Pacaya Volcano Day Trip from Guatemala City

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. Enjoy a full-day trip to the Pacaya Volcano from Guatemala City and discover the beauty of this natural gem! Towering over 8,000 feet (2,438 meters) above sea level, Pacaya is considered Guatemala's most active volcano. After pickup from your Guatemala City hotel, head southeast about 15 miles (25 km) to the base of Pacaya, where you’ll embark on a 2.5-hour hike up the volcano with your expert guide. Enjoy a mild walk to a viewing spot at the lagoon of Calderas and take in panoramic views of the Agua, Fuego and Acatenango volcanoes. Once you arrive at a plateau along the trail, marvel at spectacular views of the Guatemala landscape and see the main crater of the volcano. To ensure your safety, you won’t be able to visit the crater, but you will get an amazing view of red-hot lava flowing and steam baths created by the heat of Pacaya. Take a break and relax here as you take in more scenic views before hiking back to the base of the volcano.

   4 hAdmission included

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 73 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Showing reviews written in English.

• 5Moderate hike with rewarding views, excellent and patient guides

  Booked second week of June with two friends and absolutely recommend it! Luis Pedro picked up on-time and was an excellent guide. We met Roberto, a guide at the volcano, who took us to the base of the volcano, very patient and informative. The hike is definitely not for beginners, medium perhaps, but the views make it worth it. Lots of shade along the way.

  Jeffrey1o2June 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5A good walk

  This was a good excursion. A 2.5km hike with 300 m elevation change. A gift shop and pizza or marshmallows cooked on the hardened lava. Quicker coming down than going up. Our tour guide, Davis, was outstanding and would do an excursion with him again.

  Tom_BApril 2026via Viator

• 5Volcano Hike

  Amazing hike but you need to be in good hiking condition. If you’re not then you can still do the adventure on a horse for an extra charge. Got a great view of volcano eruption in the distance.

  Jim_RApril 2026via Viator

• 1Disappointed

  The people were friendly. The volcano was pretty cool. On this tour one can choose to roast marshmallows or make a pizza. Quite honestly that is a boring part to this trip. But we chose the marshmallow route and had to wait 45 minutes for the others to finish the pizza. This should technically be split into two tours. Guests should not have to wait for others. Then we are driven back to our hotel. However driver went out of the way to drop off other members in the group that wanted to go to a special spa. The issue here was he made us wait in the van while he was assisting with their booking. Guests in the van should not have to wait for a driver to assist with spa reservations of other guests.

  Brian_BApril 2026via Viator

• 1Bait and switch

  The provider books different experiences all under the same tour. We waited around in the hot sun for an hour while a very entitled family cooked a pizza outside. The same entitled family paid the driver extra money to drive out of our way to drop his family at the hot springs adding even more time to our tour. Be careful when booking this tour.

  Chuck_SApril 2026via Viator

• 5Amazing hike

  Gustavo was such a sweet soul. He helped me thoroughly as I got slight motion sickness. I was able to sit in the front and felt a lot better. The hike was amazing and definitely the level of activity we were looking for. Would recommend 1000%

  Happiness56218328031April 2026via Tripadvisor

Know before you go

How it compares in Guatemala City

• Its from-price is 25% below the median of the 271 experiences we list in Guatemala City.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 18 of 271.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Guatemala City

Guatemala City is the capital of Guatemala, a sprawling highland city of plazas, museums of Maya art and textiles, and a base for volcanoes and Antigua.

Guatemala City sits in a highland valley at about 1,500 metres, which keeps the climate mild. The city is divided into numbered zones, and Zona 1, the historic centre, has the Plaza de la Constitución, the National Palace and the Metropolitan Cathedral. Zona 10, the modern district, holds the newer hotels, restaurants and galleries.

Top-ranked sights in Guatemala City: Plaza de la Constitución (Parque Central), Iglesia Yurrita, Paseo de la Sexta.

See all 271 experiences in Guatemala City