Pacaya Volcano Hiking from Antigua: Explore an Active, Accessible Volcano in Guatemala
5.0
26 Ratings
Antigua
Embark on an exhilarating hike to Pacaya Volcano, an active and easily accessible volcano near Antigua, Guatemala. Witness breathtaking views and the occasional eruption during sunset hikes.
Duration: 6 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Pacaya Volcano - Travelers will be picked up from their hotel and transported by minibus to the Pacaya Volcano National Park. The trails are in good condition but it is steep until you reach Pacaya on a 3.7 kilometer course. As it rises, it will pass through forests, farmland and lava. You will walk on dirt and loose ash trails, so be sure to wear sturdy shoes.

At the summit, you will enjoy wonderful views of the fumaroles, which may be throwing ashes, rocks or lava. Have your camera ready to capture the eruptions, to maintain security you will be at a safe distance and out of danger. During this tour you will also have excellent views of the surroundings.

What's Included
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • All fees and/or taxes
What's Not Included
  • Snacks
  • Lunch
  • Bottled water
  • Private transportation
Additional Information

Pacaya volcano is one of the many (active) located around Antigua, the former capital of Guatemala, and perhaps the most accessible. The last big eruption of Pacaya volcano was in 2010. Until 2016, it was actually possible to see lava from up close during the hike

  • different tour companies took different routes. During sunset hikes, as soon as it got a bit dark, the volcano could be seen throwing smoke and lava.
Location
Pacaya Volcano
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(26 Ratings)
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Francis_f
Nov 30, 2023
Great item at the volcano - Great experience, David was a superb guide on the hike up plus I got to eat volcano pizza and ride a horse back down
Review provided by Viator
Antonio_b
Nov 27, 2023
50 and daring - This was a perfect hike for me the altitude got to me and was able to get on a horse and get to the top. Did the hike down it was amazing. It was a great way to celebrate turning 50
Review provided by Viator
Dianaku1077nm
Sep 14, 2023
All good! - I had a great time at Volcan Pacaya. The guide Mynor Peralta was very knowledgeable and our hike up to the top was nice and fun. He even practiced speaking Spanish with me. There were horses available to rent, but I didn’t feel the need for it and just walked up. The view at the top is amazing. Oh, and he volunteered to take some Instagram worthy pictures, total win.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Irinaknowsbetter
May 8, 2023
Wonderful experience!! Do a horseback riding as a part of it!! So worth it!! - What a wonderful experience it was! Wow! It was so magical to do a horseback riding all the way to the top of the volcano and enjoying breathtaking views of the mountains and volcanoes!! This trip is a must!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Julianrd1605mj
Jan 17, 2023
Excellent !!! - Everything … the nature, the people, the culture, the simplicity of everything around me. Pacaya volcano was the cherry 🍒 in the top of the cake !!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ireneusz
Dec 27, 2022
Incredible experience with amazing views!!! - The best organize team period!!!It is amazing hike with amazing people.Beautiful views and very safe trip .You just need to do it!!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Monique
Nov 6, 2022
Awesome experience - Great transport, an awesome guide. Really emerged experience on an active volcano. It was a heavy hike, but all worth it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
268vincento
Oct 13, 2022
Pacaya volcano hike - The hike up pacaya volcano was amazing. Our tour guide David did an excellent job with hiking up alongside us; and was very knowledgeable about the volcanoes in Guatemala and all the details of pacaya. It was an amazing experience and definitely worth doing if you visit Guatemala. Things to note. Bring a bottle of water with you for the hike. They do sell drinks and Gatorade up by the volcano but bring yours as well. The top of the volcano is cold so bring a light jacket or Hoodie; something nothing too heavy so it doesn't slow you down while you hike up. Shoes with amazing grip is definitely needed and last but not least, bring cash for the volcano pizza at the top. They don't accept cards and the pizza is $60 or 400 quetzal. My group split one pizza and we each got like 2 or 3 slices and the pizza was $15 per person.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Germanseb
Aug 25, 2022
If you can't do the Acatenango then this is your tour - exciting tour close to the top of the pacaya. it was very interesting to see the local people interacting with the tourists. Sure they want to sell stuff and are somewhat pushing it in the beginning but they are always friendly and keep their distance. For me personally using a horse is a no-go. first, the ascent is not that hard and second those horses did not look too good to be honest, It's hard for them to ride up. there are also a lot of stray dogs, they are cute and hungry but also not aggressive. They ate out of my hand calmly and with care. our tour guides were also nice too, sadly they couldn't speak English very good but we had some translators in our group. Finally, don't expect any molten lava, apparently that only happens like twice a year so you need a lot of luck. still the marshmallow roasting works at the hot rock formations. the best part for me was that we had great weather and a good view.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
G666moamyp
Apr 29, 2022
Easy and unforgettable experiences! - What a cool experience! I actually booked three separate tours with GTM, all went smoothly! I was able to get picked up and dropped off from my airbnb. Hector was communicative and set everything up custom according to my needs as I was staying in Guatemala City vs Antigua where a lot more travelers stay. The pacaya tour is worth going. Bring an extra 350 local currency to ride the horses up instead of hiking as the trail is rather messy otherwise. Bring a few extra bucks for souvenir shops where you can get items made of the volcano ash and even buy some beer or snacks for the horse ride up. I especially wanted to go on this tour to try pizza pacaya - pizza made within the volcano rock! Definitely worth the money - the guy even takes pay pal! Make sure to ask your tour guide to stop here and try it. I also did semuc champey which is 100% worth it - but make sure to wear good hiking shoes and water shoes as the trail is harder than it appears, and the rocks within the thermal pools are slippery and a little dangerous in the cave. This was especially cool as at the end you basically go through an obstacle course in a cave using only a candlelight to see! Hector made sure I got to see this and planned it around a weekend that wouldn’t be as crowded given the influx of tourists for Holy Week. The hotel was actually really nice as well - a beautiful eco lodge by the water with a pool and private room with a hammock. The lunch was also great with plenty of options. My last tour was an overnight hike on acetenago. They booked me a hotel in Antigua the first night which was so clean and had a beautiful garden and traditional breakfast included. This is a very difficult hike as the majority of the hike is on a steep incline. Make sure to wear appropriate shoes, warm clothes as it is cold on the top of the volcano, bring toilet paper and additional Gatorade and snacks! You can buy things along the way but it’s best to be prepared. We could see the lava coming out or Volcan Fuego which was unforgettable. Every tour I went on was incredible and worth every penny. Thanks again for making it so easy!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
May 2024
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