The Pacaya park fee in 2026

How much is the Pacaya entrance fee in 2026?

Q100 per foreign visitor, Q30 per Guatemalan visitor and Q10 for Guatemalan students, as stated by the Municipality of San Vicente Pacaya in October 2026.

The most recent official figure we found came with a park event announcement. On 14 October 2026, La Hora reported, citing the municipality and the tourism institute INGUAT, that access costs Q30 for national visitors and Q100 for foreigners, with a Q10 rate for national students. Operators say the same: the Antigua agencies Turisteando and CA Travelers list Q100 for foreigners and Q30 for Guatemalans.

Older blogs still say Q50. That was the rate a few years ago (OK Antigua, updated 2019, lists Q50 for foreigners and Q20 for locals). The fee has doubled since, so budget for Q100.

In dollars that is about $13. The quetzal traded at around Q7.6 to the dollar through 2026, so a Q100 note covers roughly $13. Tour listings round it to $13 or $14; one Gray Line listing says $15.

Can you pay the Pacaya park fee by card or in dollars?

No. The fee is cash in quetzales only, paid at the park entrance.

The listings are blunt about it. The flagship tour from Antigua calls the fee "mandatory and payable in cash directly at the park entrance" and repeats that it must be paid "in cash and in quetzales". The Guatemala City tour writes: "Credit cards, dollars, or euros are not accepted; only quetzals, the currency of Guatemala."

Carry a Q100 note per foreign hiker, plus small notes for extras, and get them in town before the tour. The trailhead at San Francisco de Sales is a village, not a place to go looking for a cash machine.

Which Pacaya tours include the park fee?

The Guatemala City premium and private options, the morning tour with lunch, the Guatemala City day trip and the cruise-port tour. The two cheapest Antigua tours do not.

This is the trap behind the low prices. The budget half-day hike ($20) and the flagship shared hike ($35) both list the fee as extra, so their real cost is about $33 and $48 per foreign hiker. The shared hike from Guatemala City starts at $73 and sells a basic option without the fee next to a premium option with it; the gap between the two is usually close to the fee itself, so compare them on your date before you book.

The ATV tour is a special case: its listing includes "entrance and parking fees", but it rides village trails and a private plantation, not the national park. The horseback listing does not state the fee either way, so ask before you ride. Full prices are in our Pacaya price guide.

Where can you get quetzales before a Pacaya tour?

From an ATM in Antigua the day before. There are machines around Parque Central and on 4a Calle Poniente; expect a fee per withdrawal.

The Living in Guatemala bank directory (October 2026) lists ATMs at 5a Avenida Norte No. 2, on the corner of 4a Avenida and 4a Calle by Parque Central, and a 5B machine at La Bodegona on 4a Calle Poniente. It suggests daylight withdrawals and machines inside banks or shops rather than street-facing ones.

Foreign cards pay. Nomadic Backpacker reported Q49.99 per withdrawal on a Visa card at a 5B machine, so take out enough for the whole trip at once instead of Q200 at a time. Ask for small notes when you pay for something in town: Q100 for the gate, Q10 and Q20 notes for sticks, snacks and tips.

Leaving at 06:00? Get the cash the evening before. The morning shuttles collect from hotels before most shops open.

What other cash will you need on the volcano?

Horse rental (Q150 one way to about Q300), a walking stick (Q5 to Q10), pizza from the lava chef if you want it, snacks and a tip for the guide.

All of these are paid on the spot, in quetzales, to local people rather than to the tour company. The numbers come from the tour listings and an Antigua agency, as of 2026.

Pizza Pacaya, the pizza baked on hot lava rock, is an independent business run by David García (Tasting Table). On the flagship tour, "orders and payment are handled directly with him". The exception is the sunset horseback ride, where the lava-chef pizza is part of the price.

What is new at the park in late 2026?

A themed weekend of Guatemalan legends on the main trail on 24 and 25 October 2026, at the normal entrance price, and a new viewpoint over Laguna de Calderas opened in June.

The municipality and INGUAT are staging Senderos de Leyendas 2026 on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October: characters from Guatemalan folk tales such as La Llorona, La Siguanaba and El Sombrerón along the main trail. According to the same La Hora report, no extra charge was announced, so the usual Q30 and Q100 rates apply. Expect more Guatemalan families than usual on the trail that weekend.

The mayor of San Vicente Pacaya also pointed visitors to the Mirador de la Laguna de Calderas, a viewpoint over the crater lake below Pacaya, opened in June 2026 with a mural by a local artist. Ask your guide whether your route passes it, or look at the ATV tour, whose route takes in Calderas views.

Frequently asked questions