Because it's pretty cool to say you spent the day walking on an active volcano
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Why hike Pacaya Volcano?
Are you looking for a hiking adventure during your trip to Guatemala- but you’re not a fan of strenuous multi-day efforts, high altitudes, or sleeping in freezing temperatures overnight? Or perhaps that is your thing, but you just don’t have the time for that kind of adventure on your trip. Then hiking Pacaya volcano is a great choice for you! You get to hike on an active volcano, see some massive lava fields, roast marshmallows over steam vents, AND get back in time for lunch.
Mom-approved, but still an adventure
I went to Guatemala with my mom in January 2025, and it was so much fun to show her all of my favorite things! But man, was it hard to squeeze all of the good stuff into just one week! Hiking is an activity that my mom and I both enjoy, albeit differently. My mom doesn’t want to suffer while she is out in nature (even for a killer view!), yet that always seems to be the direction I’m drawn to. So, we chose to hike Volcan Pacaya during our trip. It is a half-day hiking trip to one of Guatemala’s 3 active volcanoes. Most travelers to Guatemala these days seem to be drawn to Acatenango, the hardcore overnight hike to watch Volcan Fuego actively spew glowing lava all night. And so Volcan Pacaya seems to be less “en vogue.” But believe it or not, hikes that don’t kill you can actually be fun too!
Step One: pick a tour operator and sort your gear
For the most part, you need to go with a guide for most major hikes in Guatemala. So after reading endless reviews for Pacaya trips on Viator, I finally chose a Pacaya tour operator. I was a bit surprised at the price- about $100 per person- but this was supposed to be a small group and it had the latest pickup time for a morning hike…8am. There were a few cheaper options that looked like groups of 20 people, but I’m not really into giant tours. After debating how cold and windy we thought it would be at the top, what snacks we needed, and how much water to bring, my mom and I finally settled on our gear. We each brougt a small day pack with 2 liters of water, a warm layer, just a few granola bars, and sunscreen. I wore trail running shoes and my mom wore lightweight low top hiking shoes, and both turned out to be good choices.
Step Two: Get to Pacaya Volcano
Our driver picked us up at our hotel in Antigua at 8am sharp in a small car. I assumed he was driving us to their office to meet up with the rest of the group, but no! It was just us two. He drove us all the way out to where Pacaya volcano is, a town about 1.5 hours outside of Antigua. While I napped, my mom got a great visual of what the real Guatemala looks like from inside the car window. She was enamored by the communal laundry area in one of the small towns we drove through. We arrived at the base of Pacaya volcano and were met by our guide for the hike. And again, we were not meeting up with any other travelers. It was just us! Perhaps it was our “later” pickup time, but we had a private hike and the volcano was not crowded at all, so we got lucky!
Step Three: Use the facilities and pay the entrance fees
The first thing that shocked me when we arrived was the presence of actual infrastructure. There were real bathrooms with soap and water that were free and clean! And an entrance station to pay a park entrance fee (It was 100Q each, cash only). And a little tienda with snacks and coffee. My first rule of traveling is to never turn down a good bathroom when you find one, so we made use of the facilities and headed out on the trail.
Step Four: Head on up the trail!
Our guide’s name was Giovanni, and he spoke pretty good English and was super nice. At stops along the way, he explained to us lots of great information about Pacaya and its eruptions and history. And I enjoyed getting to ask him looooots of questions about his life and Guatemala.
Pacaya Volcano Hike Stats:
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 3.67 miles (round trip)
Elevation gain: 1,249 feet
Altitude: 6000 ft to 7,200 feet above sea level
Average grade: 14.5%
Last eruption: 2021; and there were also major eruptions with large lava flows in 2014 and 2010. It is still active, but there are no active lava flows going on.
The Hike: Terrain:
The majority of the Pacaya hike is packed dirt, which then becomes a black volcanic dirt as you near the top. Not the evil, really soft volcanic sand, thank goodness. That stuff is the bane of my existence (I’m looking at you, Cotopaxi and Rucu Pichincha). Now, this hike is short, but relatively steep! My mom had come from Florida (where the only hill is a bridge) and she definitely felt the incline. But you get to stop and take lots of rest/photo breaks along the way, so it is extremely doable. There is an option to take a horse as well… but that defeats the whole purpose. Once you finally get to the volcanic cone, the terrain changes to hard SPIKY volcanic rock. It is sharp and very uneven!
The Reward- a Volcano at the top!
After hiking for a little over a mile, you finally round the corner and WOW! There it is- a giant volcano! The black cone looms ominously over a jagged black lava field that spans in all directions. I’ve hiked quite a few volcanoes, and this one felt truly “volcano-y”. And gave some definite Mordor vibes. While there was no glowing lava under the rocks at this time (the lava field had hardened since the last eruption) it was still super cool. And you know what else was at the top? A Lava Store. OF COURSE. What a missed entrepreneurial opportunity it would be to not have one! And because we could buy something made from lava while standing on a volcano, my mom and I absolutely purchased some lava rock necklaces. Nearby to the lava store is where you can also order a pizza to be cooked on the volcano. I had heard a lot about this during my research; that it is expensive but good. We did not opt to do it, and I was happy about my choice when I saw that they were also using charcoal to cook the pizzas, not just volcanic heat.
Of note, I expected it to be cold and very windy at the top of Pacaya. It was very windy but only slightly cold, and my puffy jacket was major overkill. I was fine in my t-shirt. I would definitely bring an extra layer, just in case, but a windbreaker would have been sufficient at this time of year.
Onto the marshmallows! Expectation vs Reality.
After taking 100 photos and buying lava souvenirs, our guide asked if we wanted to venture a bit further up the volcano, which was a definite yes. My mom was nervous about navigating the sharp, rocky edges of the lava field, so she opted to have Giovanni give her a hand. Those rocks are definitely a bit precarious and looking to spill blood. But we wandered to a little section that had some steam vents- and this is where Giovanni busted out the marshmallows. “Angelitos” as they are apparently called in Guatemala. To be honest, this was a bit of “expectation vs reality.” The steam vents were hot, but they did not roast a marshmallow like a campfire. There was no slowly flowing lava to brown the edges. Part of me also wondered if it was healthy to shove food into a hole to be saturated by volcanic gases. But I LOVE marshmallows, so I enjoyed this experience regardless. And we had some canine companions we join us for the snack break!
The Hike: Return trip down the volcano
The hike down was quite enjoyable, albeit a bit of a quad-buster. The dogs we met at the top knew all of the shortcuts and beat us to the bottom. Our driver was waiting for us upon our return, and we had a pleasant drive back to Antigua. We got back around lunchtime, and had the rest of the day to explore. Of note, there is often an afternoon option to hike Pacaya as well. Mornings tend to be clearer and sometimes clouds roll in during the afternoon, which is why we did not choose that option.
Put hiking Pacaya Volcano on your list!
The Pacaya Volcano hike was such a great activity to do in Guatemala. It was fun the whole time, a great bit of exercise, and very cool to be on the volcano. I would definitely recommend this hike to anyone with a moderate amount of fitness. And because it is only a half-day excursion, it still leaves you plenty of time for other activities in Antigua. My mom and I also packed in a Guatemalan cooking class (10/10 recommend!), a coffee farm tour (how could you not?!), and a few days at Lake Atitlan. More to come on all of those things!