The Acatenango 2-Day Itinerary
What each day of the 2-day Acatenango hike holds: the morning start in Antigua, the climb from La Soledad, the night at base camp, the sunrise summit and the time you are back.
Day one of the 2-day Acatenango hike is a morning start in Antigua, the drive to the village of La Soledad and 4.5 to 6 hours of climbing to base camp, where you sleep facing Fuego. Day two begins in the dark with the optional climb to the summit for sunrise, then breakfast, the walk down and the ride back to Antigua. Volcano Expeditions’ 2-Day Acatenango Volcano Hiking Adventure runs it with hotel pickup, from US$57 a person (checked November 2026).
The calendar shows the dates on sale. On the dates we read, 27 November 2026 to 10 March 2027, the tour started at 8:00 AM.
Day one: Antigua to base camp
Volcano Expeditions collects you from your hotel in Antigua. At 8:45 AM the bus stops at the operator’s station, where everyone is handed packed food, a jacket, gloves and a hat. Backpacks and flashlights can be rented there, and so can hiking shoes and poles. Anything you leave behind can go into the luggage storage that comes with the tour.
The bus then drives to La Soledad. The park entrance near the village is 21.7 km by road from Antigua; Marvelus Travel's hike allows about an hour for the drive. The guides give a briefing and the climb begins.
It takes 4.5 to 6 hours to reach base camp, depending on the group’s pace. There are three bathroom stops on the way, and you bring the toilet paper. Bring at least 3 litres of water as well: about half a litre of it goes into the coffee or hot chocolate at camp. Bring extra food for the climb too: sandwiches, snacks, fruit or protein bars.
The night at base camp
You reach camp in the late afternoon, check in to your bed and have dinner. Fuego is in view across from the camp; how active it is varies from day to day, and INSIVUMEH, the national volcano observatory, publishes a daily bulletin. On Volcano Expeditions’ hike the bed is a dome with a sleeping bag and a mat. The night gets very cold, so bring warm clothing and extra socks.
Some hikers leave camp in the evening for the extra trip towards Fuego, sold for Q200 (quetzales) and not included in the price. Where it goes is not stated. CONRED, Guatemala’s disaster-reduction agency, said on 9 August 2026 that the ascent of Fuego is not authorized (Emisoras Unidas), and the Municipality of Acatenango does not allow staying or camping in the areas called La Meseta and El Camellón.
Day two: the summit and the way down
The summit climb starts early enough to reach the top, 3,976 m (CONAP, 2008), for sunrise. It is optional: those who would rather not climb wait at camp. Everyone has breakfast back at base camp, packs up and walks down to where the hike began, and the bus drops you at your accommodation in Antigua. No time is given for the return.
How six hikes time the two days
| Hike | Day one | Day two |
|---|---|---|
| 2-Day Acatenango Volcano Hiking Adventure (Volcano Expeditions) | Hotel pickup, 8:00 AM on the dates we read; the station at 8:45 AM; 4.5 to 6 hours up; camp in the late afternoon | Optional summit for sunrise, breakfast at camp, down to the start, drop-off at your accommodation |
| Acatenango Volcano Overnight Tour (Tours & Activities SA) | Meet the guide in Antigua (7:30 AM on 20 January 2027, the date we read); lunch on the trail; sunset and camp | Sunrise and breakfast at camp, back to La Soledad, the bus to Antigua |
| Small-Group Acatenango Hike and Eruption-View Cabins (Acatenango Experience VIP) | Private pickup in Antigua, the drive to La Soledad, 6 hours or more of hiking, a hot lunch at camp | Summit for sunrise, breakfast, back in Antigua by early afternoon |
| 2-Day Acatenango Volcano Hiking with Guide (Marvelus Travel) | 8:00 AM from an Antigua meeting point, about an hour to La Soledad, about 5 hours up, camp around 4:30 PM | Summit before sunrise, breakfast, about 4 hours down, about an hour back to Antigua |
| Experience GT's two-day tour (Viator) | Briefing, lunch and gear at its office, about 50 minutes to La Soledad, a trail start at Miratenango, 4.5 to 5 hours up | Summit climb from 4 AM, breakfast at 7 AM, down by about 11 AM, back in Antigua between 12:30 and 1:15 PM |
| Acatenango Overnight Hike (CA Travelers) | Breakfast at its office 7:15 AM, away at 8:00, a supply stop, the ride at 9:30, hiking from 10:30, lunch 1:30 PM, camp 4:00 PM, dinner 7:00 PM | The summit, then the ride back to its supply centre to hand in the gear |
GetYourGuide checked November 2026; Viator checked November 2026. Start times are the operators’ slots on the dates read and can change.
So plan on a morning start between about 7:15 and 8:00 AM, and on being back in Antigua around midday or in the early afternoon of day two.
When the plan changes
Weather decides day two. Of the 35 low reviews with text among the 350 newest on Volcano Expeditions’ hike (8 May to 7 November 2026), two say their group never went to the summit, one because of rain in the night, and one describes a rainy October climb on which most of the group turned back halfway and paid for a taxi down. Seven low reviews complain about long waits or a slow group pace on the way up.
Before you go
CONRED restricted the ascent of Acatenango on 4 August 2026, during an eruption of Fuego; operators were selling dates in November 2026 when we checked. Check CONRED and INGUAT, Guatemala’s tourism institute, before you go. The day before and after covers the bags, the passport and the trip back.
More from Antigua
Tours from Antigua with Open Dates
Volcano hikes and other trips from Antigua with live availability. Pickup, what is included and the cancellation terms show before you book.
The Two Days with Hotel Pickup
Volcano Expeditions' 2-day hike: pickup in Antigua, the gear stop at 8:45 AM, the climb from La Soledad, a night at base camp and the sunrise climb if you want it.
Check 2-day dates