Pacaya Volcano Tour with Old Town Outfitters

Antigua, Guatemala is becoming a popular tourist destination and the perfect place for adventure travelers. There are so many outdoor adventures to be had in Antigua. The impressive volcanoes surrounding Antigua provide endless opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, climbing and more! We spent over 1 month in Antigua, Guatemala studying Spanish and exploring the incredible town and nature surrounding the city. I chose to partner with Old Town Outfitters – one of the oldest & most adventurous tour operators in the country – to tackle the Pacaya Volcano Hike. I had an epic day hiking the Pacaya Volcano with Old Town Outfitters and this post will be a complete guide to the Pacaya Volcano Tour.

* Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, at no additional cost to you I may receive a small commission for purchases made through the links. Thanks for your support!

5 Things I never Travel Without

1. Travel Insurance – Heymondo has been my go-to for the last few years. I love how reasonable the prices are and how easy it is to sign up. They also include coverage of a bunch of adventurous activities! Click here for 5% off your policy.
2. Travel Credit Cards – Having a good travel credit card is a game changer! Not only do you get the benefit of zero transaction fees, but these cards provide other benefits such as, free Priority Pass, free TSA Pre-check/Global Entry, annual travel credits, great point earnings and travel partners. My two favorite cards are the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Capital One Venture X.
3. Kindle – I love reading and Kindle makes it so easy to download new books on the go!
4. Osprey Backpack – whether I’m hiking in Patagonia or backpacking Europe, Osprey offers versatile backpacks for any type of travel
5. AirPods – These are a total game changer for traveling. I love the noise cancelling capability because it makes airplanes silent and blocks out unwanted noise. They are so much easier to wear around than normal headphones. 

Old Town Outfitters Tour Company

Old Town Outfitters is one of the oldest tour providers in Guatemala and they have been helping tourists capitalize on all the epic outdoor adventures that Guatemala has to offer for over 25 years! The most difficult question is which tour to take with Old Town Outfitters. They offer everything from volcano hikes to mountain biking and rock climbing. It is the buffet for adventure seekers and I wish I had more time to jump on some of their other adventures. Old Town Outfitters has worked hard to train specialty guides, curate tours and build trails. If you are looking for an adrenaline rush when you visit Guatemala you definitely need to check out what they offer.

Why I Recommend Old Town Outfitters

There are a lot of tour operators in Antigua, Guatemala so choosing the best Pacaya Volcano Tour operator can be difficult. I chose to work with Old Town Outfitters because they are rated highly for their quality, professionalism, and support of local communities. While their Pacaya Volcano Tour is not the cheapest option in the city I do believe that the value is 100% worth the price tag.

One of the things I was most impressed with was the quality of the guides. Our guide, Rudy, met us at the Old Town Outfitters shop and immediately I could tell he would bring an awesome positive energy to the day. When we arrived to the Pacaya Volcano National Park we also got to meet, Allen, our local guide and Pacaya Volcano expert. Both guides were very well informed, fun and totally dedicated to making sure we had an awesome day.

Another reason I wanted to partner with Old Town Outfitters is because they provide you lunch on the volcano in addition to roasting marshmallows in the crater. This was great because we got to spend more time enjoying the scenery and I was hungry after the hike up!

Book your Pacaya Volcano Tour Here

What to Expect on The Pacaya Volcano Tour with Old Town Outfitters

Firstly, the Pacaya Volcano Tour is the perfect option if you are limited on time or not ready to tackle the intense overnight Acatenango hike. It is the perfect way to see one of Guatemala’s impressive active volcanoes and enjoy the beautiful scenery. The tour is available in the morning or afternoon. I chose to do the morning tour because during the rainy season the weather in the afternoon can be unpredictable. If you are visiting during the dry season then the sunset hike would be really awesome!

Arriving at the Pacaya Volcano National Park

Our guide Rudy met us at the Old Town Outfitters office and loaded us into the shuttle for the drive to the Pacaya Volcano National Park. We left shortly after 8 am and the drive took about 1.5 hours with some traffic. During this time, Rudy, gave us a bunch of information about about the towns and landscapes we were passing by. We also got to know the other people who we would be hiking with. Once we arrived, there was an opportunity to use the bathroom while our guides purchased the entrance ticket (included with the tour).

The Hike Up the Pacaya Volcano

Overall, this is not a super challenging hike and can be completed by all levels. The hike up is about 3 kms and it took us a little under 2 hours. We took our time and enjoyed taking photos at some of the viewpoints. If you would like some additional help getting to the top, there are horses and walking sticks available to rent. You will be walking uphill the whole way so it’s a cardio workout and you should wear good shoes! They refer to the horses as taxis and you can decide if you want to use one within the first 15-20 mins of the hike.

On the way up there are a couple viewpoints that will allow you to see the extent of the lava fields and some of the neighboring volcanoes. Volcan Agua has a huge presence and if you get a clear day you can also see Fuego. I enjoyed chatting with the guides on the way and learning about the flora and fauna of the volcano.

At the top of the hike

To be clear, the Pacaya Volcano Tour does not take you to the summit of Pacaya Volcano. It is still a very active volcano so that would be a much riskier adventure. The hike takes you to the base of the caldera where we were able to walk around the dried lava fields that have been created by past eruptions. It has been two years since the Pacaya Volcano last erupted so you can’t see any red lava but the existing lava rock is super impressive! We got to spend a bit of time walking around the dried lava fields.

Roasting Marshmallows on the Pacaya Volcano Tour

One of the highlights of the Pacaya Volcano Tour is roasting marshmallows on the geothermal hot spots. This was a fun and unique experience.  The steam coming out of the hot spots is really cool and makes you feel like you’re on another planet. We got to spend about 30 minutes in this area before making our way back to where Rudy was preparing lunch.

Lunch on the Pacaya Volcano Tour

I was amazed by the lunch preparation! We got to eat in a protected hut and Rudy prepared a whole burrito bowl spread with chicken, veggies, rice, beans and guacamole! Nothing beats fresh guacamole on a volcano. I over ate because it was so delicious. We took our time with lunch and grabbed some more photos. Some of the girls also purchased lava rock rings from the “gift hut”.

Hiking down the Pacaya Volcano

The hike down is the same as the way up but only takes about 30 minutes! I took some last minute pictures and chatted to Rudy about music and sports. I was happy to reach the shuttle after a busy day of hiking. We made it back to Antigua around 2:30 pm.

Book Your Volcano Hike Here

Pacaya Volcano Hike Recap

I’m really glad I got to experience hiking Pacaya Volcano with Old Town Outfitters! It was the perfect warm up for the Acatenango Hike and I enjoyed getting to roast a marshmallow on a volcano for the first time. I highly recommend the Pacaya Volcano Tour with Old Town Outfitters and I look forward to doing more adventure tours with them in the future! You can find out more about the tours that Old Town Outfitters offers here, and make sure to follow along my journey through Central America on Instagram @allieschuck

Check out our other Central America Adventures Here: Vanlife