Flores to Río Dulce is the one leg of the Petén–Caribbean trip that is short and simple: three agencies list an 06:00 shuttle departure, and there are a handful of Pullman and first-class buses on the same road. The shuttle takes 4 hours by the operators’ own figure. This page lists every published departure as read on 24 September 2026, where each one picks you up and drops you, and the return times.

Quick summary

  • Shuttle: 06:00 from Flores, USD 30 with Adrenalina Tours, USD$35 with Guatemala Transportation or AtitlanTour. 4 hours (Adrenalina and AtitlanTour).
  • First-class bus: 05:30, 08:30 and 11:00 at USD$35 (Guatemala Transportation); 08:00 and 11:00 at USD$40 (AtitlanTour).
  • Pickup: the “I love Peten” letters at the entrance to Flores for Adrenalina — not your hotel.
  • Drop-off: the Colifato coffee shop in the Mirador del Río mall (Adrenalina).
  • Fuente del Norte sells no Río Dulce ticket online.

Every published departure, Flores → Río Dulce

Fares per person, read on each operator’s own page on 24 September 2026.

OperatorTypeDeparts FloresFareJourney time (as published)
Adrenalina ToursShuttle06:00, every dayUSD 304 hours
Guatemala TransportationShuttle06:00USD$35Not published
AtitlanTourShuttle06:00USD$354 hrs
Guatemala TransportationPullman bus05:30, 08:30, 11:00USD$35Not published
AtitlanTourFirst-class bus08:00, 11:00USD$40Not published

Three agencies list an 06:00 departure. None of the three says who operates it. Adrenalina’s USD 30 is the cheapest published seat.

The buses. Guatemala Transportation calls its product a Pullman bus and AtitlanTour a first-class bus. Neither names the bus company. Fuente del Norte, the Petén bus company, has no Río Dulce station in its own booking engine — see our Fuente del Norte guide for what it does sell — so if you want to buy direct at a bus counter in Santa Elena, ask there; we could not verify a counter fare.

Paying. Guatemala Transportation quotes in dollars at its own Q8 per dollar and AtitlanTour at Q7.8 (Q8 in its booking form); both say reservation payments are not refundable. Adrenalina says its prices include PayPal payment and asks for bookings 48 hours ahead.

Pickup in Flores, drop-off in Río Dulce

Pickup. Adrenalina picks up at the “I love Peten” letters at the entrance to Flores, after you cross the bridge — not at hotels. Its explanation: in 2019 the town’s mayor stopped hotel pickups and drop-offs between 7 am and 7 pm. It also says collective shuttles are not punctual and asks you to be ready 15 minutes early and to call if the shuttle is 15 minutes late. Guatemala Transportation and AtitlanTour publish no pickup point for this route.

Drop-off. Adrenalina drops at Colifato, in the Mirador del Río shopping centre. The same company refers to the spot as “Cafe Colifato” and the mall under two names elsewhere on its site, so when you book, confirm the exact spot.

Coming back: Río Dulce → Flores

OperatorTypeDeparts Río DulceFareNotes
Adrenalina ToursShuttle11:00, every dayUSD 30From Colifato to the “I love Peten” letters; 4 hours
Guatemala TransportationPullman bus12:00 or 15:00USD$40First class
Guatemala TransportationShuttlePrinted as 11:00 pmUSD$35Possibly a typo for 11:00 am (the time Adrenalina’s shuttle leaves); confirm before planning a night trip

One caution on the Adrenalina return: the listing gives 11:00 and 4 hours, but the same listing also says arrival in Flores is at about 19:00. The two do not add up, and the operator does not explain the gap — ask when you book if you have a connection that evening.

Onward from Río Dulce

  • Livingston is reachable only by boat: fares and the afternoon cut-off are on our Río Dulce to Livingston boat guide.
  • Guatemala City: Litegua lists six buses a day from Río Dulce to the capital between 00:00 and 11:15 (the 05:00, 07:00 and 11:15 are listed as Cadenas – Río Dulce – capital, so they start in Cadenas), Q120-145 in its own booking system for 6 October 2026. Adrenalina and Guatemala Transportation also sell a 10:30 shuttle at USD 45 / USD$45. Details on our Guatemala City to Río Dulce guide.
  • Antigua: see Antigua to Río Dulce for the return shuttles.
  • Semuc Champey: Adrenalina lists Río Dulce to Lanquín at 13:00 (the listing shows USD 60 in its table and USD 55 at the cart — confirm); Guatemala Transportation at 11:00, USD$55, minimum 3 passengers.

Before you leave Flores

For Tikal, see Flores to Tikal. If you are arriving from the south, the reverse of this trip starts on our Guatemala City to Flores guide.

What is not published

  • A journey time for the first-class buses, and the name of the bus company that runs them.
  • Pickup points for Guatemala Transportation and AtitlanTour.
  • A road distance — no operator publishes one.
  • A Fuente del Norte fare for Flores to Río Dulce.

Sources