Pacaya

A fantastic hike. The views are unbeatable as you look into the Water and Fire Volcanoes (the fire volcano erupta every 15 minutes or so). When you slget to the top (and it is a steep climb) you are treated by the caldera (which you cannot climb to) and another stretch of hike to the lookout point. It will cost you 100 Quetzals per person to enter the park and is about an hour and a half drive from Antigua. There are plenty of private guides that will rent you a horse and take you all the way to the top on horseback. For the elderly or the unaccustomed to hiking, this is a great and highly recommended option. If you are lucky enough you can grab a pizza and eat on a lava table while you look into the volcano. Heads up that you need to order this in advance to make sure that David is going to be there and that he'll have enough supplies to make you one. You'll pay about 500 Quetzals but it is well worth the experience.

Very neat spot, you need to get a guide and sometimes there aren't many around. We came on a day that was kind of rainy and there was no wait. We were able to rent horses and go to the top, then hike to roast marshmallows. It was quite a nice experience, but not super cheap (over $60 USD per person with horses). The guide was friendly and spoke great English. The experience was great!

Hiking Volcán Pacaya with children was an unforgettable adventure — the perfect blend of nature, excitement, and accessibility. Unlike some of Guatemala’s more challenging volcanoes, Pacaya offers a manageable trail that’s ideal for families, while still delivering the thrill of walking on an active volcano. The hike is moderately steep in parts, but kids handled it well, especially with a few breaks along the way. The views are spectacular, and the experience of roasting marshmallows over the hot volcanic rock was easily the highlight — both fun and memorable for children and adults alike. The trail is well-marked, and local guides are friendly and patient, which makes the whole experience smooth and safe. Whether you go in the morning or afternoon, it’s a fantastic family activity that combines adventure, education, and breathtaking scenery. For families traveling through Guatemala, Pacaya is a must-do — accessible, exciting, and a unique way to introduce kids to the country’s incredible volcanic landscapes.

Amazing hike! We rented walking sticks from the local kids at the entrance to the park and we’re glad we did. It was a steep and long walk uphill and we weren’t used to the high elevation. Downhill the stick was really handy. Horses were available to ride whenever anyone got fatigued. Horses and dogs followed our group on the trail and the dogs enjoyed roasting marshmallows with us in the volcano’s vents. Happy we did the morning hike as it kept us from becoming overheated on the strenuous bits.

Pacaya is a great hike, but when we went the visibility was poor due to overcast skies so you could not see the full volcano (we did the morning hike). The trail is of medium difficulty, with some steep sections, but manageable. Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable, making the experience enjoyable. However, a strong smell of horse manure lingered for much of the hike, which was unpleasant. They also tried roasting marshmallows on the lava rocks which would have been a unique highlight, but the volcano seemed to be out of steam the day we went. Would recommend, but maybe try the afternoon hike for better views.

A relatively easier option re hiking to get close to hot water vapor coming out of the ground. Definitely No View of the lava. The approx 60 min hike is steep and mostly on soft powder lava dust, hence it is a harder walk. Of course you are climbing in altitude, which will also feel harder. Along the way you have nice views of mountains and the other two volcanoes. As the sun sets, you'll have wonderful colors all around. At the stop up top, there are a couple of guys who will bake you a pizza using thermal energy from the ground - cheesy, but cool. (We had a very poor experience using Old Town Outfitters Adventure Guatemala for Pacaya hike. Please consider not using them.)

A very scenic and historic hike!! I rode on horseback which was even better. We saw lava flows only 3 years old and ate pizza that was cooked on the hot lava rocks too.

Great experience hiking the volcano. If you are driving there by yourself be careful, getting there was an adventure by itself. Do not follow google maps, it took us through sketchy neighborhoods with terrible roads and potholes that could fit a person. In the end I gave up on google maps when it told us to get through a bridge that was broken. Waze worked much better and took us there. However notice that the guide cost Q200 and the parking plus Q30. You also can't choose a guide and have to get the next one in line, no matter if he speaks english well or not. If your group is not big it might be worth it to just be part of a tour group from antigua and not have to worry about the drive, or about being lucky enough to get a good guide.