Table of Contents
Today’s blog post is another guide all about Guatemala! In case you missed it, my last guide covered everything to do in historic and charming Antigua, Guatemala! This is the first place I recommend visiting on your trip to Guatemala. In my previous guide, I explained you should fly into Guatemala City and then grab a taxi to Antigua. From here, a lot of backpackers will challenge themselves to complete the Volcan Acatenango hike before heading to Lake Atitlan. Volcan de Acatenango is located about 50 minutes or 12 miles (20 km) from Antigua, so this will be your base for the adventure! Let’s dive into everything you need to know to prepare for this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
This post contains affiliate links. If you click and book through any of these links, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you so much for reading and supporting my little corner of the internet!
Why Is Volcan Acatenango Famous?
Now that you know where Volcan de Acatenango is located and how to incorporate a visit here into your Guatemala itinerary, I’m going to cover WHY you should hike it. Below are the details about the tour group I went with and why I recommend it.
Central America, and Guatemala in particular, is covered in volcanoes — both active and dormant. While Acatenango is currently dormant, it has a long history of volcanic activity. It also happens to be located adjacent to Volcan Aqua and Fuego — two of the other most famous volcanoes in the area.
The last major eruption of Acatenango occurred in 1972, although a few smaller eruptions have occurred since. A truly dormant volcano hasn’t erupted in the last 10,000 years. This is certainly not true for Acatenango, so it is predicted to erupt again in the future. However, it is currently safe to climb and has become a popular tourist attraction for the challenge, views, and once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Additionally, Acatenango overlooks Fuego, which is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. It erupts almost every 10-15 minutes! It frequently spews ash and lava into the air, so hopefully you’re able to visit on a clear night and have your camera ready! My bunkmates actually took turns watching the volcano at night for lava activity — I was able to capture some of it on my iPhone!
About The Volcan Acatenango Hike
The standard Acatenango volcano hike, which groups are led on, covers about 11 miles of terrain (18km) and takes a total of about 12 hours to complete round-trip, which is split between two days. I can’t imagine doing this all in one day! Basically, you’ll hike up to base camp on the first day — leaving in late morning and arriving in the late afternoon. It takes about 4-6 hours to complete based on the group’s pace and how many breaks you take, including a longer lunch break. You’ll stop for breaks often and take mandatory rest stops every hour.
You’ll then spend the evening and night hanging out and sleeping at base camp which is SO fun! More on this below, but it’s such a cool way to exchange stories, meet other travelers, and revel in the experience.
This hike is DIFFICULT, mostly due to the high elevation and the vertical gain. Antigua’s Volcan Acatenango is over 13,000 feet (almost 4K meters) above sea level, so the thinner air makes it more challenging to climb. Additionally, the volcano is steep. It involves 1,570m, or over 5,000 feet of vertical ascent and descent. You begin the climb at around 8,000 feet above sea level.
So why should you brave the Volcan Acatenango hike? The summit offers panoramic views of the entire region, a close-up look at a highly active volcano, and you’ll get to experience sunrise above the clouds. This moment in particular, was one I will remember and treasure for the rest of my life.
Volcan Fuego Extension
If, and this is a major IF, you reach base camp and feel high energy, you can hike an additional 6 hours roundtrip to the base of Fuego. This is the closest spot you can get to an eruption, and is definitely the best spot to capture the most epic photos. However, it is extremely strenuous and due to a quick change in weather, I know a feel people who had to turn around. I would say that 80% of people hung out at base camp for the rest of the day instead of doing this second hike. Keep in mind you have the additional sunrise hike in the morning too, so you’ll want to be well rested enough to summit!
Interested in group travel? I used to work for EF & have traveled with them many times! I can’t say enough good things about EF Ultimate Break’s hundreds of affordable & fun group trip itineraries around the world. You can pay for the trips overtime each month, and fun fact — over 70% of travelers go solo! I am a proud EF Ultimate Break brand ambassador — Get $100 off your first trip by using my link here.
Volcan Acatenango Hike: The Logistics
I’m pretty sure, legally, you have to hike Volcan Acatenango with a group and guide. Also, it is too much of a beast to do solo, unless you are an incredibly experienced hiker. Assuming you are a tourist… in decent shape… with a lust for adventure and just want to push yourself to accomplish this bucket list experience (like me!), I recommend going the tour group route.
In downtown Antigua, you will see tourism offices and signs advertising many companies that do this hike. The one that I recommend though, based off of dozens of reviews from other blogs and social media, is Wicho & Charlie’s! They have a home base and office in downtown Antigua, so you will meet here to rent all your equipment, store your luggage, etc. before they shuttle you to the trail head of the volcano. They will also provide all your water and food that you will need for the trek (4 full meals). From here, the company guides will bring you up the trail, stopping frequently. There are even local porters you can hire to help carry your packs — something I highly recommend doing since the trail is so steep and difficult to climb up even with just a jacket on.
What To Expect: The Group
Once you make it to base camp, the crew will light fires, prepare dinner, and basically ensure you are as comfortable as you can be (for sleeping on a volcano, that is!), before guiding you up to the Volcan Acatenango summit the following morning. Wake up call is brutally early — I think we were on the trail again between 3-4 am and had to hike an additional 1.5 hours up a very steep incline to the volcano crater at the top. The best part? You’ll reach the very summit just in time for sunrise, when all the other hikers, staff, and tourists watch the sunrise over the peaks and clouds together, and clap as the day officially begins. It was the most beautiful moment.
The crew will then lead you back down to base camp (much faster going down… you can basically slide down the ash!), where you’ll pack up and enjoy coffee and one last meal together before you begin the trek to the base of the mountain. You’ll take less breaks going down (I think we took just one), and be at the bottom around lunchtime, where you’ll then be bused back to Antigua. We collected our belongings from the Wicho & Charlie’s office area, returned our rental equipment, and checked into a hotel for the BEST shower and sleep of our lives. I think I took 2 showers and only got out of bed to order Domino’s pizza. We slept for over 13 hours.
Doing the Volcan Acatenango hike with a group is an incredible bonding experience for travel lovers and will make you feel safe and cared for the entire time. Your job? Just put one foot in front of the other!
What To Expect: The Trail To Base Camp
The entire first half of the hike looks like a rainforest! It is so beautiful and dense, but extremely steep. Literally within 3 seconds of leaving the trailhead, you’ll be walking straight uphill.
After about 1.5 hours of uphill (with many pit stops!), you’ll make it to the official “entrance” of the volcano. There’s a sign here for photos and a waiver you must complete to continue. The park fee here is covered by Wicho & Charlie’s, another reason why I recommend booking with them!
The rest of the climb up was exciting and less steep. We were running on pure adrenaline knowing we were approaching base camp! By the way, if the Guatemalan guides say “almost there” or “20 more minutes”, you’re not really almost there. BUT the end is near at this point!
What To Expect: The Trail To Summit
Unlike the first day of hiking through the forest, the summit was straight volcanic rock and ash. This was SUPER cool to see but also extremely difficult to walk on. For every one step forward, I felt like I was sliding 2 steps back. Plus, you will hike to the summit in the very early morning (4 am) so it is freezing and you’ll be running on ~5 hours of poor quality sleep.
The summit hike was 1.5 hours from 4-5:30 am. We started in the pitch black with headlamps and the sun started to glow as we neared the summit.
This morning hike was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I had stomach pain and a headache from the altitude, but pushed forward because I’ve heard amazing things about the sunrise views. Watching the sun rise above the clouds and seeing Fuego erupt in the background really was one of the most magical things I’ll ever see in my life.
What To Expect: Hiking Down
Going down was 10x easier than the way up and took half the amount of time. From base camp to the bus is about 3 hours. However, your legs are so tired at this point, I definitely slid a few times.
What To Expect: The Food
Around mile 2-3 (hour 3ish of hiking) of hiking to the top, you’ll reach the halfway point to the base camp and stop for lunch. Wicho & Charlies provided 4 meals for us:
- Breakfast at the office / HQ in Antigua to fuel up while we rented gear and met the group
- Lunch at the halfway point (a super yummy vegan pasta salad)
- Dinner at the base camp before the overnight (rice / beans / lentils)
- Breakfast at basecamp after the sunrise hike in the morning (mostly toast!)
What To Expect: The Sleeping Situation
If you embark on this adventure as a couple or with a close friend, there are private “glamping” cabin accommodations you can book. As a mid-range option, there are also 6-person cabins. The most affordable option, and the most common, is to sleep in the 12-person shelter. My opinion? Honestly, you’re not going to sleep much / well anyways, so mind as well meet new friends!
The shelter had bunk beds and lots of blankets, provided by Wicho & Charlie’s. Each person gets 2 blankets. It was comfortable but FREEZING. I had like 6 coats on and was still cold (more on layering below). Even though you will be close to the equator in Guatemala, and we traveled in late May, the temperature can get down to -1o° C at night.
Pro-tip: Perhaps this is obvious, but there is no running water at base camp. There is an outhouse for the bathroom, or you get to know Mother Nature. Bring baby wipes to “shower”.
How To Prepare To Hike Volcan Acatenango
Since this hike is so challenging, be sure to come prepared! This not only means packing the right essentials (listed in the below section), but also hydrating and nourishing your body in the days leading up to the excursion. Especially the day before!
My friend Bri and I also took altitude sickness medicine starting the night before so we didn’t feel any headaches or nausea on the hike — two symptoms commonly associated with altitude sickness. To prevent this, we also flew into Guatemala several days before the hike to accumulate.
Pro-tip: You can get altitude medication from most of the pharmacies in downtown Antigua. If you just ask the pharmacist and say “Volcan Acatenango” they will know what you’re asking for / need! Many tourists stock up before the trek.
I also ensured that I slept a full sleep the night before the hike and took a GOOD shower, since it was another 2 days and lots of sweat later that I was able to take another one.
Lastly, I would pre-book a nicer hotel or accommodation in Antigua for the night after the hike. You’ll want a good shower, cozy bed, and NO tours booked. You will definitely be sore, so don’t plan on doing much the following day.
Volcan Acatenango Hike Packing Essentials
Bring layers! Even in the summer months you’ll be freezing overnight at base camp. You’ll sweat like crazy going up the volcano and will be very cold at night. I wore…
- A tank top as my base layer
- A thermal shirt
- A sweatshirt
- A zip up fleece
- A fleece-lined rain jacket
- A winter puffer
- Leggings on my legs
- Joggers / sweats over the leggings
- 3 pairs of socks
- 2 hats
- Gloves
Pro-tip: You can also “rent” layers at Wicho & Charlie’s. Most of these layers (ex. scarf, hat, jackets, etc) are included in the tour cost. You get some time to “shop” around before the hike.
Other essentials for hiking Volcan Acatenango:
- Hiking Poles: A MUST to climb in the volcanic ash. I didn’t think I would need these, but the volcanic ash is very slippery to walk on. The poles were essential to help with balance!
- Hiking Boots: Essential (sneakers won’t cut it) for the way down since you’ll most likely be slipping and sliding on the volcanic ash and rock, especially on tired legs!
- Good Socks: I found packing several pair of socks to be a key to staying comfortable. You’ll want to change into a new pair when you sleep (maybe a few to stay warm) , and I put on a third, new pair for the hike back down.
- Headphones: My AirPods and uplifting music kept me going when I was too fatigued to chat.
- Water: I’ve mentioned this a few times now, but just to reiterate it, you will need LOTS of water. There is no fresh water at base camp. Every hiker is required to carry a gallon.
- A positive attitude: Although this is an extremely difficult physical challenge, just remember how lucky you are that you GET to do this. That your body alone can carry you UP a VOLCANO!
Carrying Your Bags Up Volcan Acatenango
As I mentioned above, there are porters you can hire to help carry your food, sleeping gear, etc. There’s not much at base camp — just a few basic mattresses on wooden bunks and blankets, so you will have to carry in & carry out a good amount of gear, food, and water. My friend Bri and I, along with dozens of others, took advantage of the porters for our giant bags, and I’m so glad we did. We paid them well, so it was a win / win. Your bag will probably weigh about 25-30 lbs. Don’t be embarrassed to use them on your Volcan Acatenango experience, the hike is difficult enough as it is.
You can borrow a large hiking backpack from Wicho & Charlie’s that is 40L in size. This is a requirement by the company so you can properly hold all your overnight gear. Don’t worry about bringing your own, you can rent it. I just packed a day hiking bag with me for the trip. The day bag will be essential to keep on your body for snacks and water.
Final Thoughts
In closing, this hike was the most challenging, but also the most rewarding experience of my life. If you are ever in Guatemala, I highly recommend making the trek. If you’ve never considered this experience, I hope this guide addresses any concerns you may have. Add it to your bucket list! Next stop (and final stop / guide for Guatemala!): Lake Atitlan.
Like this post? Pin it to save it for later and share with others!
