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It felt like we had stepped into Mordor or landed on Mars, as we crunched along black, hardened lava rocks with the huge conical Pacaya Volcano looming overhead.
Pacaya was our first volcano experience in Central America and it did not disappoint. One of just three constantly active volcanoes in Guatemala, hiking Pacaya Volcano is one of the top things to do from the colonial city of Antigua.
The Pacaya Volcano hike is one of the easiest, cheapest and most accessible volcano hikes in the country, and if you’re short on time, money or fitness, this is the volcano for you!
In just an hour or two of hiking, you’ll be standing mere metres from an active volcano. Looking at hardened lava flows, toasting marshmallows on hot volcanic rocks and watching smoke and gases sporadically puff out of the crater.
This is everything you need to know about the Pacaya Volcano hike, including the deal with guides, tours and timings, what to wear and bring and a recount of our experience.
About Pacaya Volcano
Pacaya Volcano (Volcán de Pacaya in Spanish) is an active complex volcano, sitting at an elevation of 2,552 metres (8,373 ft) in southern Guatemala.
The volcano is protected as part of the Parque Nacional Volcan de Pacaya, and there is a 100Q fee (~$13 USD) to access the park.
It’s one of just three constantly active volcanoes in the country. The other two are Fuego, also accessed from Antigua and Santiaguito in Xela.
Pacaya is constantly emitting small puffs of smoke and toxic gases, however, it hasn’t erupted since 2021. At this time, there were rivers of glowing lava flowing down the side of the volcano, and visitors could camp overnight near the volcano to see the lava.
As of 2024, there is no active lava coming out of the volcano, so any photos you see showing this are outdated advertising. You can see the remnants of the 2021 lava flows, with hardened magma and black volcanic rock along the slopes of the volcano.
If you want to see red hot, flowing lava, you’ll need to hike Acatenango to get a view of Fuego. I’d suggest doing Pacaya first, otherwise you might be disappointed by the experience.
How to hike Pacaya Volcano
Pacaya Volcano is one of the most popular volcano hikes in Guatemala because it is relatively short and easy. At least in comparison to its neighbours, Acatanengo and Fuego, which require a gruelling overnight hike. Pacaya is a simple day hike that takes no more than 2 hours to reach the summit.
You don’t actually hike to the summit of the volcano. Your shoes would be melting and you’d be breathing toxic gas if you got that close to the crater! The hike takes you to the summit of an adjacent hill, Cerro Chino, and you walk around the base of Pacaya Volcano.
You can get an incredible view of the black, conical volcano, and despite not being right at the top of the crater, you'll still feel very up close and personal to an active volcano!
There is still geothermal activity at the base of the volcano, so you get to see some hot rocks, where you’ll toast marshmallows, and you can see sporadic smoke and gases coming out of the crater.
Exactly where you hike will depend on the tour and the day. The guides know what kind of activity is going on with the volcano, and which areas are safe to hike. My route might not be exactly the same as yours, as it depends on which areas of the rocks and lava fields are cool enough to walk on.
A day tour to Pacaya is one of the most popular things to do in Antigua, but it’s also possible to take a tour departing from Guatemala City. From Antigua, it takes about 1 – 1.5 hours to drive to the trailhead, and about 1.5 – 2 hours from Guate City.
Do you need a guide for the Pacaya Volcano hike?
Yes, it is mandatory to have a guide for the Pacaya Volcano hike.
A lot of tourists complain about this and feel they’re being ripped off by being made to go with a guide. I understand why, as the trail doesn’t really require a guide. It’s straightforward with few junctions and you can easily find your way with an online map.
BUT, don’t forget this is an active volcano and the locals are much more familiar with the volcano’s behaviour, and which areas are safe to climb.
The guides are locals from the area, and most of them don’t speak English. It’s something to be aware of, and I know kind of frustrating that you’re paying for a ‘guide’ who can’t really give you a lot of information, but it’s a good source of income for the community, so just roll with it.
I’d like to say that the guides are there to keep you safe, but in reality, it is a bit of a money-making scheme. But it’s just the way it is, and if you’re not happy to go with a guide, then don’t visit. It’s the rules, for better or worse.
There are two ways to organise a guide:
- Join a guided tour from Antigua, that includes transport to the volcano and a guide to lead you up the trail
- Get yourself to the national park and pick up a guide at the entrance
There are dozens of local guides waiting at the entrance to the national park. It is 200Q (~$25 USD) for a guide, which technically should be per travelling group (e.g. a couple) but they sometimes try to charge 200Q per person. The whole thing is a bit scammy and you’ll be hassled immediately if you arrive independently.
There is limited public transport to get to the volcano, so unless you’ve got a rental car, I don’t think you’d save any money (and certainly not time) by trying to transport yourself to the trail and getting a guide on the spot.
Inclusive tours from Antigua are as cheap as $35 USD, and you don’t have to muck around with finding Ubers/taxis/buses or organising a private driver. Plus, you won’t have the hassle of arranging a guide and dealing with the negotiations to be charged correctly.
On the cheaper tours, you will have a driver from Antigua, and they will connect your group with a local guide when you arrive. If you’re on a more premium tour, you may have a guide accompany you the entire day, as well as a local guide you meet at the trail. The guide from your tour company is more likely to speak English, but again, not guaranteed.
Pacaya Volcano hike difficulty
So how difficult is the Pacaya Volcano hike? You’ll read some comments that it was the hardest thing someone has ever done, and other comments stating it was a breeze.
Let’s look at the stats:
- 📏 Distance: 5.6 km / 3.5 mi out-and-back
- 📈 Elevation: 388 m / 1,273 ft
If you don’t hike, it will be tough for you. If you think this is an easy stroll to a lookout, it’s not. It is a short, but very steep hike that takes most people 1 – 2 hours to reach the summit. It inclines almost the entire way.
We’re fit, but not extreme hikers and I particularly don’t love going uphill. After reading all the dramatic comments about how challenging it was, I was a bit nervous.
I was completely fine! I didn’t find it tough at all. Yes, it was steep and I had to stop sporadically to catch my breath and have a rest, but it was over just as quickly as it started and it was worth every step to be looking at that volcano! We got up in just over an hour.
If you happen to have hiked the Indian Nose in Lake Atitlan, I'd say it's a comparable steepness and difficulty, Pacaya is just a bit longer.
If you’re moderately fit, you will be fine! The steep incline means it’s not necessarily a pleasant hike, but it’s not that strenuous and it’s pretty short.
Going down is easier on the heart and fitness, but tougher on the legs and muscles. There is one section where you literally slide down loose gravel. We had a blast and fully embraced it, practically tumbling down the side of the volcano. But if you’re not interested in covering yourself in volcanic ash, then it might be a bit tougher on the knees to stay steady and upright.
Can you hire a horse?
Yes but please don’t.
There are dozens of locals with horses all along the trail offering tired and lazy tourists a very expensive ride. Please do not do this.
The horses were very small and looked very skinny. I wasn’t comfortable at all with how they were being treated. If you don’t think you have the physical fitness to complete the hike, you shouldn’t attempt it.
The treatment of the animals is reason enough to avoid it, but on top of that, the local guys are notorious for overcharging tourists and being a bit deceptive about how far along the trail you are and where the horses can actually take you. They can’t go all the way to the summit.
Plus it’s just downright annoying to be constantly hassled by these guys all along the trail. Any sign of slowing down or looking tired, a horse appears next to you. You have to dodge poop all over the trail and you don’t want to walk behind the horses as they kick up a lot of dust.
Morning or afternoon tour?
There are dozens of tours leaving Antigua at all times of the day. Most commonly they depart in the morning (7:00 – 9:00 am) or in the afternoon (2:00 pm).
The morning tours generally offer the best chance of clear skies, allowing you to see the best views of Pacaya, but also the other three volcanoes in the area (Agua, Acatanengo and Fuego). If it’s a sunny day, it would be quite hot hiking at this time.
The afternoon tours get to see the sunset from the summit. This is the tour we opted for and are so glad we did! It was a bit cloudy and hazy, but we still had perfectly clear views of Pacaya, and we could see out to the other volcanoes, where the sun was setting next to them.
We hiked down just before the sunset, so it was kind of dark, but not pitch black. We just packed our head torches and were totally fine. Going down was easy and it didn’t bother us walking a short way in the dark, but I know some people won’t want to do that.
My recommendation is sunset, it felt like we were on top of the world looking out at the volcanoes and valley below, but it’s totally up to you what you prefer. The cheaper tours generally depart in the afternoon, and if you want to go in the morning it would probably be with a more costly or a private tour.
Pacaya Volcano tours
There are varying levels of tours available, and of course, the cheaper the price, the less you’ll have included.
BASIC TOUR
The most basic is the tour that departs the city at 2:00 pm each day and is what most hostels, hotels and travel agents will sell you. It’s a cheap, basic option, that essentially gets you to and from the volcano, probably in a cramped shuttle, with a local guide herding you up in the right direction but not providing a lot of information. It doesn’t include entry to the national park, and there are no other stops or meals included.
🌋 Hike to Pacaya Volcano from Antigua: this cheap and cheerful tour was the one we took. Don't be expecting personalised service (look at the price), but it includes transport, a Spanish-speaking guide to lead you up the trails and marshmallows to roast at the top. It leaves the city at 2:00 pm, and you will enjoy the sunset before descending. The price doesn't include entry to the national park (100Q).
MID-RANGE TOUR
The next tier is booking with a more specialised local company. It’s still a shared group tour, but probably a smaller group. You will have a guide from the tour company who should speak English and provide a more informative experience. You may have a meal included.
🌋 Pacaya Volcano Day Trip from Antigua: this tour leaves Antigua at 8:00 am to hike during the day. You’ll have an expert bilingual guide to teach you more about the volcano and environment, and the entrance fee to the national park is included.
PRIVATE TOUR
The upper tier would be a private tour. You and your travelling companions will travel to the volcano in a private vehicle, and have a guide accompany you on the hike.
🌋 Day Tour to Pacaya Volcano from Antigua in Private Vehicle: if you want a more personalised, private experience this tour leaves Antigua in the morning, which generally gives you a better chance of clear skies and views, but you won't get to see the sunset. The price includes entry to the national park, and informative, English-speaking guides.
Amenities at Pacaya Volcano
When you arrive at the trailhead, you will instantly be bombarded by locals offering you guiding services, horses and walking sticks.
If you’ve come with a guided tour, you can ignore any offers of a guide as this will be organised for you. I’ve already mentioned why I think you should politely decline the horse, but if you want to rent a walking stick, now is the time to do it. It should be between 10 – 30Q for a stick.
There are bathrooms here and a few vendors here selling drinks and snacks if you need anything.
From the car park, it’s a short walk to the visitor centre. This is where you will pay your entrance fee to the national park if it’s not included in your tour. It’s 100Q for foreigners (bring cash) and you’ll get a little paper ticket. There are also toilets here.
Near the top at one of the lookouts there is another bathroom, but don’t be expecting anything clean and BYO toilet paper.
You will sometimes find a ‘Lava Shop’ at the top, a little makeshift store selling handmade jewellery and trinkets made from the lava rocks.
You’ve probably also heard of the Pacaya Pizza man, who cooks pizzas near the summit with the heat of the volcano. It’s a really cool concept and of course a very unique experience, but it is insanely expensive. He charges more than 300Q (~$40 USD) for a small pizza, and I’ve heard rumours that he has a normal woodfire going too if the volcano isn’t active or hot enough.
I believe you have to get in touch and order in advance, and not all tour companies will allow you to go and get the pizza. It takes a lot of time and if it’s a big group and everyone wants one, then it becomes a bit of a mess.
If having a volcano pizza is really important to you, you should ask your tour company before booking if they allow/facilitate this. If so, they will most likely give you the number of David, the pizza man, for you to put your order in in advance.
Don’t worry, nearly every tour includes marshmallows to roast inside the hot rocks, which is just as special!
What to bring on the Pacaya Volcano hike
- 💰 Cash: for the 100Q national park fee if your tour doesn’t include it, a walking stick, drinks or snacks and a tip for your guide/driver.
- 🥾 Sturdy shoes: while the days of lava melting shoes are over for now, the rocks are still quite hot and the trail is loose and slippery gravel. You need sturdy runners at the very least, if not hiking boots.
- 🧥 Warm clothes: it is very cold and windy at the summit. Even though you’ll be hot and sweaty on the way up, you’ll be chilly at the top.
- 🧣 Buff or scarf: if you have something like this, bring it for the dust. It’s not essential but would be helpful when sliding down the gravel or walking behind the horses.
- 🔦 Headtorch: if you’re doing the sunset hike and you have a torch, bring it along. A phone light will suffice if not.
- 💧 Water: you will be hiking uphill for quite a long time, so bring enough water to stay hydrated. The higher altitude can also be dehydrating.
- 🧁 Snacks: most tours don’t include any food and you won’t get the chance to stop anywhere, except the small snack vendors in the car park. We brought some chips and pastries and we’re glad to have them at the summit, as it’s a long drive there and back.
- 🐶 Dog treats: there are so many sweet doggies along the trail and at the summit. I wish I knew to pack some treats for them. We gave them some marshmallows and chips which is definitely not healthy for them, so if you love dogs please bring a small bag of treats.
Our experience hiking Pacaya Volcano
We were told to meet our driver at the Iglesia de La Merced in the centre of Antigua for a 2:00 pm pick up. After the usual kerfuffle of picking up everyone from different hotels around Antigua and navigating the tight, cobblestone streets, we made it out of the city.
We were in a very packed tourist van that sped along highways and squeezed through some of the tightest streets I’ve ever seen, mere millimetres away from scraping oncoming trucks. The driver was incredibly skilled and got us to the trailhead in one piece.
The second we stepped out of the van we were bombarded with a sea of local kids offering us walking sticks. We politely declined and followed our driver to meet our guide, Paola.
She was a local of the nearby town, San Vincente de Pacaya, and had hiked up the volcano hundreds of times! She spoke some broken English, but we really enjoyed practising our Spanish with her.
We had the chance to go to the bathroom, buy any snacks or drinks or rent a walking pole or horse before we started up the trail. We walked just 5 minutes before arriving at the park’s official visitor centre, where we went inside and paid our entry fee, 100Q, in cash and got a little ticket.
From there, it was onwards and upwards! Paola led the group but allowed everyone to go at their own pace. The first part of the trail was loose dirt, and pretty steep. It was foresty and shaded, and there weren’t any views on the first section.
We stopped whenever we needed to catch our breath, and Paola was encouraging to keep everyone moving. The trail eventually opened up into a clearing and we got our first view out to the distant volcanoes, Agua, Acatenango and Fuego.
We pushed on and eventually rounded a corner to our first clear view of Pacaya. This was our first volcano experience in Central America and we were absolutely blown away! It felt like we had landed in Mordor (if you’re a LOTR fan, you have to visit Hobbitenango in Antigua!).
The perfectly conical volcano was looming right in front of us, covered in black volcanic rock, with a maze of patterns running down its slopes from old lava flows. It was incredible. It immediately got very windy and very cold, and I was glad I packed extra layers.
We followed the trail around the base of the volcano, which had turned from soft dirt to crunching lava underfoot. We opened up to a clearing that was a vast lava field, and Paola explained it was from the 2021 eruption. We could clearly see the path the lava had flowed down the side of the volcano, it was insane!
We continued further through the lava field until Paola stopped at an opening in the rocks and pulled out the marshmallows! The rocks in this area of the lava field were warm enough to cook marshmallows, but not hot enough to burn our feet.
Brayden enjoyed playing hot potato with the warm rocks and some sweet doggies magically appeared when the marshmallows were ready. Of course, I gave them some but I wished I had proper dog treats with me as they looked so skinny.
After enjoying our volcano-roasted marshmallows we doubled back via a different trail, ascending a small hill for a perfect vista of Pacaya. The sun was just starting to set, and the golden light illuminating the surrounding volcanoes and valley was beautiful.
Then it was time for the fun part! We slid (ahem rolled) down the side of the hill in the soft, volcanic sand. It was almost easier to just run down and let yourself slide, compared to trying to stand up and walk step by step. Either way – you’re going to be covered in volcanic dust and your shoes will be full of gravel!
We made it down back to the trail we originally ascended on, and enjoyed some time at a lookout watching the sunset over Agua, Acatenango and Fuego. We emptied our shoes and enjoyed the snacks we packed (of course sharing with the doggies!).
We were lucky enough to see Fuego puffing out huge plumes of smoke and ash against the pink, glowing sky. The sunset was hazy but so beautiful, and it felt like we were sitting on top of the world.
Paola had to drag us away from the viewpoint to start descending. There was still a soft glow in the sky to light the way, but we were glad we packed our head torches. It was a quick and easy descent, a bit tough on the legs, but we were back down at the van in half the time it took to hike up.
We had a dark drive back to the city, and it was after 8:00 pm by the time we got back. We were starving and headed straight for El Bosque, one of the best restaurants in Antigua, for some juicy burgers and empanadas.
Planning a trip to Antigua
If you’re planning a trip to Antigua, don’t forget to check out our Antigua Guatemala travel guide. It covers all the important info you need to know about the city, like getting there, getting around and other handy tips to get your bearings.
OUR ANTIGUA TRAVEL GUIDES ⛪️☕️🌋
Pacaya Volcano hike: Final thoughts
Pacaya might not be as impressive as Acatanengo and Fuego without the glowing lava, but we absolutely loved this hike! It’s quick, easy and cheap and we couldn’t fault the experience.
We never really enjoy group tours and always prefer to hike or explore independently, but it’s just the way things are done and it didn’t hinder our experience at Pacaya.
If you’re hesitant about Acatenango, which is much longer and more challenging, Pacaya is a great option. You’re still standing mere metres from one of the most active volcanoes in the world!
Don’t forget to check out my post on the best things to do in Antigua Guatemala for other activities in and around this charming city.
MORE ANTIGUA POSTS
