Mexico, Belize and Guatemala join up overland in three places, and one seller’s shuttles cover all of them: Chetumal or Bacalar to Flores through Belize (08:30 daily, 11 hours, 65 USD), Flores to Palenque through El Ceibo (08:00 daily, 8 hours, 50 USD), and Lake Atitlán or Antigua to San Cristóbal de las Casas (Monday to Friday, 65-80 USD). A two-week loop from Cancún to Guatemala City fits Bacalar, the Belize cayes, Tikal, Antigua and Lake Atitlán. Leaving Belize costs BZ$32.50 plus a $7.50 P.A.C.T. fee; Mexico charges nothing for a land stay of up to seven days and MXN 983.00 above that, paid on the way out. Fares are Adrenalina Tours’ published prices, read 4 November 2026.

TL;DR: Start in Cancún and end in Guatemala City (2 weeks), or start in San Cristóbal and end in Cancún (3 weeks). Every border day is a full travel day: the published legs run 4.30 to 13 hours. Before you commit to a route, read the UK and Canadian warnings on the Chiapas-Guatemala border and the Belize and Mexico crossings below.

Our Guatemala and Belize itinerary covers the Belize half in more depth, including the southern boat crossing. This page adds Mexico and puts the three countries into one loop.

LegDepartsDuration statedFareCAD / GBPDaysLeg page
Chetumal or Bacalar → Flores08:3011 hours65 USD91 / 51DailyFlores to Chetumal and Bacalar
Flores → Chetumal or Bacalar06:0010 hours65 USD91 / 51DailyFlores to Chetumal and Bacalar
Chetumal or Bacalar → Belize City08:304.30 hours50 USD70 / 39DailyFlores to Chetumal and Bacalar
Belize City → Chetumal or Bacalar12:304.30 hours50 USD70 / 39Every dayFlores to Chetumal and Bacalar
Belize City → Tikal (your hotel)12:006.30 hours45 USD63 / 35DailyBelize to Tikal
Belize City → Flores12:007 hours35 USD49 / 27Every dayBelize to Tikal
Flores → Belize City06:006 hours35 USD49 / 27Every dayFlores to Belize City
Flores → Caye Caulker06:007.30 hours55 USD77 / 43Every dayFlores to Belize City
Flores → Palenque (via El Ceibo)08:008 hours50 USD70 / 39DailyFlores to Palenque
Palenque → Flores09:008 hours50 USD70 / 39Listed for MondayFlores to Palenque
Panajachel → San Cristóbal05:0010 hours65 USD91 / 51Monday to FridayLake Atitlán to San Cristóbal
San Cristóbal → Panajachel06:0012 hours65 USD91 / 51Monday to FridayLake Atitlán to San Cristóbal
Antigua → San Cristóbal03:3013 hours80 USD112 / 62Monday to FridayAntigua to San Cristóbal
San Cristóbal → Antigua06:0013 hours95 USD133 / 74Monday to FridayAntigua to San Cristóbal
Flores → Antigua (day shuttle)06:0012 hours60 USD84 / 47Every dayAntigua to Flores and Tikal
Antigua → Flores (day shuttle)04:0012 hours60 USD84 / 47Every dayAntigua to Flores and Tikal
Antigua ↔ PanajachelSeveral a day3 hours25 USD35 / 19Every day—

All times and fares: Adrenalina Tours’ Flores, Chetumal, Belize, Palenque, Antigua, Panajachel and San Cristóbal shuttle lists, read 4 November 2026. CAD and GBP are rounded equivalents at Banco de Guatemala’s reference rates for 3 November 2026 (US$1 = Q7.63621, C$1 = Q5.46087, £1 = Q9.8002). Adrenalina asks for 48 hours’ notice, and its Flores list says those tickets are nonrefundable and cannot be changed. Its Chetumal list adds that departure taxes are not included.

Three details on those lists change how you plan. The Flores to Chetumal and Bacalar shuttle has at least two vehicle changes, first in Belize City and then after Mexican migration. Adrenalina’s San Cristóbal notes tell travellers to count on 13 hours from Antigua and 12 from Panajachel, longer than the 10 hours on the Panajachel booking block. And the San Cristóbal shuttles are sold by Adrenalina but run by subcontracted companies, with a change of bus at the La Mesilla border.

Which order: Cancún first or Chiapas first

Start in Cancún (Mexico → Belize → Guatemala). This suits a flight into Cancún and out of Guatemala City. The timetable has one trap: the 08:30 Bacalar to Belize City shuttle takes 4.30 hours and the Belize City to Tikal shuttle leaves at 12:00, so do not plan both on the same day. Either spend nights in Belize first, or take the 08:30 through-shuttle from Bacalar straight to Flores (11 hours).

Start in Chiapas (Mexico → Guatemala → Belize → Mexico). This suits a flight into Mexico and out of Cancún, and it runs the loop the other way: San Cristóbal to Lake Atitlán, Antigua, Flores and Tikal, the Belize cayes, Bacalar, Cancún. The San Cristóbal shuttles run Monday to Friday only, so your first border day must be a weekday.

Use Palenque instead of San Cristóbal. Flores to Palenque runs daily through El Ceibo. Going the other way, Adrenalina’s Palenque list gives Monday as the day for its 09:00 Palenque to Flores shuttle, so check the day before you book. Between Palenque and San Cristóbal, the UK government advises against all but essential travel on Federal Highway 199 (details in the safety section below).

Two-week loop: Cancún to Guatemala City

DaysWhere you sleepHow you get there
1-2Cancún, then BacalarThe Cancún to Chetumal leg is covered on Flores to Chetumal and Bacalar
3-5Caye Caulker (Belize)Day 3: Bacalar → Belize City at 08:30 (4.30 hours, 50 USD), then the water taxi to the caye (check its times with the operator)
6TikalBelize City → your Tikal hotel at 12:00 (6.30 hours, 45 USD); arrival is around 18:30 on the stated time
7FloresTikal sunrise tour (04:00-06:00), then the park, then Flores
8-10AntiguaDay 8: Flores → Antigua at 06:00 (12 hours, 60 USD)
11-13Lake AtitlánDay 11: Antigua → Panajachel (3 hours, 25 USD)
14Fly homePanajachel → Guatemala City at 09:00, 12:00 or 16:00 (4.30 hours, 40 USD), dropping in zones 9, 10, 13 or at La Aurora airport

Tikal is open from 06:00 to 18:00 every day. Entry is Q150.00 for foreign tourists, and the sunrise (04:00-06:00) or sunset (18:00-20:00) tour costs Q100.00 more for foreigners (Ministry of Culture and Sports, read 4 November 2026). Q150 is about US$20, C$27 or £15; Q100 about US$13, C$18 or £10.

Three-week loop: San Cristóbal to Cancún

DaysWhere you sleepHow you get there
1-3San Cristóbal de las CasasStart here
4-7Lake AtitlánDay 4 (a weekday): San Cristóbal → Panajachel at 06:00 (12 hours stated, 65 USD)
8-10AntiguaDay 8: Panajachel → Antigua (3 hours, 25 USD)
11-13Flores and TikalDay 11: Antigua → Flores at 04:00 (12 hours, 60 USD)
14-17Caye Caulker (Belize)Day 14: Flores → Caye Caulker at 06:00 (7.30 hours, 55 USD)
18-20BacalarDay 18: water taxi to Belize City, then Belize City → Bacalar at 12:30 (4.30 hours, 50 USD)
21Fly home from CancúnBacalar or Chetumal to Cancún; see the Chetumal leg page

To trade a few lake days for Palenque, start in Palenque instead, cross to Flores, and run Tikal, Belize and Bacalar first; you then need a way back from Guatemala, such as the San Cristóbal shuttle from Panajachel (Monday to Friday, 05:00, 65 USD).

Border crossings on this loop

CrossingBetweenUsed byNotesPage
Melchor de MencosFlores / Tikal and western BelizeFlores ↔ Belize City, Caye Caulker, San Ignacio and the Chetumal through-shuttleOn Canada’s list of Guatemalan border crossings to avoid for non-essential travel; the UK asks travellers to take care near the Belize-Guatemala border and use only officially recognised crossingsMelchor de Mencos
Belize-Mexico northern borderBelize and ChetumalBelize City ↔ Chetumal and Bacalar; Flores ↔ ChetumalBelize’s exit fees applyFlores to Chetumal and Bacalar
El CeiboPetén and TabascoFlores ↔ PalenqueOn Canada’s listFlores to Palenque
La Mesilla / Ciudad CuauhtémocHuehuetenango and ChiapasThe Antigua and Panajachel shuttles to San Cristóbal, which change bus hereOn Canada’s list; covered by the UK’s Chiapas border warningLa Mesilla border crossing

Fees at the borders and the ruins

ChargeAmountWho paysSource
Belize departure feeBZ$30.00Travellers departing through any border pointBorder Management Agency of Belize
Belize border development feeBZ$2.50SameBorder Management Agency of Belize
Belize P.A.C.T. fee$7.50 (no currency printed on the line)SameBorder Management Agency of Belize
Mexico visitor fee, land entry, stay of 7 days or lessNoneTourists entering by landLey Federal de Derechos, Art. 11, fraction II a
Mexico visitor fee, land entry, stay over 7 daysMXN 983.00 (about US$53, C$74 or £41), paid when you leave MexicoTourists entering by landLey Federal de Derechos, Art. 8, fraction I (2026 amount) and Art. 11, fraction II a
Quintana Roo entry taxNot stated by the UK governmentVisitors to the state of Quintana Roo (Cancún, Bacalar, Chetumal)GOV.UK Mexico entry requirements
Guatemala exit by landNo taxLand departures are exemptDecreto 1701, Art. 21 c
Tikal entryQ150.00 foreigners; sunrise or sunset tour Q100.00 moreForeign touristsMinistry of Culture and Sports

Adrenalina’s San Cristóbal and Panajachel lists tell passengers to expect a Mexican exit fee of about 600 pesos whatever the length of stay; the law in force sets no fee for a land stay of up to seven days and MXN 983.00 above it, so ask INM at the post if you are charged and keep the receipt. The UK government adds that you may need to pay a departure tax when leaving Mexico by air or land, that the cost can vary, and that some crossings take cash only. Adrenalina’s Antigua list also says Mexican migration asks overland arrivals from Guatemala for a ticket out of Mexico, a hotel booking for at least the first night and a printed bank statement; that is the seller’s account, not an INM rule, but it costs little to carry them.

Entry rules and the CA-4 clock

MexicoBelizeGuatemala
UK passport, visaNot needed as a tourist; the entry stamp shows the number of days allowedNot needed for 30 days; BZ$200 for each additional 30 daysNot needed for up to 90 days
UK passport validityThe Mexican Embassy in the UK recommends at least 180 daysMore than 3 months after arrivalAt least 6 months after arrival, with 2 blank pages
Canadian passportNot covered hereNot covered hereTourist visa not required for up to 90 days

UK rows: GOV.UK foreign travel advice for Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. Canadian row: travel.gc.ca, Guatemala. All read 4 November 2026. US passport holders should check the State Department’s page for each country.

Guatemala’s 90 days are a CA-4 allowance shared with El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua; Mexico and Belize are outside it. The UK government says the 90-day period starts when you enter a CA-4 country and does not restart when you cross between them; the UK also says British citizens can visit Honduras for up to 90 days without a visa since 31 October 2026. Canada’s advice says that once you leave the CA-4 region you may attempt to return and restart the process as long as 72 hours have passed since your exit, and that the immigration officer could deny re-entry. Get your passport stamped at every crossing: the UK warns that a missing Guatemalan entry stamp means a fine and delays when you leave, and that leaving Mexico requires the entry stamp showing how many days you were allowed.

Safety advice on the route

  • US State Department levels: Mexico Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution), Belize Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution), Guatemala Level 3 (Reconsider Travel), as listed on 4 November 2026.
  • UK, Chiapas: against all but essential travel within 40 km of the Guatemalan border from the Pacific coast up to and including the Gracias a Dios crossing, and on Federal Highway 199 between Rancho Nuevo and the Chancalá junction outside Palenque, where the UK reports illegal roadblocks and a risk of kidnapping.
  • UK, Guatemala: against all but essential travel within 5 km of the Mexican border from the Pacific coast up to and including the Gracias a Dios crossing.
  • Canada, Guatemala: avoid non-essential travel to the border crossings at La Mesilla, El Ceibo and Melchor de Mencos, among others, because of very high levels of violent crime.

If those warnings rule out the Chiapas crossings for you, the Cancún-first loop above uses neither La Mesilla nor El Ceibo; its only Guatemalan land border is Melchor de Mencos.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you travel overland between Mexico, Belize and Guatemala in one trip?

Yes. Adrenalina Tours sells a daily 08:30 shuttle from Chetumal or Bacalar to Flores (11 hours, 65 USD), a daily 08:00 shuttle from Flores to Palenque through the El Ceibo border (8 hours, 50 USD) and a Monday-to-Friday 05:00 shuttle from Panajachel on Lake Atitlán to San Cristóbal de las Casas (10 hours, 65 USD). Prices read on the seller’s pages on 4 November 2026.

How many days do you need for Mexico, Belize and Guatemala?

Two weeks fits one corner of Mexico (Cancún and Bacalar), the Belize cayes, Tikal, Antigua and Lake Atitlán. Three weeks lets you add San Cristóbal de las Casas in Chiapas and slow down at the lake. The operators’ published timetables put each road leg at 3 to 13 hours, so plan a full travel day for every border.

How much does it cost to leave Belize and Mexico by land?

The Border Management Agency of Belize lists a BZ$30.00 departure fee, a BZ$2.50 border development fee and a P.A.C.T. fee of $7.50, paid on departure through any border point. For Mexico, the Ley Federal de Derechos in force for 2026 sets the tourist visitor fee at MXN 983.00 (Art. 8, fraction I) and exempts visitors who enter by land and stay no more than seven days; above seven days the fee is paid when you leave (Art. 11, fraction II a). Adrenalina Tours tells its passengers to expect about 600 pesos whatever the length of stay, which is not what the law says, so carry pesos and keep any receipt.

Do Mexico and Belize count towards Guatemala's CA-4 90 days?

No. The UK government says British nationals can travel between Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua for up to 90 days without a visa, and that the period starts when you enter one of them and does not restart when you cross between them. Canada’s travel advice says that once you leave the CA-4 region you may try to return and restart the process as long as 72 hours have passed since your exit, though the immigration officer could deny re-entry (both read 4 November 2026). Since 31 October 2026 the UK also says British citizens can visit Honduras, the fourth CA-4 country, for up to 90 days without a visa, and can travel between Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador for up to 90 days without a visa.

Is the overland route between Chiapas and Guatemala safe?

The UK government advises against all but essential travel within 40 km of the Guatemalan border in Chiapas, from the Pacific coast up to and including the Gracias a Dios crossing, and on Federal Highway 199 between Rancho Nuevo (outside San Cristóbal) and the Chancalá junction outside Palenque. Canada’s advice for Guatemala lists the La Mesilla, El Ceibo and Melchor de Mencos crossings among the areas to avoid for non-essential travel. Read both before you book (4 November 2026).