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From Antigua · Acatenango overnight · Pacaya by day
Guatemala Volcano Hike
Acatenango is the long one: two days from Antigua, a night at base camp across from Fuego and a sunrise summit at 3,976 m. Pacaya is the six-hour alternative. Prices, inclusions and the rules on Fuego, compared.
Pick your volcano
Which Guatemala Volcano Hike?
A volcano hike in Guatemala usually means one of two trips from Antigua: two days on Acatenango, with a night at base camp across the valley from Fuego and a summit of 3,976 m (CONAP, 2008), or six hours on Pacaya, a shorter climb to steam vents and old lava fields. If you have the legs and two days, book Acatenango; Volcano Expeditions’ From Antigua: 2-Day Acatenango Volcano Hiking Adventure is from US$57 a person (checked November 2026). If you have six hours rather than two days, Pacaya is the one. Fuego itself is watched, not climbed.
From Antigua: 2-Day Acatenango Volcano Hiking Adventure
Volcano Expeditions: hotel pickup, 4.5 to 6 hours up from La Soledad, a night at base camp with three meals, and the sunrise summit. Guide in Spanish; the park entrance and water are extra.
Check dates →Acatenango Volcano Overnight Tour (2 Days and 1 Night)
Tours & Activities SA: a guide in Spanish and English, an A-frame cabin with a mattress and pillow, three meals and the sunrise summit hike. The park entrance (Q100) is extra.
See the tour →From Antigua: Pacaya Volcano Tour in English/Spanish
Volcano Expeditions: hotel pickup, a guided hike to the plateau, marshmallows over a steam vent, views of Agua, Fuego and Acatenango from the top. The park entrance is extra.
See the tour →Antigua: Pacaya Volcano ATV Adventure
Simon S.A.: quad bikes from San Vicente Pacaya over volcanic sand and lava fields to the Calderas lagoon, lunch and entry fees included. Limited to 10; no hotel pickup.
See the tour →Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
CONRED restricted the ascent of Acatenango on 4 August 2026, during Fuego’s eruption; operators were selling dates in November 2026 when we checked. Check CONRED and INGUAT before you go.
- 4.4 / 5 1786+ Reviews
- 32 km About 32 km by road from Antigua to San Vicente Pacaya, the town the Pacaya tours drive to
- 3,976 m Acatenango's summit, the height CONAP gives in Guatemala y su biodiversidad (2008)
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
The Acatenango Hike in Two Days
The climb from La Soledad, a night at base camp across from Fuego, and the summit at dawn.
Volcano Expeditions' own highlights, inclusions and notes, as listed on GetYourGuide in November 2026.
Highlights
- Hike to the summit of Acatenango Volcano
- Sleep under the stars at base camp
- Enjoy breathtaking views above the clouds
- Witness a spectacular sunrise from the summit
What's Included
- Round-trip transportation from your hotel
- Dome accommodation
- Sleeping bag
- Mat
- Guide
- Lunch, Day 1
- Dinner, Day 1
- Breakfast, Day 2
- Hot chocolate
- Menus (normal, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options)
- Hike
- Gloves
- Cold hat
- Jacket (not impermeable)
- Luggage storage
Good to know: The hike requires a good level of fitness and moderate hiking experience, as the trail can be steep and physically demanding · During the first day, there will be three bathroom stops along the route, so please bring your own toilet paper · It's best to bring warm clothing, as temperatures get very cold at night, sunglasses, extra socks, hiking shoes, sunscreen, toiletries, a flashlight, extra water, and a rain jacket depending on the season. A backpack of approximately 45 liters is also recommended · Flashlights, backpacks, hiking shoes, and hiking poles are available for rent before the hike begins · Please bring at least 3 liters of water per person. Approximately half a liter will be used to prepare coffee or hot chocolate · It is highly recommended to bring extra food, as the hike is long and physically demanding. Recommended: sandwiches, snacks, fruit, and protein bars · Not suitable for: Children under 11 years, Pregnant women, People with mobility impairments, People with heart problems, People over 65 years, People with low level of fitness · Not Included: Entrance fee to the volcano (100 quetzales / 13 dollars), Water, Extra tour to the Fuego Volcano (Q200)
Acatenango from Antigua and Back
Pickup in Antigua, the climb from La Soledad, a night at base camp and the sunrise summit, as Volcano Expeditions' itinerary sets out the two days.
Pickup in Antigua
Pickup from your hotel in Antigua; the trip started at 8:00 AM on the dates we read. A stop at Volcano Expeditions' station hands out food, jackets, gloves and hats, and rents backpacks and flashlights.
La Soledad to Base Camp
From the village of La Soledad, 4.5 to 6 hours up to base camp depending on the group's pace, with three bathroom stops on the way. Lunch on day one is included.
A Night at Base Camp
In by late afternoon, with dinner, hot chocolate, a sleeping bag and a mat. The camp looks across the valley to Fuego.
Sunrise Summit and Down
An early climb to the summit for sunrise; anyone who would rather not can wait at camp. Breakfast at camp, the walk down to where the hike started, and the bus back to your accommodation in Antigua.
Photo Gallery
Forest Trail, Camp and Summit
The trail, the camp and the views from Acatenango's slopes.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Volcano Expeditions' two-day Acatenango hike from Antigua: hotel pickup, the climb from La Soledad, a night at base camp with a sleeping bag and mat, three meals and hot chocolate, and the sunrise summit. Guide in Spanish. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Plan Your Volcano Hike
Planning a Volcano Hike in Guatemala
Pacaya by day, Pacaya or Acatenango, the volcanoes you see from Antigua, the rules on Fuego and Guatemala's volcanoes by height.
Prices are each page's featured tour: GetYourGuide checked November 2026. Tour prices on GetYourGuide and Viator are in US dollars; fees paid in Guatemala are in quetzales (Q).
Four Volcano Hikes from Antigua Side by Side
Two days on Acatenango, with a Spanish-speaking or a bilingual guide, against six hours on Pacaya, on foot or by quad bike: length, start, the walking, what the price covers and the limits. GetYourGuide prices with the month they were checked.
| Feature | THIS PAGE Acatenango, two days | Acatenango, bilingual guide | Pacaya on foot | Pacaya by quad bike |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | From US$57 per person (checked November 2026) | From US$90 per person (checked November 2026) | From US$23 per person (checked November 2026) | From US$125 per person (checked November 2026) |
| Length | 2 days, a night at base camp | 2 days, a night in an A-frame cabin | 6 hours | 7 hours |
| Start | Hotel pickup in Antigua, 7 pickup locations; 8:00 AM on the dates we read | Meet the guide in Antigua; 7:30 AM on the January date we read | Hotel pickup in Antigua, 17 pickup locations | A meeting point in Antigua; no hotel pickup |
| The Walking | 4.5 to 6 hours up from La Soledad; summit before dawn on day two | The trek up with lunch on the way; sunrise summit hike | A guided hike to the plateau and the steam vents | Little: a quad bike over volcanic sand and lava fields |
| In the Price | Pickup, guide, three meals, hot chocolate, sleeping bag and mat, jacket, gloves and hat lent | Transport, bilingual guide, three meals, hot drinks, cabin with mattress and pillow | Hotel pickup, bus, bilingual guide, marshmallows | Transport, guide, ATV, entry fees, sandwich and drinks |
| Not Included | Park entrance, water, the extra Fuego trip | Park entrance (Q100), water, gear, Fuego | Park entrance, food | Hotel pickup, alcohol |
| Guide | Spanish | Spanish, English | Spanish, English | English, Spanish; limited to 10 |
| Limits | Not for children under 11, people over 65, or anyone with heart problems or a low level of fitness | Not for people with back or heart problems, epilepsy, or over 115 kg; no sandals | Not for pregnant women, wheelchair users or babies under 1 | Not for wheelchair users; runs rain or shine |
| Best For | The full Acatenango climb at the lowest price here | Acatenango with a guide in English as well as Spanish | A volcano in six hours, at a low price | Pacaya's lava fields without the climb |
| Check dates | See the tour | See the tour | See the tour |
More Ways to Go
Other Volcano Hikes from Antigua
Pacaya by day with the park fee included, on a sunset hike or with lunch on the mountain, and the Acatenango overnight hikes sold on Viator.
PACAYA, LOW PRICEFrom Antigua: Pacaya Volcano Trek
Marvelus Travel's 6-hour Pacaya trek with hotel pickup in Antigua (17 pickup points) and a guide in Spanish and English: pine forest, a volcanic ash section and the smoking cone, with marshmallows to roast. The crater itself is off limits. The entrance fee (Q100 a person) and food are not included. Not for children under 4 or people over 80.
PACAYA AT SUNSETFrom Antigua: Pacaya Volcano Day Hike
Old Town Outfitters' 6-hour Pacaya hike from Antigua, at 08:00 or 14:00 for a sunset hike: private transport to the park office, the trail through forest and across old lava fields, a picnic lunch or dinner on the mountain, and all park entrance fees. Guide in Spanish and English. Bring hiking boots, a warm layer, water and, for the sunset hike, a flashlight.
FROM GUATEMALA CITYFrom Guatemala City or Antigua: Pacaya Volcano Day Tour
Guatemalan Adventure's 6-hour Pacaya day tour from Guatemala City or Antigua, guided in Spanish and English: a walk on volcanic sand paths to the plateau below the main crater, or the climb by horse, with views of the Calderas lagoon. All entrances and taxes and a bottle of water are included; meals are not.
PACAYA ON VIATORHike to Pacaya Volcano from Antigua
Voyageur Tours' 6-hour Pacaya hike on Viator: shared transport from Antigua with hotel pickup at selected hotels and a trail guide in Spanish and basic English. The park entrance (Q100 a person, cash at the entrance), an optional horse and a walking stick are paid on the spot.
ACATENANGO ON VIATOROvernight Adventure Hike Acatenango Volcano
Brothers Expeditions' two-day Acatenango hike on Viator: sleeping bags, mats, gloves and sweaters included, with breakfast on day two. The park entrance, backpacks, walking sticks and flashlights are not. All sales are final: no refund for cancellations.
Volcano hikes from Antigua
Two Volcanoes to Climb, One to Watch
Where the volcanoes are, what the Acatenango and Pacaya tours involve, why nobody sells Fuego's summit, and what you pay on the day.
The volcanoes around Antigua
Four volcanoes stand around Antigua. Acatenango and Fuego stand side by side to the south-west, Agua rises south of the town, and Pacaya lies to the south-east. The heights are CONAP’s: Acatenango 3,976 m, Agua 3,776 m, Fuego 3,763 m and Pacaya 2,544 m. All the tours here start in Antigua. The volcanoes near Antigua takes them one by one.
Acatenango: two days and a night facing Fuego
The Acatenango hike starts at La Soledad, 21.7 km by road from Antigua. On Volcano Expeditions’ hike the climb to base camp takes 4.5 to 6 hours, depending on the group’s pace; you sleep at camp, across from Fuego, and climb to the summit before dawn for sunrise, or wait at camp if you would rather. The US$57 covers hotel pickup, three meals, hot chocolate, a sleeping bag and mat, and the loan of a jacket, gloves and a hat. The guide speaks Spanish.
It is a hard walk: the tour is not for children under 11, people over 65 or anyone with a low level of fitness.
Pacaya: six hours, steam vents and lava fields
Pacaya is in its own national park, the Parque Nacional Volcán de Pacaya y Laguna de Calderas, about 32 km by road from Antigua to the town of San Vicente Pacaya. Volcano Expeditions' Pacaya tour is from US$23 (checked November 2026), 6 hours with hotel pickup at 17 points in Antigua and a guide in Spanish and English. The hike goes through forest and along a path between walls of hardened lava to the plateau, where you toast marshmallows over a steam vent and see Agua, Fuego and Acatenango from the top. Whether there is lava to see depends on the volcano’s activity.
The Pacaya volcano tour compares the Pacaya trips, and Pacaya or Acatenango helps you choose.
Fuego: watched, not climbed
Fuego, 3,763 m, is the active volcano beside Acatenango. CONRED said on 9 August 2026 that its ascent is not authorized, and INSIVUMEH, the national volcano institute, reports on it every day. You see it from the camps on Acatenango and from the top of Pacaya. Some Acatenango tours sell an extra trip to Fuego on top of the hike; where it goes is not stated. Can you climb Fuego has the rules.
What you pay on the day
- Acatenango’s park entrance: Q100 (quetzales) a person for foreign visitors, set by the Municipalidad de Acatenango (checked November 2026). It is extra on Volcano Expeditions’ Acatenango hike and on Tours & Activities SA's.
- Pacaya’s park entrance: CONAP’s page for the park publishes no fee. Volcano Expeditions and Marvelus Travel leave it out of their Pacaya tours and give it as Q100 a person; Simon S.A.'s ATV trip and Old Town Outfitters' hike include it.
- Water and snacks: at least 3 litres of water a person on Volcano Expeditions’ Acatenango hike, and food on the Pacaya tours, where it is not included.
What reviewers mention
We read the 350 newest GetYourGuide reviews of Volcano Expeditions’ two trips:
- Acatenango (1,786 reviews in all), the oldest of the 350 dated 8 May 2026 and the newest 7 November 2026: 53 give three stars or fewer. The complaints that come up most are about the guides, the camp (crowded, cold), the size of the group and too little food.
- Pacaya (1,403 in all), the oldest dated 13 April 2026 and the newest 5 November 2026: 32 give three stars or fewer. Horses come up in 34 of the 350: handlers following the group up the trail and offering rides to the slowest, which several reviewers found tiresome and a few found unsafe on a narrow path.
Before you book
- Fitness. Acatenango is a full day’s climb and a pre-dawn summit; Pacaya is a shorter climb, and the ATV trip skips it.
- Language. The guide on Volcano Expeditions’ Acatenango hike speaks Spanish; on Tours & Activities SA's Acatenango tour and Volcano Expeditions' Pacaya tour the guide is listed in Spanish and English.
- Cancelling. Every GetYourGuide tour here can be cancelled free up to 24 hours before, and you can reserve now and pay later.
Two Days on Acatenango
Volcano Expeditions' hike from Antigua: hotel pickup, the climb from La Soledad, a night at base camp with three meals and hot chocolate, and the summit at dawn on day two. Starting from US$57 per person.
Check datesMore from Antigua
Volcano Hikes and Day Trips from Antigua with Open Dates
Volcano hikes and other trips from Antigua Guatemala with live availability. Pickup, what is included and the cancellation terms show before you book.
Guatemala Volcano Hikes: Questions
Which volcano, the shorter hike, the volcanoes near Antigua, Fuego, the prices and the park fees.
From Antigua, the two volcanoes the tours climb are Acatenango and Pacaya. Acatenango is two days with a night at base camp across from Fuego and a summit of 3,976 m; Volcano Expeditions' hike is from US$57 a person (checked November 2026). Pacaya is a six-hour trip; Volcano Expeditions' Pacaya tour is from US$23. See Pacaya or Acatenango.
Of the two the tours climb, Pacaya is the shorter: a six-hour trip from Antigua against two days on Acatenango. On Guatemalan Adventure's Pacaya tour the walk is about 2.5 hours, or you ride up by horse. For Pacaya without the climb, Simon S.A.'s ATV trip rides quad bikes over its lava fields. See the Pacaya volcano tour.
Four stand around it: Agua, Acatenango, Fuego and Pacaya. Agua (3,776 m) rises south of the town, Acatenango (3,976 m) and Fuego (3,763 m) stand side by side to the south-west, and Pacaya (2,544 m) is to the south-east (heights from CONAP, 2008). By road it is 21.7 km from Antigua to the Acatenango park entrance near La Soledad and about 32 km to San Vicente Pacaya. See the volcanoes near Antigua.
No: CONRED, Guatemala's disaster-reduction agency, said on 9 August 2026 that the ascent of Fuego is not authorized. Fuego is watched from the base camps on Acatenango, its neighbour, and from the top of Pacaya on a clear day. See can you climb Fuego.
From US$23 a person for Pacaya and from US$57 for two days on Acatenango (checked November 2026). Volcano Expeditions' Pacaya tour and its Acatenango hike both leave the park entrance out. Tours & Activities SA's Acatenango tour, with a guide in Spanish and English, is from US$90, and Simon S.A.'s Pacaya ATV trip from US$125, entry fees included.
Acatenango: Q100 (quetzales) a person for foreign visitors, set by the Municipalidad de Acatenango (checked November 2026). For Pacaya, CONAP's page for the national park publishes no fee; the Pacaya tours that leave it out give it as Q100 a person: Volcano Expeditions and Marvelus Travel. Some tours include the fee, such as Simon S.A.'s ATV trip and Old Town Outfitters' Pacaya hike.
It depends on the volcano on the day, and no tour can promise it. On Pacaya, Volcano Expeditions' tour puts any lava flow down to the volcano's activity. For Fuego, INSIVUMEH, the national volcano institute, publishes a daily bulletin; on 7 November 2026 it recorded three to five explosions an hour. Cloud can hide both.
Check before you go. CONRED restricted the ascent of Acatenango on 4 August 2026, during Fuego's eruption; operators were selling dates in November 2026 when we checked. Check CONRED and INGUAT before you go. Every GetYourGuide hike here can be cancelled free up to 24 hours before.
Tajumulco, 4,211 m, in the west of the country, then Tacaná at 4,092 m and Acatenango at 3,976 m (CONAP, 2008). Acatenango is the highest of the volcanoes near Antigua. See Guatemala's volcanoes.
Still have questions? Email us at info@guatemala-volcano-hike.com