your first entry point into the CA-4 region sets the length
HondurasA visa is required; 30-day entry stamp on arrivalTourist visa not required for up to 90 days
El SalvadorUp to 180 days without a visa for tourism or business; the same page gives the shared 90 days for CA-4 travelEl Salvador may grant up to 180 days, but other CA-4 countries may recognise only the first 90
StampsGet your passport stamped; a missing Honduran stamp can mean a fineGet an entry or exit stamp each time you cross a checkpoint
ExpulsionExpelled from one country means excluded from the other threeEach CA-4 country interprets and enforces the agreement differently

Table sources: GOV.UK entry requirements and travel.gc.ca advice for each of the three countries, as of 4 November 2026. Holders of US passports: the State Department publishes a separate entry page for each of the three.

A 10 to 14-day loop uses a small part of the 90 days, but it counts. If you arrived in Guatemala weeks earlier, or plan to stay on afterwards, add up the whole CA-4 time before you go. Two other points from the UK’s Honduras page: travellers aged 20 and under who travel alone or with only one parent need a notarised letter in Spanish from the absent parents, and you must follow Honduran entry rules even when only passing through.

Safety levels for the three countries

The US State Department rates Guatemala at Level 3 (Reconsider Travel), Honduras at Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) and El Salvador at Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions) on its advisory list for 4 November 2026. Canada’s Guatemala advice lists most of the crossings on this loop among areas to avoid for non-essential travel (see the border table). For cover that works across all three countries, see our multi-country travel insurance guide. For El Salvador and Guatemala side by side on 2025 homicide figures, advisories and the state of exception, see Guatemala or El Salvador.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I visit Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras on one trip?

Yes, by tourist shuttle. Adrenalina Tours runs Antigua to Copán Ruinas daily at 03:30 (7 hours, 55 USD) and Copán back to Antigua daily at 06:00 (8 hours, 55 USD). Gekko Trails runs Copán Ruinas to El Tunco on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 11:00 (about 7 hours, US$71), and CA Travelers runs El Paredón to El Tunco at 09:00 (8.5 hours, from US$50). Prices read on the sellers’ pages on 4 November 2026.

Do El Salvador and Honduras use up my Guatemala 90 days?

Yes. Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua share one CA-4 allowance. The UK government says the 90-day period starts when you enter any of these countries and does not restart when you cross borders. Canada’s travel advice adds that 90 days are not automatically granted: the officer at your first CA-4 entry point decides how long you get (UK and Canadian advice as of 4 November 2026).

Do British citizens need a visa for Honduras?

Yes. The UK government’s Honduras entry requirements say you must have a visa to visit Honduras, even though Honduras is part of the CA-4 agreement, and that you get a 30-day entry stamp on arrival. Apply through the Honduran Embassy before you plan the Copán leg (read 4 November 2026).

How much does it cost to visit Copán Ruinas?

The Parque Arqueológico de Copán charges foreigners from outside Central America US$20.00 for the archaeological park and Las Sepulturas, US$15.00 for the tunnels, US$10.00 for the sculpture museum and US$5.00 for the regional archaeology museum, payable in dollars or the lempira equivalent (Sitio Maya de Copán, read 4 November 2026). At the Honduran land border the UK government says immigration may charge a US$3 cash fee; keep the receipt until you leave.

How many days do I need for Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras?

Ten days covers Antigua, Copán, El Tunco and Lake Atitlán with five travel days; fourteen days adds El Paredón and slower stays. The Copán to El Tunco shuttle and its return run only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so build the loop around those days.