The 6 Best Boat Trips in Guatemala

1.Lake Atitlán Sightseeing Cruise with Transport from Antigua

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 99 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $119Our pick

Travel from Antigua to Lake Atitlán with a guide, ride by boat beneath three volcanoes, visit Santiago de Atitlán, and browse Panajachel’s Santander Street. Guides such as Oscar, Davis, Andrea, and Gustavo have led this outing, though the village stop and schedule can vary.

“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.”

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2.Guatemala or Antigua Guatemala: Lake Atitlán Boat Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 93 reviews · 12 hours · from $119

Travel by road to Panajachel, cross Lake Atitlán by boat, and visit a Maya Tzutuhil village such as Santiago. You’ll see Maximon, weaving, coffee, traditional life, and Santander Street. English and Spanish guides lead the 12-hour trip, with pickup from central Antigua hotels.

“A terrific trip. We were the only participants and our guide was so helpful. Merco went above and beyond. Thank you”

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3.Lake Atitlán Sightseeing Cruise with Transport from Guatemala City

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 87 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $119

Travel from Guatemala City to Lake Atitlán with a guide such as Gustavo, Luis, Davis, or Carmen. Cruise beneath three volcanoes, visit Tzutujil Maya Santiago, and browse Panajachel’s Santander Street. The day includes transport, hotel pickup, a boat tour, and plenty of road time.

“The views of the lake was nice. The ride to the lake was very long. We did not expect to be in a van for over 8 hours. I would not recommend this tour if you have back problems or don’t like bumpy roads. We would not book it again.”

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4.Lake Atitlan Day Tour from Antigua or the City | Boat & Villages

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 76 reviews · 12 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $110

Travel from Guatemala City or Antigua to Panajachel, cross Lake Atitlán by water taxi, and spend time in San Juan La Laguna. Expect textile, medicinal-herb, and chocolate demonstrations, colorful streets, a guide, private group transport, and a long but rewarding day.

“What a wonderful experience! Nice communication from Pedro before the tour. Elli was my guide and Carlos was the driver. Safe and friendly driving from Carlos! Elli was so sweet and a great guide! Knowledgeable and helpful. The tour was well organized. Great stops along the way. The views from the lake, boat ride and demonstrations were great! I highly recommend this tour! Thank you, Guat2do!”

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5.Lake Atitlan Day Tour from Antigua or City | Boat & Villages

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 13 reviews · 12 hours · from $110

Travel from Antigua or Guatemala City to Panajachel, then cross Lake Atitlán by water taxi to San Juan La Laguna. You’ll see natural textile dyeing, learn about medicinal plants, make chocolate with local chocolatiers, and meet guides such as Rubén or Chris, when assigned.

“We had a great time! Even though it was a rainy day, our tour guide Ruben went above and beyond to make up for it.”

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6.El Paredón: Mangrove Boat Tour with Optional Fishing

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 5 reviews · 1h 30m · from $55Best value

Join a private 90-minute boat tour through El Paredón’s third-largest mangrove ecosystem. Your Spanish-speaking guide explains birds, fish, crabs, plants, local history, and Maya culture. You can plant a mangrove and try traditional fishing at no extra cost. Tours leave at 8:00 AM or 4:00 PM.

“It was a very nice tour. Perfect organized upfront and a warm welcome by Adelso and his wife including a welcome drink. He was a very good guide and took the time to explain a lot of things about the mangrove, birds and Maya people.”

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