Pacaya Volcano Hike: How to Do the Pacaya Volcano Tour From Antigua, Guatemala

Wondering how to do the popular Pacaya volcano tour from Antigua? You’re in the right place! I’m going to tell you everything about doing the Pacaa volcano hike in Guatemala.

Before I visited Guatemala, it didn’t even cross my mind that toasting a marshmallow in an active volcano was actually a thing. I’m glad to tell you it absolutely is a thing and the Pacaya hike 100% needs to be on your Guatemala bucket list.

The Pacaya tour is one of the most popular day trips from Antigua. Walk into any of the adventure tour outlets and ask to do the affectionately named ‘Marshmallow Hike’, they’ll know exactly what you’re talking about. Let’s go!

The Pacaya Volcano Tour From Antigua

The easiest place to hike Pacaya volcano is from the stunning UNESCO city of Antigua. 

The ancient capital of Guatemala is surrounded by volcanoes, a number of them are still active and Pacaya (aka Volcan de Pacaya) is one of them. 

There are quite a few options to do the volcano Pacaya hike; including a Sunrise tour or the Sunset tour.

Is It Worth Hiking Pacaya Volcano?

In a word, yes! The Pacaya volcano hike in Guatemala is certainly worthy of your attention. 

Whichever Pacaya volcano hike tour you opt for, you won’t be disappointed. 

You’ll have outstanding views of the surrounding valley and experience the epicness of actually walking across the lava field of an active volcano. 

This popular Guatemala volcano tour is also one of the most accessible in the region, meaning you don’t have to have an athlete’s level of fitness to do it. 

Pacaya Volcano Facts

The very much active Volcan de Pacaya is approximately 45km from Antigua. Frequent small eruptions happen around every 5 years, with the last major eruption happening in 2021. 

On the day I visited, it was clear enough to see up to the crater and see a faint glow and boulders being spewed out of the top.

What Type of Volcano Is Pacaya?

Here’s some sciency-bits about volcano Pacaya, Guatemala

Pacaya is what’s known as a composite volcano, featuring a combination of geological features. These include an older stratovolcano, domes, flows, tephra, and a more recent basaltic stratovolcano. 

This formation has evolved over the past 23,000 years in the volcanic region of Guatemala. The volcano’s composite nature happened because of successive eruptions which caused a build-up of layers of different materials, resulting in its unique characteristics.

Is Pacaya Volcano Dangerous?

Pacaya Volcano is an active and therefore, potentially dangerous volcano. It’s located in Guatemala’s volcanic arc, which has a history of eruptions causing serious threats to nearby communities and infrastructure. 

When Was the Last Pacaya Volcano Eruption?

The last major eruption of Pacaya happened between 2020 and 2021. Lava flow started on 29th April 2020 and travelled over 2 km before the fissure’s activity came to an end on 17th May the following year.

Pacaya Volcano Hike – Know Before You Go

If you’re planning on climbing Pacaya volcano, there are probably plenty of questions you have. In this section, I delve into things that people ask before doing a Volcan de Pacaya tour

Where Is Pacaya National Park?

Pacaya National Park is also known as Parque Nacional Volcán de Pacaya y Laguna de Calderas or Volcán de Pacaya y Laguna de Calderas National Park.

It’s located in Guatemala and encompasses the active Pacaya Volcano and the Calderas Lagoon which offers visitors a unique opportunity to experience the natural wonders of this volcanic region.

Location of Pacaya Volcano, Guatemala

The volcano is located inside Volcán de Pacaya y Laguna de Calderas National Park. If you do a Pacaya tour from Antigua, it will include transportation to the park. It can be a little challenging getting to the park without your own transportation.

The city of Antigua is at an elevation of 5,000 ft (1.5km) above sea level. So if you’ve just arrived in the region, altitude sickness might be a problem. Spend a few days acclimatising before going on a hike.

Getting to the Pacaya Volcano From Antigua

To reach Pacaya Volcano from Antigua, Guatemala, you can take a guided tour or arrange private transportation. The journey takes around 1.5 to 2 hours.

The drive starts smooth and then turns into a bumpy and windy track. You’ll get to enjoy the beautiful views of the countryside along the way. There’s a car park at the entrance to the Pacaya Guatemala hike. 

How Long Does It Take To Hike Pacaya Volcano?

Naturally, this will depend on the speed at which you’re walking. Typically allow between 90 minutes – 2 hours to reach the top and much less for the journey down.

Our group had a mix of ages and fitness levels and at no point did anyone feel pressured to keep up. 

We just went at a comfortable level with plenty of breaks. Regardless of your fitness level, you’ll want to keep stopping anyway to look at the view while you’re climbing Pacaya volcano in Guatemala, – the scenery is stunning!

Pacaya Volcano Hike Difficulty

The Pacaya volcano hike is classed as an altitude hike so you’d want a reasonable level of fitness to be comfortable. If you have lower levels of fitness or respiratory problems, take this into account.

The elevation gain during the Pacaya hike in Guatemala is around 1500ft (approx 1/2 a kilometre). This will take you up to around about 7700ft (approx 2.3km) above sea level in total. 

The total height of Pacaya volcano is 8373 ft (approx 2.5km). Don’t worry, you’re not going all the way to the top!

There is a sign at the entrance that states it’s a medium to difficult hike, although I have done much tougher hikes than this before. 

In my personal view, it was a moderate challenge.

If you need them, walking poles are available to rent at the start of the hike as well as horses to ride up, or to take the return journey on.

Best Time to Hike Pacaya Volcano

Volcan de Pacaya tours happen all year round. However, the best season to do the Pacaya Volcano Hike is from November to January, which is just before the dry season. 

During this time there will still be plenty of greenery about as well as flowers which makes the walk a bit more picturesque.

From January onwards (the dry season), it will be substantially hotter, dustier and dryer.

Best Volcan Pacaya Tour

If you don’t have your own transportation or are not accustomed to hiking, then I highly recommend booking one of the tours. 

Here are two of the best Pacaya Volcano tours. I opted for the sunset tour. Both of these tours include transfers and guides. 

Pacaya Volcano Tour and Hot Springs

This tour features a hike up to an active Pacaya volcano. You’ll be amazed by the stunning views of the fiery lava and the lush greenery. And after the hike, you’ll get to relax and pamper yourself with a thermal circuit. It’s the perfect way to experience nature and wellness at the same time.

Half Day Pacaya Volcano Marshmallows Tour

This trekking tour starts later in the day and takes you to the best spots to see the sunset from. This is the iconic hike that is suitable for most people who can hike (children can take part in this trail). Once at the lava field at the top, you’ll get to experience the heat of the landscape and toast a marshmallow in the ground.

Pacaya Volcano Tour Prices

The prices for Volcan Pacaya tours vary depending on which tour you opt for. Starting prices are around $35 for a half-day tour with transportation, but then you’ll often have to purchase an admission ticket separately. 

Prices for a full-day private tour are in the region of about $70. 

Before you book your Pacaya tour make sure you know what’s included in the price.

Can I Do the Volcano Pacaya Hike Without a Guide?

You could organise your own Pacaya volcano hike if you had your own transportation to get from Antigua to the start of the trail  – it’s about 45km away, although it takes about 1hr 20 along the bumpy road. 

Also, to hike Pacaya volcano, you’d want to be a confident hiker as this is classed as a moderately difficult hiker.

There is a car park at the foot of the trail. The route up was also very clearly defined until you got to the boulder field, then it was a bit of a free-for-all to wander about. 

If you do decide to hike alone, it’s always sensible to tell your accommodation that you are going to do the Pacaya volcano hike in case you have any problems.

Pacaya Volcano Entrance Fee

Pacaya Volcano is located in a national park, and the entrance fee is 100 Quetzales, which is equivalent to less than $13.

What to Pack for Your Volcano Pacaya Tour

There are several things I recommend taking when it comes to hiking volcanoes in Guatemala. The temperature can vary big time, it can be warm at the base, but chilly and breezy at the top. 

If you’re wondering what to wear on the Pacaya Volcano hike, here are my suggestions:

• It can be chilly all year round. So wear layers! regardless of the time of the year, if you are doing the Pacaya volcano hike, you’ll need them. The wind at the top can be quite cool so take some sort of windproof jacket.

• I get cold hands easily, so I always take my thin running gloves just as a lightweight layer of protection against the wind. I was certainly the envy of the others who didn’t have gloves.

• Naturally, make sure you’re wearing a breathable and comfortable pair of walking shoes. You WILL get grit inside your shoes. Also, go for shoes with a thick sole – the lava field is really spikey so you’ll be able to feel every boulder with just thin tennis shoes. 

• You can not drink the water straight from the taps in Guatemala, so make sure you pack your water purification water bottle which means you can fill up from the taps without getting sick. It’s also worth taking some snacks with you. 

What to Expect on the Volcan Pacaya Tour

I opted for the sunset hike to Pacaya Volcano. Each type of tour will differ slightly, but essentially, you’ll all be taking the same route up. My tour started in Antigua. Here’s what to expect when you tour Volcan Pacaya.

Transfer From Antigua to El Volcan Pacaya Parque

Most of the tours will start in Antigua with a central pickup. 

This was followed by a 1hr 20minute drive in our minivan with dubious suspension, to the car parking area at the start of Pacaya trail.

The parking spot at San Francisco de Sales, is also where you’ll find your last ‘decent’ – I use that word in its loosest sense –  toilet stop. There’s also a small shop selling some overpriced bottles of water and snacks – word to the wise – take your own!

As soon as you step out of the van you’ll be bombarded by a hoard of children (cuteness sells!) trying to either rent you a horse or a walking pole. Cute as they are, pester power is the name of the game here.

Start the Upward Climb

You’ll start to make your way up the dusty trail, followed by your entourage of kids (and their respective adults) who follow you up the volcano a little way behind. They will be frequently offering you a horse or pole if it looks like your struggling. 

You certainly can’t knock them for perseverance – it didn’t feel like we were being harassed either, they did keep their distance…until you stopped.

I talked about wearing layers of clothing earlier in this article, well you’ll be thankful for them now. 

The heat of the sun twinned with walking means when you’re not in the wind, you get quite warm. Don’t forget to take regular stops to rehydrate, at my time of visiting it was incredibly dry, it’s thirsty work. 

It’s also worth stopping to take in the incredible panoramic views.

Usually, there are vendors along the route, and there is certainly evidence of them, however on the day I did the hike, we only saw their vacant stalls.

The Lava Store near the top of Pacaya, unfortunately, was closed.

Fascinating Nuggets of Information

Your guide will give you plenty of information and stories along the way as well as point out surrounding volcanos, some of them smoking away in the distance.

Remember the Volcano Fuego eruption from 2018 which left at least 190 people dead and a further 256 missing? well, you can see her in the distance whilst you’re doing the Pacaya volcano hike.

The Lava Field

Eventually, you’ll reach the lava field. In my head, this is exactly what the surface of the Moon would look like. 

The dark reddish-grey rocks and boulders here are sharp, jagged and pitted with holes. It’s a good idea to wear something that covers your ankles to save them from getting scratched up. Those wearing thin-soled tennis shoes said they certainly felt it on their feet too!

The lava field is the highest part of the hike. You can see the crater of Pacaya volcano, but you can not go up. In all honesty, you wouldn’t want to either, we could see it churning out lumps of rock that were being spewed in all directions.

You’ll get to spend a decent amount of time up in the lava field. 

Depending on the time of day you do the Pacaya Volcano hike you might find it either in the shade of the volcano or with a chill breeze whipping about. You’ll be thankful for your windbreak layer up here. 

Marshmallow Toasting

Because this volcano is so active, it’s this which keeps the surrounding boulder field warm.

Granted, it’s not hot on the surface and in fact, when you’re out of the sun, the breeze makes it quite chilly up here. However, under the surface, the rocks are still warm enough to toast a marshmallow.

Your guide will lead you over to a little hole dug out of the rocks, the hole is about 1m deep. 

To prove that the rocks were still warm, we were handed one which was taken from inside the hole. These are nature’s answers to a hot water bottle, although I’m not convinced I’d be in any hurry to curl up with this sharp rock in my bed!

So you know how I obsessed about the marshmallow toasting being a thing at the start? Here’s where it happens and for many the highlight of the Pacaya mountain hike.

You get given a stick and a marshmallow before gathering around one of the holes to hover it into, where you sit and wait.

In all honesty, it is gimmicky, but I loved it! I never thought I’d toast a marshmallow in a volcano, I didn’t even realise it was a ‘thing’. So as novel as it is, not many people can say they’ve done this, it’s certainly one I added and ticked off my bucket list!

The Hike Back Down

When you’re finished with the marshmallow toasting, you’ll begin the journey down. Because our tour went later in the day, the sun was beginning to set. 

This created an orange haze in the ash that was being kicked up by our steps. This made for some beautifully ethereal-looking photos of silhouettes against the sun.

You’ll probably find that the ash gets into EVERY orifice it can find – up your nose, in your pockets and down your shoes. I hadn’t banked on getting my feet exfoliated while doing the volcano hike to Pacaya. 

Even if you do stop to empty your shoes, within a few minutes of walking, they are filled up with ash again.

Homeward Bound

Eventually leaving the ashy trail behind, you’ll get back to the minivan for the journey back to Antigua. Despite the bumpy journey home, you’ll have this relaxed feeling about you.

Back in Antigua, you’ll spend the rest of the day dislodging the dust and ash from everywhere imaginable, think of them as a little memento from the most outstanding experience.

Pacaya Volcano Hike in Guatemala – FAQs

I’ve covered a lot of details about what to expect on a Pacaya Volcano tour from Antigua, however, you might still have some questions. This final section answers some of the common questions that come up about doing this hike. 

Thinking of Doing the Pacaya Hike?

Interested in doing a not-too-technical volcano hike in Guatemala? Then I 100% recommend doing the Pacaya Volcano hike.

You will get to see an active volcano, walk on lava rocks, toast marshmallows on hot vents, and enjoy stunning views of the surrounding landscape. 

The Pacaya tour is also well-organized, safe, and fun. Trust me, you will not regret doing this volcano hike in Guatemala.  It is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that you will never forget!

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