Last minute Itinerary questions

I went one time by pullman bus from Guat city to Puerto Barrios. There I got a boat over to Livingston. After a couple of days in Livingston I then got boat down the Rio Dulce . It was a great trip. I enjoyed the river very much. When we landed we had a shuttle take us to Antigua.

I am not sure if Semuc Champey is open again. It is a long trip to Lanquin and Semuc so find out first if the road is still being blocked (shuttle operators and hotels in the area should be able to tell you).

Are you getting around by bus/shuttle ?

I would go to Lake Atitlan first. Explore the villages, markets, go hiking... The Chichi market is on Thursdays and Sundays. You can get there by bus or shuttle from the lake. If you go by bus you can leave early and get there earlier than most tourists which is nice. An alternative is the Solola market, 15 minutes from Panajachel by bus, Tuesdays and Fridays. Not a touristy market at all. Very colourful.

Then Antigua. Two days is great. From Antigua there are 8 hour shuttles to Lanquin in case Semuc is open.

You talk about Quetzal. Not sure what you mean. The Biotopo del Quetzal ? If so, you could do this: Antigua 2 days, the lake 3 days and then the Monja Blanca bus from Guatemala City to Coban but get off at the Biotopo. There is a hotel called Ranchitos del Quetzal and you have a good chance of seeing a quetzal there early in the morning. The hotel has a trail as well and the trails in the Biotopo are great (beautiful cloud forest, birds...) so stay a day to explore it all. Flag down a minibus to Coban and take a minibus to Lanquin. Visit the bat caves at dusk (sit at the entrance in the cave). The next morning take a pick-up truck to Semuc. A full day is enough unless you want a day to relax (great if you have a hotel on the river). Ask in your hotel about a shuttle to Rio Dulce. There are buses but not many. In Rio Dulce you can take the boat trip to Livingston as a day trip or stay overnight. Fuente del Norte has buses from Rio Dulce to Flores for Tikal. I highly recommend staying overnight in Tikal.

If Semuc is not open or instead of Semuc you can add Copan. We took a Rutas Orientales bus from Guatemala City to Chiquimula, then a bus to El Florido (the border) and a minibus to Copan. There are also shuttles from Antigua or the Hedman Alas bus.
From Copan you get back to El Florido and there should be Litegua buses to Rio Dulce (or you might have to go to Chiquimula first). Copan deserves 2 days for the ruins, the town, the hot springs, the macaw park maybe...

Apparently the entrance to Semuc Champey has been occupied by local protestors who have specific demands of the government. The park is still open, and I don't think this should discourage you from going, since there does not appear to be violence going on.

I would choose your itinerary: 1) Atitlan – Coban – Lanquin – Rio Dulce – Flores.

With just 20 days I'd leave out Semuc Champey and if by Quetzal you mean Quetzaltenango (Xela), I'd leave that out, too. That leaves Lake Atitlán/Chichi and Antigua, a few nights in Rio Dulce town and the boat trip to Livingston and back (or bus to Puerto Barrios and boat back to Rio Dulce town, then 2 nights for Tikal; I'd spend at least 1 night in the park but Flores is a good base if you budget more than 1 night. That's plenty for 2 weeks in my opinion.

When you head into Belize, consider staying a few nights in western Belize for the ATM cave trip and to visit the Belize Zoo, very unique. Then finish up on Caye Caulker as planned.

My photos with blog, travelogue, and review links on the main page of each collection are below in case you're interested - all my recommendations are embedded there.
Happy trails!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections

It would be great to hear from anyone who has been able to visit Semuc Champey recently. At one point I read reports (a month ago or so) that people were being prevented from entering Semuc. Here is a recent article (apparently Semuc is open and free right now and it is best to visit on your own as tour operators are not allowed but there is no regular security and maintenance, the community is providing that service):
http://www.prensalibre.com/economia/semuc-opera-pero-sigue-inconformidad

Quetzal... now I am curious! Did you mean Xela (Quetzaltenango) or the Biotopo del Quetzal ?

Hi,

Thanks for you answers.

"Why not stay in Livingston?" Because of the time we have, I was thinking to skip it to have more time

By Quetzal, I meant Quetzaltenango.

If I chose the first itineray (1 Atitlan – Coban – Lanquin – Rio Dulce – Flores), from Lanquin to Rio Dulce, How long is it? I can do it by the unpaved roads, by El Estor?

Bastien

Are you renting a car ? I can't help with that as we travel by bus and the odd shuttle.

These two threads may be of help:
http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowTopic-g292002-i1599-k6022957-Rio_Dulce_to_Lanquin-Guatemala.html
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/americas-central-america/guatemala/shuttle-from-rio-dulce-to-lanquin?page=1#post_20547856

Xela is great if you like to climb a volcano or two, for hiking, hot springs and nearby Maya villages/markets.