Orquigonia and Grutas del Rey Marcos are half-day candidates from Coban; Biotopo del Quetzal, Hun Nal Ye and Candelaria need a larger day-trip allowance. Checked 25 October 2026, Grutas del Rey Marcos lists Q80 per person for its equipped cave tour and Q45 for park-only entry, while CECON’s university page lists Biotopo admission at Q60 for foreigners. Laguna Lachua’s Q50 foreigner fee comes from INAB’s April 2022 bulletin and is historical, not a verified current price.
Quick summary
- Half-day candidates: Orquigonia is approximately 15 minutes from town according to the Ministry of Culture; Rey Marcos is 14 km away according to its operator.
- Full-day candidate with published timing: INGUAT gives approximately 1.5 to 2 hours from Coban to the Biotopo, plus 2 to 4 hours visiting, depending on trail and pace.
- Book ahead: INGUAT says independent visitors must book Hun Nal Ye directly; its listed opening days are Wednesday to Sunday.
- Small-group cave cost: Los Nacimientos charges groups of 1 to 3 the equivalent of 4 people.
- Check the conflicting cards: Orquigonia and Rey Marcos have different prices on their operator and Ministry pages.
These are editorial planning categories, not operator guarantees of a half-day or full-day return journey. Where only a distance is published, it has not been converted into a driving time.
Published prices and access from Coban
All prices below were read on 25 October 2026. A read date does not establish when an undated tariff took effect. The Ministry of Culture listings are published descriptions, rather than booking confirmations from each attraction.
| Destination | Published admission or tour price | Published access from Coban | Source and qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grutas del Rey Marcos | Q80 per person, equipped cave tour; Q45 per person, park only | 14 km; drive time not published on the operator contact page | Grutas del Rey Marcos packages and contact pages; park-only entry excludes cave, canopy and boat |
| Orquigonia | Q75 per person on its own site; Q30 per person on the Ministry listing | Approximately 15 minutes from town, Ministry listing | Orquigonia’s post is dated 9 April 2024; prices and closing times conflict |
| Biotopo del Quetzal | Q60 foreigners; Q20 nationals | Approximately 1.5 to 2 hours, INGUAT | CECON university page for fees; INGUAT for journey time |
| Hun Nal Ye | Q100 per person | Drive time not published on the Ministry and INGUAT pages checked | Ministry: older than 3; INGUAT: aged 3 or over; booking required according to INGUAT |
| Candelaria: Los Nacimientos | Q100 per person for dry caves or tubing; Q150 per person combined | 115 km, operator; drive time not published | Los Nacimientos; minimum billing equivalent to 4 people, children under 4 free, food and drinks excluded |
For the town itself, see the Coban guide. Laguna Lachua is discussed separately below because its current admission fee could not be verified.
Half-day candidates: orchids or an equipped cave visit
Orquigonia: nearby, with a fee and hours conflict
The Ministry places Orquigonia approximately 15 minutes from the municipal centre and describes an orchid-conservation site with a stone trail and interpretive stations. That short published access time supports a half-day plan, although neither source gives a complete visit duration.
The disagreement affects both spending and return planning:
| Source, checked 25 October 2026 | Entry per person | Published daily hours | Date limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orquigonia’s own website | Q75 | 7:00 to 17:00 | Post dated 9 April 2024 |
| Ministry of Culture listing | Q30 | 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. | No tariff validity date attached to the quoted fee |
Neither reading resolves which price applies to your visit. Confirmation with Orquigonia is needed before treating either amount or closing time as settled. The Orquigonia guide covers the attraction in more detail.
Rey Marcos: choose park entry or cave equipment
The Grutas del Rey Marcos operator puts the attraction 14 km from Coban. Its packages page, checked 25 October 2026, separates the activities:
| Grutas del Rey Marcos option | Price per person | What the operator lists |
|---|---|---|
| Park only | Q45 | Park entry; no cave, canopy or boat |
| Cave package | Q80 | Cave entry, helmet, lamp, guide and lighting |
| Cave, canopy and boat | Q100 | Equipped cave entry, canopy and boat |
| Package with lunch | Q170 | Equipped cave entry, canopy, boat, churrasco lunch and a natural drink |
The operator says its per-person tariffs already include a discount, parking is free, and there are no refunds or exchanges after the wristband has been used. Its cave packages also advertise a 10% discount for overnight guests; the page does not resolve how that interacts with the already-discounted tariff.
Other published cards disagree. Checked the same day, the operator’s services page lists Q30 per person with helmet, boots, torch and guide, while the Ministry lists Q50 per person for park and cave. These are conflicting offers with different contents, rather than evidence of a guaranteed lower price for the package above.
The operator’s services page lists Monday to Sunday, 8:00 to 17:00, with the restaurant closed on Mondays. Its packages page lists lunch, so a Monday lunch arrangement needs confirmation. The half-day grouping remains conditional: the operator supplies a distance, not a drive time or a complete visit duration. See the Rey Marcos visit guide.
Full-day candidates: allow for the journey and the visit
Biotopo del Quetzal: separate driving from trail time
INGUAT describes the journey from Coban as approximately 1.5 to 2 hours, and the visit as usually 2 to 4 hours, depending on the trail and how slowly you explore. Those are separate figures; return transport is additional.
CECON’s university page, checked 25 October 2026, lists Q60 admission for foreigners and Q20 for nationals, with opening from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm every day. Reading the page today does not mean the tariff was newly issued today.
This supports a full-day planning allowance from Coban rather than treating the trail duration as the whole excursion. The Biotopo del Quetzal guide has the destination-specific detail.
Hun Nal Ye: booking and opening days come first
The Ministry describes crystal-clear pools and cenotes at Hun Nal Ye. Its listing, checked 25 October 2026, gives Q100 entry per person for visitors older than 3. INGUAT also lists Q100 admission, but says aged 3 or over. The rule for a child aged exactly 3 remains unresolved.
INGUAT lists Wednesday to Sunday, 8.00 am to 5.00 pm, and says independent visitors must contact the park directly to book. It describes independent transport from Coban as difficult. Neither the Ministry listing nor the INGUAT page checked supplies a Coban drive duration.
A full-day allowance here is a planning judgment that leaves room for transport and activities, rather than a timed itinerary. See the Hun Nal Ye guide.
Candelaria: Los Nacimientos tours have minimum billing
Los Nacimientos puts its operation in Raxruha, 115 km from Coban. Its published location page gives no driving duration.
The operator’s tariff page, checked 25 October 2026, offers dry caves at Q100 per person, with an approximate duration of 1 hour per cave, or tubing at Q100 per person, lasting approximately 2 hours. The combined dry-cave and tubing tour is Q150 per person; the operator lists approximately 4 to 6 hours.
All these tours have a minimum of 4 people; groups of 1 to 3 pay the equivalent of 4. Children under 4 do not pay. The operator includes transfer between Hotel Cancuen and the park, a headlamp, tubing equipment and a trained guide; an English-speaking guide is available by reservation. Food and drinks are excluded. The stated transfer is not a published Coban pickup.
INGUAT describes Candelaria as a half-day or full-day excursion depending on the itinerary. That general description does not establish a half-day round trip from Coban. The combined tour duration and additional journey support placing Los Nacimientos in the full-day planning group. These are this operator’s tours, not a general entrance tariff for every Candelaria access point. See the Candelaria caves guide.
Laguna Lachua: current price and timing remain unresolved
INAB’s April 2022 bulletin listed Q50 for foreigners and Q25 for nationals, alongside an April-only Tuesday-to-Sunday schedule of 8:00 to 14:00. Re-reading that bulletin on 25 October 2026 does not make its fee or schedule current.
We found no official or operator driving time from Coban. A full-day or overnight plan therefore remains conditional on confirming admission, access hours and transport. The Laguna Lachua guide is the related destination page.
Before arranging transport or a stay
A confirmed booking needs the attraction, activity, party size and return arrangement to match. Rey Marcos park-only entry excludes the cave; Los Nacimientos’ small-party billing changes the amount payable; Hun Nal Ye requires a booking according to INGUAT. Published distances do not supply departure or return times.
Calvario church and Vivero Verapaz are not included as timed, priced town visits here because current visitor fees and hours were not verified. The Ministry’s description of Calvario does not supply those missing visitor details.
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Related
- Coban: town and surrounding attractions
- Grutas del Rey Marcos
- Biotopo del Quetzal
- Orquigonia
- Hun Nal Ye
- Candelaria caves
- Laguna Lachua
Sources
- Grutas del Rey Marcos: packages — checked 25 October 2026.
- Grutas del Rey Marcos: services — checked 25 October 2026.
- Grutas del Rey Marcos: location — checked 25 October 2026.
- Ministry of Culture: Grutas del Rey Marcos — checked 25 October 2026.
- Orquigonia’s website — checked 25 October 2026; cited post dated 9 April 2024.
- Ministry of Culture: Orquigonia — checked 25 October 2026.
- CECON / university: Biotopo Mario Dary Rivera — checked 25 October 2026.
- INGUAT: Quetzal Biotope — checked 25 October 2026.
- Ministry of Culture: Hun Nal Ye — checked 25 October 2026.
- INGUAT: Hun Nal Ye — checked 25 October 2026.
- Los Nacimientos: tariffs — checked 25 October 2026.
- Los Nacimientos: location — checked 25 October 2026.
- INGUAT: Candelaria caves — checked 25 October 2026.
- INAB: national parks bulletin — checked 25 October 2026; bulletin dated April 2022.
- Ministry of Culture: Calvario church — checked 25 October 2026; no verified visitor fee or opening hours.
- INGUAT: Coban — checked 25 October 2026; no fee or hours for the town sights are published.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which trips from Coban fit a half-day?
Orquigonia and Rey Marcos are half-day candidates, rather than timed round-trip promises. The Ministry of Culture places Orquigonia approximately 15 minutes from town. Rey Marcos publishes a distance of 14 km from Coban but no drive time. Orquigonia’s price and closing time differ between its own site and the Ministry listing.
How much does the Rey Marcos cave tour cost?
Grutas del Rey Marcos lists Q80 per person for cave entry with helmet, lamp, guide and lighting, and Q45 per person for park-only entry excluding the cave, canopy and boat, checked 25 October 2026. Its services page lists Q30 per person with different equipment, while the Ministry lists Q50 per person for park and cave. Confirm the package and price with the operator.
How long does the Biotopo del Quetzal take from Coban?
INGUAT gives approximately 1.5 to 2 hours from Coban and 2 to 4 hours for the visit, depending on the trail and pace. Return travel is additional. CECON’s university page lists entry at Q60 for foreigners and Q20 for nationals, checked 25 October 2026, with daily hours of 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Do I need to book Hun Nal Ye?
INGUAT says independent visitors must contact the park directly to book and lists opening from Wednesday to Sunday, 8.00 am to 5.00 pm. Its Q100 admission applies from age 3, whereas the Ministry’s Q100 admission says older than 3; both were read on 25 October 2026. Confirm the rule for a child aged exactly 3.
Can a solo traveller book Los Nacimientos at the per-person price?
Los Nacimientos lists a minimum of 4 people and says groups of 1 to 3 pay the equivalent of 4. Checked 25 October 2026, the operator lists Q100 per person for dry caves or tubing and Q150 per person for the combined tour. Children under 4 do not pay. Food and drinks are excluded.
Is Laguna Lachua entry still Q50?
We could not verify a current fee. INAB’s April 2022 bulletin listed Q50 for foreigners and Q25 for nationals for that April; it was re-read on 25 October 2026. Those historical amounts do not establish today’s admission price or opening schedule.
