Seeking advice on car rental in Guatemala and Panajachel-Coban route

Hi there,

I’m heading to Guatemala for 18 days in August with my 11-year-old and I’m wondering if renting a car makes sense—not so much because of the road conditions, but because I’d like to spend about 3 days in Livingston. Since it’s only accessible by boat, I’d have to leave the car in Río Dulce. Maybe possible at a hotel, but that means paying for a rental for 3 days without using it... Same issue for Semuc Champey—it’s only reachable by 4x4, and I won’t be renting that type of vehicle.

Also, has anyone traveled from Panajachel (Lake Atitlán) to Cobán (to explore the caves and waterfalls in the area)? According to Google Maps, it’s a 6-hour, 44-minute drive... so whether by car or minibus, it’s *really* long (same for Cobán-Flores later). Are there any interesting stops along the way where I could spend a night? And if I’m not renting a car, is it possible to take two private shuttles for this route?

Thanks for your tips!

Hello,

All the places you mentioned are accessible by shuttle for tourists. You can buy tickets at travel agencies in Antigua, Panajachel, and Flores, or at some hotels.

Accommodations in Lanquin organize transportation to Semuc Champey.

For a classic itinerary, I don’t see the need to rent a car. It’s very easy to do the classic circuit by shuttle (by classic circuit, I mean Antigua, Río Dulce (and Livingston), Flores (with El Remate, Tikal, Yaxha), Lanquin (Semuc Champey), Panajachel, and Lake Atitlán + Chichicastenango).

Be careful not to be too ambitious—the trips are long due to traffic jams and the condition of some roads.

I spent two months in Guatemala in 2025 and kept a travel journal. You might find some useful info here: https://www.myatlas.com/borboleta/guatemala-deux-mois-au-pays-de-la-couleur

Hi

Actually, I thought the shuttle would do the Panajachel to Cobán route directly in about 6h45 (with stops, of course), whereas by car we could stop halfway somewhere to spend the night.

Thanks anyway for your feedback—I’ll go check out your travel journal!

For the Panajachel to Coban drive, you can stop halfway somewhere to spend the night.

I’ll check out your travel journal.

Hi there,

If you're stepping off the beaten path, you’ll need a car or take the "camionetas" (chicken buses), but I wouldn’t recommend the latter if you’re not used to this mode of transport.

In my travel journal, you’ll find stops between Panajachel and Coban (I did it in reverse), and there are certainly others—click the map icon to see the stages.

Chichicastenango, which you’ve probably heard of, is between Panajachel and Coban.

Between those two, there’s also Joyabaj, a small indigenous town that’s not touristy at all. In August, there’s a great festival—I’ll share the link to the journal I wrote about it (outside of this festival, the town isn’t really a tourist spot): https://www.myatlas.com/borboleta/guatemala-une-semaine-a-joyabaj

I don’t know how many full days you have, but keep in mind that no matter how you travel, getting around takes a while. Here’s another recent journal where the author listed all the shuttle travel times (check step 8): https://www.myatlas.com/Babou_sur_la_route/guatemala-2-semaines-en-fevrier

Yeah, I’ll be stopping in Chichicastenango after all. Oh, I saw Joyabaj in your travel journal. I’ll check if the festival falls during the time I’m there. Thanks anyway