Spend the day discovering the gorgeous Lake Atitlán, along with the picturesque villages that line its shore, during this 10-hour sightseeing excursion from Antigua. Take in breathtaking views of this mountain lake, its southern shore ringed by volcanoes, as you visit the town Panjachel and take a boat cruise to the hamlet of Santiago de Atitlán. This Lake Atitlán adventure finishes with time for browsing the handicraft stands and businesses along Panjachel’s Santander Street. Your tour also includes a guide and round-trip transportation from your Antigua hotel.

Sightseeing cruise on Lago de Atitlán including transportation from Antigua
Admire the lake’s stunning volcanic scenery from the boat
Cruise across the lake to the Tzutujil village of Santiago de Atitlán.
Walk along Santander street in Panajachel with your local guide
Complimentary hotel pickup and drop-off

What's Included

Professional guide
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Boat sightseeing cruise

Food and drinks
Gratuities

Meeting And Pickup

Pickup points

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Start time

07:30 AM

Pickup details

Pick up time will be within 15 minutes of the established departure time in your confirmation.

What To Expect

Explore the stunning environs of Lake Atitlán, a serene body of water ringed by towering volcanoes and idyllic villages, as you visit the towns of Panjachel and Santiago de Atitlán. Best of all, you’ll get to see this natural wonder by boat, the best vantage point of all, as you take a scenic water cruise between the two cities.

Start your trip with a pickup at 8am from your Antigua hotel, continuing with your guide to the town of Panjachel along the shores of Lake Atitlán. Upon your arrival at Panjachel, transfer to a boat for a sightseeing cruise of the incredible scenery visible on this amazing lake. Lake Atitlán, or Lago de Atitlán as locals call it, was formed by the eruption of the massive Los Chocoyos volcano thousands of years ago. In the many eons that have passed since this momentous event, several 9,000-plus-foot (3,000m) volcanoes such as Volcan San Pedro, Volcan Atitlán and Volcan Toliman have all risen up around its shores, lending the lake its stunning scenery.

Soon you’ll arrive at the colorful town of Santiago de Atitlán, home to the Tzutujil Maya people. Observe the unique way of life of the local residents, and take some time to browse the main street stores selling oil paintings, woven baskets and more before re-boarding your boat for the sightseeing trip back to Panjachel.

Once you’ve arrived in Panjachel, check out the village’s intriguing Santander Street, where you can shop for handmade crafts before stopping for lunch (at your own expense) at a nearby restaurant. Take time for some more shopping if you wish after lunch, before heading back to Antigua to conclude your day with drop-off at your hotel.

Lago de Atitlan

Discover the magnificence of Guatemala’s Lago de Atitlán (Lake Atitlan) on this relaxing sightseeing cruise! Depart from your hotel in Antigua Guatemala and spend time on the water with your expert local guide, enjoying the lake's gorgeous volcanic surroundings! Board your boat and head out on the water, marveling at the beautiful landscape.

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Volcan San Pedro (Pass By)

The three volcanoes – Volcan San Pedro, Volcan Atitlan and Volcan Toliman – all soar above 9,000 feet (3,000 meters) and create a dramatic vista that adds to the lake’s natural beauty.

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible

Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

Operated by Guatemalan Adventure

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.

about cancellations.

Frequently Asked Questions

The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.

Q:What is the policy on face masks and attendee health during Lake Atitlán Sightseeing Cruise with Transport from Antigua?

A:The policies on face masks and attendee health are:

Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Temperature checks for travelers upon arrival

Q:What is the policy on sanitization during Lake Atitlán Sightseeing Cruise with Transport from Antigua?

A:The policies on sanitization are:

Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
Gear/equipment sanitized between use
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized

Q:What is the social distancing policy during Lake Atitlán Sightseeing Cruise with Transport from Antigua?

A:The policy on social distancing is:

Social distancing enforced throughout experience

Q:What measures are being taken to ensure staff health & safety during Lake Atitlán Sightseeing Cruise with Transport from Antigua?

A:The policies on staff health & safety are:

Guides required to regularly wash hands
Regular temperature checks for staff

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5

44 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 44 reviews

Lake Life For A Day

Kai_H, Jul 2022

Incredible! My guide was phenomenal. It was just the two of us and he was so kind, knowledgeable, and interesting. The Lake is beautiful, and the towns are charming.

Experience was far from description

Andrea_B, Jun 2022

If you are looking for a private tour that is highly scheduled without free time to explore on your own or choose your own restaurants, this is a good choice for you. We were disappointed as that is not the experience we were looking for and the tour did not match the description. Here are a few examples: 1. We did not know it was a private tour, as that was not clearly labeled in the description on the website. The guide and driver picked us up and we were confused about why it was just us. 2. The description states we would go to Santiago de Atitlán. We were instead taken to San Juan, because "I could get more for you there," said our tour guide. This ended up meaning that she took us to four stores, back-to-back, each with a 5-10 minute demonstration of what they had for us to purchase. It was clear we could have walked into each of these stores on our own and asked for the demonstration if we wanted it. San Juan seemed like it would have been interesting to explore more ourselves, but we were unable to. We did not end up seeing Santiago de Atitlán. 3. We asked for time to rest and sit down to take in the views of the lake and our guide was annoyed with us and said we had to go to the last "tour" she had "set up." 4. She did not ask us about our food preferences and did not give us an option for breakfast or lunch. Breakfast is understandable because we were on the drive from Antigua to Atitlán, but lunch is disappointing as we weren't able to choose ourselves from the wide variety of option available in Panajachel. 5. Because she so tightly booked the day, we had no free time to explore in Panajachel, either (as the descriptions states we would have been). This was very disappointing. What is most disappointing about this day is that she treated us like unexperienced tourists that wanted her with us every second. We feel like we were babysat all day. We had no time to ourselves, including at breakfast and lunch when she sat with us. We had absolutely no time to explore on our own at any location. If that is the type of tour you like, then this will be great. For us, it was very far from how we prefer to travel and what we thought we had signed up for based on the description.

Stunned by the beauty of the lake

Viviana_M, Jun 2022

Excellent service, the boat ride in the lake was absolutely stunning, Mikor was super friendly. The visit to the towns was brief but not rushed. There's not much time for eating until the last part of the tour so make sure you bring snacks if you want to eat something on the way and make sure you have had breakfast before they pick you up. Overall a highly recommendable tour.

A mandatory experience

Anya_K, Mar 2022

The most memorable part for me was seeing all the indigenous people and learning about how they make textiles and weave scarves.

Great tour & guide!

Cassalynn_G, Mar 2022

Fantastic tour! Gustavo was a really great guide. Thanks for a great time, Gustavo! While the drive from Antigua is a bit long, we're glad we went and experienced Lake Atitlan. There were a lot of unexpected surprises during the tour.

1 traveler found this review helpful

A WOW Trip from Start to Finish

Mary_M, Mar 2022

My driver, tour guide and boat pilot were pleasant, courteous, helpful and professional 100% of the time...

Title is a bit misleading

Colby_R, Jun 2021

Was not really a cruise, it was just a small transport boat speeding across the lake to a little town for a walking tour. Lake was nice and the guide was very knowledgeable. Drive from Antigua to Atitlan was pretty long and took up most of the day though.

2 travelers found this review helpful

Very nice excursion

Michelle_D, Mar 2021

Miguel was a great guide and driver. He was on time, patient, informative, helpful and caring. The lake is very scenic and we had the choice of what area we wanted to visit. There was a steep uphill walk with the kids but we were able to go at our own pace. Boat ride back was bumpy and the engine cut off close to end. Not too traumatic. The people were friendly and we got a few souvenirs.

1 traveler found this review helpful

Awesome Tour!

Veronica_K, Feb 2020

This tour was everything I wanted! The boat ride alone was AMAZING and worth it! My cousin and I had a blast! I totally recommend this tour and our guide Luiz was awesome and very knowledgeable. Totally recommend this tour.

Absolutely not worth your time...

Debby K, Mar 2018

Absolutely not worth your time. Driver came one hour to late without any notice but that can happen - however the lake itself is nice but not amazing and certainly not worth the 2,5 hour up and back. The places you visit are really but really just one big tourist market and you learn or see almost nothing about the live of the people and their culture. There are really much better and nicer things to do in and around Antigua

1 traveler found this review helpful

Very professional tour host, on time...

Jacinta_A, Sep 2017

Very professional tour host, on time pick up and drop off to hotel. This is a very long day for just a day trip to Lake Atitlan...so if you're pressed for time like I was, this trip is for you. Major highlights would be to visit with Maximon, walking through the art areas, boat ride on the lake.

This tour was was one of, if not...

Jeffrey V, Sep 2017

This tour was was one of, if not the, highlight of our trip to Guatemala. Our guide, Miguel, was very knowledgable, particularly about history as well as friendly and helpful. The lake is incredible and the town of San Juan is definitely worth a visit for the indigenous cloth, crafts, and art.

This was a good day trip, but the...

laruta2, Aug 2017

This was a good day trip, but the cruise is not really a cruise, it is a small boat ride to one of the town by the lake. It was a nice site to see, my tour guide Mike was very nice and well inform.

Beautiful sightseeing, interesting...

Sylvia_H, May 2017

Beautiful sightseeing, interesting visits to Mayan Cities but a little touristy.

This was a terrific tour. Our guide...

Joan C, Apr 2017

This was a terrific tour. Our guide was fun and very knowledgeable -- telling us stories and taking us to churches, hidden corners etc. that we'd never have found on our own. My favorite was a private home in which we saw a statue of a man/god who was given cigarettes and whisky to grant individuals' prayers. The Mayan churches, where the locals combined their native religion with Catholicism, were fascinating. The lake ride and drive from Antigua were accompanied by narratives about the region and I'm so glad I took advantage of this tour.

Great tour! We were picked up from...

Erin H, Mar 2017

Great tour! We were picked up from our hotel, and we were actually the only ones on this tour. We were taken to Panajechel and immediately got on a small boat. We were taken across the lake to Santiago and had time to walk around the town. You mainly are taken to the touristy areas and are given a chance to buy souvenirs. Our tour guide was great and answered all of our questions and helped us to navigate. We then took the boat back to Panajechel. We chose to eat lunch at the hotel on the water which offered great views of the lakes and mountains. We then had some time to walk around Panajechel and chose to walk around by the water. A very pleasant day and a chance to see the towns around the lakes and get in a nice boat ride.

Highly recommended. Our guide was...

Rutul_D, Feb 2017

Highly recommended. Our guide was bilingual and very punctual. The views during the boat ride were remarkable. It was a bit colder than I eoxtected so I would highly recommend a jacket. The marketplace tour in Santiago was a kaleidoscope of colors and an amazing way to see the Mayan life up close.

Excellent tour, with an excellent...

Craig P, Nov 2016

Excellent tour, with an excellent guide. Mirko made sure to explain everything along the way.

This was the second day we had...

Steven W, Oct 2016

This was the second day we had Miguel as a guide, and we were looking forward to another great adventure. The previous day we had discussed the traffic situation on the way to the lake, and we decided to get an earlier start. Miguel picked us up promptly, and we were on our way. He made sure to tell us the history of a lot of the towns we drove through as well as the cultural significance of many of the locations we drove by. We stopped for breakfast at a local restaurant at about the halfway point in the drive to sample some of the local dishes and the excellent Guatemalan coffee. After a breakfast of fresh fruit and freshly made tortillas with an excellent jam, we were back on the road. We took in some breathtaking views while driving into the mountains surrounding the lake, even stopping to get an excellent panoramic picture of the lake with two of the volcanoes towering over it. Miguel again did a great job of telling us the history and culture of some of the small Mayan towns we drove through on the way to the lake. Once there, we boarded a boat to head out to San Juan La Laguna. The boat ride was a nice change of pace, and we really enjoyed crossing the lake while taking pictures of the volcanoes on the shore. On the way out, Miguel told us the history of the lake as well as some of the surrounding countryside. San Juan La Laguna did not disappoint. There were several local Mayan artisans selling their artwork and textiles, and it was a very pleasant shopping experience. Miguel pointed out several of the murals painted on the walls, and we even got to meet one of the artists that painted some of them as well as shop in her gallery. We wandered into a local church and marveled at the architecture, and strolled the cobblestone streets while constantly looking around. We watched local artists spun cotton into different colored yarn to make several textile products you could buy right there in the shop. After picking up some Guatemalan coffee grown in the town and roasted the night before, it was time to head back across the lake. The ride back was a little bumpier as the winds had kicked up, but it was still a fun experience. Once back on the other shore, we at lunch at a restaurant overlooking the lake. It was a beautiful view and one we'll remember for the rest of our lives. Miguel drove us back, we returned to the hotel, and we've been talking about our trip ever since. I can't recommend the tour with Guatemalan Adventures enough, and I'm really happy with the service as well as the communication. Miguel was excellent, and the 2 year old that traveled with us loved him as well. If you're planning a trip to Guatemala, check them out.

Miguel was our Guide and he is so...

Judith M, Jun 2016

Miguel was our Guide and he is so knowledgeable. From our pickup and drop-off in Antigua all aspects of this excursion were excellent. The drive to Panjachel was beautiful.The boat ride on Lake Atitlan was a wonderful experience and the visit to the village of Santiago de Atitlan was very exciting. My husband and I give this excursion 5 STARS.

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Product code: 5555ANTATIT

Attractions in Antigua, Guatemala

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Lake Atitlán Sightseeing Cruise with Transport from Antigua

From $107.00

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Overview

What's Included

Meeting And Pickup

Pickup points

Start time

Pickup details

What To Expect

Additional Info

Cancellation Policy

Frequently Asked Questions

Traveler Photos

Questions?

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