Pacaya or Acatenango?
Pacaya or Acatenango from Antigua: six hours or two days, 2,544 m or 3,976 m, a day trip or a night facing Fuego. Price, effort, park fees and who each one suits.
Choose Acatenango if you can give it two days and a hard climb: you sleep at base camp across from Fuego and reach a 3,976 m summit at sunrise. Choose Pacaya if you have six hours or want an easier day: a shorter walk to 2,544 m (both heights CONAP, 2008), steam vents and lava fields, and back in Antigua the same day. For most people with the time and the fitness, Acatenango is the one to book; Volcano Expeditions’ From Antigua: 2-Day Acatenango Volcano Hiking Adventure is from US$57 a person (checked November 2026).
The calendar shows Acatenango dates and the price for the day you pick. You can reserve now, pay later and cancel free until 24 hours before.
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.
The two side by side
| Acatenango | Pacaya | |
|---|---|---|
| Tour | 2-Day Acatenango Volcano Hiking Adventure (Volcano Expeditions) | Pacaya Volcano Tour in English/Spanish (Volcano Expeditions) |
| From | US$57 | US$23 |
| Length | 2 days, a night at base camp | 6 hours |
| Height | 3,976 m | 2,544 m |
| On foot | 4.5 to 6 hours up to camp, then the summit before dawn | A guided hike to the plateau and back |
| By road from Antigua | 21.7 km to the park entrance near La Soledad | About 32 km to San Vicente Pacaya |
| Park fee | Q100 for foreign visitors (municipality), not included | Not included; Q100 a person in the tour’s own figure |
| Guide | Spanish | Spanish, English |
| Not for | Children under 11, people over 65, a low level of fitness | Pregnant women, wheelchair users, babies under 1 |
GetYourGuide from-prices a person, checked November 2026. Heights from CONAP (2008); the Acatenango fee from the Municipalidad de Acatenango (checked November 2026).
The effort
Acatenango is the hard one. The climb from La Soledad to base camp takes 4.5 to 6 hours on Volcano Expeditions' hike, depending on the group’s pace; you carry at least 3 litres of water, and the summit climb starts in the dark on day two. The tour needs a good level of fitness and some hiking experience. acatenangovolcanohiking.com goes through the Acatenango climb in detail.
Pacaya is shorter, not flat. A four-star review of Volcano Expeditions' Pacaya tour from 13 September 2026 calls it short, around 1.5 hours up, but a fairly steep incline, and horses are offered on the trail for anyone who tires. If you want to skip the climb altogether, Simon S.A.'s ATV trip rides quad bikes over Pacaya’s lava fields, from US$125.
The night, and Fuego
The night is what Acatenango has and Pacaya does not. The camps on Acatenango look across the valley at Fuego, the active volcano beside it; you eat dinner there and sleep in a cabin or tent. On Pacaya you see Fuego, Agua and Acatenango from the top, then go home the same day.
What Fuego does on any night is up to the volcano. INSIVUMEH, the national volcano institute, publishes a daily bulletin; on 7 November 2026 it recorded three to five explosions an hour. Its ascent is not authorized (CONRED, 9 August 2026).
Who should pick which
Book whichever fits you:
From Antigua: 2-Day Acatenango Volcano Hiking Adventure
Volcano Expeditions' Acatenango hike: hotel pickup, a night at base camp facing Fuego, three meals and the sunrise summit. Guide in Spanish; the park entrance and water are extra.
Check dates →From Antigua: Pacaya Volcano Tour in English/Spanish
Volcano Expeditions' Pacaya tour: hotel pickup, a guided hike to the steam vents and the view of three volcanoes, marshmallows included. Guide in Spanish and English; the park entrance is extra.
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.
- Pick Acatenango if you have two days, walk for hours at home and want the night facing Fuego and a summit sunrise.
- Pick Pacaya if you have six free hours, are travelling with children (Volcano Expeditions’ Acatenango hike takes no one under 11), or want a volcano without a night in the cold.
- Do both if you have the days: they leave from the same town and do not overlap. The Pacaya volcano tour has the Pacaya trips side by side.
More 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.
Two Days on Acatenango
Volcano Expeditions' hike from Antigua: hotel pickup, the climb from La Soledad, a night at base camp facing Fuego and the sunrise summit.
Check dates