How to get from Panajachel to Xela

Are you at Lake Atitlán and feeling like heading up to the mountains and the cool weather of Quetzaltenango (Xela, as locals say)? Great choice, congrats. For real, I am so happy you are wondering how to get from Panajachel to Xela. It’s a city that offers a bit of everything and where you’ll find a whooole lot of Mayan culture, both in Xela itself and in the surrounding area. And don’t even get me started on the food, it’s delicious!

Let’s get to what you came here for:

How to get from Panajachel to Xela by public bus

It’s totally doable, and there’s even a direct bus. Yes, you read that right. I couldn’t catch it myself, since I’d been told it left at 1pm, but as of today, January 2024, that bus no longer exists — though don’t worry, there are other times too.

Panajachel to Xela by Public Bus (Chicken Bus)

Direct bus from Panajachel to Xela

From what I was told, there’s a public bus (chicken bus) from Panajachel to Xela at 7:30am and another at 8am. Those are the only two for the day (info I got in January 2024).

Combining buses

If, like me, you wanted to make the most of the morning to keep exploring Panajachel and head out to Xela around midday, you can follow my route.

Panajachel to Xela by public bus (chicken bus)

Start from the “Rebuli” station. It’s not really a proper station, more like a kind of street stop. I’ll leave a screenshot so you can see how to find it on Google Maps. On Maps.me it shows up as “Rebuli final stop Guate City,” but it’s actually the stop for buses heading everywhere, not just to Guatemala City.

From there you need to take a bus to Sololá, which will cost you 10Q.

Once in Sololá, you need to get off at Parque Centro América (that’s how it shows up on Google Maps), since that’s exactly where the bus to Los Encuentros leaves from.

I ended up hanging around there for a bit, since both the bus to Los Encuentros and the one from Los Encuentros to Xela leave every 10 to 15 minutes. Unless you’re in a rush for some reason, there’s no need to do everything at a sprint, and this way you’re also more likely to get a seat.

• A little photo of the Sololá park to inspire you to stick around a bit longer and watch local life go by.

The bus from Sololá to Los Encuentros should cost you 5Q. Don’t pay more. If they try to charge you more, argue it, 5Q is the price.

And from the Los Encuentros bridge to Xela, it should cost you between 20 and 25Q.

In Xela, keep an eye on the map, because if you don’t ask to get off earlier, they’ll take you all the way to the Minerva bus terminal, which is about 4km from downtown Xela, where your hostel/accommodation is probably located.

Conclusion: if you don’t head out at 7:30 or 8am and have to combine buses, the Panajachel to Xela public bus route is: Panajachel – Sololá – Los Encuentros – Xela.

That’s it! You made it, you survived, you experienced the local culture, and you had fun eating along the way.

Any questions, I’m right here.

Traveler hugs,

Titín!