Acatenango vulkan overnatningstur (2 dage / 1 nat)

I booked this experience roughly a month before; we unfortunately got sick the week of visiting. I reached out to try and rearrange the dates so we would not miss it, because in their description, this was the alternative to cancelling. However, we received no response prior, and never received information for the meeting time/place. I'm not sure if my message was read and then disregarded, but this was most definitely an unpleasant experience.

It was a rewarding experience, with the most incredible views of El Fuego once we reached camp. The morning hike was spectacular as well. I’m very grateful to our guides, Eduardo and Francisco, who were supportive throughout the trek. Although I’m in good physical shape and have done plenty of endurance training, I still found the five-hour ascent challenging at times, especially in the rain. Make sure you come well prepared and bring extra warm clothes, as conditions can change quickly and temperatures can drop significantly.

The experience was truly unforgettable. I highly recommend not missing the morning hike to the summit. It made the entire trek so worth it. The views were incredible and it was so special to see the sunrise while also seeing an active volcano erupt. A couple of things I will mention: 1) This hike is extremely challenging. I hike fairly often in the US and would consider myself to be in good shape. This hike was on a whole different level. It is amazing but it is very steep the entire way up, which made the altitude even more challenging. I didn’t think the altitude was a huge factor but I would definitely bring Tylenol or another over the counter pain medication. I had a little headache, which the Tylenol helped out with quite a bit. 2) Bring lots of water. This hike is no joke and it is very hot, especially at the bottom. The website suggested a certain amount of water, but I would air on the side of bringing more than was recommended. I went through roughly 8 liters and was fine, but definitely could have used more. 3) Bring a few extra layers. I brought a puffer jacket and a rain jacket as well as a pair of pants that were more water/wind resistant. I also had gloves. When packing my bag, I was considering not bringing these items because they were big, but they were completely necessary. It gets really cold and windy at night and at the summit. The cabin we stayed in was great, as it protected us from the wind, but it was still cold. 4) Bring lots of Quetzales (roughly 500). There are no shops that take credit card once you get close to the trailhead. There are many opportunities to buy snacks/drinks along the way up but they are cash only and more expensive than what you’d expect to pay in Antigua. Additionally, it costs 100Q to get into the park once you’re there (cash only). If you want to do the extra fuego hike, it costs 250Q extra (cash only). So it’s best to have some extra money in case of any emergency. 5) Bring toilet paper. There are toilets but they are definitely quite rough. There is no toilet paper unless you bring or buy your own at the very base of the trail. I didn’t use the bathroom but it’s best to have in case of an emergency. 6) Leave some extra space in your pack to also carry your lunch and dinner. The tour company does provide lunch and dinner on the first day of the trek, but you do need to carry it up the mountain. I had to consolidate a few things to fit it. 7) The weather changes extremely quickly. You may have bad visibility one minute, but the following minute, it’s perfect. However, the weather and visibility seemed to be best in the morning barring any rainstorms. It’s very worth it to wake up early to see the sunrise for the best chance at getting a clear view of the volcano. 8) As mentioned above, the hike is really challenging and you do get very dirty/sweaty over the two days you’re trekking. I’d recommend splurging a little bit if you can on the night after the hike back down. I was staying in a shared dorm room to save a few bucks, but it would have been really nice to have my own space to unpack and organize my dirty/clean clothes. (This is minor, but just a personal recommendation). 9) The guides are very helpful, but don’t expect very much historical information about the mountains or the volcanoes/ the people that lived there. It’s not that kind of tour. The guides are mostly there to chaperone your trip up to the huts at the top. It would come in handy to know more Spanish to learn more from the guides. They spoke good English, but it would have helped if I spoke more Spanish.

Non negotiable get the hiking poles and if you are a smoker from low elevation pay for the porter up. Going down wasnt bad but the elevation change kicked my butt. carlos and luis were great guides highly recommend very accommodating and informative.

Fun hike. Challenging, but worth it. Brought all my own snacks and water. You can also buy at certain stations along the way. Our guides were really nice. The accommodations were whatever, but that’s not why you book this trip. Only request id make is pack us a better lunch/dinner.

The experience was good in general but they lack a LOT of organization and clarity in the process about what it includes and what it does not. On the ticket it says "you don't need to bring anything, just bring comfortable clothes" The problem is that you DO NEED equipment to not die in the attempt. You need equipment to climb (deadly heat) and equipment when you are on top (deadly cold) Sure, it's in their best interest to only bring comfortable clothes because every thing you need is charged extra. Expensive and if you don't bring Quetzales their exchange rate is what they can think of. In addition to paying for the tour we were charged 100 Quetzales per person for "Entrance to the volcano" that at NO time charge. If you have no problem with saving your money for every step you take, it's a good tour

An absolutely incredible life experience. It wasn’t a walk in the park, but it was fulfilling and highly enjoyable. I was in a group of great people, we all bonded really well as we worked together to all make it to the top. The tour guides were highly experienced and patient. If you are looking to hike properly, these guys will take you and look after you. Thank you!!

It is very arduous but absolutely worth it. You’re waking up a roughly 40° angle for 4+ hours so plan accordingly. Get actual hiking shoes, you will need to have some sort of good tracking so you don’t mess up your knees especially when you’re coming down. The views from the base camp were excellent. I don’t do the optional hike to Fuego and I’d say you don’t necessarily need to do it. It’s an additional 4+ hours of steep decent and incline. Definitely do the sunrise hike and please definitely get warm gear because it very cold up there. Overall I’m glad I did it. I don’t think I need to do it again but will highly recommend it. Also the food was meh, so pack snacks and fruits. The guides were just okay in terms of personality but they’re very knowledgeable.

This hike is a great experience but I would try to do it with another company if you can. The biggest red flag is how disorganized and how not seamless everything is. For example, after the hike when we were all very tired and hungry and needed a shower, they had a one hour delay on the shuttle return to Antigua. If you know what time the hike ends and you know how many people are on the hike, why would you not have a shuttle/bus ready to go? I've done similar trips all over Latin America from Peru to Costa Rica to Chile and never had such an experience and at the end of a long hike and overnight camping experience, you just want to get home. Another example was that I had booked a porter (based on reviews that said you will need it and won't regret it) but before the hike there was A LOT of back and forth between the guide and the porter and me. They told me this guy is your porter, then changed it, then said you'll have to wait, then said "why don't you start the hike and the porter will catch up in half an hour" which would defeat the entire purpose of the porter because my water bottles were in my bag. The porter who was assigned to me was literally trying to run away from me lol. It was all so confusing when it really shouldn't have been because they had known well in advance that I had booked a porter. Also I also got a glimpse of the food and coffee options that other companies gave their hikers and it was way better than what we got. Obviously you don't climb a volcano for the food and coffee but it was just another example of them giving a worse experience than their competitors. Overall I would say go with another company if you can.

Amazing experience. Definitely recommend acclimating to the altitude for as long as possible and taking preventative medicine. I’m a runner and hiker and still got bad altitude sickness. The guides, Christian, Alex and either Javier or Jorge were great. They gave me some medicine that helped a lot. I packed a lot of snacks and needed every bit of it. My biggest complaint would be the food provided. Lunch was good but both dinner and breakfast were small and not very tasty. I was so hungry I ate it all but about half of my group couldn’t eat their dinner. There are snacks and water along the trail also but expensive. That isn’t controlled by the guides but just to prepare future hikers. Highly recommend.