Acatenango & Fuego Volcano – hike tour guide

Beautiful overnight hike up one volcano to get you incredible views of other surrounding volcanos and then back down safely to the real world.

Let’s cover some basic information you should know so you don’t gotta read a hundred sites to get all the info I share here.

• What to expect
• What volcano tour companies to choose
• What gear you need
• Logistics to plan (weather, travel)
• Other helpful tips

Some info about volcanos nearby Antigua:

• Acatenango (inactive) – most popular volcano hike (especially among tourists), because it’s tall and gives you beautiful views of Fuego and Agua. You can go all the way to the top to look into the crater of this one (and feel its heat).
• Fuego (active) – you can’t hike it as it’s active but this is the main lava-spitting one that people try to get a view of. What people do is hike up the mountain ridge next to it to get a close-up view.
• Agua (inactive) – the huge beautiful one standing as a massive backdrop behind the entire Antigua. Looks massive from ground level, and then majestic from sky level as you climb above the clouds (from other volcanos). My favorite photos are of this one. Not recommended for climbing as it’s not a common hike, presumably because 1) you wouldn’t be able to look at it if you’re climbing it and 2) people get robbed climbing this one.
• Pacaya (active) – another popular volcano hike, can be easier or harder than Acatenango depending on what you’re doing. This one lets you get close to the lava.
• Santiaguito (active) – small active volcano. I imagine it’s not popular because it doesn’t reward you with a good enough view, or maybe it’s dangerous and you can get robbed. I dunno, you gotta look it up.

What to expect from your volcano hiking tour:

• 7:00AM (pickup) – directly from your hotel or hostel.
• 8:00AM (breakfast at mountain house) – at some place (usually up the mountain near Acatenango). It’s during this breakfast time that they also check your gear and offer to lend or rent you any extra equipment that you need. Some things are abundantly available (jackets, gloves, hats/beanies, backpacks, hiking sticks) and others not so much (shoes, headlamps) or depends on the company. You’ll also be buying water at this point
• 9:00AM (start hike) – 9am you get dropped off along the road and start climbing to the official starting point. It feels like an hour and many people are already “dying” at this point even though the hike hasn’t officially started.
• 10:00AM (climbing Acatenango) – you’ll reach the starting point around 10am. Break for food, coffee, bathroom, before officially starting. Many people hiking down will pass you with smiles (of their own relief for having finished) and motivational shouts of “you’re almost there, the hard part is done, it gets easier, enjoy the moment!” I’m here to tell you that they’re fucken lying…it stays hard the whole time. Hahaha.
• 11:00AM-2:00PM (breaks) – there will be several breakpoints along the way to give you rest and chance to use the bathroom. Some are official stops where you’ll see bathroom stalls and mini-stores selling snacks and beverages. Others are unofficial stops where your group just posts up on tree stumps and fallen logs. The main things you’ll see while climbing are the big Agua volcano to the left, and the erupting Fuego volcano to the right.
• 3:00PM (reach base camp) – depending on your group speed, you’ll reach base camp around 3pm give or take an hour. You should try to rest/nap right away if you n eed extra energy for the Fuego hike.
• 4:00-4:30PM (Fuego hike) – your guides will decide whether the Fuego hike is doable based on weather conditions: 1) that it’s not cloudy and you actually have a view of Fuego, and 2) that it’s not raining or other dangerous conditions. Some companies are more bold than others. So if it’s cloudy, one company may go while another company decides it’s not worth the hike. Luck matters as clouds can quickly change (favorably or unfavorably). Most companies allow you to choose the addon at this point if you haven’t already, and also offer refunds if you already paid but decide not to go. Sometimes people decide they’re too tired and/or the clouds aren’t allowing a good-enough view.
• 4:30PM (Fuego hike) – what happens is you climb down Acatenango for a bit and then start climbing up an adjacent mountain (that connects Acatenango and Fuego). This mountain is safe since the Fuego’s lava pours down Fuego’s own sides and doesn’t get on this mountain. Hiking to this mountain/ridgeline is an easy 30 mins downhill and then 90 mins really difficult uphill. The ridge can be super cold and windy. You may feel tempted to clamber around to the sides to get a better view but I don’t recommend it. People have fallen and got really hurt (I suppose some could or did die as well). Stay near the middle even if it means some people may get in your pictures. Usually all companies stand around the same spot, about 300m from Fuego (although some dare to get closer). They stay and take pictures for 30 minutes while the sun is down and the lava’s bright neon orange colors are more visible.
• 6:00-6:30PM (return to base camp) – some companies return earlier while it’s not yet totally pitch dark whereas others wait until after it gets pitch dark (so you can get better lava views). The return hike is a real son-of-a-gun because not only is it the same difficult downhill and uphill climb, but now it’s totally dark and you have to rely on headlamps (I assume they gave you one and you’re not using your phone). You’ll likely slide and fall often but they’ll motivate you by telling you dinner is waiting. The return hike is probably 2-2.5hrs. Making the entire Fuego add-on probably 3.5-5hrs.
• 8:00-9:00PM (dinner at base camp) – when you arrive, dinner will be lots of camaderie around the campfire, telling stories and sharing photos. You’ll also be talking amongst yourselves deciding who is doing the sunrise summit hike or not. Beautiful eruptions of Fuego will happen during this time when the darkness enhances the lava colors even more.
• 10:00pm-12:00am (sleep) – those doing the morning hike will sleep right after dinner so they can wake up at 3am. The others will stay up later, spending more time around the campfire and watching the beautiful night eruptions. Folks who aren’t doing the morning hike can wake up at 7am instead (during breakfast).
• 3:30-4:00AM (sunrise summit hike) – about 1.5hrs really difficult steep uphill hike (starting in almost darkness) to the top of Acatenango where you can see into its crater and feel its heat. The return is an easy 30mins downhill. You’ll spend around 30 minutes at the top to take nice photos. The view is really lovely sun peeking over the clouds and Agua volcano majestically standing out to the left (above the cloud line). Fuego on the right and erupting as usual. Some companies may split off into a second group that goes to Fuego instead in case they skipped it the night before.
• 7:00AM (breakfast & pack) – eat breakfast and start packing up after.
• 8:00-9:00AM (descend) – time to go down! Walk sideways if you’re slipping a lot or your quad muscles are hurting.
• 10:30-11:00AM (finish) – it’s done and you reach the road. The tour shuttles pick you up to take you back to that mountain house or wherever you had your starting breakfast and gear-rental pickup. You return the gear and use the bathroom one last time before they bring you back to the Antigua.
• 12:00-1:00PM (dropoff) – right back to your hotel/hostel. You can finally shower, sleep, Instagram post your photos, or catch the shuttle to your next destination.

Hike difficulty:

• It’s a really tough hike – all companies have it listed as “EXTREMELY HARD”. If you’re young and in shape…the hike is “reeeeeeally hard” and you’ll laugh about it afterwards like that one time you had to run to catch a plane and were out of breath. If you’re old, overweight, out-of-shape…the hike feels impossible and you’ll think of quitting every 2 steps.
• Absolutely no kids – I don’t think anybody less than 15 years old should be attempting this.
• Probably not for people older than 45 – I’d say 40 is the limit and that’s if you’re in shape (and used to mountain trekking). Any older than this and your body probably won’t acclimate well to the altitude, especially on top of the exhausting stress of marching up steep hills with gear on your back.
• What happens if you’re really weak – the hike will take 10 hours to get to base camp and that’s where you’ll stay. They won’t allow you to do the Fuego sunset hike or summit sunrise hike. But it’s ok, since the base camp still gets you pretty awesome views of the Fuego volcano anyway.
• Funny joke – saw a joke in a FB group once that one guy said he’d be doing “jetskitenango” this weekend instead of “acatenango” and everyone laughed. I now get that joke more than ever!

Which volcano tour companies to choose:

• Wicho & Charlie’s – most popular probably because of good pricing, good tents (they have structured cabins at the top so you carry less gear), and good Instagram branding. They sell out fast and often fill up 1 week ahead of time. Something to consider: while their customers love W&C, I’ve heard workers from other companies say their guides are inexperienced and make bad unsafe decisions. I’ve also heard locals around here not like them because they’re “foreign-owned”.
• V-Hiking Tours – more local vibe IMO, good pricing and more availability. Very spacious tents with only 2 or 3 people in each, you can stand up in them. This was the company I used and I actually liked them a lot.
• OX Expeditions – tents fit 6 and kind of tight (like sardines). My friend who used this liked them because he was packed in with 2 hot girls next to him. Felt they were professional.
• Old Town Outfitters –
• Other big names – Trek Guatemala, Tropicana Tours, Balam Tours. I don’t know or research too much about these because they weren’t mentioned often in online searches and among my
• Tropicana – I heard they put everyone in one huge tent. Which can be considered fun and social, or noisy and lacking privacy. Depends on you.
• Local shops – main complaints of poor and dirty tents that leak (rain & wind) or blow away in the night, and not enough food. You have to carry your tent. But they are cheap and you’re definitely supporting locals.

I recommend booking directly with the companies so you know which one you’re getting. If you go through your hotel/hostel or some random guy on the street, it might not be so clear.

Differences between different volcano hiking tour companies:

These are massive details as while they all seem to sell the same thing, they differ greatly in experience.

• Price – I’d say $45-150usd per person seems to be the going rate. Depending on what gear and hike options you’re picking.
• View – how close you to get to the volcano. Some get super close and even give you chemical gear to withstand the heat and fumes. Others keep you back at a safe distance. There’s also a matter of camp location…some are in front of the mountain with direct view of the volcanos. Others are more in the back, but I hear it doesn’t affect the view.
• Fuego add-ons – some only do the Acantenango volcano. Others also have the Fuego option. Keep in mind that some companies are more “adventurous” then others in that they’re more willing to attempt the Fuego hike whereas others might decide to skip it because of weather (clouds covering the view or potential oncoming rain).
• Duration – can be as short as same-day up and down, or as long as staying 1 or 2 nights on the mountain. The most popular is 2-day hike (staying one overnight) so you can see more beautiful views when it’s dark (easier to see the lava).
• Tents – most the popular ones already have pre-built tents at their basecamp, whereas cheaper local companies require you to carry your own tent and gear and/or have options to pay someone else to carry for you. You should definitely opt for pre-built tents as it’s less weight to hike up with and the tents will be stronger, quieter, warmer, more comfortable, also with nice windows so you can see out at the volcano from inside your tent (super convenient for snapping photos quickly when you hear a loud eruption).
• Available equipment – some have everything you need, some provide most things and let you rent the rest, and some basically require you to already have everything. Expensive companies charge you more like an official rental service. Cheap companies free-loan it to you like like you’re borrowing from your grandma’s closet.
• Food – good ones give enough food and lots of tasty options. Bad ones give very little, doesn’t taste good, and/or don’t account for allergies or preferences. I do hear all of them have vegan options.
• Guide quality – a good guide is local, knows the area well, tends to each individual’s needs, and makes intelligent decisions to keep you safe (during bad weather, volcano eruptions, injuries, etc). Good companies also have more guides so the group can split off into different paces. Usually a fast pace, slow pace, and the “dying stragglers”.
• Group size – bigger group size feels less personal and forces the group at one pace (either too fast or too slow). Ideally your group size is a maximum 20-25 as bigger feels very impersonal. And ideally, 1 guide per 5 to 7 persons.

Johnny’s personal tips:

• Wear hiking shoes – I wore sexy street/clubbing shoes and regretted it massively. I had no grip and lost distance on every step because I kept sliding. I also fell a lot because of this. It’s worth it even to buy cheap $10-20 hiking boots just for this. Don’t take chances that you can rent as some companies likely won’t have your size/fit.
• Hiking sticks – not absolutely essential but I’d say yes, very helpful unless you’re a pro trekker. I felt 1-stick was enough. 2 might be annoying especially in moments where you don’t need any stick at all.
• Carry less equipment – they’ll scare you saying you need more layers to keep warm and extra clothes in case you get wet, and extra water (in case it’s super hot or you’re stuck). I say fuck that and take chances. Only clothes you need is a thick warm/waterproof jacket. Beanie or hat (if your jacket doesn’t have a hood). Gloves. Maybe one extra pair of pants in case yours gets wet. If your company has those prebuilt tents or shoves many people into one tent, don’t worry you’ll be warm enough! Headlamp is VERY useful so you’re not losing one hand holding your phone flashlight in the dark. Oh yeah, a roll of toilet paper.
• Don’t carry so much water – it’s heavy and bounces around annoyingly in your backpack. Starting with 1 liter of water is enough (don’t bring 3-4 like they suggest). During your starting climb, you will have several break points to buy more so don’t bother exhausting yourself carrying so much early. I did the whole thing on 2 liters, albeit it was cloudy not sunny when we were climbing.
• Photos – only 30% of our group did all 3 hikes (base camp, Fuego, summit). So there’s a good chance you might feel too tired to do all. In that case, I recommend you look up photos of Fuego hike and summit sunrise hike beforehand and decide which view is nicer to you. If I could do it all over again, I’d say the summit sunrise hike is better. It’s free (included), an easier hike, and more majestic view of the volcanos from above the clouds with the sun peeking out. The Fuego hike seems special since you’re seeing hearing feeling a live volcano upclose but in reality, the best views and photos will be from base camp where you’re farther out and can see the entire volcano and also it’s darker so the lava shows better.
• Eruption photography – the volcano erupts every 10-20mins and at different levels of intensity. You have to pay attention because you never know when a giant one will explode out of nowhere. Also the lava spill changes sides often. Sometimes it’s spills on the sides or backside away from you and other times it spills right on the front side facing you (best for photos). For me…the best eruptions, loudest and biggest front-facing lava spills happened in the middle of the night like 1-2AM. If your tent/cabin has windows, it would be super easy to quickly sit up and snap a shot instead of having to unzip your tent.