Both published shuttles from Guatemala City to Monterrico go through Antigua, and both leave at dawn. AtitlanTour’s 05:30 costs USD$40; Guatemala Transportation’s 06:00 costs USD$48. Neither publishes how long the trip takes. This page lays out those two products as read on 24 September 2026, what the same trip costs if you split it in Antigua yourself, and the return times. For driving it yourself, see our separate Guatemala City to Monterrico driving guide.

Quick summary

  • AtitlanTour: 05:30 from Guatemala City or the airport, via Antigua, USD$40.
  • Guatemala Transportation: 06:00, with a pause in Antigua, USD$48; round trip USD$90.
  • Return: 15:00 from Monterrico with both, via Antigua. Each operator prints two different fares for it.
  • Journey time: not published for the capital route. Antigua to Monterrico alone is published at 3 hours.
  • Bus: Transportes Starbus lists Monterrico on its own Facebook page (post of 18 September 2026) with no times or fares; phone 2471 0952.

The two shuttles

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

OperatorDepartsFareRoutingJourney time
AtitlanTour05:30USD$40Via AntiguaNot published
Guatemala Transportation06:00USD$48“Pause in Antigua”Not published
Guatemala TransportationRound tripUSD$90——

Both products are listed as departing “Guatemala City/Airport”. Neither operator publishes which city zones it collects from on this route; for its Antigua shuttles, Guatemala Transportation covers zones 9, 10 and 13, and asks you to request other destinations in advance.

Arriving on a flight? Neither shuttle is timed for an arrival. Adrenalina Tours, which sells airport shuttles to other destinations, warns that if your international flight is delayed “YOU ARE LOOSING YOUR SPOT on the shuttle”, and recommends a private transfer for arrivals. For a same-day beach arrival after a daytime landing, a private transfer or driving are the realistic options. For the airport itself, see our airport transfers guide.

Paying. Guatemala Transportation quotes in dollars at its own rate of Q8 per dollar; AtitlanTour at Q7.8 (Q8 in its booking form). Both say reservation payments are not refundable.

The Antigua relay: same price, more choice

Because both shuttles run through Antigua anyway, you can build the trip from two tickets: capital to Antigua, then Antigua to Monterrico.

LegOperatorDepartsFare
Guatemala City/Airport → AntiguaAtitlanTour05:30, 10:30, 14:30, 16:30USD$17
Guatemala City/Airport → AntiguaGuatemala Transportation05:30, 10:30, 14:30, 16:30 (last one min. 3)USD$18
Antigua → MonterricoAtitlanTour08:00USD$28
Antigua → MonterricoGuatemala Transportation09:00USD$30
Antigua → MonterricoAdrenalina Tours08:00, Mon, Thu, Fri, Sat, SunUSD 30
Antigua → MonterricoAtitrans09:00 in its booking form, but its description says it departs at 08:00 (confirm in writing); Fri, Sat, SunFrom $30

The arithmetic. AtitlanTour’s two legs are 17 + 28 = USD$45, against USD$40 for its through ticket. Guatemala Transportation’s two legs are 18 + 30 = USD$48, the same as its through ticket. So splitting the trip saves nothing, but it lets you sleep in Antigua and leave at 08:00 or 09:00 instead of before dawn, and it gives an afternoon arrival at GUA four capital-to-Antigua departures to choose from. Two of the Antigua operators do not run every day: check Adrenalina’s and Atitrans’ days in the table. All the Antigua departures are compared on our Antigua to Monterrico guide.

Coming back: Monterrico → Guatemala City

Both operators list a single 15:00 departure, via Antigua. Both print it at two different prices on the same page:

  • Guatemala Transportation: USD$48 in its Guatemala City section, USD$50 in its Monterrico section.
  • AtitlanTour: USD$40 in its Guatemala City section, USD$45 in its Monterrico section.

We cannot tell which is current. Confirm the fare in writing when you book, and note that both operators say deposits are not refundable. If you have a flight that evening, work out your airport time from the rules on our Antigua to Guatemala City airport guide — the 15:00 shuttle stops in Antigua before it reaches the city.

Monterrico to Guatemala City / airport

Guatemala Transportation and AtitlanTour list airport destinations explicitly in their capital sections, while their Monterrico sections name Guatemala City and show different fares (read 25 October 2026).

Seller and schedule sectionDestination as printedDeparture as printedFare per personRouting
Guatemala Transportation, capital sectionGuatemala City/Airport03:00pmUSD$48 p/pVia Antigua
Guatemala Transportation, Monterrico sectionGuatemala City03:00pmUSD$50 p/pVia Antigua
AtitlanTour, capital sectionGuatemala City/Airport3:00pmUSD$40 p/pVia Antigua
AtitlanTour, Monterrico sectionGuatemala City3:00pmUSD$45 p/pPause in Antigua

Guatemala Transportation also allows private service to be scheduled according to the requested time and number of people.

Is there a bus?

No timetable on the operator’s own page. Transportes Starbus, a Guatemalan bus company, listed Monterrico among its destinations in a weekend-travel post on its own Facebook page on 18 September 2026, with no times or fares. The page showed no 2026 timetable when read on 21 October 2026; its phone is 2471 0952. Ask the company for the departure point, time and fare before you go. The Puerto San José page covers the company’s own description of its route: Guatemala City to Puerto San José.

In Monterrico

For the sea-turtle hatchery and the turtle-release season, see our Monterrico turtle release guide.

What is not published

  • A journey time from either operator for the capital-to-Monterrico shuttle.
  • Pickup zones in Guatemala City for this route.
  • A bus timetable or fare on the operator’s own page: Starbus’s Facebook page showed no 2026 timetable when read on 21 October 2026.
  • Which of the two return fares is current, for both operators.

Sources