Hiking to Acatenango Volcano in Guatemala
Kraig AdamsDec 2020 · Solo
- Days
- 2 days
- Direction
- Out and back: up to the summit and the base camp, and back down the…
- Cost
- Entrance about Q100, cash, often not included in tour prices
- Lodging
- Tent
North America · Guatemala
Acatenango Volcano
Guatemala
- Distance
- 10.5 mi16.8 km
- Days
- 2 days
- Elevation gain
- 5,213 ft1,589 m
- High point
- 13,045 ft3,976 m
- Season
- I went December 16 and 17, 2020
- Lodging
- Tent
Hikes / North America / Acatenango Volcano
In December 2020 I hiked Acatenango, the volcano above Antigua in Guatemala, on my own. It was my first time in Guatemala. I started from the village of La Soledad around noon, climbed through the farms and the forest to the summit for sunset, walked part of the crater rim looking across at Fuego, the active volcano next door, and came down in the dark to the base camp on the side facing it. Fuego erupted all night. The next morning I hiked down in about an hour. Two days, about 10.5 miles by my GPS: 6.5 on the first day and 4 on the second. It's the trip from my film Hiking to Acatenango Volcano in Guatemala.
Kraig Adams
Effort at this pace: Hard · about 5 mi (8 km) and 2,607 ft (795 m) of climbing a day over 2 days, up to 13,045 ft (3,976 m). Our grade for the days given, worked out from distance, climbing and altitude a day; it isn't the trail's usual difficulty rating (under Basics) and doesn't rate exposure, terrain or weather.
Where these numbers come from
From Kraig Adams's GPS recording and guide.
From Kraig Adams's GPS
The route, day by day
Elevation7,904–13,054 ft10.5 mi
From Kraig Adams's GPS. Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (SRTM, GMTED) on AWS · Rivers © OpenStreetMap contributors
Tap a day for his map of it
The film
Watch it first
Hiking to Acatenango Volcano in Guatemala
Before you go
The basics
- Start
- La Soledad, a village at about 7,900 ft (2,410 m), about an hour's drive from Antigua
- Finish
- La Soledad, a village at about 7,900 ft (2,410 m), about an hour's drive from Antigua
- Direction
- Out and back: up to the summit and the base camp, and back down the same trail to La Soledad
- Usual difficulty
- One long, steady climb of over 5,000 ft on soft, steep volcanic ground, at an altitude most people aren't used to, then a freezing night
- Best time
- I went December 16 and 17, 2020
- Permits
- Entrance fee about Q100 (US$13) cash for foreigners at La Soledad; a registered local guide is widely described as required (2026)
- Getting there
- Antigua is the base. It's about 45 minutes to 1.5 hours from Guatemala City's La Aurora airport (GUA), depending on traffic. In 2026 a shared shuttle costs about US$15 to $25, an Uber about Q320 (US$42). There are ATMs in the arrivals hall; the quetzal was about 7.6 to the US dollar in late September 2026.
- Lodging
- Tent
From Kraig Adams's guide
Costs and gear
What Kraig carried
Zpacks Sub-Nero 30L · Zpacks Travel Duffel · NEMO Hornet · Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite · Outdoor Vitals Sleeping Bag Liner · Katadyn BeFree AC · 1L · SLONIK rechargeable headlamp · Amazon Essentials Quick-Dry Tech Hoodie and 20 more.
From Kraig Adams's guide
Safety
Rescue numbers
- Emergency: CONRED 119 · police 110 · firefighters 122 / 123 · tourist assistance 1500.
Phone signal
- Don't count on a phone signal on the volcano.
Insurance
- The UK government says there is no mountain rescue service in Guatemala.
- Make sure your travel insurance covers local treatment and medical evacuation.
Bail-out points
- Day 1, La Soledad to the summit and the base camp. The only way off is back down the way you came, to La Soledad: from the saddle that's about 4.4 miles and 4,500 ft down. Turn back if you're feeling the altitude badly (a headache that gets worse, vomiting, confusion), if a storm is coming, or if Fuego picks up. Don't come down the upper slopes in the dark and fog without a GPS track: I probably would have gotten lost without mine.
- Day 2, The base camp to La Soledad. This is the way off. If someone at camp is sick with the altitude, the fix is to go down.
From Kraig Adams's guide. For planning, not navigation: check before you go.
Their films and versions
Creators who've done it
1 creator so far: Kraig, 2 days, tent.
Hiking to Acatenango Volcano in Guatemala
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Typical: 2 days (the hike's facts).
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Answered from the data
Questions people ask
How many days do you need for Acatenango Volcano?
Two, with one night at the base camp. That's what I did and what almost every tour does: up the first day, sunrise and down the next morning. You can do it in one long day too. Give yourself a couple of days in Antigua first to get used to the altitude, and keep a spare day in case Fuego closes the park.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How much does Acatenango Volcano cost?
The entrance fee for foreigners is about Q100 (US$13) cash in 2026; I paid Q50 in 2020. Two-day tours from Antigua run about US$57 to $160, and a taxi to La Soledad about Q150 to Q200 each way.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
When is the best time to hike Acatenango Volcano?
I went December 16 and 17, 2020.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Is Acatenango open?
Yes, in October 2026. The Municipalidad de Acatenango reopened it on August 7, 2026, after Fuego's August 3 to 5 eruption, on its approved routes only. It closes at short notice whenever Fuego erupts hard, so check INSIVUMEH's bulletins and ask your guide the day before.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How long is the Acatenango hike?
My GPS recorded 10.5 miles over two days: 6.5 from La Soledad to the summit and down to the base camp, then 4.0 back down to La Soledad, with about 5,200 ft of climbing. The summit is 13,045 ft (3,976 m).
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Do you need a guide to hike Acatenango?
I went alone in 2020. In 2026 many sources say a registered guide is required and that hikers without one can be turned back at La Soledad, though no official text says so. Plan on a guide: every tour from Antigua includes one.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Can you hike Fuego from Acatenango?
No. Since July 14, 2026 a CONAP rule bans visits to Fuego for any kind of tourism, and the ridge between the two volcanoes is off limits. You watch Fuego erupt from Acatenango.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How cold is Acatenango at night?
Around freezing at the base camp all year, and much colder in the wind on the summit. I took only a sleeping bag liner and was freezing. Bring a sleeping bag rated below freezing, or take the one your tour lends you.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.