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
Visit to Panajachel, San Juan and Santa Catarina
Boat Ride To San Juan, Round Trip
Bottled water

Personal expenses
Gratuities
Lunch

Departure & Return

Departure Point

Possible departure locations

View departure locations

Departure Time

7:00 AM

Please Note

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

What To Expect

Additional Info

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

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

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 travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

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 Full Day Collective Tour To Lake Atitlan + Panajachel + San Juan +Santa Catarina?

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
Face masks provided for travelers
Temperature checks for travelers upon arrival

Q:What is the policy on sanitization during Full Day Collective Tour To Lake Atitlan + Panajachel + San Juan +Santa Catarina?

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 Full Day Collective Tour To Lake Atitlan + Panajachel + San Juan +Santa Catarina?

A:The policy on social distancing is:

Social distancing enforced throughout experience

Q:What measures are being taken to ensure staff health & safety during Full Day Collective Tour To Lake Atitlan + Panajachel + San Juan +Santa Catarina?

A:The policies on staff health & safety are:

Guides required to regularly wash hands
Regular temperature checks for staff
Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms

Traveler Photos

Traveler 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

5.0

23 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 23 reviews

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, Jun 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, Jul 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, Jul 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, Jul 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, Jun 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, Jul 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.

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.

1 traveler found this review helpful

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Product code: 26325P6

Attractions in Guatemala City, Guatemala

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Full Day Collective Tour To Lake Atitlan + Panajachel + San Juan +Santa Catarina

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