Pacaya Volcano Tour: Scenic Hike from Antigua

Explore Pacaya Volcano from Antigua: a thrilling hike with stunning views, volcanic sand trails, and steam vents. Perfect for adventure seekers!

Duration: 6 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Pacaya Volcano - Set off on an unforgettable half-day journey to Pacaya, one of Guatemala’s most active volcanoes. Following a picturesque one-hour drive from Antigua, embark on a guided hike through verdant forests and volcanic landscapes. The trail provides breathtaking views and leads to a plateau featuring dried lava fields and steaming…
What's Included
  • Shared round-trip transportation from Antigua
  • Hotel pickup (selected hotels only)
  • Trail guide in Spanish and basic English
What's Not Included
  • Entrance fees
  • Horse rental (optional): Approx. Q300 per horse (US$40), payable directly to local providers.
  • Wooden walking stick (Optional) - Q10.00 ($1.5) payable directly to local providers.
Additional Information

Embark on an unforgettable journey to one of Central America’s most active and accessible volcanoes, just an hour from Antigua. Pacaya showcases stunning volcanic landscapes, featuring solidified lava flows and steaming vents (though no flowing lava is visible), yet the warmth beneath your feet is palpable.
What makes this tour truly special is the…

Location
Café La Parada
6a Avenida Norte No. 42, (In front of La Merced Church), Antigua Guatemala 03001
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.4
(422 Ratings)
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Haidyo990
Jul 3, 2025
Unique experience - This was one of a kind experience. The views to and from the volcano were amazing! Our guide “Monkey” was exceptional, kind helpful, knowledgeable and friendly. Highly recommend it. We added the options for pizza and really enjoyed it..
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Reyna_m
Jun 24, 2025
This trip was incredible!... - This trip was incredible! The bus picks you up at a central location, along with other pickups. The bus is small and they will fill up EVERY seat. If you require assistance or are on the older side, I would highly suggest car service. I’m going to be honest here: I consider this hike to be on the difficult side. I am an active female and also hike on my spare time, but this was on a different level. All incline so be prepared to experience fatigue as you make your way up. They do have horses if you prefer not walk on your own or get tired and there are wooden sticks available for rent at the beginning of the tour. TAKE ONE. My only regret is that I didn’t take a stick with me. Other than that, it was a beautiful experience. We had 2 tour guides and they were very attentive and went at reasonable speed to accommodate the group. Bring lots of water, wear hiking boots and light athletic gear. Enjoy the views and the marshmallows!
Review provided by Viator
132njamm
Jun 21, 2025
Pacaya takes you to amusement viewing - It was out of ordinary to be at a volcano!! The climb was hard but worth it Riding a horse even better!! Watching from distance a volcano eruption was unique experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Peter_m
Jun 15, 2025
A great few hours out of town - This was an excellent tour and great value for money. On the hike we passed varied scenery and the guide was very informative about the flora and fauna and also the recent history of volcanic activity. Although the hike was somewhat physically demanding, there were plenty of breaks, so can be managed by those with below average fitness levels.
Review provided by Viator
G7311alabigailw
Jun 15, 2025
Great! Worth the money - Tour was great! The tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable and the people in the group were great! The marshmallows don’t toast like you want but still a great experience for an afternoon
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Allan_p
Jun 12, 2025
A hard climb (for a 70+... - A hard climb (for a 70+ year old) but worth every bit of it....and did without the horses tho they followed me 1/2 way. The guide went ahead with all the younger people but was OK.
Review provided by Viator
Kandace_p
Jun 10, 2025
Rewarding hike and experience - A steep but short hike to the great viewpoint of the volcano and the city above the clouds. The horses followed us (VERY closely 👀) and there was a couple ladies who ended up riding them up. The guide gave us several rest breaks on the way up and was good about keeping our group together going up and down. Only disappointment was there was zero pizza or snacks along the way that I had read about. We did "roast" marshmallows by the lava vents which was fun. Long drive there and back!
Review provided by Viator
Vera_s
May 26, 2025
Fantastic - The Pacaya Volcano hike was absolutely amazing and one of the highlights of my trip to Guatemala! It’s considered a medium-level hike, and while I personally didn’t find it too difficult, it was the perfect level of challenge to still feel adventurous and fun. The guides did a great job pacing the group — we took three breaks along the way, which really helped since we had hikers of all different experience levels. They also have horses available for US$40 if anyone feels like they need a break from walking, which is a great option to have. Once you reach the top, you’re rewarded with stunning views and the unique option to enjoy a fresh pizza made right on the volcano how cool is that? Just a heads-up: bring plenty of water. There are moments during the hike when you’ll definitely need it to stay hydrated. Overall, the experience was smooth, well-guided, and totally worth it. Highly recommend this hike for anyone visiting Guatemala!
Review provided by Viator
Pam_p
Jun 8, 2025
Confusion at the top!!! - This is a hard review to write because the tour was beautiful and worth the $$$ but the organization at the top of Pacaya went to a poor quality and our family was confused and ended up split up. THAT WAS NOT GOOD. It could have been avoided. When you tell some that this is the top but not all and move the horses out of sight it creates confusion. We went into the lava shop and our horses and guides were gone. Some people were still in the shop and others continued to climb as they did not hear that it was the top and even though the trail continued that they should not climb higher. HOW DO YOU AVOID THIS!!! Keep the guides and horses in the SAME PLACE AND EVERYONE WILL GET BACK TOGETHER. OH AND COUNT YOUR PEOPLE. My daughter and son in law god separated from their children ages 11 and 16 because of the confusion.
Review provided by Viator
Kaden
Jun 6, 2025
Rushed and not kept informed - While the volcano is amazing, this tour was very half hazard. The road was closed, so they drove us around in circles for over an hour without informing anyone what was happening. So the 1 hour drive ended up being 2 and a half. As a result, they rushed us a lot without taking many breaks. Expect many small children harrassing you to buy the hiking gear in the ticket building. They also stayed on our heels with the horses constantly trying to get us to rent one. The volcano is amazing the tour was not.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $35
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).