• How much does the entrance to Auto Safari cost?

You can find our current entry fees by clicking "Fees" on our navigation menu on the top of this page, or you may click here.

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• Can I pay using US Dollars?

Yes, Auto Safari Chapín accepts US Dollars. Visit our fees page to see our current prices in dollars. At Auto Safari we have a policy of verifying the currency we receive with anti-fraud systems; therefore we reserve the right of rejecting bills that do not pass our evaluation or in bad shape.

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• Can I pay using other currencies?

Auto Safari Chapín accepts only Guatemalan Quetzales and US Dollars. However, if you pay using your Visa, MasterCard or American Express issued in any country or currency, you will be charged in Quetzales. Your card issuer will automatically do the currency exchange for you, so that your credit card statement reflects these charges in your local currency.

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• Do you accept credit cards?

We accept the following credit cards: MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Diners Club and debit cards with the MasterCard, Visa, or American Express logo. Debit cards without the logos mentioned before are not accepted.

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• Is there an additional surcharge for credit card payments?

No, the charge amount is exactly the same as cash payments.

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• Do I have to pay for additional services inside the park?

Once you pay for your entry fee (adult or child), you do not have to pay anything else to tour the park on your own vehicle or in the park's bus. You also do not have to pay anything else to tour the pedestrian zoo, use the pools and children's games, use the boat to tour the lagoon or park your car. If you wish to purchase food at the restaurant or snack bars, or if you wish to purchase souvenirs at our shops, you need to pay separately at the time you get food or souvenirs.

If you pay our package entry fee (adult or child), it already includes all the individual entry fee rights, as well as the food from our combos. Any additional snack or souvenir must be paid for separately.

Other seasonal services such as horseback rides must be paid for separately at the time of use.

Any service marked as additional has to be paid for separately.

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• Do you offer special fees for kids, the disabled, or senior citizens?

Children under 2 years of age, enter for free.

Any person older than 2, but younger than 10 years of age, must pay the child fee to enter

People older than 10 years of age must pay the adult fee.

Disabled people or senior citizens pay the normal fee according to their age.

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• Do you offer an all-inclusive package?

Auto Safari Chapín offers package fees, which includes all the benefits of an individual entry fee, plus a food and drink combo at our restaurant.

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• How much do I pay for food and drink items?

You can see our current food and drink prices on our fees page. Click here to see our menu.

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• Do you have any seasonal promotions or discounts?

We frequently offer promotions or discounts independently or combined with our providers. Normally, you will find out about these promotions on Guatemalan media such as radio, newspapers, magazines, flyers, our internet page, or other means.

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• Do you change your fees or prices depending on holidays?

Auto Safari Chapín DOES NOT change its fees based on high-traffic seasons, such as Easter holiday, for example.

We reserve the right to change our fees at any moment, but generally our fees are adjusted according to the macroeconomic conditions, making sure that our changes are published primarily on our web page and other media, to prevent any unpleasant surprises to our visitors when coming to the park.

To learn about our current fees, visit our fees page on-line.

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• Are your published fees current?

Our website has the most current fees published. See them here.

If you wish to verify, contact us directly by telephone, calling 5517-1705. Guatemala's country code is 502.

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• I am only going to visit your park for a couple of hours, May I get a special fee?

The published fee will grant you access to the park for as much time as you like, during the day of your purchase.

If you wish to spend less time, you may do so, but we do not offer a discount according to the time you wish to spend at the park. You may exit and reenter the park on the same day without paying another entrance fee.

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• I am visiting the park, but I do not want to use the pool, or the boat service. May I get a special fee?

We only offer normal fee discounts when you pay our group rate or by selecting our package fees.

If you do not wish to use any of our services, you are free to do so, but we do not offer any discounts for not using services that are included on our entry fees.

When you pay your entry fee, we are giving you the right to enter the park and all its areas open to the public, park your car, enter our pedestrian zoo, use the pools, ride our boat around the lagoon, and use announced services according to the season. We also offer our van service in case you do not bring your own vehicle or the appropriate vehicle.

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Dates, hours, reservations

• What are your operating hours?

The park opens at 9:30 AM local time on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Mondays closed. We also open during any official Guatemalan holiday or published date. Check out newspapers or our webpage to make sure we will open on a specific holiday.

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• At what time do you close?

The park closes at 5:00 PM local time, every day that we open. Only certain holidays force us to close at noon. Check out the Hours page for more information.

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• Will the park be open on the date I plan to visit?

Normally, we are open from Tuesday to Sunday every week of the year. Some Mondays, if it is a holiday, the park will open its doors. See the following answer to learn whether we will be open for a specific date or holiday.

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• I am planning on visiting during local or regional holidays such as Easter, New years, Labor Day, etc. Will the park be open?

Auto Safari Chapín is open during national holidays and during holidays of the Republic of El Salvador. Before visiting, we recommend you check our Google Calendar below, or visit it separately by clicking here.

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• Do I have to make reservations?

It is not necessary if you come with your family or friends, or if you come in groups of less than 100 people. We are ready to give proper service to large groups without notice. However, when you want to bring a group of 100 people or more and use our restaurant service, it is preferable that you let us know in advance so we can coordinate faster lunch service for everyone in your group.

Although prepaying is not required, if you wish to pay your entry fees for more than 100 people to guarantee service, you may contact us or come directly to our office in Guatemala City located at 14 Calle 8-71 Zona 10. Office hours are 8 am to 5 pm every day of the week. We close on weekends. Remember that these hours are different than our park hours.

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• I am coming with a group of less than 20 people. Will you still offer me a discount?

If you are coming with a group with less than 20 members, we offer our individual fees. If you pay for our package fees, with included lunch, you will save over the standard fee. For more information, visit our fees page.

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• I am coming with a group of more than 20 people. Do you offer me a discount?

Groups larger than 20 members will get a group rate for each individual. If you pay for our lunch included package fee, you will get the best discount we offer. Check our fee page for more information.

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• Can I use the bus service from Auto Safari for my group?

Of course you can! Our bus service is given on a first come first serve basis, therefore we cannot guarantee availability. Generally, the tour lasts 45 minutes.

We have two air conditioned vans, both with 12 passenger capacity.

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• If I bring a group, can I tour the park on the bus that we used to come in?

If your group is coming in a large bus, you may tour the park in that bus. Have your passengers stay in the bus while the entrance tickets are being purchased, and a representative from Auto Safari Chapín will board the bus to count adults and children. You may then enter the park on your bus.

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• Do you offer special fees for churches, rehabilitation centers, retirement homes, charity groups, etc?

We only offer special programs for public schools with previous verification. Visit our fee page to see our group rates.

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Our services: Restaurant, pools, snacks, shops, etc.

• Do you have a restaurant?

Yes, we have restaurant service, where we offer a family menu. To see what our menu contains, visit our fee page, where you will find all the items and their prices in both Quetzales and US Dollars.

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• Can I bring my own food or drinks?

It is our park's policy not to allow food or drinks not served at the park. If it is imperative that you bring food items on your vehicle while travelling to and from the park, please leave them in your car. If you have a special medical condition that excludes certain food items offered in our menu from your diet, feel free to bring your meal, but please leave the remains in a trash bag inside your vehicle.

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• What happens if I bring food or drinks to the park?

If you consume food or drinks that have not been prepared at the park, we will kindly ask you to turn them in to our personnel or deposit them in the trash. The reason for not allowing food or drinks not prepared at the park is because of the threat these can pose to the animals. We have had animals die due to infections from food wrappers, straws, etc. brought by some visitors. Different food preparation methods and the transportation of these items in the car for long periods created ripe conditions for bacterial growth, and then our animals came in contact with them and contracted severe infections that led to their deaths.

Remember that many packaged food items bring with them straws, small caps, metallic openers, etc. and when having these remains in full view, the animals can ingest them, choke and die. Several animals have died already due to this. This is the reason why we do not provide straws, plastic cup covers and other small plastic or metallic items with our food.

Food preparation at home may be adequate to kill bacteria and parasites for immediate consumption, but if stored at room temperature for an additional amount of time (For example, one hour in a plastic bag inside your car while travelling to Auto Safari), bacteria can grow quite readily. Some of these bacteria can be tolerated by humans, but wild animals do not have resistance to certain pathogens. Several animals have died in our park after consuming food items brought by visitors (in the car tour and in the pedestrian zoo). Our elephant, Itosha, ate the remains of food brought into the park by a visitor, contracted salmonellosis, and even with intensive medical care, the elephant quickly succumbed and died.

Please help us taking care of our wild fauna! DO NOT BRING FOOD OR DRINKS TO THE PARK

Our food items are prepared with strict hygiene standards and the wrappers are specially designed to minimize the risk of infection.

We offer several options for everyone, including healthy options or the alternative to omit an ingredient for people with allergies. See our menu here

If you must bring special food due to illness, or in the case of babies, we recommend you deposit the remains in a trash bag inside your car.

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• Do you have a pool?

Yes, we have a large pool measuring 302 square meters and 1.10 meters deep. The smaller pool for kids measures 88 square meters and is one meter deep. Here is a model of the pools at Auto Safari.

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• Do you sell souvenirs, clothing, and accessories related to Auto Safari Chapín?

Yes, we have two souvenir shops, one at the entrance to the park (you may also visit on your way out) and another at the entrance to the pedestrian zoo. On our fee page you may see some of the items that we sell.

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• Can children come to the park?

Of course! Kids of any age are welcome to come to Auto Safari Chapín. Our park welcomes people of any age, specially the kids, so we can help in their education to protect our natural world.

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• Do you have games or rides for the kids?

We have installed several wood playhouses where kids can share swings, slides, ladders, tubes, etc.

Our large pool has a slide which is a hit with the kids.

Please supervise your children during play, as we are not responsible for the use given to them.

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• Do you have enough space to park my car safely?

Yes, we have parking for all types of vehicles, from cars to large buses; they are protected from the sun by natural shade from trees. It fits up to 800 vehicles, including several buses.

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• Can I park my bus?

Yes, you may park your bus in our large parking lot with natural shade. We can accommodate up to 800 vehicles, including several buses.

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• Do you have any mechanical rides?

At the moment, we do not have any mechanical rides, but we will notify the public of any offer for new rides for children and/or adults.

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• Can I bring my pet along?

If you have a pet, please leave it at home. Although we love all animals, household pets (even wild household pets) and our wild animals do not mix adequately in every case. The main reasons why we do not allow pets to be brought to the park are:

Possible illness transmission

Our animals or your pet may be sick, and this is sometimes very hard to observe with an untrained eye. Some animals do not have built defenses for strong and contagious illnesses that may cause certain death, and for the well being of our animals and your pet, we prefer to prevent any contact.

Behavior

Animals have strong instincts that dominate their behavior, having a tendency to be territorial or to be willing to defend their superiority against any perceived threat. For example, a wild animal, when seeing a pet, may feel threatened and wish to show his territorial dominance by using aggression. Other animals do not tolerate stress well, and an aggressive or excited pet may scare the wild animal enough to cause death. Some pets even resemble the natural prey of some wild animals, and it may prompt an animal to attack when it would not normally do so. This may result in injury to your pet and to yourself. By leaving your pet at home, you eliminate an additional risk to both you and your pet.

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• Is there surveillance and security at the park?

Yes, we have security guards around the park. During your tour, you will see several towers with people operating ropes that open the paddock doors. These people also are in charge of surveillance and will also assist you in case any problem arises.

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• Do you have barbecue pits (i.e. to prepare my own barbecue)?

No, we do not have barbecue pits to prepare grilled food. Our policy does not allow the entry of food and drink items not prepared at the park. However our restaurant prepares delicious barbecue dishes. Visit our fee page to see our menu and our barbecue or churrasco options.

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• Had you closed down the park?

No, the park has been continuously operating since January 26, 1980. We have never closed our doors permanently, and plan to continue operating normally until further notice.

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• Can I bring my children's toys?

If you wish to bring toys for use in the pool, we allow these kinds of toys only in the pool area. For any other toys, please leave them at home. Many toys have small parts, and kids can drop these parts outside the car window during the car tour. When our animals see these parts, their natural curiosity or similarity to food items may prompt them to ingest the piece, causing severe injury or even death. If it is imperative that you bring a toy, we recommend the person responsible for the children not to allow its use during the car tour, or while walking through the pedestrian zoo. Please advise the children on the consequences to the animals if they ingest these pieces.

We sell toys at the park, and we kindly request that parents or guardians supervise their children to prevent the toy from being thrown at the animals or the wrong usage of the toy, such as to bother the animals.

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• Unfortunately, I had a problem while at your park. What can I do to fix the problem?

If you have problems such as a deflated tire or injuries that require first aid, please contact our uniformed personnel and state your problem. They will do everything they can to assist you.

If your vehicle has a mechanical failure during the car tour, DO NOT EXIT THE VEHICLE! Honk your car horn or call the park's administrative offices using a cell phone. The number is 5517-1705. Please let them know the paddock number or the animals you can see in that paddock, the make, model, and vehicle color. You will receive assistances from our personnel as soon as it is possible.

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• I heard that there was an earthquake or flooding at Auto Safari, Will you be open? Did something happen to your animals?

During our park's history we have endured natural disasters such as intense rains, flooding, earthquakes, etc. We have a plan of action in place to keep our animals safe and healthy, and to keep the park open as much as possible regardless of the event. However, if we need to close down for maintenance and repairs, we will inform the public through our website.

If we need help with animal care, cleaning or reconstruction duties, we will notify the public through our web page and the media. We thank you in advance for your concern, and we will ask for help if needed.

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Location, maps and driving directions, other attractions, lodging, gas stations, driving times

• How do I get to Auto Safari Chapín?

We are located on Kilometer marker 87½ of the highway that connects Escuintla with Taxisco and the border crossing of La Hachadura with the Republic of El Salvador. The entrance to the park is on your right hand side if you are driving towards Taxisco and El Salvador. If you are coming from Taxisco or El Salvador towards Escuintla, the entrance will be on your left hand side.

We have prepared a page with maps so that you can plan your drive accordingly. Click here to see this page.

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• After visiting Auto Safari, I want to go to (name the place) ____________. How can I get there?

Several people ask us how to go to other places after visiting Auto Safari Chapín. Some want to know how to get to Puerto de San Jose, others want to go to IRTRA in Retalhuleu, and others wish to go to Antigua Guatemala or Guatemala City.

To better answer this question, our maps and location page contains all that you need to know about planning your drive to other locations after visiting Auto Safari Chapín. Visit our location and maps page here.

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• How long is the drive to/from (name the place) __________?

You can find several guided maps with approximate times for each route, from different destinations. Visit our location and maps page here.

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• How far is Auto Safari from my house or hotel?

You can find several guided maps with distances for each route, from different destinations. Visit our location and maps page here.

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• I am coming from El Salvador, Which border crossing do I use to enter Guatemala?

There are three border crossings that you may use when entering from El Salvador. We list them in order, from the closest to the farthest.

If you wish to see the route in Google Maps, click on the icon beside the text. The map will open in a new window. If you want to see the route in Google Earth, click on the icon beside the text. The map will open in Google Earth (if installed). If you have not installed Google Earth, download it for free here:

La Hachadura - Ciudad Pedro de Alvarado Border Crossing |

Valle Nuevo - Las Chinamas Border Crossing |

San Cristobal Border Crossing |

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• What is the closest gas station to Auto Safari?

The closest gas station is located 3 KM away from Auto Safari Chapín, on Kilometer marker 84. They offer regular gasoline, premium gasoline and diesel.

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• Can you pick me up at the airport (La Aurora)?

We do not offer transport service from the airport in Guatemala City, however there are many local transport providers and taxicabs that offer transportation from La Aurora Airport to the Pacific coast area. We recommend contacting tour agencies or the properly identified providers directly at airport information booths.

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• Which transport method (bus route, taxi, etc.) is best to get to Auto Safari from my location?

There are several bus lines that pass by Auto Safari Chapín on their regular routes and can therefore drop you off:

•  Tropical

•  Delta

•  Reinita

•  Cubanita

•  Princesita

•  Aguila (Leaves from Escuintla)

These routes leave the main bus terminal in zone 4 of Guatemala City. It is the cheapest transport method. Times vary, but buses leave every half hour or more frequently, every day, starting at 6 AM and finishing at 6 PM. As of June 2007, the approximate price per person is about Q25 from Guatemala City to Auto Safari Chapín. For more secure and comfortable rides, we recommend hiring a tour-company bus or minivan. Visit Guatemala's tourism board website for more information.

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• Do you have lodging at Auto Safari Chapín?

Currently, Auto Safari Chapín does notoffer lodging services at the park, but there are several options:

If you do not wish to drive more than 45 minutes to get to a hotel, you can go to Escuintla, a city that is 20 minutes driving time from the park. Here you will find Hotel Sarita and Motel Texas.

If you are willing to drive or travel more than 45 minutes, your lodging options improve. Auto Safari Chapín recommends three locales with ample lodging. Puerto de San Jose and Monterrico offer excellent hotels ranging from very economic to very comfortable. There are also several boutique hotels offering high quality service in a quiet atmosphere. The majority have a pool and access to the beach.

In Antigua Guatemala you will find several hotels with a family ambiance, as well as boutique hotels offering the best in comfort. Quality ranges from the very cheap to extremely luxurious.

If you need more information about lodging options close to Auto Safari Chapín, visit our location page or Guatemala's tourism board pages listed below:

Escuintla (Includes Puerto de San Jose and Monterrico)

Sacatepéquez (Antigua Guatemala)

Santa Rosa

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• Which are the closest hotels to Auto Safari Chapín?

The closest hotel to Auto Safari Chapín is Barú hotel located on kilometer marker 114.5 of the CA-2 highway on which Auto Safari Chapín is located. The next closest hotels are in Escuintla.

For more hotel options, you must drive 45 minutes or more.

To learn about the different lodging options in the Pacific Coast and in Antigua Guatemala, visit our location page.

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Animal information, purchasing, sales or donations, taking pictures or video at the park

• How many animals do you have in your collection?

Our collection has about 100+ different species, with a total of about 1,100 animals.

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• Which animal species do you have?

To see our collection list, see here.

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• Do you have a specific animal?

If you need to know about a specific animal in our collection, see our list here.

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• Do you have pictures or videos of the park, and/or the animals?

Yes, we have a photo and video gallery on our website. Click here for photos and here for videos.

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• I want to buy one of your animals Can you sell it to me, and how much does it cost?

It depends. Auto Safari Chapín is dedicated to conserving our wild fauna, so in general, we do not sell animals to the public. We do sell animals that have been successfully reproduced, even endangered species, but only to persons or institutions registered with CONAP (Protected Area Council of Guatemala) or a similar foreign institution. These institutions or persons must at least have the goal of helping with reproduction or conservation of the species they intend to buy, and be trained in handling wildlife. This can also help us in reducing overpopulation at the park, which is detrimental to the animals.

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• May I hunt animals at Auto Safari Chapín?

NO! We do not allow animal hunting at Auto Safari Chapín. Other institutions or persons may give you the opportunity to hunt legally.

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• I have wild animals in my possession that I wish to donate to Auto Safari Chapín, How can I do this?

Several people buy wild animals to poachers so they can bring these animals home as pets. Parrots, monkeys, margays, etc. are the most popular ones. Their new owners think that having an exotic pet is fun or a symbol of luxury. It is very sad to see these animals end up caged when they grow up or become more dangerous. Animals that need special care end up in a small cage, undernourished and in poor conditions. The food cost prompts the owner to simplify the diet, and after some time, the animal falls sick and might even die. In other cases, the owners decide to donate the animal. This cycle only helps in destroying the animals' habitat and natural population levels.

In order to prevent this deadly cycle, we prefer not to receive donations. However, if you find a wild animal on your property, or if you rescued an injured animal, we will gladly accept your donation. In order to accept donations, you need to have properly filled paperwork and authorization from CONAP.

Let's leave animals in their natural habitat or under the care of specialized institutions. Help us conserve our wildlife!

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• Can I take pictures and/or shoot video at the park?

You may take as many pictures and video as you like for personal use.

If you wish to use these photographs or video for commercial purposes, please see this answer.

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• I went to the park and took pictures/video; can I send them to you?

We thank you in advance for any picture or video that you send us, and if it is of excellent quality (Greater than 5 Megapixels) we reserve the right to use it on any public media to promote our image. If we do use your image with promotional intentions, we will credit the photographer, without monetary compensation.

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• I need to take pictures or shoot video for a specific project, do I need permission?

If you wish to use photographs or video for news reports, TV programs or to use them for any commercial purpose such as print publications, websites, etc. we will gladly allow you to do so if you notify the administration about your intentions.

If you wish to use images and video for an academic project, please let us know in advance so we can best assist you.

When notifying us, please indicate the purpose (News report, Tourism, Academic project, etc.) and we will arrange for the best day and methods to obtain the images or video you need.

Auto Safari Chapín must receive a copy of the images taken in such sessions, and we reserve the right to use these images or video in our publicity on any medium we choose without further consultation with you. We will give due credit to the person or institution responsible for the image or video.

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• Can I come and take pictures or shoot video on a day that the park is not open to the public?

Depending on your needs and the magnitude of the project, it is possible to do photo or video sessions on days that we are closed to the public. This is only possible with prior authorization. Contact us.

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• Do you charge for taking pictures and/or shoot video for commercial purposes or special reports?

Taking photographs or recording video has no additional cost than the entry fee. If it is a large scale project, we may be able to arrange special fees. Contact us.

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• I found out via the press, radio or TV about an exchange or sale of an animal to another entity. Is the animal going to be OK? Will the animal's parents or other animals miss it?

We normally exchange animals in our collection with other institutions to manage our animal population for their benefit. Other institutions acquire animals to meet their collection plans and to better reproduce the species.

Auto Safari Chapín ensures that the receiving institution cares for them properly. The psychological effect of an animal leaving their customary group is virtually non-existent. We only exchange the animals if they are healthy use appropriate dosages of tranquilizers to reduce stress and trauma and use transportation methods according to international rules for the care of animals in transit.

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• I wish to know more about the park's history, where can I find out more?

Please visit this page where you can learn more about our park's history.

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Sponsorship

• Can you sponsor me?

Auto Safari Chapín will review your request on a case by case basis, so please contact us to discuss your case.

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• Can I sponsor an animal at Auto Safari Chapín?

At the moment we do not have animal sponsorship programs in place, but continue visiting our page, where we will notify the public of any new promotion or program focused on public participation.

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Tour Operators

• I am a tour operator. What packages do you offer? How do you work with tour operators?

Please visit our fee page for individual, group and package rates. If you wish to negotiate a specific promotion with your travel agency, tour agency or transportation company, please contact us.

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