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

Review of the Lake Atitlán cruise from Antigua, with volcano views, Maya villages, boat transport, shopping, costs, and practical tips.

“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…”

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2.Guatemala or Antigua Guatemala: Lake Atitlán Boat Cruise

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

Review of the 12-hour Lake Atitlán cruise from Antigua or Guatemala City, with Maya villages, volcano views, Maximon, markets, and practical tips.

“I was the only person on my trip and therefore I was not provided with an English-speaking guide. I was travelling in a private vehicle and had a box to myself which was an advantage in terms of comfort but possibly detracted from the experience of meeting other travellers. My trip was scheduled to last 12 hours however it only lasted for nine. I feel that I have missed out on information that a local English speaking guide would have been able to give me about the village that I visited. The trip was extremely expensive and I subsequently found out that I could have visited three villages for a…”

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3.Lake Atitlán Sightseeing Cruise with Transport from Guatemala City

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

Review of Lake Atitlán’s boat cruise from Guatemala City, with volcano views, Santiago, Panajachel, guide advice, costs, and travel tips.

“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

Review of the Lake Atitlan day tour from Guatemala City or Antigua, with boat rides, Mayan workshops, guides, costs, timing, and practical tips.

“I gave this 3 stars because of the views. The itinerary states, "we will participate in 3 cultural workshops: One of the natural dyeing of textiles, one of the medicinal herbs used by the indigenous people, and a chocolate workshop." We only did the first one. Also I requested an English speaking guide in my booking. 5% of the tour was in English. I did reach out to the company via What's app, however nothing changed. I also stated how we didn't follow the itinerary according to the description. The guide truly did what he wanted to do. I basically paid $300 for a bus ride. We were supposed to…”

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

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

Review of the Lake Atitlan day tour from Antigua or Guatemala City, with Mayan villages, textiles, chocolate, medicine, and boat views.

“The guide was great as usual, this was my second time with him. Hated that we weren't able to see the medicine making portion, as that was the main reason I chose this excursion.”

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6.El Paredón: Mangrove Boat Tour with Optional Fishing

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

Explore El Paredón’s mangroves by boat, plant a tree, spot wildlife, and try traditional fishing on a private 90-minute tour.

“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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