Yes, you can get from La Ceiba to Guatemala by road without piecing together local buses. Shuttle Guacamayos runs shared shuttles from La Ceiba to three towns on Guatemala’s Caribbean side: Puerto Barrios ($55), Río Dulce ($75) and Livingston ($80), priced per person. For groups, or for anywhere else in the country, there’s a private van with driver to any city in Guatemala for $800 one way. Here’s how to choose, what to have ready for the border, and how to book.
Option 1: Shared shuttle to Guatemala’s Caribbean coast
If you’re traveling solo, as a couple or with a few friends, the shared shuttle is the simplest choice. You pay for your seat and ride with other travelers from La Ceiba straight to your destination, with no bus changes to figure out.
- La Ceiba to Puerto Barrios: $55 per person
- La Ceiba to Río Dulce: $75 per person
- La Ceiba to Livingston: $80 per person
These routes don’t follow a fixed daily timetable, so send us your travel date and we’ll confirm the next departure and your exact pickup point. You can see every route and its current price on our shared shuttle page.
Option 2: A private van to any city in Guatemala
Heading inland to Guatemala City, Antigua or another city the shared routes don’t cover? Traveling as a family or a team? Book the whole van. Our private van goes from La Ceiba to any city in Guatemala (or El Salvador) and carries up to 12 passengers.
- One way: $800 for the whole van. That’s $66.67 per passenger with 12 aboard.
- Round trip: $1,400 for the whole van. That’s $116.67 per passenger with 12 aboard. The van and driver stay with your group for up to 3 days and 2 nights, then bring you back to La Ceiba.
Hotels aren’t included. The price is per van, not per person, so the bigger your group, the less each person pays. Full details are on our private van page.
Which option is right for you?
- Shared shuttle: best for a small party going to Puerto Barrios, Río Dulce or Livingston who wants the lowest price per seat.
- Private van, one way: best for larger groups, for destinations beyond the Caribbean coast, or when you want to choose your own departure time.
- Private van, round trip: best for a short trip into Guatemala and back, with no need to arrange your own return transport.
Crossing the border: what to have ready
Both options cross from Honduras into Guatemala by land, and every passenger goes through immigration on both sides. A few things to sort out before you leave La Ceiba:
- Your passport and entry rules. Requirements depend on your nationality, so check your own government’s travel advice for Guatemala well before the trip.
- Guatemala’s electronic declaration. Both the U.S. and U.K. governments’ travel advice say travelers must complete Guatemala’s online immigration and customs declaration before entering and before leaving the country.
- The CA-4 90-day limit. Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua share one tourist allowance of up to 90 days under the CA-4 agreement. According to the U.K. government, the clock starts when you enter the first of these countries and doesn’t restart when you cross between them.
- Unexpected “entry fees.” The U.K. government warns that officials at Guatemalan land borders sometimes ask for an entry fee, which it says is illegal. Its advice: ask for an official receipt.
Coming from the airport or the Bay Islands?
Many travelers start the trip in Roatán or Utila, or fly into San Pedro Sula or Palmerola. Our airport transfers bring you to La Ceiba in a Toyota Hiace for up to 10 passengers: $400 per van from San Pedro Sula ($40 per passenger with 10 aboard) or $500 per van from Palmerola ($50 per passenger with 10 aboard). The Roatán and Utila ferries dock in La Ceiba too. Tell us how you’re arriving when you book and we’ll go over the timing with you. For the bigger picture, see our La Ceiba transport guide.
Book your trip to Guatemala
Message us on WhatsApp with your travel date, your destination in Guatemala and the number of passengers. We’ll confirm the next shared departure or your private van.
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