Acatenango Volcano Hike – Guatemala – Complete Guide

The Acatenango Volcano Hike was one of the most AMAZING hikes we have ever done and here’s why…

If you’re heading to Guatemala in search of adventure then this hike is definitely going to be for you. The overnight hike up the Acatenango volcano was the highlight of our time in Guatemala. It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

If you’re wondering what is so special about this hike, then the answer is simple. Once you get to Base Camp near the top of Acatenango, you literally have a front-row seat to watch its neighbour, Volcano Fuego, erupting all night long.

Volcano Fuego is a VERY active volcano, that erupts roughly every hour, sometimes even more. The eruptions are so impressive they can be seen from Antigua and even Lake Atitlan.

So imagine how cool they are up close. We are talking red lava, lightning ash clouds, and ground shaking kind of cool. You can usually hear and feel it before you see it.

So if that sounds as amazing to you as it did to us, then let me tell you all about our experience hiking up Acatenango, so you can go fully prepared. Starting with the basics…

View of Fuego volcano erupting from Acatenango Volcano

Where is the Acatenango Volcano

Acatenango is conveniently located right next to Antigua in central Guatemala. This is the perfect place to do the trip from, however, you can also do trips from Lake Atitlan too if you’re staying there. If you are coming from Flores, we have a guide on how to make that journey.

If you have more time during your stay in Antigua check out our blog on our favourite things to do in Antigua.

From Antigua, it is around a 45-minute drive to the start of the hike.


When Is The Best Time Of Year To Do The Acatenango Volcano Hike?

The best time of year to hike Acetenango Volcano is in the dry season. November to April. For obvious reasons, it is best to avoid the rainy season. The paths are very steep and already slippery in the dry season so it will be much harder with any more water on the ground.

view from Acatenango volcano of erupting fuego

We did the hike on Christmas day which made it feel even more special.


How Difficult Is The Acatenango Volcano Hike

Ok, I’m going to be straight with you. Hiking up Acatenango was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. Both mentally and physically. But, also one of the most rewarding and unique experiences I have ever had, making the effort totally worth it.

The hike itself is incredibly challenging as it is all uphill and a lot of it is very steep. It took our group around 6 hours to reach base camp, including plenty of rest stops. The thing that makes this hike so difficult is the altitude.

Acatenango volcano is 3976 meters tall which means you are likely to be a lot higher up than your body is used to. This makes the air thinner and it will feel like you get out of breath a lot more easily than you normally would.

In general, I would say most people could do this hike if they are moderately fit. I mean, I am no athlete and I made it up there. It is just good to know what you’re up against, so you can mentally prepare yourself.

Our group had all ages from around 12 to 55 and everyone made it to base camp in good spirits. It is hard not to be, once you see the views!

View of cloud inversions from the Acatenango volcano hike

Which Tour Company We Used

**It is good to note that to Hike Acatenango you do have to go with a guide.

There are tonnes of tour companies in Antigua that offer this trip, which can get a little overwhelming. To try and make the decision easier for you, I am going to tell you all about Wicho and Charlies and why we would 100% recommend them to anyone.

After a lot of research, we settled on Wicho and Charlies for a few reasons that make them stand out among the crowd. To name a few;

  • They have permanent cabins at basecamp instead of tents
  • They provide sleeping bags and 2 thick blankets per person
  • All the meals and snacks provided are plant-based
  • Breakfast on the day of the hike is also provided
  • Water and bottles are included
  • Extra jackets, hats, scarf and gloves and head torches are all included in the price
  • Entrance fees to the volcano are included
  • Optional sunrise hike to the summit
  • They donate to local animal rescues and provide food to feed the volcano dogs
two people sitting at the base camp of Acatenango volcano having completed the hike

Most tour companies provide tents, sleeping bags, meals, and guides. We found many reviews of other companies not having enough bedding, not enough food, inadequate snacks and not providing water so this put us off many others.

We were in a group of around 30 people and we had 5 guides with us so we were all accounted for at all times.


How Much Does It Cost To Hike Acetenango?

This tour cost us $126 per person booking it with Wicho and Charlies directly. This includes everything I listed above.

When we checked their website to book, we found that the next two weeks were totally booked up and our only option was one date with a private 2-person cabin.

We would’ve been totally happy to stay in a dorm-style cabin which is $92 per person. As we had no other options we paid extra for the last private cabin.

TOP TIP – Book a couple of weeks in advance if you have a specific date you would like to do the hike.

In addition to the cost of the tour, you may need to rent some additional gear as we did. You can do this the morning of the hike and it is not expensive. We rented a larger backpack for Guido, walking poles each, and thick socks for Guido and this cost us $19 in total.

They provide plenty of snacks and food but if you want to take any extra snacks with you this will add onto the costs too.

Lastly, if you don’t want to carry your bag you can pay a porter to carry it for you.

View of Acatenango volcano on a sunny day from Antigua Guatemala
View of Acatenango from our Airbnb in Antigua

What to Take With You Up Acatenango

It is worth noting you will carry everything you take with you, so you want to be efficient and not take more than you need. However, at basecamp during the night it can get to -15 degrees Celsius so you need to take plenty of layers.

We also had to carry our lunch, breakfast, snacks and 4.5 litres of water.

This is a full packing list for everything you will need to take with you on the hike up Acatenango;

  • Backpack between 30-50 litres (mine was 33l and Guido hired a 50l)
  • Decent walking boots or trainers
  • Walking poles
  • Thermal base layers
  • Thick warm socks
  • Multiple warm layers to add in the evening ( I had 7 layers on and was still cold)
  • A buff, hat, scarf and gloves
  • Waterproof raincoats and bag covers
  • 4.5 litres of water
  • Head torch
  • Extra snacks
  • Toothbrush and any toiletries you want to take with you
  • Toilet paper and a bag to take waste away with you
  • Power bank to charge phones
  • Camera and spare batteries
  • Optional – binoculars would’ve been cool to have for an extra close-up view of the eruptions

I would recommend not wearing jeans as you will want quick-drying materials. Also, anything less than a sturdy trainer or hiking boots will just make the hike harder than it needs to be.


Hiking Acetenango Volcano Itinerary

Day 1 of the hike

Let’s do this!!!

On the first day, you meet at Wicho and Charlie’s at 7 am where you are greeted with a welcome natural energy shot. Then you spend a couple of hours getting all your rental gear together, packing your bag up, having breakfast and getting the rest of the food you will be taking with you.

Breakfast was a yummy selection of bread and spreads, oatmeal, fruit and tea or coffee.

You get to pack your own bag of trail mix to take with you too, which was honestly the perfect snack.

They have lockers on-site if you need to leave your belongings in a safe place for the night, but you will need your own padlock.

Once everyone is ready, you all hop on the bus and head to the start of the hike. The ride is about 45 minutes and you arrive at what looks like someone’s house. Here you can use their toilet for a very small fee and they also sold some snacks and drinks if you are having any last-minute cravings.

Then off you go!

A man Signing in on the visitor book in the forest on the hike up Acatenango volcano

The first section of the hike was the hardest. About 10 minutes into the hike, I was seriously questioning my life choices. Hang in there because it does get a little easier after the first hour.

The hike takes you through farmland on the lower part of the volcano, then into the cloud forest. This part was pretty magical, being in a lush green jungle. Moss-covered trees that spend most of the time in the clouds. Before you rise up above the clouds onto dryer, ‘flatter’ land again. Guatemala flat, as the guides called it.

a couple hiking up Acatenango volcano into the clouds

The guides stop the group for breaks every 30 minutes or so, and we stopped for lunch around 11.30 am for about 30 minutes. At the lunch stop, we had plant-based meatballs and mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy. It was basic but perfect and very filling.

There are no toilets or water on the volcano of course but at the lunch stop, they have constructed a shack with a hole in the ground if you’re feeling brave. Honestly, for this hike, you will need to get in touch with your wild side and embrace Mother Nature as your temporary bathroom.

After another couple of hours of walking, you will finally reach the base camp where it is time to sit back and relax. You’ve earned it!

Looking down over our basecamp on Acatenango volcano
Our wooden cabins on Acatenango volcano looking out over fuego volcano

The Guides will light up a campfire and you can spend the rest of the evening chilling and sharing stories with the rest of the group and drinking hot chocolate as we did.

Or if by some miracle you still have any energy left, you can choose to hike another 4 hours over and onto the active Fuego for a super up-close experience.

The guys in our group who went to do this all said it was amazing but we also had the best evening watching from our campfire so it is totally up to you. The hike to Fuego is an additional 200Q ($25) if you do decide to do it.

Dinner was served to us around 6 pm and we had the BEST lentil curry I have ever had in my life. If you do the Fuego hike they will keep it warm for you and you will eat when you get back around 9 pm.

The group sitting around a campfire on Acatenango volcano at sunset

It was hard to pull ourselves away from Fuego as it gets pretty addictive waiting for the next impressive eruption but we headed to our cabin around 10 pm to get to sleep. By this point, I was wearing 7 layers and had a blanket and was freezing.

I am not exaggerating when I tell you it was cold up there. It doesn’t really snow, but it’s COLD! However, in the cabin, it was an okay temperature once we snuggled into our sleeping bags (still in all 7 layers).

We managed to get some sleep, despite Fuego doing its best to wake us up all night by rumbling and shaking our cabin.

Day 2 of the Hike

On day 2 you have the option to wake up at 4 am and join the sunrise hike to the summit, weather permitting. We were told this would be an hour and a half to hike up to the summit and harder than any of the hiking we had done the day before. Say no more. We opted to stay at basecamp and we still had the most incredible morning.

Peaking out of our cabin at 5 am just as the sky is starting to light up. We watched the stars melt away and the sun come up right in front of us. It was perfect.

silhouette of a man drinking water in front of a dramatic sunrise on Acatenango volcano

Breakfast was served around a fresh campfire and we had tasty plant-based burritos with tea or coffee. Once we had finished, we packed up our bags again. Which were considerably lighter on the way down, thankfully.

Around 7.30 am we set off back down the volcano. This is where the walking poles will become your best friends because the loose ground can be pretty slippery.

Walking through the cloud forest on Acatenango volcano

We made it to the bottom around 11 am where the buses were waiting to take us back to Wicho and Charlies. It’s once you get back to their office that you pay for all your gear rentals and the additional hike fee if you chose to do it. The super friendly staff are all there ready and waiting with a nice cold drink for you and a high five for making it back in one piece.


Good to Know Before You Go

Some super useful things to remember for the Acatenango hike are;

Storing your belongings

Wicho and Charlie have lockers where you can store all your things if you don’t have accommodation booked for the night of the hike. I believe most other tour companies also have storage for your bigger bags for the night so you can leave them safely behind. It is also good to ask before you book.

When to Book

I would advise booking in advance to avoid missing out. Wicho and Charlies, book up in advance because they are so good at what they do. They are worth the extra planning to have the very best experience.

When we booked we had to book over a week before the date we wanted as they were fully booked. This may change throughout the year but better to check on their website for availability to be sure.

Walking Poles

Trust me, get the walking poles. You can thank me later.

Water and staying hydrated

They recommend 4.5 litres of water. 1 litre will be given to the cook for dinner and hot drinks. That leaves you 3.5 litres and you should make sure to drink ALL of it. In our group of 30 people, 4 got very bad altitude sickness. One of the best ways to help prevent this is to stay well hydrated. You can also ask a doctor or pharmacist for advice on medication if this worries you but both Guido and I were totally fine. The Guides had some altitude sickness medication too, but not enough for everyone!

View of another nearby volcano from Acatenango

Final thoughts – Acatenango Volcano Hike

So there you have it. Everything you could possibly need to know before embarking on, what I promise will be, one of the best things you ever experience! We know you will love Hiking up Acatenango as much as we did.