Santa Ana to Copán Ruinas. This route comes from an adventurous traveller named Alex at atewasabi.com.
Update: since we first posted this route we have had several great comments by other travellers on their experience and how to do it with prices and details updated (2018). Check the comments below to find updated times and prices and to read others’ experiences.
#1 – to Metapan 0.9$ 9:28 to 10:40 bus 457 / 201A/ 235 (235 is the main bus, but the buses run every 20min – just take the first that reads: Metapan)
#2 – to Anguaiatu (the border) 0.65$, 10:57-11:30. The bus stops meters from the border. At 11:50 I was out of El Salvador at 11:55 entering Guatemala
#3 – shuttle to Chiquimula 20 GTQ, 12:52-14:25 (shuttle leaves when full). There is an option to get down before Chiquimula at Rio Dondo, where the road turns right and to the valley (this saves about 20km in total, and some trouble – the shuttle/bus gets full at the bus stop and many get off before this turn/stop)
#4 – leave to Florido. The bus leaves from the central station – can’t miss it with 20 people screaming “Florido/frontera” even before you get off the previous bus. Fixed price 30GTQ – takes you to many villages, goes round and round to pick up more people before heading to the border. 14:25 – 16:12
#5– at 16:20 I entered the GT border by foot, exit to Honduras at 16:35. Border fee: 3USD/70 Lempiras/40GTQ. If paid in USD, must pay 4USD. But you may not be able to pay in USD so best to have GTQ or Lempiras.
#6 – shuttle from right outside the Honduran border to Copan Ruinas. Leaves when full. 16:50-17:07, cost 15 Lempiras (about 10km).
We completed this route yesterday (21 April 2025) with no issues it worked so well and seamlessly.
A local drove us from Santa Ana to the Guatemala border, we arrived at about 9:30.
We exchanged USD to Q on the El Salvador side – $1.00 for 7Q
You need to check the days you are given on your stamp when you enter Guatemala (no exit stamp given for El Salvador), the immigration officer miss calculated the number of days I had left in the CA4 area and this can become a domino affect later down the line. Especially if you are traveling for a long time in Central America.
We boarded the bus in Guatemala at 9:50 and cost 30Q per person, it took just under 2 hours.
At 11:40 we got off at Aldea Vado Hondo and the next colectivo was already waiting. This colectivo took about 40 min and cost 30Q per person. This included the fee for the next bus which was from Jocotan to the Honduras border. You are given a slip of paper on this bus which is your ticket.
You are then dropped about 200 meters before the border and you can exchange Q to Lempira on the Guatemala side.
It costs $3 or 30Q to enter Honduras.
We then met another local who gave us a ride to Copan.