Antigua or Guatemala City?

Should you hike Pacaya from Antigua or Guatemala City?

From wherever you sleep. The drive is about 1.5 hours from both, so a transfer to the other city first only adds hours.

Antigua is the busier base. Most travellers stay there, the shuttle companies cluster around its streets, and you can book a van the night before. Guatemala City makes sense if you land at La Aurora airport, stay near it for a flight, or want a tour that collects you at a city hotel with the park fee already paid.

Pick on price and convenience. The trail, the guides at the entrance and the lava field at the top are shared by every tour.

How far is Pacaya from Antigua and Guatemala City?

About 1.5 hours by road from each, so a 6 to 7-hour tour spends about 3 hours driving and 3 hours on the volcano.

Side by side:

The Antigua listing gives the round trip as about 3 hours, and warns that traffic can stretch it. The Guatemala City operator promises "just 1.5 hours". From the port, Civitatis gives roughly an hour and a half to the base of the volcano.

What time do Pacaya tours leave Antigua?

At 06:00 and at 14:00. Take the 06:00 van in the May to October rainy season; the 14:00 van gets you the late light, and sometimes the rain.

Voyageur Tours, CA Travelers and most Antigua agencies run the same two slots. The morning tour is back in Antigua by early afternoon. The afternoon tour puts you on the lava field towards sunset and brings you down in the dusk, so the listing tells you to pack a torch.

Our view: in the rainy season, go at 06:00 without thinking twice. The listing itself calls mornings ideal from May to October, because the rain usually builds in the afternoon. In the dry season, November to April, the 14:00 departure is a fair bet for the sunset colours, with more company on the trail.

Two departures a day from Antigua, 06:00 and 14:00. Children from age 4 with an adult.

★ 4.5 · 6 hours · from $35

Explore the shared hike from Antigua → Tour details

How do pickups work on Pacaya tours?

Most tours collect you at your hotel; a few use a central meeting point. Check which one before you book.

• Shared hike from Antigua: hotel pickup at selected hotels. The 14:00 tour may meet you at a central pickup point instead.
• Half-day hike: pickup at your hotel, drop-off at Antigua's Central Park. Give your hotel name when you book.
• Guatemala City tours: hotel pickup and drop-off on both the shared hike and the day trip.
• Morning hike with lunch: private vehicle from designated meeting points in Antigua.
• ATV adventure: no pickups at all. It starts at the operator's office at 6a Avenida Norte 60B in Antigua, and every driver needs a licence.
• Cruise port: pickup at Puerto Quetzal at 07:00.

If your hotel is outside the pickup zone, walk to the nearest one on the list. Antigua's centre is small.

Which Guatemala City tours include the park fee?

The premium and private options of the shared hike, and the $117 day trip. The basic option of the shared hike leaves the Q100 to you.

The shared hike from Guatemala City comes with a guide certified by the Guatemalan Tourism Board and three options from $73. Basic, fee extra. Premium, fee included. Private, with fee, transport and guide for your group, at $160 per person on the date we checked. If too few people book a shared date, the operator may offer a private tour or another option instead. If weather cancels it, you choose a new date or a full refund.

The Guatemala City day trip costs $117 and includes the entrance, bottled water and a bilingual guide. Food and the horse are extra. Both pick you up at your hotel.

Can you hike Pacaya from the cruise port at Puerto Quetzal?

Yes. A $120 tour leaves Puerto Quetzal at 07:00 with a box lunch, a bilingual guide and the park fee included. It asks for a high level of fitness.

The cruise-port hike runs about 6 hours. It is the one listing that rates the hike as needing high fitness, probably because a shore day leaves little room for a slow pace. Snacks, the horse and the 8-slice lava pizza are extra. It is also the least reviewed tour here, at 3.9 stars from 7 reviews, so read the latest reviews before you book.

Check your all-aboard time against a 6-hour tour plus a margin for traffic. Every Pacaya tour here cancels for free up to 24 hours before, which helps if the ship changes its schedule.

Off the ship at 07:00, up Pacaya and back with a box lunch and the park fee paid.

★ 3.9 · 6 hours · from $120

Explore the hike from Puerto Quetzal → Tour details

Private or shared: which is worth it?

Shared, for most people. A private van costs $110 from Antigua, and $160 per person from Guatemala City on the date we checked. It buys you your own timing, not a different hike.

The private option of the half-day hike is $110 against $20 shared. From Guatemala City the shared hike starts at $73 and its private option showed $160 per person, both with the fee. The morning hike with lunch uses private transport for every booking, from 2 people.

Go private if you travel with small children, need to be back at a fixed time, or want to leave before the 06:00 crowd. On the trail you still walk with the same horses, stick sellers and other groups.

Is Antigua the better base for a Pacaya trip?

For most travellers, yes. It has the cheapest tours, both departure times and the rest of the volcano hikes, including Acatenango.

Antigua is also where the overnight Acatenango hike starts, at 2a Calle Poniente 25 at 07:00. Many people do Pacaya first as a warm-up. Note that the Acatenango booking is non-refundable. Pacaya or Acatenango compares the two.

Staying in Guatemala City only? Don't move to Antigua just for Pacaya. The capital's tours cost more, but you save the transfer, and the fee is often already paid. The price guide has the full sums.

Frequently asked questions