The Thrilling Volcan De Acatenango Hike In Antigua Guatemala

As you journey around Guatemala, you’ll soon hear people talking about the Volcan de Acatenango hike. From the hostels of Antigua to the bars of Flores, just about every traveller has either done it, is planning to do it, or wants to climb Acatenango volcano but isn’t quite brave enough.

There’s a reason this is one of the top things to do in all of Central America. From the slopes of Acatenango you get a front row seat to the eruptions of Volcan de Fuego, one of the world’s most active volcanos.

Fuego erupts about every 15-20 minutes, shooting ash and fiery red hot lava into the sky in a rare and thrilling spectacle that is absolutely unmissable.

Having heard the stories and seen some jaw-dropping photos, I wanted to hike up Acatenango volcano and witness the power of Volcan de Fuego myself. Not just to see it, but to try to take some amazing volcanic eruption photos of my own.

Of course, I had a lot of questions, and a few concerns. How hard would it be? Which is the best tour company to use? What should I pack? And how on earth do you photograph an erupting volcano at night?

I thought I could manage the climb itself; I’d hiked up Santa Maria volcano in Guatemala only a few weeks previously, so I was pretty sure I had the stamina.

But the weather on Acatenango is notoriously unpredictable, and I went in May, which is the start of rainy season. The forecast was iffy and predicted to get worse. What if I lugged my camera gear all that way and couldn’t take a single photo?

I did a lot of research, read a lot of information, and spoke to everyone I met who’d done it. And then I went and climbed Acatenango myself – and as you can see from the photos, it was incredible.

So here is everything I learned about hiking Acatenango and Fuego volcanos, and answers to all the questions I had before I went, and all the questions that other people have asked me since. I hope it helps you plan your own Acatenango tour.

This post should cover everything you need to know about hiking up Acatenango Volcano in Guatemala. I paid for this trip in full. Prices are correct at the time of writing.

If you’re just looking for quick tips and information about how to do the Acatenango hike, scroll down to the FAQs or click the relevant heading in the contents list just below.

Volcan de Fuego video

Before I get into the details, here’s a very short video I made about the Fuego Volcano hike to give you an overview. Don’t worry, you can skip the the ad after a few seconds.

What is the Acatenango Volcano hike?

The Acatenango Volcano hike is, as the name suggests, a hike you can do to reach the summit of Acatenango, a volcano located close to the city of Antigua in Guatemala.

But somewhat confusingly, the purpose of climbing Acatenango is not really to reach the summit. That’s an added extra that you can choose to do if you like, but it’s not the main reason people go.

Instead, the main attraction is Volcan de Fuego, which sits right next door to Acatenango and is one the most active volcanos in the world. From your campsite high on the slopes of Acatenango, you get a front-row seat to Fuego’s regular eruptions and, if conditions are right, the chance to witness the awesome power of an erupting volcano as it shoots lava bombs and ash into the sky.

There are very few places in the world where you can safely – and somewhat reliably – watch an erupting volcano, so it’s no surprise that hiking Volcan de Acatenango is one of Guatemala’s top tourist attractions.

Read more: A Perfect Guatemala Itinerary In 10 Days, 2 Weeks Or 3 Weeks

Where is Volcan de Acatenango?

Volcan de Acatenango is about 12 miles (20 km) from the city of Antigua, Guatemala. It’s one of 37 volcanos in the country, and the most popular due to its proximity to Volcan de Fuego and the large number of tour companies offering the chance to climb it and camp at the top.

What does the Volcán Acatenango climb involve?

The Acatenango volcano hike has four stages:

• Stage One: The first challenge is to hike for about four hours up to base camp, where you’ll spend the night. It’s from here that you can get a clear view of Volcan de Fuego erupting directly across the valley in front of you. If you don’t want to walk any further, you can just spend the evening watching the incredible eruptions exploding into the night sky, and head back down again the next morning.
• Stage Two: Those with a bit more energy can opt to do the Fuego add-on, which involves another two hours of hiking down the other side of Acatenango and up Fuego itself, to a viewing spot only about 500 meters from the active crater. This will get you much closer to the eruptions, but you’ll need a fair bit of stamina as you’ll also need to hike another two hours back to base camp, this time in the dark.

• Stage Three: This is the chance to summit Acatenango itself and view the sunrise from the top. This involves waking up at about 4 am and hiking another hour up to the top of Acatenango, and then half an hour back down to base camp.
• Stage Four: Your final descent, another two to three hours back down the way you came to the trailhead, before getting a bus back to Antigua.

The Fuego ascent and the Acatenango summit are optional extras, and you don’t need to decide if you want to do them until you are already at base camp.

The Volcano Acatenango hike in numbers

• Elevation at summit: 3,976 m (13,045 ft)
• Elevation gain: 1,600 m (5,253 ft)
• Type of hike: There and back on same path
• Total distance covered: 4.3 miles (7 km) to base camp; 1.2 miles (2 km) from base camp to the Fuego viewpoint; 0.6 miles (1 km) from base camp to the summit of Acatenango. If you do all of it, the total both ways is about 12.5 miles (20 km).
• Difficulty Rating: Difficult
• Cost: Tour cost varies but is about Q500-700 (USD 65-90); plus you have to pay park entry of Q50 (USD 6.50) and you may need to pay to hire a few extra bits of gear.

Acatenango tour companies

The first thing you’ll need to do to plan your hike up Acatenango is pick a tour company. Most hotels and hostels, plus numerous travel agencies in Antigua, offer trips to hike Acatenango, but if you book through one of them you won’t necessarily know which company you are going with or the levels of service you’ll be getting.

For that reason, I recommend you choose one of the following dedicated hiking tour companies, all of whom get good reviews and have several years of experience.

• Wicho and Charlies. One of the most popular companies due to the fact they have sleeping cabins instead of tents. They’re also reported to have the best gear, though I couldn’t compare or check this.
• Ox Expeditions. Another highly recommended company, they also have cabins, and for those who don’t like going to the loo al fresco they have basic toilets too. From the photos I’ve seen their campsite looks to be a bit lower down the mountain with more trees in front, but I haven’t been there so I can’t be 100% sure of this.
• Tropicana. Based out of the hostel of the same name. They have large, fixed cabin-type tents to sleep in, each of which sleeps 15.
• V Hiking. Budget option and I’ve heard mixed reports, but two people I met who hiked with them said they had a good experience.
• Old Town Outfitters.
• CA travellers.

Preparing for the Acatenango and Fuego hike

Based on the positive reviews I’d read, and particularly tempted by the sound of the cosy huts, I booked with Wicho and Charlies. I was told to be at their office at 7 am, ready to meet the group and sort out gear and food.

I was wearing gym leggings, a sports bra, a t-shirt, and a pair of trail-running trainers. I was also carrying a change of clothes, one thermal baselayer top, and my packable light down jacket. This is nowhere near enough warm clothing for the top of the volcano, but it’s all I had.

At the shop we were issued with additional gear. The price for the hike included the loan of one or more jackets/fleeces, gloves, warm hat, buff, and scarf. You could also rent hiking poles (absolutely vital!), headlamp, socks, backpacks, and other bits of gear if needed.

I had heard that Wicho and Charlies had the best selection of clothes, but I have to say I was not that impressed and if theirs is the best then I dread to think what the other companies offer.

Most of the gear, while just about adequate, was old and tatty, and a lot of the jackets were very small, and many had zips that didn’t work properly. It was a bit of a free-for-all trying to get the semi-decent stuff or find something that fitted, but we did manage and eventually everyone had enough.

I took an additional fleece and a padded jacket, plus hat, gloves and scarf, and I was still cold!

So my advice is that if you’re concerned about gear, make sure you get there early to get first pick, and take more than you think you’ll need!

Booking a porter

Unlike multi-day hikes like climbing Kilimanjaro or Everest Bast Camp, you don’t automatically get a porter to help carry your stuff. That’s because Acatenango is a relatively short trip, and the camps are permanent so no one needs to carry tents or cooking equipment.

That said, it’s a very steep climb and your pack will be pretty heavy with clothes, food and water, so you can opt to pay a porter to help you. Porters cost between Q150-200 (about £15-20) depending on the weight of your pack, one way. Most people carry their own bag on the descent as it will be lighter once you’ve drunk all your water.

Since I was carrying heavy camera gear, I opted for a porter both ways, and I’m very glad I did!

Food and drink for hiking Acatenango

Wicho and Charlies provided us with breakfast, lunch and dinner on the first day, and breakfast on the second morning.

The first breakfast was at their shop while we collected and packed our gear, and consisted of bread rolls with jam or Nutella, bananas, and tea or coffee.

There was also a snack bar at the shop where you could help yourself to a paper bag full of nuts, mini pretzels raisins, and small chocolate chips.

Lunch was vegetarian ‘meatballs’ with mashed potato – we were given a portion each in a Tupperware to carry up and ate it about halfway through the first ascent. Dinner of vegetarian chilli and rice was cooked for us at base camp and was hot and delicious, and breakfast the next morning was veggie breakfast burritos.

All the food was tasty and portion sizes were decent but if you’re a hungry person I’d suggest you also bring some additional snacks.

Water on the Acatenango hike

We were also issued with water bottles which we could fill from filtered water taps in the shop. There is nowhere to get water, so you have to carry as much as you’ll need, plus an additional litre to give to the cooks who are making dinner and breakfast.

Experts recommend taking 4 litres per person. The bottles we were given were 1.5 litres each, so I took three, meaning I had 4.5 litres. At the end of the trip I had a small amount left, so I’d say 4-4.5 litres is perfect.

Ascent to base camp

Once we’d sorted out our gear and picked up our food and water, it was time to depart. Our group of 30 hikers was bussed to the start of the trailhead, about 50 minutes’ drive from Antigua.

There we had a short briefing before starting the climb at around 10.30 am.

The ascent to base camp on Acatenango is in three stages. The first stage follows a dusty path uphill through farmland. This is said to be the toughest part of the climb, steeply uphill with no shade, passing through lush green fields of maize and beans fringed with coffee trees, all the time with the peak of Acatenango clearly visible ahead of you.

In some places there are steps and handrails to help you up the steeper or more slippery bits.

Along the way you pass a couple of homesteads, including one where the enterprising owners have set up a business offering drinks and snacks to buy. They’ll also charge you Q20 (about 20p) to wash your hands or Q50 (50p) to use the toilet.

After about an hour you arrive at the park entrance. Here you’ll need to sign in and pay the Q50 (USD 6.50) park entry fee.

Once inside the park the terrain changes: it’s still steeply uphill but you leave the farmland behind and enter the forest. The path is a bit less slippery and there are more branches to grab onto; and it’s shady and cooler now you are a bit higher up.

After about another hour you’ll stop at a resting place to eat lunch. Here there’s a chance to buy more snacks and drinks, though you’ll pay through the nose for the privilege!

The final leg of the ascent to base camp takes about another hour and is the easiest part of the climb. Although you are still going uphill it is much less steep and in some places completely flat. And you’ll have amazing views to enjoy as you walk – or at least you will if it hasn’t clouded over!  

Sadly for us, as we neared the top the clouds rolled in and we lost all our views. The ghostly trees disappearing in to the fog were very atmospheric though!

Finally, after about 4 hours, you’ll arrive at your base camp. Here you’ll get a chance to relax and enjoy the views before deciding if you want to take on the additional challenge of the hike up to Fuego.

I say enjoy the views – but there is always the chance that you might get up there and find you can’t see anything at all. There’s a large erupting volcano in the back of this shot – but when we arrived at base camp we couldn’t see a thing.

What is the Acatenango base camp like?

The exact design of your base camp will depend on which company you hike Acatenango with, but all the decent companies have very similar camps that feature fixed shared tents or cabins with direct views across to Volcan Fuego.

Wicho and Charlies have fixed huts – solid wooden structures with room for 8 people sleeping on foam mats on the floor. The mats were thick and comfortable, and sleeping bags, pillows and extra blankets were provided. They also have smaller 2-person cabins which cost a bit more.

In addition, there was a dining tent where the team prepared our meals and where we could sit inside to eat.

Other Acatenango hike tour companies have tents rather than cabins and the service levels will vary, so do check with your preferred operator to see what they supply.

All the companies I’ve mentioned above have their own private base camp area located on the south side of Volcan Acatenango facing towards Volcan de Fuego. This means that you will get clear views and you won’t be jostling for position with people from other tour groups. I’ve heard some of the companies have their tents lined up so you can watch the volcano erupting without even getting out of your tent!

If you decide to go with an independent guide or a different company, make sure you check the location of the base camp. Otherwise you could find yourself on the wrong side of the mountain!

Read more: Yaxha Guatemala: The Magical Mayan Ruins You Need To Visit

The hike up to Volcan Fuego

After relaxing in the base camp for a while, you’ll be offered the chance to do the second part of the hike, up to Volcan Fuego. This costs an extra Q200 (£20 / $25) which you will pay on your return to the office.

The Volcán de Fuego hike goes like this:

• You walk for an hour back down the other side of Acatenango
• Then one hour hiking up to the viewing point on the side of Fuego
• Another hour to sit and hopefully watch the eruptions
• Then two more hours of hiking back down the side of Fuego and back up Acatenango to base camp.

So another four hours of hiking, half of which you will do with head torches in the dark. It’s not for the faint-hearted or the dodgy-kneed!

All being well you should leave around 4.30 pm and be back at base camp for a late dinner around 9 pm.

Unfortunately, on the day I went there was a lot of cloud and we couldn’t see a thing. It’s not safe to go (and also completely pointless) if the visibility is zero, so we had to wait to see if it would clear.

Luckily, it did. An hour later than scheduled, it finally looked like we would be able to hike up Fuego and get just a few hundred metres from the incredible eruptions, so most of our group decided to give it a go.

For me, the chance to photograph an erupting volcano close up was unmissable and worth the pain, so while most people left all their gear in base camp, I grabbed my camera and tripod and off we went.

The downhill was a bit slippery (this is where hiking poles are a godsend) and we were treated to a dramatic and misty sunset as we reached the bottom.

But frustratingly, as we began our ascent of Fuego and it started to get dark, the clouds rolled back in.

We did the final 30 minutes of the Volcan Fuego hike in the dark and almost zero visibility, with gusty winds that threw dust in our eyes and threatened to blow us off the side of the volcano.

And the final walk across the narrow ridge to the viewpoint, with nothing to see but the ghostly figure of the person in front disappearing into the mist and a sheer drop on either side, was positively terrifying.

But at that point you have no choice but to get your game face on and carry on. We all settled in a group on the edge of the volcano, slightly down the slope to shelter from the worst of the wind and the dust, facing towards where we were told the erupting crater of Fuego was. But we couldn’t see a damn thing.

Gamely, having carried it all that way, I set up my gear in the hope that the wind would blow the clouds away and we’d get lucky with an eruption, but mostly all I got was sandblasted with dust, so I covered my camera and eventually gave up and put it away.

Very occasionally the cloud parted briefly so we could see the crater just for a few seconds, but Fuego stayed quiet.  

And so, after about half an hour, cold, tired, hungry, extremely disappointed and very aware that we had another two hours of hiking to go before we could rest and get dinner, we turned round and went back down the way we had come.

Heading back to base camp

The hike back to base camp was probably the most challenging part for me. It was an hour back on a slippery path, in the foggy cloud and dark, down into the valley between Fuego and Acatenango, and then more than another hour back up the steep side of Acatenango to camp.

On top of the cold and dark and tired legs, by this stage it was nearly 10 pm and we hadn’t had dinner.

And to make matters worse (for me at least), as we hiked back up, with our backs to Fuego, the skies cleared, and the volcano let off two big eruptions. Which we almost completely missed, and I certainly couldn’t photograph!

After hiking all that way to photograph the volcano and missing it, I found this the most stressful part. I couldn’t wait to get back up to base camp, get some hot food in me as fast as possible, and then start taking pictures!

Which eventually I was able to do at about 10.30 pm.

Read more: The Complete Guide To Xela Guatemala: Things To See And Do

Acatenango volcano photography

And so it was that after a wasted four hours and several missed photography opportunities, I was finally able to set up my camera and tripod back at base camp and start trying to take eruption photos.

Which was a very different but equally painful challenge for three main reasons.

Firstly, trying to get accurate focus on a dark volcano in a dark sky is next to impossible.

Secondly you have no idea when Fuego is going to erupt, and when it does, you only have a few seconds to get the photo before it stops again.

And thirdly because it’s freezing! I was wearing all my clothes and wrapped in a blanket, standing as close to the camp fire as possible, but I was still ridiculously cold. And I couldn’t press buttons while wearing gloves, so of course I took them off, and then it wasn’t long before my fingers went numb.

But as you can see, it was worth it in the end…

I stayed up until about midnight, after everyone else had gone to bed, but then it began to cloud over, so I went to bed because I wanted to get up again for sunrise at 3.45 am. In the night there were two eruptions that were so loud they woke everyone up, so I kind of regret not just staying up all night!

The FOMO is real…

If you want to find out more about how I took these images, look out for my volcano photography post, coming soon (or subscribe here to get an email when new posts are published).

The Acatenango summit

After you’ve climbed up to base camp and watched Fuego erupting (from near or far, depending on your preference), it’ll be time to cosy up with your hiking mates in your cabin or tent and get some sleep.

You’ll need it, because you’ll be woken at about 4 am for the final challenge, climbing to the summit of Acatenango volcano.

This will take about 60-80 minutes in the dark with head torches. Then you get about an hour at the top to wait for sunrise and take photos before a quick descent of about 30-45 minutes back to base camp for breakfast.

The descent is quick because the ground is very soft ash that’s bouncy rather than slippery, meaning you can bounce your way down rather than having to be careful not to fall.

You don’t have climb up to the Acatenango summit, of course. You can stay in bed, have a bit of a lie in, and just get up for breakfast at about 7.30.

Or you can do what I did, which is get up at the same time as everyone else, but stay behind to photograph more eruptions in the dawn light and watch the sunrise from base camp.

I decided to – which was also a stunning way to spend the morning.

Either way, if you’re lucky you should still get wonderful views as the sun rises behind Volcan de Agua and casts a golden glow onto Fuego.

About half my group did the Acatenango summit and said that while it was tough to hike up in the dark, it was worth it.

It’s something I regret not doing, so I think if you have the legs for it, you should go! After all, when will you next get the opportunity to watch sunrise from the top of a volcano?

(Answer, soon actually, if you go to Xela and climb Volcán Santa María, like I did!)

The descent of Volcán de Acatenango

After taking photos at the summit you’ll return to base camp at around 6.30 – 7 am for a quick breakfast and to pack up, before staring your descent at about 7.30 am.

It took me about 3 hours to get back down. The route is the same one as you hiked up the previous day, except it’s easier now because you’ll have drunk most of your water and eaten all your food, so your bag will be much lighter.

However, your legs will be tired, and the path is still sleep and quite slippery, so you’ll need to be careful and take your time. Almost everyone in my group slipped over on the loose dusty path at least once or twice, and some people injured themselves.

On shaky legs this was one of the least fun parts of the hike and I was very grateful for my hiking pole to help provide some stability!

Volcan Acatenango: is it worth it?

So after all that: the hike, the sore legs, the cold, the disappointing visibility, was it worth it? Would I recommend it?

Answer: absolutely. I might be a bit obsessed with volcanos, but to me there are few experiences more incredible on this planet than seeing the power and beauty of an erupting volcano, and even with the expense and the challenges I think it was absolutely worth it.

I’m even thinking of having another go before I leave Guatemala!

But if you’re not sure of your fitness or stamina and you don’t think you can manage it all, I’d recommend skipping the Fuego ascent and saving your legs for the Acatenango sunrise summit instead.

Read more: Visiting San Andres Xecul, Guatemala: Home Of The Famous Yellow Church

Acatenango Volcano at a glance

• Elevation: 3,976 m (13,045 ft)
• Base camp elevation: 3,600 m (11,811 ft)
• Rank: Acatenango is the third highest volcano in Central America (after Tajumulco in Guatemala and Tacaná in Mexico)
• Location: 16 km (10 miles) southwest of Antigua Guatemala
• Type of volcano: Stratovolcano
• Last eruption: December 1972
• Time to summit: 5-6 hours

Volcan de Fuego facts

• Elevation: 3,763 m (12,346 ft)
• Location: 18 km (11 miles) southwest of Antigua Guatemala
• Type of volcano: stratovolcano
• Last eruption: 23 September 2021 (ongoing in 2022).
• Timing of eruptions: Can be as often as every 10-20 minutes.
• Most notable eruption: 3 June 2018, resulted in at least 159 deaths, at least 300 injuries and 256 missing persons
• Maya name: ChiQ’aq’ (Kaqchikel for ‘where the fire is’) 

Read more: 28 Tried And Tested Things To Do In Antigua Guatemala

The Acatenango hike itinerary

All the Acatenango hike tour companies offer pretty much the same itinerary (timings may vary slightly depending on the tour company and time of year):

Day 1

• 07.00 Pickup from your hostel or meet your group. Check in, organise gear and food, and book your porter if required.
• 09.00 Bus to the start of the hike (about a 50-minute journey). Meet your porter if you’ve requested one.
• 10.30 Begin the hike up to base camp. With a reasonable level of fitness, you can do this in four hours including breaks.
• 14.30 Arrive at base camp at 3600 m. Time to rest and recover.
• 16.30 If the weather is good, depart for Fuego. It takes about an hour to go down the other side of Acatenango and another hour up the Fuego viewpoint. You’ll get an hour here to watch the sunset and eruptions before returning to base camp the way you came (total time, 4 – 4.5 hours; the return journey is in the dark so make sure you bring a head torch).
• 20.30 Dinner and time to watch the volcano before going to bed in your tent or cabin.

Read more: Backpacking in Guatemala: All You Need To Know Before You Go

Day 2

• 03.45 Time to get up!
• 04.00 Depart for Acatenango summit (about 1.5 hours)
• 05.30 Arrive at the summit of Acatenango and watch the sunrise
• 06.30 Back to base camp (about 30 minutes)
• 07.00 Breakfast at base camp
• 07.30 Start your descent (roughly 3 hours)
• 10.30 Arrival back at the trailhead for the bus back to Antigua
• 11.30 Return to Antigua

Read more: A Colourful Guide To Flores Guatemala: Gateway To The Maya World

Read more: 30 Beautiful Pictures Of Guatemala And The Stories Behind Them

Read more: Is Guatemala Safe? 60+ Practical Tips For Safe Travel In Guatemala

When is the best time to hike Acatenango volcano Guatemala?

Guatemala has two seasons, wet and dry. The rainy season is between May and October, and the dry season is November to April. To maximise your chances of clear skies and the best views, try to do the Acatenango hike during this period.

I did it in mid-May and although it didn’t rain, it was very overcast for much of the time. However, other people I met who did it in late May had clear skies and incredible views, so you might get good weather at any time of year.

What to pack for the Acatenango and Fuego hike

The main things you need to bring for Acatenango are sports clothes for hiking in, a second change of clothes, waterproof, warm jacket, hat and gloves for the top, and sturdy trainers or hiking boots.

Here’s everything I wore and packed to climb Acatenango:

Clothes

• Hiking clothes: I wore gym leggings, sports t-shirt, sports bra, and a baseball cap to keep the sun off. You’ll get warm hiking up, so you don’t need to wear much.
• Decent trainers (or hiking shoes) and hiking socks.
• A change of clothes to sleep in or in case you get rained on (I had a second pair of loose jersey trousers that I put on over my leggings to keep warm, and another t-shirt), and I brought thick socks to keep my feet warm at night).
• A change of underwear. This may be TMI for the men reading this, but for the ladies, I highly recommend wearing period knickers for hikes like this. They’re great for absorbing sweat and for when you have to pee on the side of the mountain with no toilet paper!
• Thermal base layer – I put this on under my t-shirt when we arrived at the top.
• Warm mid-layer. I had my Patagonia nano puff jacket, and I also borrowed a light fleece from the company.
• Waterproof jacket – this also helps with the wind chill.
• Warm coat. I borrowed a thick puffy jacket from the company. It wasn’t especially technical, but it was very necessary!
• Warm hat, gloves, scarf, buff (to keep the dust out of your face). All of these were included in the package from the company I hiked with.

Read more: The Best Wheeled Backpack: Osprey Farpoint Wheels 65 Review

Accessories

• Water – at least four litres
• Camera
• Head torch
• 50-60L backpack
• Hiking poles
• Toiletries – keep it minimal, you won’t need much. I just took a toothbrush and toothpaste, moisturiser, hand cream and lip balm (it gets very dry and dusty)
• Sun cream – even if it’s cloudy, you can still get burned at high elevations.
• Wet wipes, deodorant
• Toilet paper
• Snacks
• Small bag to collect and take away your rubbish

Note that when you’re packing in the shop you can leave stuff you don’t need there; most places have lockers but you may need to bring your own padlock.

Things to do in Antigua after climbing Volcan Acatenango

Antigua is one of the highlights of any trip to Guatemala, and there are loads of things to see and do around this gorgeous colonial city.

I’ve written a separate post all about the top things to do in Antigua: 28 Tried And Tested Things To Do In Antigua Guatemala

Best hotels in Antigua for climbing Volcan Acatenango

There are loads of places to stay in Antigua to suit all tastes and budgets, but here are four personally-tested recommendations.

Top Pick: Villa Bokéh

What better way to recover from your challenging volcano hike than with a couple of nights of sheer luxury at one of Guatemala’s top boutique hotels, located in six acres of beautiful gardens just outside Antigua? I spent two nights here and loved it.

Villa Bokéh is about 10 minutes’ taxi ride outside central Antigua, but the journey is worth it for a chance to stay in this exquisite mansion, with stylish designer rooms and an excellent on-site restaurant.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🏨 Booking.com rating 9.6 | 💻 Click here to see reviews

Read more: A Review Of Villa Bokeh, A Luxury Hotel In Antigua Guatemala

Comfort: Hotel Museo Spa Casa Santo Domingo

This Antigua icon was once a convent and is full of historic charm. Located inside a former convent, Casa Santo Domingo is a huge complex including a pool, spa and gym, courtyards, restaurant, art gallery, archaeological museum and more.

I didn’t stay here but I spend a day here exploring, and booked some time in the spa for a massage and relaxation the day after my hike up Acatenango.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🏨 Booking.com rating 8.8 | 💻 Click here to see reviews

MIDRANGE: Ojala Hotel

This is where my friend stayed, so I visited but did not stay here. There are dorms if you are on a budget, but also private rooms that are a bit more expensive than at Yellow House. Ojalá also has a café and a private courtyard to chill out in. It’s just a couple of blocks from the Parque Central.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🏨 Booking.com rating 9.1 | 💻 Click here to see reviews

BUDGET: Yellow House Hostel

This is where I stayed before and after the hike. Yellow House is a friendly hostel in a convenient location, with a lovely shady rooftop terrace where it’s nice to relax and chat to other guests. Private rooms are small and have shared bathrooms but they are clean and very affordable. Breakfast is included.

Top tip: upstairs rooms are nicer.

Rating: N/A | 🏨 Booking.com rating 9.1 | 💻 Click here to see reviews

Watch the video!

I made a short reel about my Acatenango hike experience, which you can watch here.

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And that’s it! If you’ve read all this way, congratulations! If you’re planning to do the hike and have questions, feel free to contact me – and good luck!

And if you’ve done it and have corrections or additions to this post, please let me know.

Read more

If you enjoyed this post about hiking Acatenango volcano, why not read some of my other hiking and volcano posts?

• Hiking Mount Nyiragongo: The World’s Largest Volcano Lava Lake
• A Sunrise Hike Up Volcan Santa Maria In Xela, Guatemala
• Glamping And Hiking In The Beautiful Knuckles Mountain Range, Sri Lanka
• Ol Doinyo Lengai Tanzania – Climb the Terrifying Mountain of God
• A Hike on the Stunning Svínafellsjökull Glacier, Iceland
• Hiking Kenya’s Beautiful Loita Hills On A Walking Safari
• 15 Things To Do In Huesca: Northern Spain’s Adventure Capital

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