Ultimate Guide to Hiking Acatenango
So you’re brave enough to hike up to an active volcano for a night? I’m so glad because this was one of the best experiences of my life and is in my top favorite hikes of all time. Is it difficult? Absolutely. Doable? Also yes! I would say I’m a pretty experienced hiker and for sure thought it was hard, but not the most difficult hike I’ve ever accomplished. Thank you Colorado also for helping me with the altitude otherwise I would’ve struggled more.
Best time to Hike
I would recommend visiting Guatemala during the dry season so you can fully enjoy the lake and hike Acatenango with no problems. The dry season is between November and May. We visited in late March and experienced clear skies and temperatures in the 80’s as the high and 50’s as the low. This will also avoid rain and have more clear views of Fuego erupting.
Where to Stay
Selina Hostel
They have a location in Antigua and Lake Atitlan. They were booked out for our dates we needed, but we toured the property and they have great amenities and coworking spaces. They also have events and tours you can book straight from their reception.
Earth Lodge
This was the perfect oasis to recover after the trek to Acatenango. They offer private tree house style cabins and I was surprised by the pricing being so affordable. They offer massages, saunas, ice baths, yoga, and really yummy healthy food. Iggghg came out feeling so refreshed and recharged.
Tropicana
Best if you’re hiking Acatenango with them and that way you don’t have to figure out traveling to the hostel. It isn’t super fancy or anything too special, but for the price it’s worth it to stay here!
What to Bring
I wish I had a more detailed guide of what to bring and not to bring and if I were to hike it again I now know what more I would have packed and what I would’ve left behind!
Backpack
I brought my 32 L Osprey bag and am so glad I used my own backpack because the ones you can rent looked a little used and not the best for support. I also had a camera clip on my bag from peak design which saved me from getting my camera in and out.
Pants
Layers are very key here because during part of the hike it is open face in the sun and straight up hill so you will be sweaty for the first few hours. I packed a pair of outdoor voices pants that zip off so they can be pants, capris, or shorts. I was so glad I had these pants because they are versatile, sweat proof, rain resistant, and comfortable. I brought a pair of leggings to wear at night because it gets cold. I wore these under my outdoor voices pants
Tops/ Jackets
I wore a workout tank/ sports bra for my base, and dry fit long sleeve layer to hide from the sun if I needed and for some warmth for the night. I brought one sweatshirt which I ended up hiking in for Fuego and Acatenango summit. I rented a puffy jacket which I was also glad I did for the hike and sleeping.
Shoes/ Socks
Bring your own hiking shoes you're comfortable in. Some people wore running shoes or just tennis shoes and I have no idea how they survived. Even with having decent traction I still struggled with the gravel like rocks. I wore my moab merrell hiking boots and love them. I would bring two pairs of wool socks so you can change out of the gross ones after day one. I almost didn’t bring two, but it helped to not feel as gross. I accidentally left my chacos in my bag and was not mad about it because having to sit at camp in your hiking boots after being in them for 12 hours is brutal. It’s not necessary but nice to have.
Toiletries:
I would only bring a toothbrush and toothpaste, baby wipes (saved me from all the dirt), and deodorant. I went very minimal, but truly this is all I needed cause you’ll be gross and sweaty anyways. No one else cares either and is in the same boat as you.
Electronics:
Bring a battery pack/ portable charger because everything will die by the end. Unfortunately my apple watch died part way through the hike which sucked for tracking the hike. I brought my camera Canon 5d mark iv and a 24-70 2.8 lens. I also brought my drone, but the silly app undownloaded from my phone. I also used my peak design clip for easy access.
Misc.:
Hiking poles!! Trust me, just rent them. They were so nice to have both up and down. I never use hiking poles, but was so glad I swallowed my pride and rented them. A neck guard/ gator for the hike down. It is so dusty and gets in your face so I was thankful I had a way to cover my face. Sunglasses were also so great to have to keep from squinting and hide your eyes from the dirt.
Food/Water:
My biggest regret was not having enough fuel on the hike. They fed us lunch and dinner on day one and breakfast on day 2. From lunch at 1:00 pm until dinner at 9pm was way too long to go with no calories. I wish I brought more than one granola bar and some chips. You can buy food and water at lunch, but it’s not super nutritious or filling. I brought 3 liters of water and one hydravita for electrolytes. I also wish I would've had more water cause I ran out by day 2. You can also buy more at the lunch spot so I would’ve only bought 2 liters for the way up and bought 2 more at the lunch spot.
Who to Book Through
You can complete this hike in one day, however I highly recommend booking an overnight tour so you can see Fuego at sunset and Acatenango at sunrise. It is also organized and they do a great job making sure everyone from the group is safe and together.
Tropicana
This is the tour I was recommended through tik tok and who I feel like most people book through. It is a good price for what you get and a well known place to book through! My biggest advice is to book it in advance since it does sell out fast.
Trip Advisor
This is who we booked through because a lot of tours were fully booked out. It ended up being around 120 with renting gear so it was a little bit more pricey than some others. I enjoyed the guide, place we slept in, and
Wicho and Charlies
This one looked like one of the most expensive ones, but you get what you pay for! It looked slightly more luxury and you can even pay extra to book a private cabin for two people.
Through a Hotel/ Hostel
I saw a lot of ads at different hotels and hostels when you get there that you can book through. The ones that are only 300 quenzales are the bare minimum tours where you will be staying in a tent and barely have any amenities. I have hears it’s worth it to spend more money on a tour that offers meals, gear, and a good place to stay.
What the Hike is Like
The volcano stands at an impressive 13,041 feet. The hike to base camp is is 5.5 miles and takes on average 6 hours to get there. It is a 5,102 feet of elevation gain so it is no joke. After base camp it is 2.8 miles round trip to the Fuego Viewpoint with a elevation gain of 1,548 feet. The hike from base camp to Acatenango is 1.2 miles roundtrip and then another 5.5 miles back down. The total mileage is you complete both the summit and full hike is 15 miles.
Tips to know Before
Hydrate the night before, eat a carb heavy dinner, and get good rest
Make sure you have the proper gear
Hiking shoes
Layers
Water
Snacks
Do a grocery store run the night before to prepare
Book the tour in advance since it does sell out
Charge all of your phones, watches, and camera gear the night before and bring portable chargers
They don’t have any pillows at the top so bring a travel pillow if you have it
Save room in your bag to have to carry your lunch and dinner
Some tours will carry water and food for you so I highly recommend doing that cause it sucked carrying up so much extra weight
The hike is very dusty so having a gator to cover your face is super helpful
There are no bathrooms really on the trail so the only time I went was at lunch which a lot of other people had the same idea and there was Tp everywhere and it smelled so bad
once again bring the baby wipes
PLEASE pack out what you use cause it was sad to see all the waste and tp everywhere
Make sure you have cash beforehand
They give you breaks every 20-30 minutes of hiking
What the Tour Looks Like
Day 1
7:30am: You’ll meet at 7:30am with your group and meet for the first time and check in with your guide!
8-10am: Our tour did not provide breakfast so we had to get our own before, but some tours like Wicho and Charlie and Tropicana do have breakfast provided
We took a shuttle ride and stopped at a random grocery store for a last minute chance to get snacks and water before the first portion of the hike and use the restroom.
Next we reconvened at someone’s house that had all the gear rental and place to store our excess luggage overnight while we were gone for the hike. They gave us our lunch and dinner to carry as well.After everyone felt like they had what they needed and were packed up we took a group photo and began the hike.
10am - 12pm: The first portion of the hike is open faced and straight up along a dirt path. This was the hardest part because you are directly in the sun and the elevation gain is high. They give you a break every 20-30 minutes
Around the 2ish hour mark we embarked on the forest section. Although it was also uphill the whole time the nature was more scenic and shaded. It felt like a relief to get to this section of the hike and lunch was only an hour away once we got here.
1 pm: Once we got to the lunch spot we were greeted by multiple other tours that also were eating and enjoying the break. We got about a 45 minutes to eat our lunch which for me was rice, veggies, and a hard boiled egg. Probably not enough calories so once again I wish I had more snacks that would fuel me. They do have some snacks for purchase and so I bought oreos and pringles. Yeah I know not the most nutritious but it sounded so good and tasted good too. This is also the last spot to replenish any water, hydravita, and snacks.
2 - 4pm: After lunch we had about another hour and half until base camp and I remember being pleasantly surprised by how fast the time went. We did have to pay our guide at this point to enter base camp for the fuego and acatenango summit. It was around 150 quenzales. We arrived at base camp around 4pm and hangout for about 45 minutes. We were all asked whether or not we wanted to continue on to the Fuego viewpoint and PLEASE do it. It’s so hard, but it was the favorite part of the hike for me. Around half our group said yes to going.
5-9:30pm: The hike to get to Fuego is about an hour and a half it’s straight down and then straight up again kind of like a U shape. We made it there in time to see the sunset and then waited for it to get dark to see the lava burst in a bright red and orange hue spewing down the side of the volcano. It was truly jaw dropping every time it erupted. It went off anywhere from every 15-30 minutes so we saw it erupt about 3 times during the night before our guide had to force my friend and I to join the group. We kept saying “just one more eruption please” lol I was so tired and hungry, but it was so worth it for the last one we saw. I genuinely could’ve stayed there all night cause 3 times didn’t quite satisfy me.
The hike back was the WORST part for me. I had not eaten since lunch and at this point it was already 8pm and I was so low blood sugar. There were so many groups also trying to come down so it took extra long to have to wait for everyone to get down. One girl in our group was so unwell and needed to stop extra which I totally understood because I was lowkey dying as well. The last stretch was straight back uphill and I just didn’t have a lot of fuel. We made it back around 9:45pm and finally had dinner which at that point my headache was so bad it was hard to eat. I went to bed right after dinner around 10:30pm.
Day 2:
4-7am: We also had to make a decision to either wake up at 4am for the sunrise summit to Acatenango or sleep in a little more and enjoy the view from base camp. One other girl I bonded with and also is very badass said she would do it and so it motivated me to get myself up at our alarm. I slept pretty rough anyways and didn’t want to feel like I missed out. We were the only two from our group to complete both summits so I felt proud.
The hike was also straight uphill lol suprise so much incline. It was not nearly as difficult as the Fuego viewpoint and felt way shorter distance wise and it was. The sunrise was insane and provided panoramic views of the entire city and Fuego erupting still. She doesn’t take a lot of breaks that’s for sure. This was another highlight for me and the vest way to start the morning and it was all downhill from here.
7-8am: We ran down the volcano and it was so fun cause the gravel was deep enough to catch every step so you wouldn’t fall. It took us 15 minutes to hike down. We joined the rest of the group for coffee, pancakes, and oatmeal.
8:30am - Noon: After breakfast we packed up camp and headed down to get to where we started. We took way less breaks on the way down which was nice. It only took use around 2 hours to get back down that is how steep it was. We also took a different route to go down than we did going up. It was for sure hard on my legs to go down, but was so glad to be finished with the hike.
We were down by the shuttle by 11:30 am and grabbed all of our belongings and returned our rentals. They dropped us off at the same spot we met up at and then grabbed a coffee and breakfast burrito at Alegria cafe. Wow it tasted so good because I did not eat enough for how much I exerted myself. After the cafe we went to Earth Lodge Eco Hotel to relax and recover after such a crazy amazing adventure.
I highly recommend planning for a chill day after your hike to properly recover and that way you can rally better for the rest of your trip.
I hope you found this guide helpful and it is more detailed than what I usually write about, but I thought it would’ve been so nice to have a better expectation and more preparation before I began the trek. Happy hiking friends please also let me know if you hike Acatenago :)
