How to Hike Pacaya Volcano with Kids
Guatemala is a country overflowing with natural beauty, from its steamy tropical rainforests to its much chillier mountain peaks. But among all of its beauty, the biggest draw for many is hiking Guatemala’s volcanoes.
Guatemala has 37 volcanoes in all, and three of them are still extremely active. Fuego Volcano gets most of the spotlight. Its frequent eruptions can be seen from rooftop terraces in nearby Antigua, often casting a red glow into the sky. But getting a closer look at el Volcán de Fuego can be challenging, as a hike up neighboring Acatenango Volcano can be both exhausting and cold. It’s doable for in-shape adults, but can be nearly impossible with younger kids.
If you want to hike an active volcano with kids (and roast some marshmallows over lava), hiking Pacaya volcano is a safer bet.
Volcano Pacaya
Distance from:
Guatemala City – 30mi / 1:15
Antigua – 30mi / 1:15
Total Cost:
Tour Group – Q500-700 ($65-90 USD)
D.I.Y. – Q300-600 ($40-75 USD)
Hike Difficulty:
Low
Options for Hiking Pacaya Volcano
There are two main ways to hike Pacaya Volcano. The first is to join up with a tour group out of one of the nearby cities. This can be a great option for families that want to make everything as simple as possible.
The second is to arrange your own transportation and hire a local guide when you get there. This is often the more budget-friendly of the options and allows for more flexibility. But it can also be trickier to arrange.
Hiking Pacaya without a guide is not only against the rules, but can also be dangerous.
Option 1: Tour Groups
Many tour groups will take care of everything from transportation to and from the mountain all the way up to providing guides that will take you every step of the way. You pay once for the experience and everything else is taken care of for you.
However, others may not. Make sure you double-check what’s included in a tour before booking.
One major advantage of hiking Pacaya with a tour group instead of hiring a local guide is that many of the local guides don’t speak English. If that’s a problem for you, choosing a tour group that guarantees an English-speaking guide is the only way to be sure of having one.
You can find some of the top-rated touring companies for hiking on Pacaya Volcano here.
Option 2: Do-It-Yourself Hike on Pacaya Volcano
This is the option that my family chose. One of the things we love about going the DIY route to tours is the amount of flexibility that it affords us. This can be a life-saver with kids. Sometimes the kids are moving so slowly that trying to arrive anywhere on time adds an element of stress that you don’t want on your field trip. Other times the kids don’t want to sit and listen to a tour guide drone on about the history of the volcano and instead just want to get going. When you aren’t with a tour group, you can move at your kids pace without worrying about moving too slowly and if you need to skip out of an activity, you have the freedom to do so.
To hike Pacaya without joining a tour group, you only need to get together a few things.
- Transportation
- Entry Fees
- The Guide
And really, that’s it!
Transportation
Driver Price – Depends on the driver. We found one for Q350 (around $45). For that price, he drove us to the volcano, waited for us to hike the volcano and come back, and then drove us back to our Airbnb. I feel like we got a good price, but the rates can vary drastically depending on the driver and their vehicle.
Rental Price – It can vary greatly depending on where you are renting the car and what kind of car you are renting. It is possible to rent a car for less than $10 a day, plus taxes and fees. It’s a good deal, so long as you are comfortable driving in Guatemala.
Public Transport – There’s not really a good public transportation route to get to Pacaya Volcano. I’ve read that if you are willing to change buses a handful of times it is possible to get there, but the amount of time that it takes combined with the discomfort of riding on crowded buses makes this one a non-starter for a field trip with kids.
That leaves hiring a driver or renting a car.
I personally prefer to hire a driver whenever I need to get around an unfamiliar country. That way I don’t have to worry about getting lost or worry about getting charged extra for that scratch that appeared on the car while I was on the volcano. As a bonus, you get to help local drivers make money to support their families and gain an opportunity to practice the local language. Making connections with local drivers can also be rewarding for their recommendations on other places to visit.
Whether you choose to rent a car or hire a driver, it takes a little over an hour to get to Pacaya Volcano from either Antigua or Guatemala City.
Entry Fees
Park Entrance Fee: Q50 (around $6.50) per person. Kids are free.
Guide Fee: Q200 (around $25)
Private Land Usage Fee: Around Q20 ( $2.50). May vary.
Parking Fee: Around Q10 ($1.25). May vary.
Total: Around Q300 ($40) for a family of 4.
There are a couple of fees that you will have to pay to gain entry to Pacaya Volcano. The first is the fee to get into Pacaya National Park. This fee is paid upfront to the park employees and in exchange, you will receive your entry tickets and wristbands. This is also where you will pick up your local guide, though you won’t pay him until the end of the hike.
The second fee we paid was a “Land Usage Fee” that we paid to the family on whose land we started our trek. Please note that this is one of only a few ways that local families can make money from tourists, and it’s really a pretty small amount. It’s money that goes directly into the hands of local community members, and as such is well worth it.
The third fee was a parking fee to leave the car on the property while we were hiking. Our driver actually paid this fee, but depending on your driver he may not. If you drive yourself, you definitely have to pay it, but again, this is money that goes back into the community and is well worth the small amount.
There are also “extras” that you can pay for on the hike. Someone will almost certainly try to sell you a walking stick to help you keep your balance on the trail. I’ve seen people post that you can get these for Q5, but with the decrease in tourism prices have gone up and we had to pay a whopping Q10 ($1.25) per stick. We bought 2. You can also buy refreshments to take with you or for when you return.
The other big-ticket item is a horse ride. I was fully prepared to say no to the horse ride since I know for a fact that my kids are capable of walking the entire way. The Pacaya volcano hike is not very steep and is relatively short. It was about 3 miles round-trip, and including the time we spent roasting marshmallows, it took us about 2 and a half hours. That’s part of the reason we chose to hike Pacaya instead of something like Acatenango. However, I am glad that the horse wrangler decided to follow us on the trail as about two minutes into the hike both of my kids were complaining about getting pebbles in their shoes.
The entire mountainside of Pacaya is covered in volcanic gravel and sand. It almost immediately got into the kids’ shoes and refused to come out. We eagerly paid the Q150 ($19.50) for the horse ride and saved ourselves a couple of kilometers of complaining. Well worth it.
The Guide
It is mandatory to bring an approved guide with you on any hike on an active volcano in Guatemala. Far from an inconvenience or a money grab, this is a matter of safety.
These volcanoes are active, which means that they are spitting out lava and red hot stone on a regular basis. There are areas where your shoes can melt if you aren’t careful, and you can get seriously hurt if you wander off in the wrong direction. When a large glowing red boulder was tumbling down the slope of the volcano directly at our group, it was the guide who noticed it and got us to hide behind a large rock. The guides are necessary. (Even if the boulder did stop a hundred yards shy of us)
When you arrive at Pacaya Volcano, you will need to choose a guide. There may not be a guide who speaks English. If you can’t speak Spanish and you absolutely want an English speaking guide, you may want to take another look at the Tour Groups. However, even if you don’t speak Spanish the guides will be able to communicate well enough to keep you safe.
Pay attention to their body signs and gestures, and to the tone of their voice, and you’ll be able to understand enough to know where to go and not to go.
Of course, knowing a few of the basics is also helpful. Here are a few of the more relevant words.
- Cuidado – Be careful
- Espere (un momento) – Wait (a moment)
- Caliente – Hot
- Rápido – Quickly
- Aquí – Here
- Mira – Look/Watch
- Siga – Follow
The other reason for getting a guide, besides them being mandatory, is for the marshmallows! Every guide will be carrying marshmallows with them because every tourist loves roasting marshmallows over lava. I thought that I had to bring my own and ended up panicking a bit because I hadn’t packed any. I then learned that they were included in the tour. An absolute lifesaver.
For my kids, roasting marshmallows was the highlight of the trip! Absolutely use the promise of roasted marshmallows to keep morale high throughout the hike.
What to bring with you
Regardless of how you choose to visit there are a number of things that you shouldn’t forget to bring with you. Like sunscreen. Or else your wife will end up looking vaguely like a lobster. Don’t ask how I know.
Here’s a few recommendations:
Sunscreen
It is decidedly not shady on the side of Pacaya Volcano. The lack of trees means that you will be exposed to direct sunlight the entire time you’re hiking, so sunscreen is a must-have.
Shoes
Closed-toe shoes are important for getting the most out of your hike. We put our kids in hiking sandals and while they mostly worked, the small lava stones and sand that make up the trail were problematic. Try something without open sides. Also, stick to an inexpensive shoe, just in case your soles do end up melting while walking too close to lava.
My wife and I both wear Astral Barefoot Shoes, and I love the way they’ve felt both on the volcano and in the ocean. If you’re in the market for an affordable and versatile shoe, it’s my current choice.
Water
First Aid Kit
Lava stones are really rough, and kids have a tendency to fall down. The combination means that a first aid kit is never amiss. Grab something small and transportable, with enough space for a few additions.
This one might be overkill, but depending on your future travels it could also be just what you need!
A Backpack
You’re going to need something to haul all of this. While the items on this list won’t come near to filling a backpack, this isn’t the only time a good backpack comes in handy.
Recently, my family traded in all our old backpacks for some Allpa 35L Del Días, and we are loving them. They’re plenty spacious, and have lots of zippers on the inside for staying organized.
35L is just about the perfect size for a carry-on backpack, and this one by Cotopaxi does a great job of maximizing that space while still looking good.
I'm recommending it as a great option for teens, but don't forget the adults. This bag is a great choice for all ages!
However, while the 35L is great for packing in, it can be a bit big as a day pack. Before we got the 35L packs, my daughter was using the 28L Del Día, and I’ve found it to be a pretty good sized day pack for adventures like this one.
Or you could go even smaller, and get the 24L Batac Del Día, if you want to stay as light-weight as possible!
The 28L is the size we originally bought for my daughter to use because we figured the smaller size would mean she'd be more likely to carry it on her own. Nope. However, that doesn't mean it wasn't a good buy!
We've since upgraded her to her own 35L Allpa, and this smaller one gets used as a day trip bag for hikes and for walking around town. If you're in the market for a smaller bag, it's a decent choice, but for longer trips, the 35L is still my recommendation.
If you're in the market for a light-weight day bag, the Batac 24L makes a great choice. It's nowhere near as large as Cotopaxi's other bags, which means it isn't particularly good as a main bag for travel, but its smaller size makes it perfect for shorter hiking trips or tours.