Did you know there are Mayan ruins in Honduras? If you’re vacationing in Guatemala, you must visit Copan Honduras. In this post, you will find everything to know about taking an overnight trip to Copan Ruins Honduras from Antigua Guatemala, including food, tour, and lodging recommendations.
Copan Honduras Ruins Top Tips
- Ruinas de Copan is located in Honduras, so you must bring your passport if traveling from Guatemala. They also use a different currency, which we’ll discuss later.
- Compared to Antigua, Copan is very cheap!
- The bus journey to the Copan Ruins in Honduras should take around eight hours but can be longer if traveling through Guatemala City.
- Copan Ruinas is much hotter than Antigua, so pack your
shorts andsunscreen .
Did You Get Travel Insurance Yet?
The Insurance companies I recommend are Hey Mondo and Safety Wing
Hey Mondo is great if you are looking for a great value flexible policy. They offer single-trip cover, annual multi-trip cover, and long-term travel cover. Safety Wing is great value, with monthly coverage starting at $45.08. It’s super easy to use, and it just renews each month. I currently use them as they offer me free cover for my son as part of my policy.
Read my full travel insurance post here, where I go into detail about all companies.
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Where Are the Copan Ruins and Why Visit?
The Copan Honduras Ruins are one of the most important Mayan sites. First excavated in the 19th century, Copan Ruinas is 30 minutes from the Guatemalan border, making it an easy overnight trip from Antigua.
Copan Honduras is a small and quaint town with cobbled streets and some of the friendliest people I’ve met in Central America. Where are the Copan Ruins from the city? It’s a 20-minute walk, but there are many tuk-tuks available if you don’t feel like going on foot.
Quick Tip: Book accommodation, tours, and transport ahead of time online to save money and stress.
Best Copan Tours: Click here to check out the top Copan tours
Best Copan Accommodation: Click here to check out the best accommodation in Copan
Best Copan Transport: Click here to book a bus, ferry, or train in Copan
Getting to the Copan Honduras Ruins
Many local Antigua bus companies offer direct routes to the Copan Mayan ruins in Honduras. I went with Planeta Maya years ago as they were the cheapest! Although the bus didn’t have AC and the company’s communication was lacking, we only paid 120Q each way—significantly more affordable than other companies. I also reserved my accommodation and didn’t book a tour of the ruins.
The latest prices I’ve seen are $50 USD per person, which doesn’t include the border crossing fee of $5 USD, accommodations, or a Ruinas de Copan tour. If you walk around Antigua, you may find other prices.
If you have the budget and don’t fancy organizing the Copan Honduras trip yourself, book a guided tour company to do the work for you. I recommend
Copan Guatemala Border Crossing
There is a border crossing into Honduras during your Copan Guatemala trip. Get off the minibus and have your passport stamped on the Guatemalan side before walking across the border to Honduras. You’ll enter a nice border control office where you must pay $5 (around 40Q) to get an entry stamp. Return to the minibus and continue on your way to Copan Ruinas.
You’ll repeat the process when returning to Guatemala, except you won’t need to pay for entry.
Where to Stay in Copan Ruinas Honduras
I stayed at Hotel & Hostal Berakah—it has a 9.6 rating on Booking.com for a reason! As a budget traveler, I opted to stay here because it was the cheapest option. However, it was also one of the nicest places I’ve stayed for such a low cost. Plus, it’s near the road to the Mayan ruins in Honduras, and the shuttle from Antigua dropped me off and picked me up directly outside.
Here are some other accommodation options for Copan Honduras Ruins.
Visiting Ruinas de Copan
You will need at least three hours to wander around the Copan Ruins in Honduras. There are three main areas—while the ruins aren’t as grand or famous as Tikal, Copan Honduras is worth visiting.
Due to my tight budget and struggles to get money (see below), I didn’t get a guide or pay for the Copan Ruins Museum. When I bought my ticket, nothing was explained to me by the office, so I didn’t know what I was getting access to. My standard ticket didn’t include a guide, tunnel access, or museum entry. This was a big fail on my part—ask for the complete Copan Ruinas package when purchasing your ticket.
Even though I didn’t get to do everything, I still had a great day exploring the Mayan ruins in Honduras.
[mailerlite_form form_id=26]Where to Eat in Copan Honduras
I highly suggest eating on the street, as Copan has fantastic, affordable street food. I decided to eat at El Chombo, which was recommended to me by a Mexican tourist dining on a taco that looked amazing. If a Mexican tells you the tacos are good in Honduras, you must eat them. As a veggie, finding tasty, vegetarian street food is challenging—you can’t go wrong with tacos and a local beer!
Copan Honduras Currency
This was the biggest headache for me! Firstly, I lost the $10 I had to cover the border crossing for myself and a friend. When we arrived in Copan Honduras, we could not pay for the hotel by card, so I went to find an ATM. Several are in town, but my bank card didn’t work with them! I had plenty of Guatemalan Quetzal but no dollars, and I learned you can’t exchange Quetzal in any of the local banks. By this point, I was starting to get stressed—thankfully, one of the banks let me withdraw local currency with my bank card and passport. I suggest withdrawing dollars in Antigua before traveling to Copan Ruinas to be safe.
Copan Ruinas Honduras Budget
This is the summary of what you can expect to spend when touring Ruinas de Copan:
- Transport and crossing fee: $55
- Hotel: $10-$20 per night
- Park entrance: $15
- Lunch: $5-$10
- Dinner and a beer: $20-$30
- Breakfast: $5
- Total: $135
Looking for somewhere to stay? Check out these options!
Berakah B&B- Central Park
Hotel La Escalinata
Terramaya Boutique Hotel
Honduras Travel Guide Planning
🚗 Where can I book bus or private transportation while I’m traveling?
I strongly recommend using Bookaway. You can book almost all transport in the major tourist destinations through them online. They don’t just cover buses they also cover shuttles, ferries, and private drivers.
🎫 Where can I buy tickets for museums, attractions, and tours?
I recommend either Viator or GetYour Guide. They have a lot of options!
👩⚕️ What is the best insurance to have while traveling?
I recommend using Heymondo for a great value policy. The app also offers you 24/7 Dr Chat. For Digital Nomads check out SafetyWing digital nomad insurance.
I have also written a blog post covering all my recommended travel insurance here
✈️ Any flight recommendations?
WayAWay offers you cheap flights with cashback. You can use this code CLAIRE22 to get 10% off. Otherwise Skyscanner or Expedia are my go-to flight searching platforms.
📱What do you use for internet connection while traveling?
I’m a big fan of personal WiFi devices and they have saved my ass so many times when traveling. I wrote a full review of the top travel WiFi devices you can read here. I personally use GlocalMe as I can either pop in a physical sim card or use their local carrier.
With regards to my phone connection, I use e-sims while traveling, so rather than having to swap out my regular sim card I can download the app and buy a virtual sim card. I recommend using eitherAirhub or Alosim. Both have great coverage of multiple countries and are very easy to use.
🛏️ What is the best platform to use for booking accommodation?
The 3 best platforms that I normally use are Booking.com, Hotels.com, and Expedia They offer great deals and multiple options. I always check all three to be sure of the best deals.
🛅 Do you have any luggage recommendations for traveling?
I do have a complete list of the best packing and luggage products that I recommend, you can check the list here. I’m currently traveling with this suitcase and this backpack.
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Copan Honduras Ruins: Final Thoughts
While the bus journey from Guatemala to Copan Ruinas can be uncomfortable, it’s worth the stiff neck! If you pass through Honduras on your way to or from Guatemala, you must experience the Copan Ruinas. With this ultimate guide to Copan Honduras, you’ll have a fun and stress-free trip!
The only company I recommend for booking transport and tours in Guatemala (other than the individuals and companies I have named) is
This post was proofread by Grammarly.