Pacaya Volcano Morning Tour from Antigua
Description
Pacaya, one Guatemala’s youngest volcanoes, offers hikers a unique glance into the geologic center of the earth on this 8-hour small-group tour. A relatively easy climb of 1.5 hours brings you to the fertile shelf just below the cinder cone called “la Meseta.” From here you get an awesome view of recent lava flows. You will explore these lava fields, and as the smoking crater looms above, the environment quickly changes to resemble that of an extraterrestrial setting. Enjoy a freshly prepared lunch while gazing at the views before you make your way back down. Tour includes private transport, all entry fees, all guide fees, a fresh lunch, and a 1st aid trained bilingual guide.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Hike Guatemala's most accessible active vocano, Volcán de Pacaya. Set in its own National Park, Pacaya is a storybook volcano with a continuous plume of smoke drifting from its summit and a massive dried lava field forming the valley at the base of its caldera.
Our group meets at Old Town Outfitters Shop in Antigua at 08:00hrs where drinking water, bathroom facilities and retail outdoor equipment are available for our clients. Our drive to the trailhead is just over 1-hour in private transport from Antigua to the Park Office. As our group moves up the myriad of trails on the mountain, Guatemala’s impressive vistas open up before us. As we reach the base of the caldera, our guide will direct the group through the rugged dried lava fields. Our group will stop for a freshly prepared picnic to enjoy along with views of nearby volcanoes Agua, Fuego and Acatenango. Our hike down brings across the remaining dried lava fields before we begin our descent through Pacaya’s lush and lesser known forests and farmland. After arriving back at the trailhead, our group returns to Antigua by private transport to arrive in town at ~16:00hrs.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Minimum age for travelers is 6 years old
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
Reviews(79)
While the volcano was cool to see, I wouldn’t book it with this operator. We got driven from Antigua to the volcano and the driver may have literally been the worst driver I’ve ever had. He would slam on the gas and slam on the brake repeatedly, pass around somewhat blind corners, etc. the fact he is hired as a driver is almost comical. Then, when there, our guide passed us off to a local guide. So our guide from this company went to setup lunch while the local guide took us up the volcano. The roasting marshmallows is a gimmick: you can have slightly warmed marshmallows, nothing close to roasted. The lunch we had afterwards was nice, but you’re paying a huge premium for it. Seeing Pacaya was very cool but I would book with the least expensive operator as the tours are all pretty much the same (unless you want to have an overpriced picnic lunch).
The uphill climb was a bit hard but I’m 68. So I got a ride up the volcano on Chocolate, the horse. A very gentle horse. Once on top the view was amazing. Walking down the other side was easy. And the lunch waiting for us was great. The guides were so friendly and informative. I highly recommend going with a tour so you get the story.
This hike was fantastic, our guide David was great, he gave us information on the volcanoes as we hiked and was very knowledgeable. The hike is challenging but most of the way up is shaded and we didn't feel rushed and could stop whenever needed, the way down was pretty much direct sun however the decline made that much easier- bring a hat! I chose this tour as opposed to others as lunch was offered so we didn't have to worry about packing something ourselves. Was very nice to have a picnic with a view of the volcanoes!
Great views and after about 2.5 km you arrive at the lava area which is spectacular from there you see the super close colossus emanating some gases and steam and then you go down doing a total of just under 6 km in total walking. It's worth a lot.
I highly recommend this tour. Our driver Lester got us there and was fantastic. Melvin was Our guide up and was amazing. Picture perfect day with roasted marshmallows and a picnic lunch. The whole day was stress free for us. They thought of everything.
A most beautiful and a bit challenging hike (for me) but totally worth the effort. Francisco was an excellent guide and chef. He helped us understand the volcanoes of Guatemala and prepared a colorful spread of food for lunch. This activity is highly recommended.
Great hike. The route we took was mostly shaded until we reached the final point of the hikes. Beautiful views, well maintained trails. Very nice to see the terrain transition from lush green with all kinds of trees to the barren land with volcanic rocks and no vegetation near the end of hike. Our guides Christa and Heidi were excellent. They prepared fresh lunch at top for our group- tostadas; that was a real treat. I would highly recommend this tour.
Not for the faint of heart but definitely a must do experience. Getting to theophylline of the trail can be difficult especially if you like me are not an experienced hiker. But worth it at the end. There is also the option to rent a horse to take you up. So I would budget an extra 80-100 USD in case you cannot manage the 2-3 hour hike each way. Going down as you may imagine is definitely easier than going up. Make sure to pack a raincoat, sweater and hiking boots. Our guides Rudy and David did their best to take a slow pace but it was still quite challenging. Would not recommend for small children, pregnant women or people who have limited mobility.
lA very nice, rewarding hike. Nothing too challenging but still nice to do. The views were really beautiful and the volcano was so fascinating. Our guide Vini was super knowledgeable and passionate about his job!! Had great conversations and he was all around a great guide - great chef as well! Thanks again, will definitely be back for another hike with Vini!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! 🌋 We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed the hike, the beautiful views, and learning about the volcano with Vini. He’s truly passionate about what he does (and we agree, his trail-side meals are amazing too!). We’ll make sure to pass your kind words along to him — it will mean a lot. We’d love to welcome you back for another adventure whenever you’re ready. Thanks again for hiking with us! 🙌
The one day trek up to Acantenango (not Pacaya) Volcano was outstanding thanks to our guide DAVID from Old Town Outfitters. David's youthful energy, love of the volcano and knowledge made the day very enjoyable. Not sure about Old Town Outfitters despite the staff at the office being helpful and knowledgable, and our guide excellent. Both were very good communicators and kept in touch on WhatsApp so there were no misunderstandings - even when we had to shift dates due to thunder storms. Their one day trek is extremely expensive even by USA standards ( almost $400 USD for 2 people for one day hike.) We live on Kauai and this much more than local hiking here with a guide). We are not confident that the company is sharing their wealth. We say this because their camp (where we had lunch) was substandard and we were overwhelming relieved we did not do their overnight hike to Acantenango (which was advised by them). We are okay with outhouse toilets when camping but theirs was sickening. Not using their outhouse during lunch was a much better option. Their tent kitchen was filthy and garbage littered the camp. Their equipment - hiking poles which we were told could be provided - was broke and only one pole worked. It felt like this company does not invest in the foundation of the experience. I can only hope their guides are getting paid well - but I wonder. They didn't do anything extra for this expense. For example, having a thermos of hot tea or coffee at their 5 am pick up would have been a nice touch, as would have been cold water or drinks in the pick up car at the end of a 11 hour hike. Nothing! The hike is intense and it's advised to use poles coming down as you are on sand-like ash up and down the hike. Old Town Outfitters was recommended to me and I wish I would have done more research before I committed to using them.
Hi Tracy & Kevin, Thank you so much for taking the time to share your detailed feedback. We’re truly happy to hear that you had an excellent experience on the Acatenango hike and that David made the day memorable with his energy, knowledge, and communication. He’ll be thrilled to know his efforts stood out. We’re also very grateful for your honest observations about areas where we can improve. While we’re proud to provide safe, knowledgeable guides and customized experiences, your comments regarding camp cleanliness, equipment condition, and additional touches like refreshments are important for us to hear. We sincerely apologize that these aspects did not meet your expectations. Your feedback highlights opportunities for us to better invest in the overall guest experience and ensure every part of the trip reflects the same quality our guides bring on the trail. Regarding pricing, we understand this is a significant investment, and we want every traveler to feel they’ve received excellent value. We are reviewing your comments internally to ensure that both our facilities and guest amenities align better with the level of service we aim to provide. Thank you again for hiking with us and for sharing both the positives and areas where we can improve. We hope we’ll have the chance to welcome you back in the future and show you a more polished experience from start to finish. Safe travels, Sebastian Old Town Outfitters
