Guatemala · CRUISES & BOAT TOURS
Every trip has one free day too few. These 11 cruises & boat tours justify the slot, priced and timed so you can decide in minutes and get back to the fun part of planning.
See Lake Atitlán by boat from Antigua, visit a Maya village, shop in Panajachel, and weigh the long drive against the spectacular scenery.
“A relatively long 2.5 hours to the lake but what a gorgeous place! Boat ride to San Juan de la Laguna, which is full of art, murals, textiles, and chocolate! Perfect day long trip if you have the time.”
Explore Lake Atitlán from Antigua or Guatemala City by boat, visit Santiago, meet Maya artisans, and see volcano views on a full-day tour.
“The trip is really nice. It takes over two hours to get there (worst part), but totally worth it. Once you arrive, you get on a boat which takes you to another Mayan village on the other side of the lake. The village is definitely a nice experience. It exceeded my expectations. You tour a traditional Mayan weaving place and a local coffee plantation. Both are worth the visit. As expected, they’ll both try to sell you their products, but no pressure. There’s also a tour through a nice school and an old church. The boat ride also has the best views - absolutely spectacular!”
Review of Lake Atitlán’s boat cruise from Guatemala City, with Maya culture, volcano views, practical timing advice, costs, and honest drawbacks.
“The tour guide was nice. The driver was way too aggressive when driving, sometimes I was scared!. The "boat" that we take to get across Lake Atitlan was very unsafe to me. It is small and very old. There were times when I thought we were going to capsize or flip over. I went with my daughter. We were both scared and traumatized. I would never do this again! The captain of the boat safely got us to our destination, thank God!”
Review of the Lake Atitlan day tour from Guatemala City or Antigua, with boat travel, San Juan workshops, scenic views, costs, and practical tips.
“Starting off our tour guide MR RUBÉN ALBERTO ALONZO, SANCHEZ is amazing, very knowledgeable of the culture, city , country everything!!!! , amazing person , answer all questions, the best tour guide I ever been on , amazing tour, I came in solo , I recommend all travelers to attend this , solo , group doesn’t matter, good times!!!! Accurate pickup timing”
Review of the Lake Atitlan boat tour from Panajachel, with Maya culture, village walks, hands-on workshops, costs, tips, and honest drawbacks.
“Great way to spend the day on the lake! Got to see many different towns and it was nice to have it all organized. Our guide was very friendly and informative and went out of her way to made sure we enjoyed the trip and had all of our questions answered. This is perfect for anyone with limited time on the lake that wants to make the most of it, would recommend!”
Review of the Lake Atitlan day tour from Antigua or Guatemala City, with Mayan villages, textile dyeing, chocolate, and a boat ride.
“the trip was amazing. so much culture packed into one day. best experience in a long time”
Ride across Lake Atitlán to San Juan La Laguna, meet local artisans, and enjoy highland scenery on this long but rewarding day trip.
“From the front door pick up at our hotel to the kindness & patience of our guide, this trip was awesome. The van was clean & comfortable, the information was valuable and the views and people were amazing. The lake is beautiful and a must do activity.”
Review the 12-hour Atitlán boat tour from Antigua, with volcano views, Mayan villages, breakfast, transport, costs, and practical booking advice.
“Would not recommend if you want any free time in these towns. The tour was incredibly regimented with required stops that were not detailed out ahead of time. While the honey making tour and textile tour guiders were lovely, it provided us with little to no time to actually see the towns for ourselves. At San Pedro, perhaps one of the cooler stops, we simply walked from on dock to the other for 10 minutes. We were not allowed to stop for a meal, photos or even to use the atm. The last stop on the tour we were guided to a fancier lunch spot even though lunch was not…”
Explore El Paredón’s mangroves by boat, plant a tree, spot birds and crabs, and try traditional fishing on a 90-minute Spanish tour.
“Very informative and friendly guide. The language barrier wasn't a problem. Beautiful trip through the mangroves.”
Review of the Lake Atitlán boat tour from Puerto Quetzal, with Mayan culture, coffee country, lake scenery, lunch, logistics, and value.
“The port of Puerto Quetzal is very large. The terminal was gorgeous with tours being offered and a Jade museum, and shops of native crafts. Guatamala is the heart of Mayan country and many tours go to the historical sites.”
Cruise Lake Atitlán from Panajachel to San Juan and Santiago for textiles, chocolate, Maya traditions, free time, and local culture.
“Eli was very helpful and showed us to many interesting and beautiful places that we would have never found on our own. We never had to wait for the launcha which was nice and over all had a great day for our first time at the Lake!”
Volcanoes, ruins, lake villages and market days.
