There is no direct shuttle from Lake Atitlán to Flores. Sellers sell a two-leg trip on one ticket: a shuttle out of Panajachel to Guatemala City (or through Antigua), then onward to Flores, the gateway town for Tikal. Two of the three sellers we read (Guatemala Transportation, AtitlanTour) put you on a Pullman bus from the capital; Adrenalina Tours’ day trip goes by shuttle through Antigua. You choose between leaving at dawn and arriving at night, or leaving in the afternoon and sleeping on the bus. Everything here was read from the sellers’ own pages on 24 September 2026.
Quick summary
- Two departures from Panajachel: 05:00 (the day trip) and 16:00 (into the overnight Pullman).
- Fares: USD$75 (AtitlanTour), USD$80 (Guatemala Transportation), USD 85 (Adrenalina Tours); a semi-bed seat on the night bus USD$90-100.
- Time: AtitlanTour publishes 13 hours by day (4 + 9) and 13.5 overnight (4.5 + 9); Adrenalina says 15 to 16 hours.
- Arrival: the Santa Elena bus station, opposite Flores, per Adrenalina; the island is a short taxi or tuk-tuk ride.
- Back to the lake: 21:00 from Flores, arriving about 11:00, USD$80-100.
The day trip: 05:00 from Panajachel
| Seller | Fare | How it runs | Journey time (as published) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AtitlanTour | USD$75 | Via Guatemala City, change to a first-class bus at 11:00 | 4 + 9 hrs |
| Guatemala Transportation | USD$80 | Change to a first-class Pullman in Guatemala City | Not published |
| Adrenalina Tours | USD 85 | Hotel pick-up in Panajachel; all its shuttles go through Antigua first; ends at the Santa Elena bus station | 15 hours |
Arriving by day matters for Tikal. If you want the park the next morning, the 05:00 departure gets you to Flores the same evening; see Flores to Tikal for the early shuttles to the park.
The overnight: 16:00 from Panajachel
| Seller | Seat | Fare | How it runs | Journey time (as published) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AtitlanTour | Recliner | USD$75 | 21:00 Pullman from Guatemala City, with air conditioning | 4.5 + 9 hrs |
| AtitlanTour | Semi-bed | USD$90 | Same 21:00 Pullman | 4.5 + 9 hrs |
| Guatemala Transportation | Recliner | USD$80 | First-class Pullman from Guatemala City (TV, toilet, air conditioning) | Not published |
| Guatemala Transportation | Semi-bed | USD$100 | Same | Not published |
| Adrenalina Tours | Standard (upper deck) | USD 85 | Includes a Fuente del Norte / Maya de Oro Pullman at 22:30 from the zona 1 bus station | 16 hours |
| Adrenalina Tours | Semi-bed (lower deck) | USD 99 | Same bus | 16 hours |
The catch with the overnight. You leave the lake in the afternoon and change to the night bus in Guatemala City. Adrenalina says its 22:30 bus arrives in Flores at about 08:00 but that the time “can not be assured”. The day shuttle means dawn at the lake instead; both are long.
The departure times do not match across sellers: AtitlanTour’s night bus leaves the capital at 21:00, Adrenalina’s at 22:30. The sellers book different Pullman departures, so check which one your ticket is on.
Coming back to the lake
| Seller | Departs Flores | Fare | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guatemala Transportation | 21:00 | USD$80 | Pullman plus shuttle, arriving in Panajachel about 11:00 the next day |
| Guatemala Transportation | 21:00 | USD$100 | Same, with a semi-bed seat |
Or break the trip in Antigua: Guatemala Transportation lists Flores to Antigua at 06:00 (USD$60) and AtitlanTour at 06:00 (USD$55); from Antigua, Antigua to Lake Atitlán covers the last leg.
Flying instead
The Pullman leg is the same one you would take from the capital, so if you would rather fly Guatemala City to Flores, the options and the airport-to-Tikal shuttles are on Guatemala City to Flores & Tikal and Flores Airport to Tikal. Getting from the lake to the airport in time is on Lake Atitlán to Guatemala City Airport.
Paying
Guatemala Transportation quotes its dollars at Q8, AtitlanTour at Q7.8 (Q8 elsewhere on the same page), and both say reservation payments are not refundable. Adrenalina asks for bookings 48 hours ahead. Check today’s quetzal rate before paying in quetzales.
What is not published
- Pick-up points in Panajachel for AtitlanTour and Guatemala Transportation.
- Which Pullman company AtitlanTour and Guatemala Transportation book you on.
- A pick-up from San Pedro La Laguna or other lake villages; every product we read starts in Panajachel.
Sources
- Guatemala Transportation shuttle schedule, read 24 September 2026
- AtitlanTour shuttle schedule, read 24 September 2026
- Adrenalina Tours, shuttles from Panajachel, read 24 September 2026
