Acatenango, Guatemala
If you’re visiting Antigua, Guatemala and in relatively good shape, you MUST hike Acatenango. It’s incredibly challenging but incredibly rewarding and you will forever be able to say you’ve hiked an active volcano — with a 5,150ft elevation gain!
Choosing Your Tour
For safety reasons, you really need a guide to do this hike. When choosing your Acatenango hike tour guide, consider your fitness level, tolerance for rough conditions, and what comforts you're willing to pay for. Some friends of mine slept in tents at the summit and carried all their gear up. But these people were young, fit, and on a major budget! My main priority was staying warm and not ruining my shoulders, so I booked with one of the higher-end companies, Wicho & Charlie. I paid $129 for a 6-person shared cabin.
I chose Wicho & Charlie for several reasons:
Their basecamp had solid structures that seemed to keep people warm
They offered gear rental, with lots of cold-weather gear included in the price (scarf, winter gloves, jackets, etc.)
They carried most of our gear 80% of the way up, so I only needed to carry a daypack
I was glad I booked with them because the tour was well organized with good food and helpful guides.
As with most tour companies, they also offered a porter to carry your bags for the final stretch which I opted to do for an extra Q200. I could have definitely carried my bag, but I wanted to make the hike as easy as possible for myself since my shoulders are all messed up.
Pre-Hike
I set the alarm for 6:30am (only on vacation will I wake up before 8am) and Ubered over to the Wicho & Charlie office in Antigua for a welcome meeting and substantial pre-hike breakfast. They had a station where we could make our own trail mix and some dog treats for us to give to the (MANY) stray dogs on the trail.
We were able to rent a bunch of gear for free — I grabbed a scarf, winter gloves, beanie, a fun red jacket (highly recommend a red item — it really pops in photos), water bottles, and 3-4L of water. They also had plenty of gear to rent for a small fee. I paid to rent some warm pants and hiking poles. GET THE HIKING POLES.
In my daypack, I carried my lunch, snacks, water, cold-weather layers, and a rain jacket. In my larger pack, I put loads of extra layers and more water. All of the company’s sleeping gear was already at basecamp so I didn’t need to carry any of that up.
See my packing list at the bottom of the page for the full list of what I brought with me!
Ascent
We left Antigua around 9am and arrived at the trailhead around 10am. We used the bathroom, had a little meeting, took some ‘before’ photos, then started on our 4.5 hour journey uphill around 10:30am.
The elevation gain is 5150ft (1500m) — up to an altitude of 13K ft. It is no joke! I was mentally prepared for the worst hike ever, but I ultimately felt that the ascent was challenging but doable. It was a straight uphill climb until about 3:00pm, with a break for a decent pasta salad lunch around 12:30pm (provided by the tour) and several quick snack breaks.
Unfortunately for us, there was SO much cloud cover that day so it was impossible to see much of the scenery. We could barely see a few steps in front of us at times!
And while I enjoyed chatting with almost everyone in my group, I found it difficult to talk and walk at the same time so I ended up staying towards the back third of the group and going at my own pace with my Airpods in. There were guides at the front, middle, and back of the pack so we wouldn’t get left behind. It also helped that Wicho & Charlie carried the heavier backpacks up for us so we did most of the hike with just a daypack.
Basecamp
When we finally reached basecamp, the volcano made a quick appearance through the clouds. We all cheered as it was the first time we had seen any glimpse of the volcano all day! Such epic timing that the sun came out and the volcano greeted us right as we arrived.
After an hour or so at basecamp, we had the option of heading out on the Fuego hike which is another 4.5 hours of hiking for Q200. To hike Fuego, you hike down Acatenango, up Fuego, down Fuego, and then up Acatenango. The altitude gain is +/- 1100m. A small group of people opted to do it… SO BRAVE. But I was there to have fun so I didn’t even entertain doing that hike! The plus side is that you might get to see Volcán de Fuego erupt up close and the down side is everything else.
A small group of us DID do a short, extra hike to see the sunset from a viewpoint that was less cloudy. It cost a little extra (Q100 I think?), but it was worth it. Pro tip: make sure your footwear has excellent grip — this hike was tricky and required a LOT of focus.
We ate dinner around 7pm which was a surprisingly tasty lentil curry, followed by some hot chocolate. It was a really solid group of people and we all became fast friends (at least for the night). I figure it’s a self-selected group of people who are down to do a 24-hour volcano hike so they all passed the vibe check by just signing up for this adventure.
Later that evening, the rain started and it kept going all night. There was no visibility so we were unable to see the volcano erupt at night OR do a bonfire under the stars.
The lodging was A-frame cabins with sleeping pads/ bags. The cabins offered some warmth but they ended up taking a beating with the evening’s torrential downpour which was LOUD. But since we were sleeping at such high altitude, the sleep was pretty much guaranteed to be terrible anyways. We went to bed hoping for better weather the next day so that we could see some volcano activity!
My only complaint of the tour was the toilet situation. I ended up just going outside in nature because the toilets were so gross. But I’m scared of the dark so it was a bit scary to find a deserted place high up on a volcano to do my business. Also the tour group fed us pretty high-fiber foods which was bittersweet…
Sunrise
I had planned to summit Volcán Acatenango for sunrise, but when my alarm went off at 4:00am, the rain made me rethink everything. The sunrise hike is challenging — about two hours with 800 meters of elevation gain — and the tour guides had warned us that visibility might be poor. The thought of hiking for two hours in the rain for zero views before a ~3 hour descent just did NOT sound appealing. So I decided to skip it and reset my alarm for sunrise at 6:00am.
When I woke up at 6:00am, I was greeted with CLEAR SKIES! And just a few minutes later, I got to see a sunrise volcano eruption! Such an incredible way to wake up. The scene was otherworldly and absolutely worth the effort. While the Rostro Maya (Indian Nose) sunrise hike at Lake Atitlan was spectacular, Acatenango was UNREAL.
From 6:30-6:45am, we just marveled at the beauty of the earth and the changing sky. It was an incredible sunrise and the volcano kept erupting every so often. We really bonded as a group… I think because we just went through some weird collective (voluntary) suffering.
Descent
Around 7:00am, the guides made us breakfast: bean and rice burritos (decent!) and coffee. We started the ~3 hour descent around 8:30am. It was funny descending as other tour groups were walking up. It felt like high school where you’re the graduating seniors and know everything and the ascending groups were these bright-eyed, naive freshmen. I was just relieved that I was descending and not doing the hike all over again.
There were a bunch of stray dogs on the trail and they brought lots of joy to the misery of hiking for several hours in the cold. I met a black dog that I named Padfoot (sup Harry Potter) and he accompanied me down for about an hour. The hike down was difficult because it was a bit slippery, but we were treated with excellent weather and clear skies so it was much more enjoyable than the ascent.
I am sad I wasn’t able to see the volcano erupt at night and enjoy a bonfire under the stars. But I guess I’ll just have to do the hike again???
Quick Tips for Hiking Acatenango
Rent Hiking Poles: This is worth the extra money. It will make the hike so much easier!
Bring Enough Water: Pack at least 3-4 liters. You’ll be extra thirsty at altitude. I brought 3L and wish I had more.
Layer Smartly: Temperatures vary dramatically, so bring a solid thermal base layer, fleece, and waterproof outerwear.
Acclimate to Altitude: You do NOT want altitude sickness. Spend time in Antigua or similar altitudes beforehand to avoid altitude sickness (see my full review on Antigua here). Also consider taking altitude pills a few days beforehand. I usually take these pills.
Assess Your Fitness Level: Be realistic about your capabilities and comfort with rough conditions. If you’re not up for carrying gear, pay for a porter.
Pack Snacks: Trail mix is your friend! Also granola bars, nuts, and chocolate are great options.
Go Slow: It’s not a race — go at your own pace to conserve energy and MAYBE even enjoy the experience.
Check Weather Conditions: Rain or clouds can obscure the views, so manage your expectations and decide which optional hikes to skip.
Packing list
Cash (for porters, tips, etc.)
Hat
Bandana
Gloves
Beanie
Scarf
Headlamp (though Wicho & Charlie provided these for free)
Sunglasses
Trail shoes
Wool socks
Fleece
Rain jacket
Thermal base layer
Short-sleeve shirt
Long-sleeve shirt
Leggings
Waterproof pants (I rented these)
Underwear
Socks
Sports bra
Eye mask
Earplugs
Sunblock
Inhaler
Aquaphor
Hand sanitizer
Kleenex
Toilet paper
First aid: Advil, Imodium, bandaids, altitude pills
Hydration tablets & gels (purchased from the GNC in Antigua)
Snacks - granola bars, nuts, chocolate
External battery
Hiking backpack
From cobblestone streets to active volcano hikes, Antigua, Guatemala, is a walkable paradise filled with history, stunning views, and vibrant dining spots.