Neither Adrenalina Tours nor Guatemala Transportation lists a direct shuttle from Quetzaltenango to Flores, and TAG’s booking menu has no Quetzaltenango flight, so getting from Xela to Petén means at least one change: through Lanquín, through Antigua or through Guatemala City. This page compares the three, with each seller’s own times and fares checked October 21, 2026, and covers the trip back. For Lake Atitlán as the starting point instead, see Lake Atitlán to Flores.
Quick summary
- No direct service on Adrenalina Tours’ Quetzaltenango page or Guatemala Transportation’s schedule, and no Quetzaltenango airport in TAG’s booking widget.
- Via Lanquín (two days): Adrenalina Tours 07:00 from your Xela hotel, USD 75, 12 hours to Lanquín; next day 08:00 Lanquín to Flores, USD 45, 8 hours. USD 120 total, with Semuc Champey on the way.
- Via Antigua: Guatemala Transportation 08:00 Xela to Antigua, USD 35; then 18:30 Antigua to Flores overnight, USD 60 (recliner) or USD 80 (semi-bed). USD 95-115 total.
- Back, Flores to Xela: Adrenalina’s 19:00 Pullman by Cristóbal Colón with a change in Guatemala City, USD 110, 16 hours.
- Booking notice: Adrenalina asks 72 hours for the Xela to Lanquín shuttle and 48 hours for the others.
The three routes compared
| Route | Leg 1 | Leg 2 | Total fare | Nights on the road |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Via Lanquín (Adrenalina Tours) | Xela 07:00 → Lanquín, 12 h stated, USD 75 | Lanquín 08:00 → Flores, 8 h stated, USD 45 | USD 120 | One in Lanquín |
| Via Antigua (Guatemala Transportation) | Xela 08:00 → Antigua, USD 35, one connection | Antigua 18:30 → Flores, USD 60 recliner / USD 80 semi-bed | USD 95-115 | One on the bus, if you make the 18:30 |
| Via Guatemala City | Xela → capital by Pullman | Capital → Flores by Pullman or shuttle | Depends on the Xela operator | One on the bus with a night departure |
Via Lanquín: two days, with Semuc Champey on the way
- Xela to Lanquín: Adrenalina Tours’ shuttle leaves every day at 07:00 and picks you up at your hotel or address in Xela. It states 10 hours to Cobán and 12 hours to Lanquín, USD 75, with at least one change, in Los Encuentros or Cuatro Caminos, and drops off at the health center in Lanquín. It asks for 72 hours’ notice. The full route is on Xela to Lanquín and Semuc Champey.
- Lanquín to Flores: Adrenalina’s shuttle leaves every day at 08:00 from the bus station next to hotel El Recreo in Lanquín (10:00 from your hotel in central Cobán), 8 hours, USD 45, to the I love Peten letters at the entrance of Flores. Other sellers on that leg are compared on Lanquín to Flores.
- Why two days: the Xela shuttle reaches Lanquín 12 hours after a 07:00 start, and the next Flores shuttle leaves Lanquín at 08:00.
Via Antigua: one long day and a night bus
Guatemala Transportation’s schedule lists Xela to Antigua at 08:00, USD 35, with one connection, and Antigua to Flores at 18:30, on the Guatemala City-Flores Pullman: USD 60 with a recliner seat or USD 80 with a semi-bed seat. It also lists daytime Antigua to Flores departures at 04:00, 07:30 and 11:00 (USD 60), which suit a night in Antigua. The schedule does not print how long the Xela to Antigua leg takes, so ask the seller whether the 08:00 reaches Antigua in time for the 18:30, or plan a night in Antigua. The Antigua leg’s other sellers are on Antigua to Flores.
Via Guatemala City
From the capital, Guatemala Transportation’s schedule lists a 04:30 shuttle to Flores, USD 50, Pullman buses at 10:30, 14:30, 20:00 and 22:00 for USD 45 with recliner seats, and semi-bed Pullmans at 20:00, 21:00 and 22:00 for USD 62. The Pullman lines between the capital and Xela are compared on Guatemala City to Quetzaltenango, and the Flores leg, including the TAG flight, on Guatemala City to Flores.
Flying: not from Quetzaltenango
On October 21, 2026, the airport list built into TAG’s booking widget held three Guatemalan airports: Guatemala City (GUA), Flores (FRS) and Puerto Barrios (PBR). Its home page menu offered the same three; its destination pages still list Quetzaltenango and Retalhuleu in the menu, but no page read publishes a schedule or fare to them. Our airports page has Quetzaltenango’s airport codes and certification status.
Coming back: Flores to Xela
| Option | Departs | Duration stated | Fare | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adrenalina Tours Pullman | 19:00 daily, Santa Elena bus station | 16 hours | USD 110 | Cristóbal Colón; change in zona 1, Guatemala City, at 07:00; ends at the Cristóbal Colón station in Xela; not door to door |
| Via Lanquín (Adrenalina Tours) | Flores 08:00, then Lanquín 08:00 next day | 7 h + 10 h | USD 45 + USD 75 = USD 120 | Flores leg drops only at the EXXON station in Lanquín; Xela leg leaves from the bus station next to hotel El Recreo |
| Via Antigua (Guatemala Transportation) | Flores 06:00 shuttle or 21:00 night bus; Antigua 03:30 to Xela | Not printed | USD 60 or 62 + USD 45 | Antigua to Xela runs Monday to Friday only |
Adrenalina adds that a taxi to your homestay or hotel in Xela is available on arrival but not included in the Pullman fare.
Flores to Tikal
From Flores, Adrenalina Tours lists Tikal shuttles at 06:00, 07:45, 10:00 and 12:00 every day from the I love Peten letters, USD 15 one way or USD 20 round trip, with a 15:15 return from Tikal. Every seller and the park ticket are on Flores to Tikal.
Sources
- Adrenalina Tours, Shuttle from Quetzaltenango, Collective shuttle services Flores and Collective shuttle services Cobán / Lanquín, checked October 21, 2026
- Guatemala Transportation, Shuttle schedule, checked October 21, 2026
- TAG Airlines, home page and booking widget and Quetzaltenango destination page, read October 21, 2026
