The gem of Guatemala, Lake Atitlan is a crater lake surrounded by volcanoes and a living hub of Mayan cultures. Visiting on a day trip from Guatemala City simplifies transportation to this highland destination and lets you see the best of the lake in just a day—a difficult feat to accomplish on your own. This tour includes stops at top Lake Atitlan sites including the Maximon shrine and the busy town of Panajachel.

Lake Atitlan tour from Guatemala City in a day
Visit top Lake Atitlan destinations on a time budget
Learn about the area’s rich history and cultures from your guide
INGUAT-certified tour guide ensures high-quality service

What's Included

Certified guide by The Guatemalan Tourism Board Comission
Private Transportation For The Group
Boat Ride to 1 Mayan Village, Round Trip
Bottled water

Gratuities
Lunch

Meeting And Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

07:00 am

Pickup details

We Pick up Passengers from Any Hotel in Guatemala City or Antigua Guatemala.

What To Expect

Guatemala City

3 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Panajachel

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

San Juan la Laguna

3 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Panajachel

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Guatemala City

3 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Near public transportation
Infant seats available

Not recommended for travellers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travellers
Most travellers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travellers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveller Photos

Traveller Tips

It takes about 3 to 3 1/2 hours to get there with a breakfast stop and about 2 1/2 hours to get back to Guatemala City.

Reviews

4.5

46 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travellers.

Showing 1-10 of 46 reviews

Hard to review

Mark_G, May 2023

I really struggled with what to rate this tour. One on hand it was a pleasant day but the reality was far different from expectations. First I'll say Reuben and Miguel were excellent. Reuben is very well educated and will happily tell you a plethora of knowledge as you make your way from the city to the lake. He's a very friendly and cool guy also. Miguel is a fantastic driver and made the drive there and back very comfortable. Where things are a little bit different are: in the description here it sounds like you spend time in Panajachel and San Juan exploring the streets, shops and sights. In reality when you arrive in Panajachel you immediately board a boat and go over to San Juan. Upon arriving in San Juan we were then escorted to a local artist's gallery where his paintings were very nice but the whole vibe was "you're going to buy something right?" After that we went to the textile store and had a demonstration of how they prepare the cotton, dye it and create the products. It was interesting but once the demonstration was over we were again escorted to the store with a vibe of "you're going to buy something right?" The third stop we made was at a local chocolate factory store and where showed us how chocolate was made. The location of the store makes it difficult to hear the presentation and of course after the demonstration we were shown to the store for "you're gonna buy something right?" Finally after those 3 stops we were given a little over an hour of free time to explore. This was by far the best part of the tour. After the free time we boarded the same boat and went back to Panajachel and were taken to a restaurant and told to have lunch here. Honestly this was nice because the food was amazing. Some of the best I've ever had but after lunch we never explored Panajachel. Not the streets or sights or anything. We got back on the bus and went back to the city. Expectation from the description to the reality of what happened was different. Overall it wasn't a bad day, in fact it was enjoyable but I expected more of a tour than being handed over to local businesses to spend money. I'm positive the other tour companies do this as well because there were multiple groups in every shop we were escorted to. So you won't avoid it by choosing a different company. If you can arrange for a shuttle to the lake and a water taxi to another town that fits in your timetable I would definitely recommend that. If you can't achieve that, then yeah go on this tour. The Lake Atitlan is quite beautiful and you should go.

Response from Host, May 2023

Hello Mark, Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback on the tour. We appreciate your honest and detailed review, and we apologize if the actual experience differed from your expectations. We are glad to hear that Reuben and Miguel, our guide and driver, provided excellent service and made your journey comfortable. Reuben's knowledge and friendly demeanor, along with Miguel's skills behind the wheel, are qualities we take pride in. We will pass on your kind words to them. We understand your point regarding the itinerary. We apologize for any confusion caused by the description of the tour. We appreciate your feedback on the sequence of activities and the emphasis on visiting local businesses. Your comments about the pressure to make purchases are duly noted, and we will address this matter with our team to ensure a more balanced and enjoyable experience for our future guests. It's great to hear that you found the free time to explore after the demonstration to be the best part of the tour. We believe that personal exploration allows for a more immersive experience, and we strive to strike the right balance between guided activities and independent time. Thank you once again for sharing your thoughts with us. We value your feedback as it helps us continually improve our services. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you again in the future and provide you with a more tailored and satisfying experience.

Good way to see the lake

Keith_H, Mar 2023

The logistics and pacing could be handled better but overall really cool way to see the lake towns in 1 day.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Hello Keith, thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts regarding the logistics and pace of our collective tour to Lake Atitlan. We will definitely take your comments into consideration to keep improving our services and provide an outstanding experience to all our guests. We hope that besides this, you could have enjoyed the visit to the towns, the boat ride, and the culture. Please take care, we hope to see you again soon.

Lake was pretty, tour was bad.

devintaylorshae, Jan 2023

The lake was beautiful to visit. The drive was very long to/from Guatemala City. I enjoyed the boat ride on the lake. The tour guide seemed completely uninterested and did not seem to care about the tour. We were left not knowing what was next/ the schedule, and she barely gave us any information about places we were seeing. Everything felt rushed, and she seemed far more motivated to get out of the town and back to the city rather than ensuring we enjoyed our experience. She was a nice lady, but very bad at her job, making the costly excursion a bad experience. In addition, our visit to the village was just a tourist trap. We only visited those “tours” / shops that give brief explanations then push you to buy things. We did a chocolate, coffee, and art tour. Overall itinerary was bad. In reflection, I would have preferred to find my own way and explore by myself.

Response from Host, Jan 2023

Hello! Thank you very much for taking the time to tell us about your experience with the tour to Lake Atitlan and the visit to the towns of Panajachel, San Juan, and Santa Catarina. We really appreciate your insight and your feelings about it. We are sorry to hear that the experience was not exactly as you had planned or did not meet your expectations. We will certainly take your comments into consideration to continue improving our tours and services. We want at all times to provide a quality service to all our guests. Rest assured that we will share your suggestions with the tour guide who was with you and address any shortcomings. I also wanted to explain the purpose of our tour's store visits. These businesses, which operate as co-ops of men and women who gain from the store's operation and the handmade goods they sell without the use of a middleman, directly benefit the community. We include them in our schedule in an effort to work in conjunction with the Mayan community and the craftsmen and workers who devote all of their time and effort to these projects. In order to show you the best of Guatemala, we will continue to work hard to improve the services we offer. We sincerely hope you understand.

Will recommend

Moneifa_N, May 2022

Winston is the best! He is extremely knowledgeable and was able to provide historical context on almost all aspects of society. He was patient and let us go at our own pace. He also gave the best traditional food recommendations.

Response from Host, June 2022

Hello! Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a nice review about your experience with Winston, our tour guide, and your tour to Lake Atitlan. We love to read messages like this where all the love we all put into this is noticed by our visitors. I am pretty sure that Winston will love to hear about you and the great time you had during the tour. He is a very experienced tour guide with a specialization in history. He is an important part of our team too. I am glad you could visit the cultural towns around Lake Atitlan and enjoy their traditional food. We hope to see you soon to show you more places in our beautiful Guatemala. Please take care!

Absolutely beautiful day!

McKenzie_M, Mar 2022

Ruben was a wonderful tour guide! He is very knowledgeable about Guatemalan history. We got to see so many beautiful cities that we wouldn’t have made it to on our own. The boat ride on Lake Atitlan was very rough/bumpy. But it was worth it because my boyfriend proposed at the lake, and Ruben took some amazing photos of us!

Response from Host, Mar 2022

Hello McKenzie! First of all, I want to congratulate you on your engagement! I wish all the best for you and your fiancé. I bet Lake Atitlan was a magical place for that beautiful moment. I am glad that Ruben was there to take you some photos and that you both could discover the little Mayan towns around the lake. We hope to be part of your future adventures in Guatemala again. If there is anything you need in the future like transfers, tours or accommodation, don´t hesitate to contact us, we will be happy to be there for you!

It’s the guide that made it awesome

Marianne_R, Dec 2021

I think what made this tour awesome was the guide who is really educated and has degree in history plus is set to become archeologist. He taught us the differences between the Mayan region clothes, showed us how churches have incorporated local traditions, showed us little artisan shops of chocolate, painters, co-op of weavers… we took a couple boat rides to reach separate towns on the lake. We also went to eat at 2 amazing restaurants.

Response from Host, Dec 2021

Hello Marianne! I hope you're doing good and wish you happy holidays. Thank you very much for your comment regarding the cultural tour on Lake Atitlan. Rubén, our tour guide will be glad to know how satisfied you're with his service. He is very educated and prepared to deliver an outgoing service. I am glad to know that he explained every detail of the culture of the towns you visited. Please stay safe, come back soon, and we'll be happy to tour you around Guatemala with the promise of delivering outstanding service from beginning to end.

Full day at Lake Atitlan …

Jamaal_C, Aug 2021

The day trip was amazing! Ruben was very knowledgeable as we ate traditional dishes, visited several great towns and had an amazing, detailed boat ride and visit to Lake Atitlan. I highly recommend the tour with Ruben and Carlos!!

Response from Host, Aug 2021

Hello Jay! Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a nice review. It is great to know that you had a great time with Ruben and Carlos at Lake Atitlan. We know that the Lake is a beautiful place and we´re glad that you had the chance to know it and to eat a traditional dish of ours. We hope to have you back soon! It will be a pleasure for us to guide you around anytime.

Mayan textile tour was terrific...

Peter_W, July 2021

Ruben, the guide, and Carlos, the driver, were always top notch, first rate ....The tour was well executed and Ruben knowledgeable as ever....He should have been a history teacher!

Response from Host, Aug 2021

Hello Peter! It melts our hearts to know what a great time you had on this tour day! We appreciate so much each person that is part of our team and it makes us happy to know that they transmit all their knowledge and passion for what they do. We know that having close contact with the living Mayan culture is something spectacular and knowing that this was not the exception is just great! Please come back soon!

Culture

Maurice_J, July 2021

I thought overall was a good tour coca store was awesome and the boat rides on the lake was great a lot of culture to see. The market was amazing too with the locals and the streets

Response from Host, July 2021

Hello Maurice! Thank you so much for taking the time to review this great tour. Lake Atitlan is one of the most popular places to visit in Guatemala for all its natural beauty and the living Mayan culture from around the Lake. We`re happy to know that this was a great experience for you and that you enjoyed the locals, the colorful streets, the culture, and the landscapes. We look forward to having you back soon. There are so many places to visit here and we hope to be part of your next adventure!

Good once in a lifetime trip

Keith_J, June 2021

Great tour to see the Atitlan lake and some of the surrounding towns. The lake and scenery is gorgeous and worth a full day trip to see it at least once. It takes about 3 to 3 1/2 hours to get there with a breakfast stop and about 2 1/2 hours to get back to Guatemala City. It’s not to bad if you are traveling with someone. Watch out for the Shannon visit in one of the towns. He will try to hustle a couple Quetzal out of you for visiting the place of worship.

Response from Host, July 2021

Hello Keith! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a comment. We`re glad to know that you liked Atitlan Lake and its scenery. The culture, nature, and landscapes make this trip unique. We hope to have you back soon. It`ll be a pleasure for us to show you around all the mesmerizing places in Guatemala. Take care!

Great tour on a beautiful lake

Rachel_M, Apr 2021

Great tour where you got to feel like a local riding the taxis boats around the lake to different cities on the lake. Such a beautiful day learning about the culture!

Response from Host, Apr 2021

Hello Rachel! I want to take the time to thank you for your comment. Is great for us to know that you felt so well that you even felt like a local while getting to know Lake Atitlan and the towns around it. We really hope to have you back show you around all the great places Guatemala has to offer!

Guide was very good. Views were...

Nury F, Dec 2017

Guide was very good. Views were amazing.Traffic specially on the way back was horrible. It took us five hours to get back to the city.

Response from Host, Aug 2019

Thank you for your review. We terrible sorry about the traffic in your last visit to Atitlan Lake. Just letting you know that in the past months the new road to the lake was opened so now the horrible traffic in Chimaltenango`s town its over. We hope come and visit Guatemala again.

Experiencia inolvidable!!!

GILBERTH_L, June 2023

Excelente coordinación, puntualidad y Eduardo y Miguel… un sentido de servicio al cliente inmejorable. Volveremos!!!!

Response from Host, June 2023

Hola Gilberth, ¡Muchas gracias por tu excelente reseña de nuestro Tour Colectivo al Lago Atitlán: Paseo en Bote + Panajachel + 1 Pueblo! Nos alegra mucho saber que nuestra coordinación y puntualidad, así como la atención brindada por Eduardo y Miguel, fueron de tu agrado. Nos enorgullece ofrecer un servicio al cliente inmejorable y es maravilloso que hayas experimentado ese sentido de calidad. Yo con mucho gusto les dejaré saber tus comentarios y felicitarlos por el extraordinario desempeño y pasión. ¡Estamos ansiosos por recibirte nuevamente en el futuro y brindarte más momentos inolvidables en tus próximas visitas a Guatemala! ¡Gracias por tu apoyo y hasta pronto!

Excelente tour

Marvin_S, Jan 2021

Mi guía Rambo fue excelente, me explicaba muy bien y me llevó a ver la ceremonía de maximon. Y su acompañante Elizabeth una gran persona. Ambos apasionados por su vocación de ser guías.

Response from Host, Jan 2021

¡Hola Marvin! Muchas gracias por tu comentario. Estamos muy felices de saber que tuviste una gran experiencia conociendo de la cultura en los pueblos del lago de Atitlán, especialmente las ceremonias a Maximón con nuestros guías Rambo y Elizabeth. Nos importa que la pases bien siempre que visites Guatemala y es por eso que tenemos solo a las merjores personas integrando nuestro equipo. Sin duda les haremos llegar tu comentario. Esperamos que nos visites muy pronto y poderte llevar a muchaos más lugares que tenemos para ofercerte. Te deseamos lo mejor siempre. ¡Hasta la próxima!

Lo mejor mi guía Elena

ANTONIO_M, Feb 2020

Tour muy normalito para el precio! En primer lugar me recogieron casi una hora tarde y tuve que ponerme yo en contacto con ellos para averiguar qué pasaba. Fue un problema en la carretera, ok eso puede pasar, pero la clave es informar, sobre todo cuando uno madruga y está esperando. Después de eso, y el tour especifica que incluye agua embotellada, pues nunca me dieron ni una simple botellita de agua, y tuve que comprar varias porque estamos hablando de un día copleto con 4 horas de coche más todo el día andando bajo el calor! Así es que muy mal por la organización. Lo mejor del tour fue mi guía maya Elena! Un encanto que me explicó todo estupendamente, involucrada en mi comodidad e intereses y me recomendó según mis peticiones. Un 10 para ella! Si no hubiese sido por ella le daría menos estrellas al tour! Gracias Las vistas del lago con los volcanes detrás sin duda son preciosas, pero los 3 pueblos que se visitan, al menos para pasearlos en un rato como se hace en el tour, salvo algunas tiendas bonitas para hacer compras y que te explican un poquito sobre el cacao y los tejidos y otros temas, pues no tienen nada de especial, pero eso ya depende del interés de cada uno.

Response from Host, Mar 2020

Estimado Sr Antonio, Muchas gracias por compartir tu experiencia con nosotros. Queremos que se sienta cómodo compartiendo buenas o malas noticias con nosotros. Lamento mucho que su experiencia en nuestro tour no cumpliera con las expectativas. Estamos utilizando sus comentarios para hacer algunos cambios importantes como el asegurarnos de informar a los pasajeros con antelación si en dado caso hay algún percance en ruta y también lo importante de percatarnos que nuestras unidades tengan agua embotellada como prometido. Con respecto a Elena, ella es una persona muy servicial y estamos muy seguros que gracias a ella su experiencia de viaje en el Lago fue mejor. Con mucho gusto le haremos llegar sus comentarios. El Lago de Atitlán se presta para todos los viajeros, sus impresionantes vistas naturales con sus imponentes volcanes le da una perspectiva diferente al viajero, cada quien experimenta las poblaciones de diferente manera. Una vez más pedimos disculpas por los inconvenientes gracias a estos comentarios estamos seguros de que mejoraremos en el servicio al turista y a brindar mejores experiencias de viaje. Que tenga un excelente día.