Planning to travel from Guatemala City Airport to Antigua? Here’s everything you need to know.

La Aurora International Airport is Guatemala's main airport, and the mostly likely arrival point for travellers flying into the country to start their adventure.

More commonly known as Guatemala City Airport (IATA: GUA), it's situated in the heart of the sprawling high-altitude capital, but the majority of travellers don't stick around to spend time there, and instead travel straight to the smaller, more beautiful nearby city of Antigua.

Ringed by several volcanoes and lined by cobblestone streets and colonial architecture, it is one of the most wonderful places in Central America, and offers the perfect environment to spend a few days and ease yourself in. We've spent three weeks in Antigua on two separate trips and would happily go back again, whilst it's also the start point for Acatenango - one of the most incredible volcano hikes we've ever done!

There is no other Antigua airport.

In this short 'routes' post, we've shared the five main options to travel to Antigua from Guatemala City airport so that - whatever your budget, experience, Spanish abilities, apprehension, arrival time or travel style - you can quickly find the most convenient, cheapest, or quickest way to go here!

We've also shared a few airport arrivals & travel tips to make your first day journey as smooth as possible before the adventures really begin in Guatemala!

the essentials

· Antigua is 40km/25 miles from Guatemala City Airport
· Travel time ranges from 1 to 3 hours depending on traffic
· Costs range from 20Q - 200Q, with the most popular option about 140Q per person
· No direct public bus from the airport, but lots of on-demand and **reservable shared shuttles**
· Uber and official airport taxis also available, but we used and recommend this private airport transfer service
· For late night arrivals pre-book a transfer, do an Uber/taxi, or stay nearby in the Hostal Donde Regina

How To Get From Guatemala City Airport to Antigua

We've shared the specific details and advice on the five options below, but there are a few general points to bear in mind before choosing the right one for your trip from the airport to Antigua:

· La Aurora airport is pretty small and easy to navigate. After baggage and customs, the small arrivals hall has car rental & information kiosks and a couple of cafes, with pick-up points and taxi ranks right outside the two main exits.

· Some transport options can be booked and paid in advance before you arrive, whilst others require cash. There are a few ATMs in La Aurora Airport, but they charge an extortionate amount (69Q / £7 / $9) for withdrawals - if you don’t mind that, the best option is to use the 5B one before immigration as the other two require you to leave the Arrivals hall and still charge. Alternatively, exchanging a small amount at the currency kiosk before customs is a better idea if you just need cash for the public shuttles or taxis, then withdrawing a larger amount once you’re in Antigua.

Some drivers and companies accept payment USD, but you can't guarantee that or a fair rate.

· La Aurora Airport has free and pretty reliable wifi available if you need to contact your driver or a company via WhatsApp or e-mail, or opt to order an Uber. Alternatively, daytime arrivals can buy a local Claro SIM card from the kiosk before customs - cheaper and more reliable than an eSim - and it’s a good idea to sort it out here if you’re not in a rush. They may also sell them in the Arrivals hall, but we we weren’t looking.

· At time of writing, all arrivals have to fill in an E-Traveler’s declaration form, and you can save time by filling it in before you touch down and saving it to your phone - here’s the official link

· If selecting a pre-booked shared shuttle to Antigua, note that they have fixed departure times and companies often do not refund or rebook you if you miss it due to a late flight arrival or delays in customs/baggage.

· Options for Guatemala City shuttles and public transport become very limited for evening flight arrivals, so it's best for safety, security, and convenience to book a private transfer in advance or the official taxis.

· Travel time from Guatemala City to Antigua can vary from just under an hour to as much as three hours! This is due to daily rush-hour traffic and congestion, as well as common road closures for festivals and parades. On our most recent trip, the driver was really worried it would take us over two hours, but thankfully we arrived at our hostel in less than that.

The traffic will affect each and every transport option we've mentioned here, so bear that in mind and maybe have a podcast downloaded!

· For groups or families, the cost of taking a private transfer, taxi, or shuttle usually works out cheaper, quicker, and more convenient than buying several seats on the shared public shuttles.

· If you’re a solo traveller and your plans go wrong due to a late arrival or you miss a pre-booked shuttle, note that the majority of other travellers at the airport will also be travelling onward to Antigua, so sharing a taxi or Uber is a viable option.

· Whilst there are a bunch of rental car companies in Guatemala Airport, the majority of travellers should not consider doing a road trip or driving in the country.

Public Transport To Antigua

Here at Along Dusty Roads, we’ve navigated much of Guatemala and Central America independently with public transport, and we encourage each and every traveller to do several day trips and longer journeys that way. In addition to those famous ‘chicken buses’ - usually colourfully converted from American & Canadian school buses - there are all manner of minivan colectivos and camionetas too.

As well as being far more interesting and culturally insightful than any tourist shuttle, it’s often more convenient and always much more affordable - and there’s usually an excellent choice of music too. Too many travellers are too paranoid about them and scaremonger to a ridiculous level, and we don’t want to add to the noise or unfair reputation.

However, we do not think the best time to take a chicken bus is when you’ve just arrived at Guatemala City Airport.

This isn’t because of safety concerns, but because there are better ways to spend your time and save money on the trip than when you’ve just arrived after an international flight.

Also, there is no direct public bus from the airport to Antigua, so you’ll have to walk for about 45 minutes through a busy and not too appealing part of the city with all backpacks / luggage to a gas station to await the bus; we really don’t recommend this for your first time here.

However, if you’re determined to take the cheapest transport to Antigua, here’s what you need to do:

· Exit La Aurora arrivals and walk to El Trebol (Google Maps). This is a busy intersection in Zona 8, and the camionettas (chicken buses) travelling from Guatemala City to Antigua pick up here. The buses run regularly throughout the day, and journeys cost 15Q (cash only). You’ll be dropped off near Antigua’s Mercado Central, and it’s then a 5-15 minute walk depending on where your accommodation’s located.

Instead of walking to El Trebol, you could also opt for a taxi there from the airport.

On-Demand Airport Shuttle Buses To Antigua

The next cheapest option are the public shuttles from Guatemala Airport to Antigua.

These are cars and minivans which cannot be pre-booked. Instead, you need to head to the ‘Airport Taxis’ and shuttles kiosks in the arrivals hall to buy your ticket. If the kiosks are closed or unattended, you will also find people right outside arrivals offering shuttle services - they’ll either be shouting ‘Antigua’ or have signs. However, you need to be 100% sure that it definitely is a shared shuttle service they’re offering, rather than a private transfer or taxi which will end up costing much more.

The payment is cash only and cost is usually around 100Q per person (£10/$13) - do let us know in the comments when the prices change!

These public shuttles will usually drop passengers off outside or near their accommodation, or in the centre of the Antigua, so it’s a good idea to have a note of your hotel/hostel for the driver.

Opting for this means you don’t have to plan anything in advance, and provides greater flexibility than the more popular timetabled + pre-bookable shuttles (more on those later), but you will need to bring or source local currency at the airport and sort a few things out when you arrive, so it will be easier for travellers who speak some Spanish.

The main drawback to these on-demand shuttles is that they don’t run to any fixed schedule and only depart when full (or once they have enough passengers to justify the journey), so you may end up waiting around for longer than you hope or expect for other people to show up.

That’s why, for flights arriving after dark, we don’t recommend this option (the shuttles also don’t run from about 9pm to 6am).

PRE-BOOKED SHARED SHUTTLES TO ANTIGUA

If you want to keep costs down, but prefer to have everything arranged in advance, then you should book a spot on a shared shuttle before you fly.

You’ll find a plethora of tourist transport agencies offering these online for around $16-23 USD per passenger, and they all have a fixed timetable of departures. Some companies only go twice a day, whilst others have a more frequent service.

These shared shuttles will be waiting in a defined pick-up location after arrivals, and provide more convenience and certainty for forward planning. Most will also drop you off right outside your accommodation. The fact you can pay for these in advance online also removes the need to withdraw from the overcharging airport ATMs or exchange money at a crap rate.

However, the drawback is that they will not wait around for late passengers, and companies often do not refund or rebook you if you miss it due to a late flight arrival or delays in customs/baggage.

Guatego has daily shuttles from the airport to Antigua at 6am - 9.30am - 11am - 1.30pm - 4.30pm - 7.30pm, charging $19 USD - check availability and book here.

You can also book with the company on this website which includes free 24-hour cancellation.

Alternatively, you can book your place on a number of shared and private shuttles here (if you’re reading this and flying in less than 24 hours, that’s your best option).

A Private Guatemala City Airport Transfer

On our most recent Guatemala trip, our flight from the UK (via Texas) was due to arrive in La Aurora at 8.30pm, so we knew that getting to the city for a beer and some food was all we’d be interested in.

So, after researching a lot of options and reviews, we booked this private transfer to Antigua.

The friendly driver was waiting for us with a sign at the agreed location in arrivals and dropped us right outside Yellow House Hostel, and it was all seamless and stress-free.

The fact that we could book and pay for everything in advance before our trip was an added bonus.

We highly recommend this option if you’ll be in a similar mindset, or you want to travel from Guatemala City Airport to Antigua in the quickest and most comfortable way. The total cost was £40/$50, which worked out at not too much more expensive per person than the shuttles, so it doesn’t break the bank either.

It’s also worth noting that for larger groups or families, the cost of taking a pre-booked private transfer or taxi usually works out cheaper, quicker, and more convenient than buying several seats on a shared shuttle.

Book your door-to-door Guatemala Airport airport transfer here

If they have no availability for your dates, take a look at alternative options on WelcomePickups.

Official Taxis & Uber From La Aurora

If you’d prefer to sort things out when you arrive at La Aurora airport, the last option to consider are the airport taxis and Uber.

From arrivals, head toward the cafe on the left and exit the sliding doors, and you’ll find the rank with the official white airport taxis, but the kiosk to pay and get your paper slip for the driver is found inside arrivals. They quoted 350Q (£35/$45) for Antigua, but you may have some wiggle room on that if speaking direct to the driver rather than the kiosk inside arrivals.*

A more affordable option is to simply order an Uber to meet you. We used the app quite a bit on our latest Guatemala trip, especially for reaching trailheads near Quetzaltenango in the early morning, and it can be very convenient. It’s also now firmly established as one of the best ways to travel from the airport to Antigua, with prices often undercutting the official taxis.

However, there are three caveats:

If you order one in rush hour, the fare will be significantly higher
You’ll obviously need internet to order the Uber, and if you’re depending on the airport’s free wi-fi, this will disconnect as soon as you exit the building to meet it.
Guatemala City airport has two levels, and you need to clarify that you’re at arrivals on the pick-up point request - the Ubers tend to meet you on the second road outside, rather than the internal one for the official taxis and shuttles.

If you’ve already picked up a Claro SIM card, or are using an e-Sim, then points 2 + 3 fade away, and hailing an Uber also removes the need to sort out any cash on arrival.

Note that there will be no shortage of other taxi drivers outside arrivals trying to offer you a lift, but we recommend avoiding them. Their cars are parked elsewhere, they're not official or affiliated with the airport and, though 99% would be fine, it's not worth the risk on your first day

Finally, if you are a solo traveller and your plans change due to a late arrival or you miss a pre-booked shuttle, note that the majority of other visitors will also be travelling onward to Antigua and sharing a taxi or Uber is a viable option.

* Agree a fixed price for this journey, rather than being on any meter. If you take the official airport taxi to Antigua, do let us know the price you paid and any tips in the comments so we can keep the post fully updated and as helpful as we can for other travellers!