You do not have to go back through Antigua: a direct shuttle leaves Panajachel at 07:30 for Lanquín, the village beside Semuc Champey, and there is an overnight run from San Pedro La Laguna at 8 pm. The sellers’ own published journey times run from 9.5 to 12 hours. Everything here was read from the sellers’ own pages on 24 September 2026.

Quick summary

  • By day from Panajachel: 07:30, USD$40-50, three sellers; AtitlanTour publishes 9.5 hours, Adrenalina 12 hours.
  • Overnight from San Pedro La Laguna: Adrenalina, 20:00, 11 hours, USD 55-60; Guatemala Transportation lists USD$52.
  • Also from Chichicastenango: 09:20, USD$40-45.
  • Where you land: Adrenalina drops at the PUMA gas station at the entrance to Lanquín and serves only hotels in the village centre.
  • Back to the lake: 08:00 from Lanquín, USD$40-50.

The day shuttle from Panajachel

SellerDepartsFareJourney time (as published)Pick-up
AtitlanTour07:30USD$409.5 hrs (“Ruta Maya”)Not published
Guatemala Transportation07:30USD$45Not publishedNot published
Adrenalina Tours07:30, dailyUSD 5012 hoursYour hotel

AtitlanTour and Guatemala Transportation both sell theirs as direct; Guatemala Transportation names its product Panajachel to Cobán, Lanquín and Semuc Champey, so it passes Cobán. Adrenalina’s 12 hours against AtitlanTour’s 9.5 for the same 07:30 departure is the gap to plan around: count on the longer figure.

From Chichicastenango the same sellers list a 09:20 departure to Cobán and Lanquín: AtitlanTour USD$40, Guatemala Transportation USD$45.

The overnight from San Pedro La Laguna

Adrenalina ToursGuatemala Transportation
Departs20:00, dailyTime not published
FareUSD 60 in the page details, USD 55 on the booking buttonUSD$52
Journey11 hoursNot published
Pick-upIn front of Crown Coffee, on the street of the public dockNot published
Drop-offPUMA gas station (before the EXXON) at the entrance to LanquínNot published

Why take it. The overnight saves a hotel night and puts you in Lanquín in the morning. The trade-off is sleeping, or not, in a shuttle seat, and arriving at a gas station at the edge of the village rather than at your lodge.

Where you actually end up

The sellers name the destination Lanquín / Semuc Champey, but Adrenalina’s drop-off is in Lanquín village, not at the pools. It says it serves hotels in the centre of Lanquín only and does not pick up or drop off at the lodges near Semuc Champey, so if you are staying out there, arrange the last stretch with your lodge. For the caves in the village itself, see Lanquín caves and the Lanquín town page.

Coming back to the lake

SellerDepartsFareNotes
AtitlanTourLanquín 08:00USD$40Sold as DIRECT to Panajachel; also DIRECT to Chichicastenango, USD$40
AtitlanTourCobán 09:30USD$38DIRECT to Panajachel
Adrenalina ToursLanquín 08:00 / Cobán 10:00USD 50Lanquín pick-up at the bus station next to hotel El Recreo; Cobán at McDonald’s Plaza Magdalena; drop-off at the Shell station at the entrance to Panajachel
Adrenalina ToursLanquín 08:00USD 50To San Pedro La Laguna, near the public dock, 11 hours
Guatemala TransportationCobán 10:00USD$45To Chichicastenango or Panajachel

Paying and booking

  • Adrenalina asks for bookings 48 hours ahead.
  • Guatemala Transportation quotes its dollars at Q8, AtitlanTour at Q7.8 (Q8 elsewhere on the same page); check today’s quetzal rate before paying in quetzales.

Other ways to Semuc

What is not published

  • Pick-up points for AtitlanTour and Guatemala Transportation in Panajachel, and their drop-off points in Lanquín.
  • A departure time for Guatemala Transportation’s San Pedro overnight.
  • One price for Adrenalina’s overnight (USD 55 or 60 on the same page).
  • A public bus from the lake to Lanquín, from any operator we read.

Sources