Guatemala is a beautiful country, full of countryside, mountainous landscapes, historic ruins, and a rich culture!
This was the first country I visited in Centrical America, and in addition to the reasons listed above, there were a few other factors that went into my decision when deciding where in Central America to visit, and if Guatemala was the right choice.
It’s safe for female travelers, the food is delicious, the people are kind. But what really sold me on visiting Guatemala is hiking a volcano!!
After learning that not only could you hike an active volcano, but you can also roast marshmallows on the lava rocks from it, it was a no brainer for me. I needed to do this! And so far, I haven’t done anything else like it. It’s a truly unique experience.
If you’re on the fence about visiting, let this be your push to go for it! I’ll cover everything you need to know about hiking Pacaya Volcano as a day trip from Antigua, Guatemala – a colorful, vibrant town less than an hour away!
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Why Hike Pacaya Volcano?
For me, my initial decision I had to make was whether or not I wanted to attempt Acatenango Volcano. This is another very popular volcano hike, but it requires a lot more commitment, as you’ll see later.
As amazing and absolutely epic as this hike looks – like, you literally see lava spitting out of the volcano at night?! – there were a few reasons I chose to hike Pacaya Volcano over Acatenango.
The first reason was time constraint. Our trip total was four nights in Guatemala. To hike Acatenango, it takes an hour to get there from Antigua, upwards of 8 hours to summit the volcano, camp there overnight, and then head back down in the morning.
To hike Pacaya, it was only a six hour total day trip. We started bright and early at 6 AM, and were back around noon, having practically our whole day in front of us.
The second reason we chose to hike Pacaya Volcano was the difficulty. While I consider myself in shape, I didn’t want to hike for 8 hours and then drain myself for the rest of my vacation. Hiking up 2 hours at Pacaya is a lot less challenging than hiking up for four times that long.
The final main reason was cost. It was only about around $30 total for everything needed to hike Pacaya. For Acatenango, some of the cheaper tours are in the $50 range, but most are in the $100s.
However, If I could do this trip over again, I’d do both! All these things considered, I’m bummed I missed out on Acatenango, but Pacaya was still an unforgettable experience. I guess I’ll just have to go back!
iS PACAYA VOLCANO ACTIVE?
Pacaya is an active volcano. This actually only changed in the 1960s, as it was dormant for decades before that.
While Pacaya is considered an active volcano, it hasn’t erupted since 2021, and there has only been 23 documented eruptions since the mid 1500s.
is it safe to hike pacaya volcano?
Since you’ll be doing this hike with an experienced, licensed guide, it is considered safe to hike the volcano.
Local authorities monitor the eruption risk of the volcano, and the guides are aware of how to safely navigate the hike.
The hike itself is a standard moderate hike. If you haven’t done a hike of similar length and elevation before, it may be challenging, but unless you’ve never done a hike before in your life or have no fitness level, I wouldn’t call it dangerous for this reason.
I’d say this has the typical risk associated with a moderate hike, with the added in that you are hiking next to an active volcano, so of course, there is some risk there if the unexpected happens.
wHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT PACAYA VOLCANO?
The best time of the year to visit Pacaya Volcano is during the dry season, which is November to April. However, we went in May, and it was dry for us the whole time.
The temperature in this area doesn’t vary greatly from month to month, usually ranging from the 50s to 70s year round.
As for time of day, most tours offer a morning option and an afternoon option.
The morning option starts off with a pickup from your hotel (or a meeting point, depending on your tour) at 6 AM, meaning you start your hike around 8-8:30 AM. This is the tour time we opted for, as we wanted the rest of our evening free when we got back around noon. We also didn’t want to risk having to hike in the dark. Overall, this time made more sense for our schedule.
You can also do the afternoon tour, which leaves the hotel around 2 PM. Since the overall trip is about 6 hours, you’ll get back around 8 PM. But, you’ll probably get to see the volcano at sunset.
There’s pros and cons to hiking in the morning or the afternoon, and I think the best time to hike it really depends on if you want your morning or afternoon free to relax and do as you please.
I will say, you will be tired afterwards, so don’t expect to do too much with your day if you do the morning hike. We spent our evening afterwards enjoying drinks with our new friends from the tour at a local brewery.
Do you need a guide to hike pacaya volcano?
It is required to have a licensed guide with you to hike Pacaya Volcano.
It’s an active volcano, a difficult hike, and you come across volcanic rock. Due to these reasons, and perhaps even more, you can’t do this hike without a guide.
Your first option for a guide is to hire a guide at the entrance to the park.
The second option, and the one I’d recommend, is booking a group tour where your guide is included.
We did this through Marvelus Travels, and it was a great experience! Our tour was awesome, and we met a lot of cool people on our hike. Guided tours are a great way to immerse yourself in the culture, while also meeting likeminded travelers.
How Far in Advance should i book a tour?
We booked our tour less than a month in advance with no issues.
As soon as you know when your trip is, I’d go ahead and plan it, but you should have no issues if you book only a few days in advance.
November to May is the most popular time to visit Guatemala as it’s the dry season, so keep that in mind when planning your booking.
Do you Need to know spanish for a tour?
Our local guide spoke English, so I wouldn’t say it’s necessary to know Spanish for this tour. However, I think it’s a good practice when visiting a foreign country to at least know some basics of the language.
During our tour, in addition to leading us, our guide would point out local wildlife, scenery, and tell us history of the surrounding areas in limited English.
Really though, how much you speak to the guide is up to you. We didn’t engage in too much direct conversation with him (I was a bit out of breath, and near the back of the group…), so it may have been a different experience if so.
While you don’t need to know Spanish for a guided tour of Pacaya Volcano, I think it would be very beneficial to know some before you start your trip to Antigua. I took a few years of Spanish, so I have a basic conversational knowledge of the language, and it was a bit challenging for me.
A lot of people speak English in the town, but also, a lot of people don’t. For example, our taxi driver and a few of the employees at restaurants we went to didn’t speak English. But, the employee who checked us into our hotel did, as did some guides on other tours we took. It will just vary from location to location.
If you’re looking for a cultural immersion and want to practice your Spanish, Antigua and Pacaya Volcano are a great place to go! The locals didn’t speak too quickly, and if you’re trying, they all were very helpful and happy to engage with you.
If you don’t know any Spanish, consider going over a few phrases of vocabulary before your trip to Guatemala.
hOW MUCH dOES IT COST to Hike pacaya volcano?
The entry cost to enter the national park is 100 Guatemalan Quetzal for a foreign tourist, or around 13 USD. A lot of guided tours don’t include this in their cost, so make sure to bring this. I’d recommend bringing this in cash, as I don’t recall if they had a card machine, but on their website recently they said they only take cash.
You can get Guatemalan Quetzal at the Guatemala City Airport. A lot of places do take card, so you shouldn’t need to get too much.
If you’re hiring a guide at the park, this usually costs around Q200 ($26) per group of 1 to 12 people.
If you’re doing a whole guided tour, the cost can greatly vary depending on what you’re wanting in your tour. The tour we did cost $23 USD per person, and this included the transportation from our hotel in Antigua, our guide, and marshmallows to roast. However, I’ve also seen tours in the $100s and $200s. I’d recommend the one I did with Marvelus Travel, as it’s very cheap and was an incredible experience!
Getting to Pacaya Volcano
If you’re taking a tour, don’t even worry about this! Pick up from your hotel on a minivan is included in the price of your tour, and it’ll take you straight to Pacaya Volcano National Park where you will start your hike. Our bus was a few minutes late, so don’t panic if this happens to you. You’ll still have plenty of time for your adventure.
The bus ride is about an hour from Antigua, and takes you through local towns and beautiful mountains and countryside.
It’s a surreal experience to just look out the window and enjoy the scenery around you. If you’re like me and haven’t been outside of the US or Europe, this was really unlike anything I’ve seen.
When you pass through the towns, you’ll see dogs walking on the streets, clothes drying on lines outside, and people going about their day. It is a humbling experience to put everything into perspective.
I encourage you on your ride to look out the window and take it all in if you’re riding along!
If you choose not to do a guided group tour, you can rent a car or take a taxi to the national park, but besides guided tours, there is no bus shuttle directly from Antigua to the Volcano.
hOW dIFFICULT IS IT TO HIKE pACAYA VOLCANO
I won’t lie, it’s a challenge! But I’m so, so glad I did it, difficulty and all.
The hike is about 3.5 mile, with almost 1,500 feet of elevation gain. And boy, do you feel that gain!
Hiking Pacaya Volcano takes about 2 hours total to actually hike, and the first part is literally straight up. It’s no joke and not for the faint of heart. Thankfully, we took multiple stops during the uphill trek that made all the difference. Even though the hiking part is 2 hours, you can expect about 4 hours for the whole thing, including stops.
When we went during the spring, most of the hike was in the shade too, which you’ll be very thankful for. Your hiking through a forest, so you have plenty of tree cover!
The terrain isn’t too tricky. It’s mostly a dirt trail, with the occasional root or rock sticking up, but nothing terribly worse than your local go-to hiking trail.
If this is your first hike ever, I wouldn’t recommend it. But, if you’re a somewhat experienced hiker who feels comfortable hiking uphill for a long period of time, definitely do it!
Due to the difficulty, the tour we did does not allow people under 12 or above 70 to participate on this guided tour. However, you may be able to find one that allows that!
What to Expect on Your Hike
Once you get off your transportation, you’ll have to pay and sign into the national park. There are bathrooms at the entrance if you need them before you begin.
At the bathrooms and the facilities, there are lots of stray dogs! This is something you’ll notice throughout your hike, and your time in Antigua. The sweet pups are everywhere.
Then get ready to start your hike! Like I said, the first part, you’ll be hiking uphill through the forest most the time. Don’t worry, your guide should give you plenty of breaks. Our guide did a great job at stopping occasionally to make sure everyone had time to catch up and nobody was left behind.
At some of the points where we stopped, our guide pointed out local flora, amazing views of the hills and farmland, and told us history of the surrounding area. Having a local guide who knew so much about the landscape and area was really cool. And the lookouts were amazing of the volcanoes in the distance!
About an hour and a half in, you’ll get to a clearing with an amazing view of Pacaya! She’s a beauty. We stayed here for a solid 20 minutes, enjoying the views, and then we continued on towards a lava field!
It’s not the kind of lava field you may initially picture, with red hot flowing molten. It was more an ashy rock field, full of hot rocks, but you can see where it descended the volcano very clearly. It was so cool! And these rocks are still hot, so hot in fact, that you can – and will! – roast marshmallows on them!
That’s right, you get to roast marshmallows on a volcano! Isn’t that so cool!! I don’t know why, but that’s what sold me about booking this experience. Being able to brag about roasting marshmallows on the solid molten from a volcano is something I don’t do as often as I’d like.
After the quick pick me up, you’ll start your downwards descent back to the van. This flew by, it seemed so much quicker than the way up. You’ll have the opportunity to purchase some volcanic rock souvenirs at a small shop off the trail. Towards the end of the trails, you’ll see even more dogs. They were very sweet, and I shared some snackies with them.
It’s hard to put into words how cool this experience is, it’s just something you’ll have to experience for yourself!
WHAT TO WEAR ON YOUR HIKE
Regardless of the time of year, wear hiking boots and socks! Hiking boots with good traction and ankle support will be your best friend on this hike. Merino wool is a great sock option!
I FORGOT my hiking boots for my trip to Guatemala (well I packed them, then accidentally unpacked them double checking I packed something else, then forgot to pack them back, but that’s besides the point), and thankfully my friend let me borrow her running shoes, but boy do I wish I had my hiking boots.
The weather in the National Park doesn’t change too much year round. The highs are usually in the 70s, and the lows are usually in the 60s, regardless of the month. However, rainy season in Guatemala is May to October, so dress accordingly if you’re planning your trip then!
In May, I wore a tank top and leggings, and was a bit warm. I think I could have gotten away with wearing shorts. I’d recommend avoiding cotton when going for long hikes, and opting for moisture wicking clothes that’re lighter.
Make sure to also wear sunscreen! While it’s not a necessity, it would be a good idea to bring a hat or sunglasses, too.
WHAT TO PACK WHEN YOU HIKE PACAYA VOLCANO
Water!!! Water is the number one thing on this list of what to bring with you when you hike Pacaya Volcano. It may not be miserably hot, but you will be doing a difficult hike, so bring yo self some water! More than you think you need. Trust me.
Bring snacks with you, too. You’ll be hiking the volcano for four hours, and the day trip itself is six hours where you don’t have the chance to get any food, so bring plenty of snacks for yourself.
Bring a light jacket with you, perhaps a rain jacket if you’re going during rainy season.
If you’re a fan of photography, maybe bring your camera! There will be plenty of opportunities along the hike for amazing views.
A portable charger for your phone could also be beneficial to have. Like I mentioned, your day trip is six hours, and your battery may drain. Not that you’ll need your phone! You’ll be too busy taking in the epic views and enjoying your once in a lifetime hike. But, it’s good to have in case of emergency.
If you want a bit of extra support on your hike, local children rent out hiking sticks at the entrance to the national park for a very small fee, but I don’t think you’ll need them.
Do I have to hike it for the same views?
Good news! If you’re not up for a hike, but still want these incredible views, you can rent a horse to ride!
You don’t have to rent these in advance, you can do it at the beginning of the hike. However, I’d say push yourself and take the hike. I doubt the horse is worth the additional cost.
wHAT TO DO AFTER YOUR HIKE?
After you get back to Antigua from your hike, there is so much to do in the town! Visit museums, explore ruins from the 1700s, shop at the mercados, stroll the colorful streets, take photos at Santa Catalina Arch, or what we personally spent the afternoon doing, grab a drink at Antigua Brewing!
wHERE TO sTAY in Antigua
Antigua isn’t a large town, and you can walk from one side to the other in about half an hour.
We stayed at Las Camelias Inn, and it was only a few minute walk from the central park of Antigua. It was cute and quaint, and had a great rooftop and courtyard
! It was clean, cozy, and had free coffee. We also didn’t want to drop a fortune on a hotel, and it was very reasonably priced. It also locked the doors with a gate out front that made me feel very safe – you had to ring the bell to get let back in after hours.
There are plenty of other places to stay based on what you’re looking for.
gETTING TO anTIGUA FROM THE AIRPORT
There are a few different ways to get to Antigua from the Guatemala City Airport.
We opted for a private driver, which took about an hour. It was a bit of a challenge finding our driver at first as they didn’t speak much English and we didn’t know who to look for, but the journey was overall smooth.
You can also take a taxi, an uber, rent a car (although, you won’t need it in Antigua, nor if you’re taking a guided tour to Pacaya Volcano), or take a shuttle.
Sum it up!
Hopefully, now you know everything these is to know about hiking Pacaya Volcano in Guatemala! This is an epic adventure anyone traveling to Antigua should add to their itinerary.
Let’s recap:
- Pacaya Volcano is a great hike, especially if you’re pressed on time, budget, or experience level.
- Pacaya Volcano is active, but hasn’t erupted since 2021.
- It is generally considered safe to hike Pacaya Volcano, but if you need more reassurance, there’s plenty of information out there to research!
- The dry season in Guatemala is from November to April.
- A guide is required to hike Pacaya Volcano. I’d highly recommend a prebooked guided tour.
- You likely won’t need to book a tour too far in advance – a few days in most instances should suffice.
- Knowing a few Spanish phrases will be beneficial for your whole Guatemala trip.
- It’s around $13 to enter the park, and guided tour costs vary. You can find them as cheap as $23.
- If you do a guided tour, they will pick you up from Antigua and shuttle you to the volcano.
- The hike is fairly difficult- it takes about two hours, and over the first hour is uphill.
- Except epic views, amazing scenery, and to roast marshmallows!
- Wear sturdy hiking boots, and weather appropriate hiking clothes.
- Bring plenty of water and snacks, and consider a rain jacket!
- You can rent a horse to take up, but I don’t recommend it.
- There’s plenty to do in Antigua after your tour!
Have the most epic adventure hiking a literal volcano! Don’t worry, it’s okay to brag to your friend about it, it’s an incredible experience.
