Lanquín to Río Dulce links Semuc Champey’s pools with the river down to Livingston, and on this leg every published option is a single morning shuttle. There is no bus to compare against. What you choose is the seller, the price (USD 45 to 55), and whether you can live with a three-passenger minimum.
Quick summary
- One departure time from Lanquín: 08:00, listed by all three sellers we read on 3 October 2026.
- Prices: USD 45 (AtitlanTour, minimum 3), USD 55 (Adrenalina Tours), USD 55 (Guatemala Transportation, minimum 3).
- Time: 5 hours as published by Adrenalina and AtitlanTour.
- No Cobán boarding: Adrenalina says the shuttle leaves only from Lanquín.
- The way back: Río Dulce to Lanquín at 11:00 (AtitlanTour USD 45, Guatemala Transportation USD 55, both minimum 3) or 13:00 (Adrenalina, 6 hours).
- No public bus on any source we checked.
Lanquín to Río Dulce: every published shuttle
| Seller (own page) | Departs Lanquín | Duration as published | Price | Minimum | Boarding in Lanquín | Drop in Río Dulce |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AtitlanTour | 08:00 | 5hrs (route heading) | USD 45 p/p | 3 passengers | Not published | Not published |
| Adrenalina Tours | 08:00, daily | 5 hours | USD 55 | None stated | Health centre, or the bus station next to hotel El Recreo (both on the same listing) | Brunos hotel |
| Guatemala Transportation | 08:00 | Not published | USD 55 p/p | 3 passengers | Not published | Not published |
Adrenalina’s listing is the most detailed, and it carries its own contradiction: the notes say “In LANQUIN only in Health center (Centro de salud)”, while the pick-up line says “Bus station next to hotel el recreo”. It also states the service is not door to door, that there is no departure from Cobán, and that bookings must be made 48 hours ahead. Its product page allows one big bag and one handbag, charging USD 5 per extra bag. On its Lanquín hub, Adrenalina adds that collective shuttles are not punctual, that you should be ready 15 minutes early, and that it only guarantees a service prepaid 48 hours in advance.
The other two sellers publish one line each, with no boarding point and no drop-off. If you book with them, the pick-up point on your confirmation is the one that counts.
The minimum-passenger problem
Two of the three sellers mark this departure min 3. Neither says what happens with fewer passengers. Adrenalina, the most expensive at USD 55, is the only one with no stated minimum. Two ways round it: ask the 3-minimum sellers to confirm the departure in writing before paying, or pay USD 10 more for the listing without the condition.
Río Dulce to Lanquín: the way back
| Seller | Departs Río Dulce | Duration as published | Price | Minimum | Boarding | Drop in Lanquín |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AtitlanTour | 11:00 | 5hrs | USD 45 p/p | 3 | Not published | Not published |
| Guatemala Transportation | 11:00 | Not published | USD 55 p/p | 3 | Not published | Not published |
| Adrenalina Tours | 13:00, every day | 6 hours | 60 USD in the details; USD 55 on the booking button | None stated | Backpackers place under the bridge | Health centre (centro de salud) |
Adrenalina’s Río Dulce page shows two prices for the same service on 3 October 2026; ask which one applies before paying. It also drops at the Lanquín health centre, in town: if you are staying out by Semuc Champey, plan the last stretch yourself. How the Semuc side works on arrival is on our Semuc Champey logistics guide.
Why there is no bus, and which road it takes
- Fuente del Norte, the long-distance carrier that does serve Petén, lists no Lanquín, Cobán or Río Dulce station on its station page (read 3 October 2026).
- None of the three shuttle sellers offers a bus alternative on this pair.
- The road: Wikivoyage’s Lanquín page (a community-edited guide) says the shuttles arranged from Lanquín go to Río Dulce “(via El Estor)” and warns that some travellers did part of that trip in the back of a pickup truck. None of the operators we read names the road or the vehicle, so treat that as a traveller report rather than a rule.
If the 08:00 doesn’t work for you
The other ways between the two towns go through a third city:
- Via Flores: Lanquín to Flores at 08:00 (USD 40 with Guatemala Transportation or AtitlanTour on 3 October 2026; every seller on Lanquín to Flores), then Flores to Río Dulce the next morning (Guatemala Transportation lists 06:00 at USD 35; see Flores to Río Dulce).
- Via Guatemala City: Guatemala Transportation lists Lanquín to Guatemala City at 08:00 for USD 45; onward buses and shuttles to the river are on Guatemala City to Río Dulce.
Both turn a five-hour leg into a two-day trip.
Onward from Río Dulce
- Livingston by lancha down the river: fares and the afternoon cut-off are on our Río Dulce to Livingston boat guide.
- Flores and Tikal: Adrenalina lists Río Dulce to Flores at 11:00 for USD 30 (4 hours, drop at the I love Peten letters); more sellers on Flores to Río Dulce.
- Coming into Lanquín from elsewhere: Antigua to Semuc Champey, Guatemala City to Lanquín or Lake Atitlán to Semuc Champey.
Fares, times, minimums and boarding points as published by Adrenalina Tours, AtitlanTour and Guatemala Transportation on their own pages on 3 October 2026. All three quote in US dollars; we do not convert. Station list from Fuente del Norte; road note from Wikivoyage’s Lanquín page (revision 5262307), a community-edited source.
![Guatemala City to Lanquín & Semuc Champey: Day and Night Shuttles, Pick-up Points and the Bus Chain [2026]](/cdn-cgi/image/width=640,format=auto,quality=80/images/articles/og-default.webp)