Everything You Need to Know for the Pacaya Volcano Hike in Guatemala
This post might contain affiliate links. That means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, if you buy through my site. I appreciate your support of my site.
In a country with 37 volcanoes it’s no surprise that one of the top things to do in Guatemala is to climb one of those volcanoes. Not all of the volcanoes can be hiked and some are safer than others. You’ll want to add at least one volcano hike to your Guatemala itinerary.
Pacaya Volcano (Volcán Pacaya) is one of the most popular Guatemala volcano hikes. Despite the number of tourists hiking Pacaya every year, I found a lot of contradictory information about the hike. Not to mention a lot of missing information as well. Seriously fellow bloggers you need to include the essentials like restroom availability!
In this guide I will help you decide if a Pacaya Volcano hike is worth including in your Guatemala itinerary or not. I will break down everything you need to know and the different options for hiking Pacaya Volcano.
Pacaya Volcano Hike in Guatemala
General Information for the Pacaya Volcano Hike
Where is Pacaya Volcano?
The volcano is located in Parque Nacional Volcán de Pacaya about 1 hr and 15 minutes drive from both Guatemala City and Antigua.
What is the height of Pacaya Volcano?
The total elevation is 8,373ft (2,552 meters). You will not hike all the way to the top. The general hiking route gains about 1,500ft (457 meters).
Is Pacaya Volcano an active volcano?
Pacaya is an active volcano that erupted in 2021. You will walk through the rocky lava fields, but don’t expect to see any red hot lava coming out of the volcano.
Can I hike Pacaya Volcano without a guide?
You can’t hike Pacaya Volcano without a guide. After some tourists were lost on the volcano the park started to require a guide for every group.
How do I reach the Parque Nacional Volcan de Pacaya?
There are two main options for visiting.
Option 1
You can arrive to the national park on your own. Upon arrival you will need to pay the entrance and guide fees. Entrance is about 100 quetzales and 200 quetzales for a guide.
There is no public transportation to the park so unless you are renting a car you need to factor in the cost of transportation. You’ll probably be able to get an Uber to the park, but may have more difficulty getting one back.
Your best bet is to reserve a round-trip private shuttle ahead of time. A few companies you can check for private transportation include Atitrans, GuateGo, Guatemala Transportation, and Come to Guatemala.
Option 2
Alternatively you can take a guided tour. Read each tour description carefully to see what it includes. Some tours only include transportation and do not include park entrance or admission. Other tours are all-inclusive and even provide lunch.
Should I book a guided tour or hire a guide at the park entrance?
Most guided tours will be at least $80 USD a person. If they are cheaper they usually do not include the guide and/or the entrance fee.
With the cost of round-trip transportation, entrance fees, and guide fees it will be about $80 USD to arrive on your own as well. This option will be cheaper the more people you have in your group as you only need to pay the guide fee once, unlike a guided tour where each individual needs to pay separately.
A guided tour will be easier as you can pay in credit card ahead of time, you don’t need to have as much local currency, and there is no need to worry about coordinating transportation.
In addition, all of the local guides only speak Spanish. Even with a guided tour it’s not guaranteed, but you’ll have a better chance of an English speaking guide that way.
What is the best guided Pacaya Volcano tour?
I did a guided tour with Guatemalan Adventure from Antigua. Of course I only did the tour once and went with one company so I can’t say if the tour was “the best” one or not. I can share what I liked and didn’t like about the tour though. This is also what you can expect from most guided tours.
More information about other tour options is included below.
Guatemalan Adventure Pacaya Volcano Tour
While the Pacaya Volcano hike with every company will differ slightly, they all follow a similar format. My experience hiking Pacaya Volcano and the following information is based on my tour with Guatemalan Adventure.
How Much is the Guatemalan Adventure Pacaya Volcano Tour?
Book the Guatemalan Adventure Pacaya Volcano tour online with a credit card in advance.
Currently it is $163 USD for one person or $172 USD for two people. If you are a solo traveler you may want to book a different company or try to find another fellow solo traveler to book with to avoid paying almost the same price of two people on your own.
It is also expected to tip the driver and the guide at the end of the tour. This is not included in any guided tours.
When is the Pacaya Volcano tour?
One of the reasons I booked this tour was that pick-ups were at 8am from Antigua (7am from Guatemala City). Many companies left at 6am in the morning. I am not a morning person, 8am was early enough!
Other tours were sunset tours. While it would be cool to see the sunset from the volcano I knew I didn’t want to be walking down the volcano in the dark. As that was the most challenging part for me I am thankful for that decision.
We were told to be ready at 8am and were picked up at about 8:15am. We returned back to Antigua at about 2pm.
What is the transportation to Pacaya Volcano?
You will be picked up from your hotel in either Antigua or Guatemala City. We were picked up in Antigua in a van and arrived at the park about 1 hr & 15 mins later. The driver waited at the park and we returned after the hike in the same vehicle. The driver spoke English and the ride was overall comfortable.
How is the Pacaya Volcano guide?
The guide met us on arrival to the park. She spoke limited English. The other two women on our tour only spoke English and had specifically chosen the tour as it advertised an English speaking guide. Luckily my friend and I speak Spanish and were able to translate for the other hikers.
I was happy to receive the tour in Spanish and practice my listening skills by translating everything into English. While I didn’t mind, my friend made a very valid point that we were actually doing more work then the guide and shouldn’t have had to tip the guide when we were also guiding the tour as much as she was. I don’t know what would have happened if we weren’t on the tour. If I was the two other women I would have been frustrated to pay for a service that wasn’t provided.
The guide was friendly and provided some interesting information. Overall a guide was definitely not needed. It felt like a way for locals to earn more money from tourists and not a beneficial service. As I mention below the trail was not that difficult, no more so than moderate hikes in gigantic US national parks where someone can easily become lost. The trail was pretty easy to follow. There weren’t a lot of trail junctions or areas where hikers could wander off course. With a few signs that could be funded by the park admission there shouldn’t be any issues without a guide. Plus there are rangers on the trails.
I hike regularly and am not used to having a guide. For me having a guide took away more than it added. I felt rushed on the hike. I would have liked to stop and enjoy the scenery for longer, sit and have some snacks, and go at my own pace.
Will people try to sell me things at Pacaya Volcano?
Yes!! As soon as you step out of your vehicle you will be surrounded by children trying to sell you a walking stick. They will follow you to the restrooms and to the beginning of your hike. Persistently they will tell you that a walking stick is needed.
On our route there weren’t as many horses, but children and men will also be riding the trail and asking if you want a “taxi” or an “uber”. It’s funny the first time that they call their horse an Uber, but it gets old quickly. If you want to walk, but go slow, they will follow you just in case. It’s quite annoying to have a horse right behind you. As I mentioned it adds to the overall feeling of being rushed. Even towards the top a ride of only 5 or 10 minutes will cost you about $15 USD.
Towards the end of the hike there is also a stop at the Lava Store where you can buy locally made jewelry.
What is the Pacaya Volcano tour route?
The route of each guided tour varies. The photos in this post are included in chronological order of the tour route. We went up the forest trail that was mostly dirt. We stopped in a few spots for views of surrounding lakes and volcanoes. We reached the summit of the hike where we saw the full volcano. You don’t actually climb all the way up the volcano.
Then we started heading down on a very rocky and slippery trail. This led us to a large area covered in ashes where we roasted the provided marshmallows. After a short break we continued down a different trail that was rocky, but not quite as steep.
On the way up we didn’t pass any other hikers or groups. On the way down there were several groups going in both directions.
Unfortunately it’s hard to tell what the route will be when booking a tour. I think I would have had a much easier time going down if our route was reversed. Our actual hiking time was about 3 hours.
Are there restrooms at Pacaya Volcano?
There are indoor restrooms with sinks at both ends of the hike. There was a rustic outhouse at the top (the viewing point of the volcano) that I spotted. It wasn’t mentioned, but I always notice the essentials!
On the way down there were a few spots that looked like there could have been outhouses. Towards the end I could clearly see that a restaurant had restrooms.
Other than the beginning and end of the hike you’ll need to keep your eye out or ask if you need a restroom as they most likely won’t be offered to you.
Is there food at Pacaya Volcano?
Some tours include food. Ours only included the marshmallows to roast.
There are some food vendors towards the bottom of the trail (where we ended). On the tour we didn’t stop.
How hard is the Pacaya Volcano hike?
When preparing for this post I read a wide range of responses from, “it’s one of the easiest hikes I have ever done” to “this hike should not be classified as easy as it was very strenuous with the elevation and altitude”.
If you want my two cents, I think the discrepancy comes from the hike being advertised as one of the best things to do in Guatemala. A lot of the activities are more nature focused which I think leads people to hike the volcano as a sightseeing activity versus an adventure activity.
In the US most non-hikers won’t set out on most national park hikes. They may check out some viewpoints or do some short, easy, and flat hikes. In reality they may not even visit hiking areas and stick to cities and other parts of the country. Long story short, a lot of people in Guatemala who aren’t regular hikers end up doing this hike as it is the thing to do around Antigua.
What is the Pacaya Volcano hike difficulty?
On the US national park difficulty scale I would say the hike is moderate. It isn’t that long, but it is all uphill and then downhill. The altitude can be an issue for some people. One person in my tour group was feeling quite sick on the way up.
I definitely went slow and appreciated catching my breath from time to time, but I find hiking in the mountains around Salt Lake City much more challenging.
The downhill was actually way more challenging for me. We went up the forested dirt trail side and came down on the exposed rocky side. On the initial descent every step felt like I was going to wipe out.
What should I wear and bring for the Pacaya Volcano hike?
My friend hiked in sneakers and had no problem. I wore my hiking shoes as I didn’t have my hiking boots with me. That one section of downhill I would have liked to have my trusty hiking boots for some extra ankle support, but other than that hiking shoes worked just fine.
Your hiking clothes will depend on the temperature and time of day of the hike. We started hiking around 9:30 am in February. Shorts, a tank top, and a light long sleeved layer was perfect for me.
I don’t go anywhere without my favorite REI daypack. It’s great to put extra layers in as well as a water bottle and snacks.
Other Pacaya Volcano Hiking Tours
Marvelus Travel
Time: 6am or 2pm
Transportation: Included from Antigua
Cost: $23 (does not include the entrance fee)
Guides: Speak Spanish
Old Town Outfitters
Time: 8am or 2pm
Transportation: Included from Antigua
Cost: $100 for one person or $160 for two people (also includes lunch) If no-one else has booked on your date, prices will be higher.
Guides: Speak English & Spanish
Gray Line Guatemala
Time: 7:30am (doesn’t run daily)
Transportation: Included from Antigua
Cost: $65 (does not include the entrance fee) Two participants are required to book if no-one else is already booked for the date.
Guides: Speak Spanish
Final Thoughts on Hiking Pacaya Volcano
I enjoyed hiking Pacaya Volcano and I am glad I did the hike as a Guatemala volcano hike is a top activity in the country. The views are beautiful and it is a cool experience to include when visiting Guatemala.
In Lanzarote I did a three volcano hike where I hiked to the top of a crater and in a crater. The hikes were longer, included a lot more information, and were closer to the actual volcanos. That hiking trip colored my experience of this hike. As we couldn’t actually go to the crater for safety reasons.
In addition as an avid hiker I typically only do free or very low cost hikes without a guide. For what it is, I think the Pacaya Volcano hike is quite pricey and almost the same amount of time is spent getting to and from the hike as actually hiking. If the hike didn’t require a guide, if it was longer, and if we could take our time I would be more enthusiastic about it.
If I helped you plan and prepare for your Pacaya Volcano hike please consider supporting me by Buying Me a Coffee.
Other Guatemala Volcano Hikes
You may have decided that a Pacaya Volcano hike is not for you, but you still want to hike a volcano. You’re in luck as there are other hikeable volcanoes in Guatemala.
• Volcán De Acatenango: Typically hiked as a two day hike. You can see the nearby Fuego volcano erupt. An additional hike partially up Fuego is also available. This is a popular volcano hike in Guatemala. Most people come from Antigua.
• Volcán de Agua: No entrance fees or guides are required. The volcano is near Antigua, but it has some safety concerns. There are many concerns of armed robberies when hiking.
• Volcán Atitlán: This volcano hike is located on Lake Atitlán. The challenging hike offers great views of the lake. It can be done without a guide.
• Volcán San Pedro: Another hike around Lake Atitlán that isn’t quite as long. It does require an entrance fee.
• Volcán de Santa María: This is a day hike near Xela. It’s not required to have a guide, but it is recommended.
Let me know in the comments below if you plan on setting out on a Guatemala volcano hike!
Pin IT!!
You May Also Like
