Getting from San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico to Panajachel, Guatemala

Daily shared shuttle service

Pick up is at 7:00 A.M. at your hotel or address in San Cristobal. Our first stop is in the city of Comitan de Dominguez. 1.5 hours, 60 kilometers away from San Cristobal. You will have 30 minutes for breakfast (this will be in a restaurant area or a gas station that has a restaurant). Second stop will be very close to the border, in a town called Ciudad Cuauhtemoc. This stop is for you to get migration stamps to get out of Mexico. The driver waits for you in the van. Until all tourists have their stamps. (It is very important to get your stamps in here, otherwise you won't be allowed to get into Guatemala.) Third stop, and last in the Mexican side, will be at the border town of La Mesilla. This time you will have to carry your luggage with you. The driver will guide you to the Guatemalan Migration office to get Guatemalan stamps. And then, he will introduce you to your Guatemalan driver. You will get into a different van to keep going. The van has similar characteristics than the Mexican shuttle. There will be one more stop for lunch in the Guatemalan side. Arriving time to Panajachel is around 5:00 P.M. (local time).

To book this shuttle with us, click here.

By bus

It is also possible to do this trip using the Mexican and Guatemalan bus service. First, you need to book an ADO-OCC bus from San Cristobal to Ciudad Cuauhtemoc. Here is their website . In Ciudad Cuauhtemoc you have to get your stamps to get out of Mexico. The Mexican immigration office is in front of the bus terminal. Then take a local taxi to bring you to the border town of La Mesilla. The taxi will try to get as close as possible to the border line. From there, you have to walk. Get into Guatemala and get your stamps in the Guatemalan side. It is very easy to see their office. If you need to change some money, do it right there. Then take a moto taxi to the Línea Dorada bus terminal. Try to buy your ticket with Linea Dorada time before your departure. It will be hard to find a sit if you just show up there. Keep in mind that this bus company only have to departures in the day. One is at 10:00 A.M. and the other one is at 8:00 P.M. This bus won't go directly to Panajachel. They will drop you off in a junction close to your destiny. Take a chicken bus from there to your Panajachel. If you need help to book with them, let us know.

By colectivo

Colectivos (Mexican public shuttle service) leave at the corner of Pan American road (Carretera 190) and Insurgentes street. You have to take one of these shuttles to get first from San Cristobal to Comitán, walk like 10 meters, and take the next colectivo to Ciudad Cuauhtemoc. Remember this is the place where you stop at the Mexican Immigration office. Take a taxi from there to La Mesilla. Once there a moto taxi can bring you to the chicken bus terminal (you can walk, too). There, take the next bus to Los Encuentros (the junction close to Panajachel). There is a lot of transportation to get to your destiny from there.