Adventures

Guatemala Hiking Tours: Best Day Trips and Overnight Hikes out of Antigua

With its close proximity to four major volcanoes including Acatenango, Pacaya, Agua, and Fuego, and the picturesque Atitlán and Amatitlán lakes, the historic small city of Antigua is one of Guatemala’s top hiking destinations. Old Town Outfitters leads hiking trips from our headquarters in town that can accommodate all skill levels, whether you’re interested in a day hike, overnight, or a multi-day trek.

Available Tours

Our hiking tours not only feature epic vistas, volcanos and forests but also the Mayan heritage and culture that makes Guatemala so special. Guatemala is absolutely covered in footpaths, and many of our hikes and treks retrace the ancient Mayan trails and trade routes and link the remote Mayan pueblos of Guatemala.

We have over 20 years of experience guiding hiking trips throughout Antigua and the surrounding areas. If you don’t see a hike that suits your interests, we are happy to customize a hiking adventure for you. Also, be sure to check out our trekking page for longer backpacking-style hikes.

Top Guatemala Hikes

OTO offers one-day excursions to Acatenango and Pacaya volcanoes, as well as overnight trips that combine the twin peaks of Acatenango and Fuego. The Acatenango hike to view the active fireworks of Volcán de Fuego is unarguably the top hiking experience in Guatemala.

Antigua hikes are also very popular and easy to add to any itinerary. We offer one and two-day hikes in the Antigua area to visit waterfalls, explore the mountains, and visit the Earth Lodge, an eco-friendly lodge, restaurant, avocado farm and yoga destination.

Hiking Highlights:

  • Hike up to active area volcanos to see lava flows and smoking craters
  • Stroll through mountainside villages and get a glimpse of local life
  • Visit local villages like Pastores, the leather ‘Boot Town’ of Guatemala
  • See local waterfalls, coffee farms, eco-lodges and more on the local trails

Hike to Pacaya: Cannot believe how great this day trip was. We had a great guide, Alex and his team was great. We were in a group of 12, and everyone seemed to get one-on-one attention throughout the hike. Alex was extremely knowledgeable and gave us some great recommendations for dinner spots.

– Cessy61 from San Diego, CA - TripAdvisor

FAQs

Boots will be your best choice. However, many people do hike the volcanoes wearing running sneakers. Please do not hike in sandals, 5 finger shoes, or Crocs. You do need a comfortable, closed-toe shoe.

Even for day hikes, it’s a good idea to bring a warm layer and a wind layer. Volcano summits can occasionally drop to freezing temperatures at night.

Our hikes and treks are created as backpacking-style trips meaning that unless you otherwise specify that you would like to hire out a porter service you will be expected to carry your own clothing and gear.

Much of this depends on the tour and how much stuff you plan on taking. Typical weights for essential gear are:

  • tent: 7 lbs. (often can be split among two hikers)
  • water: 1 liter = 2.2 lbs
  • sleeping bag = 4 lbs
  • sleeping pad = 1 lbs
  • pack = 3 lbs

Yes. Porter service is available on all of our hikes and treks. They vary a bit on price from region to region but are roughly $20 per carry/day and porters typically carry up to about 40lbs.

Personal porters are actually members of the community in La Soledad, our starting point of the hike. 100% of the porter service charge goes to them.

Tours, unless otherwise specified, are sold on a 2-person basis. You will be expected to share a tent with another same-sex traveler unless you are traveling with a partner. Tents are all cleaned and disinfected after each trip.

Yes, we supply all the needed gear while on a trek with us. We have 3 person tents for every 2 hikers. Sleeping bags and pads are also included with every hike.

We strive to create healthy food options at every mealtime. We can accommodate many food and dietary restrictions. Examples of a trail dinner might be stir-fry veggies, salad, bread and drink. Tea, coffee and hot chocolate are available as well.