No road reaches Yaxchilán. The site sits on a bend of the Usumacinta and is reached by boat from Frontera Corozal, a Ch’ol Maya village on the river. From Palenque to Frontera Corozal is roughly 170 km along the Carretera Fronteriza del Sur, the highway that follows the Guatemalan border: allow around three hours. The boat then takes about 40 minutes downstream.
You have four realistic ways to do it.
The options, compared
| How | Time from Palenque | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organised day tour (with Bonampak) | 12–15 h round trip | From roughly US$105 per person | Most people — nothing to arrange |
| Two-day tour with a jungle night | 2 days | From roughly US$185 per person | A relaxed pace, Lacanjá Chansayab |
| Colectivo + lancha | ≈3–3.5 h + boat | Cheapest by road; boat shared per lancha | Independent travellers, groups |
| Private transfer + lancha | ≈3 h + boat | Most expensive; best shared | Families, flexible timing |
1. An organised tour — the easy way
Every organised Yaxchilán tour includes the drive from Palenque (usually a pickup around 6 a.m.), the lancha from Frontera Corozal and back, and a visit to Bonampak on the return. Many include breakfast and lunch; some include the entrance and community fees. It is by far the most popular way to go — see our ranked tour comparison.
2. Colectivo to Frontera Corozal
Shared vans run from Palenque towards Frontera Corozal along the Carretera Fronteriza, leaving from the terminals of local transport companies in town from early morning. They take around three hours and drop you at the village or at the Crucero Corozal junction, from where a local taxi covers the last stretch. Departures and fares change, so ask the day before.
3. Private transfer
A car and driver from Palenque gives you total flexibility — stop at Bonampak on the way, spend longer at Yaxchilán, return at your own pace. It makes most sense for three or four people sharing.
4. The boat from Frontera Corozal
Lanchas are long, narrow wooden or fibreglass boats with a canvas roof, run by local cooperatives from the jetty. Prices are per boat for the return trip with waiting time at the ruins, so the cost per person falls the more people share; solo travellers can usually join others in the morning. The ride downstream takes around 40 minutes and a little longer coming back against the current. Life jackets are provided.
A small community fee is collected at the entrance to Frontera Corozal, and the INAH entrance ticket for Yaxchilán is paid at the site. Bring pesos in cash for everything.
Safety on the Carretera Fronteriza
The highway runs through a remote border region. You will pass military and immigration checkpoints — keep your passport handy. Organised tours travel it every day, and most visitors have no problems, but the security situation in parts of Chiapas can change quickly: check your government’s current travel advice before you go, travel only in daylight, avoid driving the road at night and consider going with a tour. Local roadblocks by communities occasionally delay traffic; operators usually know about them in advance.
Coming from elsewhere
- From San Cristóbal de las Casas: it is too far for a day trip. Travel to Palenque first (five hours or more), or book the four-day tour from San Cristóbal that includes Yaxchilán.
- From Villahermosa: about two hours by road to Palenque, where the tours start.
- By Tren Maya: Palenque is a station on the Tren Maya network; tours pick up from hotels in town.
- From Guatemala: from Flores, travel to Bethel or La Técnica on the Usumacinta, cross by boat to Frontera Corozal and visit Yaxchilán on the way into Mexico. Complete immigration formalities on both sides.
