First dry slopes and ash sand.
Then black, razor-edged lava – and above the cone just a thin plume of gas.
At the end you look across to Agua, Fuego and Acatenango.
Scroll –
the trail climbs
The park is open and the half-day hike is running. There is no flowing lava on Pacaya right now. Guatemala's volcano institute INSIVUMEH reports only degassing at the Mackenney crater in its bulletin of September 20, 2026: water vapor and gas, no explosions. The crater is closed, even with a guide. What you get: young lava fields, hot vents and a wide view of three neighboring volcanoes.
No climbing to the crater (8,373 ft): INSIVUMEH warns of harmful to lethal gases and collapses into the crater. The lava flows and fissures on the west flank are off limits too – the crust gives way easily. Anyone offering “crater tours” is acting illegally.
With a local guide you follow the approved trails to the viewpoints and lava fields beneath the Mackenney cone. The park administration puts the whole outing at three and a half to four hours at most.
Since the eruption ended in April 2021, INSIVUMEH has mostly reported gas and steam. Many guides roast marshmallows over hot vents – an operator extra, not a guarantee. If you want to see fire, go to Acatenango and watch Fuego.
Photo: lamblukas · CC BY 4.0
Pacaya is Guatemala's most accessible active volcano – half a day from Antigua or Guatemala City. To be straight about it: the photos of glowing lava rivers still used in ads date from active phases up to spring 2021.
At the San Francisco de Sales entrance your group is assigned a local guide, recognizable by vest and ID. Then it is one to two hours uphill, steep in places and on loose ash sand. If you have had enough, you can switch to one of the horses waiting along the trail.
At the top you stand in a black landscape: hardened flows from the 2021 eruption, sharp as broken glass. Warm air rises from some fissures; that is where guides hold marshmallows on a stick. A gas plume hangs over the cone, nothing more.
The second reason to come lies across the valley: on a clear day Agua, Fuego and Acatenango line up on the horizon. Afternoon tours catch this in evening light but descend in the dark – pack a flashlight.
There is no practical bus connection; shuttle tours are the norm. GetYourGuide's selection is small – these are the three best options. On tours, the entry fee (Q100) and often the local guide (Q200 per group) are not included: bring cash and check what is covered before you book.
Affiliate links to GetYourGuide: if you book, we earn a commission and the price stays the same. Prices and ratings as of 21 September 2026. There is no glowing lava to see at the moment – the mountain is only degassing.
Pacaya is a national park. There are no online tickets, time slots or visitor caps – but nobody gets in without a local guide. That applies even if you know the trail or bring your own tour leader.
You pay Q100 in cash at the park entrance. The park rules expressly tell visitors to ask for the receipt and to report overcharging (pnvplc@gmail.com).
One local, INGUAT-authorized guide per group of 1 to 12 people. Guides work in shifts and are assigned at the entrance. Fixed rate under the park rules: Q200 per guide and tour (about $26).
Every visitor signs the visitor log on the way in and out and gets a registration slip. Children walk under the responsibility of an adult.
Camping, staying in the park outside opening hours or professional filming requires prior approval from the park directorate – by email to pnvplc@gmail.com.
| Entry, foreign visitors · about $13 (rate of 21 September 2026) | Q100 |
| Entry, Guatemalan nationals | Q30 |
| Guatemalan school students with ID | Q10 |
| Children under 7 · older foreign children pay full price | free |
| Local guide, mandatory, per group of 1–12 · about $26 | Q200 |
| Main trail from San Francisco de Sales | From the visitor center at the main entrance to the viewpoints and lava fields beneath the Mackenney cone. 1–2 hours up; the whole outing takes 3.5 to 4 hours at most according to the park. The hike runs roughly between 1,900 and 2,300 m (6,200–7,500 ft) – there are no official elevation or distance figures. |
| La Corona trail from Concepción El Cedro | Second entrance, same destination, same rates. Length and duration are not officially published. |
| Going up on horseback | Horse handlers wait at the entrances and along the trail; horses go to just short of the lava fields. No official price – operators quote Q200, one private info site Q300. Agree on it first. |
Photo: lamblukas · CC BY 4.0
Without a car: No practical direct connection for travelers; the usual options are shuttle tours from Antigua (departures at 6 am and 2 pm, for example; 6–7 hours in total according to the operator) or from Guatemala City.
By car: From Guatemala City take the CA-9 toward the Pacific coast, turn left at km 36.5–37 to San Vicente Pacaya and continue to San Francisco de Sales. Germany's Federal Foreign Office advises using only guarded parking lots and leaving nothing in the car.
Dry season, November to April: reliable views of Agua, Fuego and Acatenango and dry ash trails. In the rainy season (May–October) the morning is the better choice because clouds and thunderstorms move in during the afternoon; the park rules recommend rain gear then. Afternoon sunset tours are atmospheric, but the descent is in the dark – pack a flashlight.
On many tours, yes: hot vents in the lava field give off enough heat. It is an extra from operators and guides, not a guarantee, and it only works where the guide shows you.
On site Q100 entry (about $13) plus Q200 (about $26) for the mandatory guide, split across the group. The amounts come from the archived park website of February 2026. Tours with transfer started at about €65 on GetYourGuide on 21 September 2026.
If you expect glowing lava: no. If you have half a day, want to walk on young lava and see Agua, Fuego and Acatenango side by side: yes.
Pacaya: half a day, easy, doable with kids, currently no glow. Acatenango: two days, 1,500 m (4,920 ft) of climbing, frost at night – and a view of Fuego erupting.
As of September 21, 2026: yes. In its bulletin of September 20, 2026, INSIVUMEH reports only degassing without explosions, and INGUAT most recently listed Pacaya as open. The Mackenney crater and the lava flows and fissures of the west flank remain closed.
Foreign visitors pay 100 quetzales (Q100, about $13), Guatemalans Q30, students Q10; children under 7 are free. On top of that comes the mandatory guide at Q200 per group of up to 12 people.
No. The park rules require a local guide authorized by INGUAT for every group of 1 to 12 people – even if you know the way or bring your own tour leader.
No flowing lava at present. The last lava flows occurred during and shortly after the 2021 eruption; since then INSIVUMEH has mostly reported only gas and steam. You walk across young lava fields, some still warm, and see steaming fissures.
No, climbing to the Mackenney crater is prohibited on INSIVUMEH's instructions because of the threat of deadly gases and collapses there. Anyone offering 'crater tours' is acting illegally.
The ascent to the lava fields takes one to two hours, the whole round trip three and a half to a maximum of four hours according to the park administration. From Antigua, allow six to seven hours including the transfer.
Yes, it is considered the most family-friendly volcano in the region: short, not very high, and anyone who gets tired can rent a horse. Children hike under the responsibility of an adult.
Sturdy closed shoes, long pants, a sweater or jacket, headwear and at least one liter of water. In the afternoon a flashlight belongs in your daypack, in the rainy season rain gear.
The easiest way is a shuttle tour from Antigua or Guatemala City. By car, take the CA-9 south and turn off at km 37 toward San Vicente Pacaya and San Francisco de Sales; from the capital that is about one hour.
On the approved trails the volcanic risk is low as long as you stay away from the crater, fresh lava and fissures. However, Germany's Federal Foreign Office and the U.S. State Department warn of robberies at volcanoes – so go only with an authorized guide and without valuables.
Camping is allowed only with prior permission from the park administration (request by email to pnvplc@gmail.com). The same applies to tours outside regular hours; in 2021 the administration gave opening hours starting at 4 am from Thursday to Sunday.
The park was closed for a longer period during the eruption in spring 2021; it resumed operations on April 24, 2021. In July 2025, after earthquakes, INGUAT temporarily advised against all volcano climbs.
Pacaya is the easy choice: half a day, moderate altitude, a horse as backup. If you want to see fire and have two days, good fitness and warm clothes, hike Acatenango.
Sources · accessed on 21 September 2026
