Did you know there is a place in Central America where you can safely watch a real-life lava-spewing volcano with your kids!? It was as amazing as it sounds, and I highly recommend it. After a lot of research, we did a 4×4 private overnight tour with kids to Acatenango. It included a 45-minute off-road drive, a short hike, and overnight camping at Basecamp with an amazing view of the highly active Volcano, Mount Fuego, near Antigua Guatemala. I had so many questions before going! Here is my full review and a bunch of tips. I learned a lot and have a LOT of information I wish I’d had prior to the trip.
The views were amazing. In the afternoon and evening, we watched ash plumes erupt over and over again, and after dark, you can see the red-hot lava; it is absolutely unbelievable! There are also so many stars overhead. For us, the morning was just as majestic because the clouds rolled in below us and we got to see the sunrise over them, making us feel we were in our own special world.
We booked with Mayan Outdoors. We paid $800 for 5 people, which included 3 meals, private lodging in a rustic A-frame, sleeping bags/blankets, park entrance, a campfire, a private guide, and the 4×4 drive to skip most of the hike. It also included the optional sunrise summit hike, but the Mount Fuego hike had an extra fee. I’ve been told that was the 2025 price, and they have increased their price for 2026. They honored the quote they had sent me several weeks prior to booking, which speaks to their customer service. I would happily go with them again.
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Top Tips for the Acatenango Hike with Kids
- Bring toilet paper and your own headlamp
- Pack enough layers to keep everyone warm
- If you take a 4×4, clarify if you will be asked to ride in the box of a truck
- Be sure to have a battery pack so you can take all the photos you want
- Aclimatize to the altitude a few days prior to the hike
- Consider weather variability when planning
- Get comfortable using WhatsApp for communication
- Read up on volcanoes before you go
4×4 vs Hiking
I love hiking and always choose that over driving, but this hike is described as very strenuous! Plus, I was planning a multigenerational family trip with travelers ranging from ages 6 to 69, so we ultimately took the 4×4.
In my research, the hike is described as challenging and takes between 4-7 hours. It is said to climb over 1,000 meters, ending at base camp at 3,600 meters (approximately 12,000 feet). The surface is often loose gravel and has fewer switchbacks than you’d expect, making the trail steep. I hope to go back and do the full hike when my kids are older!
The Drive to Basecamp
We booked a private 4×4 overnight tour with Mayan Outdoors. Our driver, Emilio, was so kind, helpful, and experienced. He picked us up in Antigua, we stopped at the Mayan Outdoors headquarters in San Miguel Duenas, and then headed up the volcano. As you leave town, you turn onto a dusty, curvy dirt road. Everyone stops at the entrance to the park where you sign waivers. The park entrance fee was included in our tour price. There are several flush toilets here.
Then the real fun begins! In his Land Cruiser, Emilio skillfully maneuvered up a super-bumpy single-track road. It was twisty, turny, and had plenty of potholes. At one point, we went up and hit an extremely steep section, and at the top, in my very basic Spanish, I said something like, “Whew, you are a really good driver!” He laughed, we turned a corner, and an even more difficult section of road lay ahead! He told me the road sometimes goes up at 50 degrees!
For a large section of the drive up Acatenango, the kids were giggling in the back, loving this crazy off-road drive in Guatemala. I get motion sick frequently, but I had a scopalamine patch (prescription medication for motion sickness) and sat in the front and didn’t have any issues. We were all ready to get out by the time we reached the top.
Some reviews of various companies report riding in the back of a truck for the drive. I would clarify this ahead of time, as it is an extremely bumpy ride, and most people probably would not want to be in the back of a pickup truck.
What to Pack
I thought a lot about this while planning and went back and forth on what was needed. In the end, the hike was less demanding than I was expecting, the food was better than expected, and the views were better than expected, so I shouldn’t have worried. Here is a quick list and details below.
- Fully charged headlight and an extra flashlight for the group
- Hat and mittens/gloves (details below)
- Hand warmers
- Toilet paper/wet wipes and antibacterial hand gel
- Snacks
- Water/electrolytes (details below)
- Warm clothes (details below)
- Camera/phone and battery pack
- Hiking shoes/boots (details below)
- Neck buff if you plan to hike past Basecamp
- Basic First Aid Kit
I would absolutely bring your own headlamp. Reviews across all companies report complaints about batteries that fail at inopportune times. I also brought a backup flashlight in case anyone’s battery died. I love my Biolite headlight and have been running with it for years. It is no longer in production, but this headlight is the upgrade and is what I will replace it with next time. I bought my kids cheap ones from Walmart, and they ran out of batteries within 15 minutes, so that was a waste.
I took so many pictures, I couldn’t help myself! Bring a battery pack to recharge your phone so you don’t have to worry about your phone dying.
Details about Acatenango Basecamp
Basecamp is actually many separate areas sprinkled across the mountainside. It honestly felt a bit magical to have our own little area, while knowing hundreds of other people were experiencing the same amazing views all around us.
Our area had the rustic A-frame cabin for our family, and an additional A-frame that could sleep 6, but only had one person. There was also a glamping canvas tent. A couple quietly showed up there late at night. There was a reasonable amount of flat gravel in front of our cabin. There was a string of solar lights marking part of the edge.
Next to the two cabins, there was a small covered area with benches and a fire pit. You could see Fuego from there. In front of it, there was a line of Adirondack chairs. In front of the chairs, there was really only enough room to walk. The edge does not have a fence, which provides excellent views. It would be easy to step off in a careless moment. At 6 & 8, our high-energy kids were old enough to manage this, but younger kids would have to be watched closely. The fall was only a few feet, but it led to a steep, gravel/dirt part of the mountain that would probably cause you to roll. In my judgement, it would be enough to hurt but not be fatal.
Our guide was staying a few minutes’ walk up a steep, loose-gravel trail. He was with other guides and part of Basecamp, which had smaller groups, couples, and those who didn’t reserve a private tour. He would check in with us periodically, but also gave us space to enjoy the volcano.
The Hike: How Hard is it?
The hike from basecamp is said to be just over 2k. It is mostly hard-packed dirt, generally goes up, and has some rolling changes in elevation. I was worried that we would all need hiking boots, but half of us had trail shoes/running shoes, and everyone did just fine. I do not think I needed the hiking boots I was wearing. The adults all had rustic hiking sticks from Mayan Outdoors, but in general, I don’t think they were needed.
We started our hike in the early afternoon and had plenty of time to reach basecamp. We could have taken many more breaks if needed.
You do need to stay with the group because, as you get close to base camp, many trails branch off to different areas of camp.
The trail got more treacherous within a few minutes of camp. There was a lot more loose gravel and steep trails. At this point, boots and hiking sticks were nice, but it was only for a few minutes, so I would have been ok without them. As a caveat, we are an active family, and I take short runs nearly daily. My dad is 69 and an avid cyclist.
How Cold Is It?
You can check Mountain-forecast for weather updates. Despite the warmer weather elsewhere in Guatemala, expect the Acatenango Basecamp to drop a bit below freezing. After dark, the Mayan Outdoor guides lit a campfire for us. There were also tons of thick wool blankets in the cabin that you can bring out to wrap around yourself. We wore long underwear with pants and a sweatshirt. As it got colder, we added either a fleece or a micropuff jacket and finally a raincoat/windbreaker as a top layer. Everyone had warm hats and gloves/mittens as well.
We brought handwarmers, and I LOVED having them. They kept everyone’s hands warm in the evening, and I stuffed mine in my socks overnight. Ours stayed warm for over 10 hours.
A wide variety of sleeping bags were provided, ranging in thickness. Everyone in my group found something that worked, though I had blankets on top of my sleeping bag as well.
Speaking of the weather, consider whether you are going in the dry season or the rainy season. We went during the dry season, but I also planned our trip so we could have stayed another night at BaseCamp if the first night turned out too cloudy to see the eruptions.
Optional Mount Fuego Hike
I was originally planning to leave the kids with my husband or dad and go on the Mount Fuego hike because it looks amazing! Then I read at several reputable travel sites (Lonely Planet), which report that it’s actually considered really dangerous. I saw various sources reporting the possibility of “lava bombs the size of small cars.” They also note that if the volcano were to erupt larger than normal, you are technically in “the kill zone” on the Mount Fuego hike.
That said, according to the guides, 400-800 people hike to Mount Fuego every night.
Ultimately, if I did not have family depending on me, I would have been more likely to make the hike, but I chose to skip it. The views from Mount Acantentango Basecamp were still exceptional! I do not feel like I missed out.
If you decide to do this extra hike, be prepared; it’s said to be very arduous, and remember to bring cash for the extra fee and your own headlight or backup flashlight.
Optional Sunrise Acatenango Summit Hike
Because we didn’t do the Mount Fuego hike, I was determined to do the sunrise summit. The guides describe the hike up to Basecamp as a 3/10 on the difficulty scale, but the summit hike as 10/10 or 15/10. Despite this challenging hike, they say the view isn’t much different from the summit than it is from Basecamp.
My 8-year-old decided he wanted to join, and as a good supportive mom, I said yes. He woke with me at 3:45 am without complaint!
We were told you will know if you can do it based on how far you get in the first 15 minutes, and I understand why. It was brutal. Basically, you are walking up a very steep trail, grabbing the trees along the side for support, in about 6 inches of loose gravel. Plus, it’s cold and dark.
At the 15-minute mark, the guide told us we were going plenty fast to complete the hike and could take more breaks if needed. I had hiking boots and ankle gators keeping the rocks out of my shoes, but my kid didn’t. He had sneakers and adult gators, resulting in lots of rocks in his shoes. I would not recommend this hike in tennis shoes or trail runners.
I thought we’d be shedding layers as we went up, but it was getting a lot colder as we went higher, and though we were physically working hard, my kid kept getting colder. Ultimately, he started getting altitude sickness after over an hour, and we turned back. The trail down is steeper and shorter, and we made it back to our cabin for sunrise. I’m so proud of my kid!
Would I recommend this hike? Do it for the challenge, but no need to tackle it if you just want a good view.
The Bathroom Situation
Remember, you are camping, so set your expectations appropriately. With that said, I didn’t think it was too bad. We had two bathrooms for our part of Basecamp. Both were inside small covered areas, with a rustic seat atop a deep pit toilet. It was stinky as expected, but the view was great. We shared our two pit toilets with another cabin and a tent. Don’t forget to pack your own toilet paper/wet wipes and antibacterial soap.
Rental Gear Options with Mayan Outdoor
Here are the details on what was available with Mayan Outdoor. Each touring group described different options; some included certain items, while others had additional fees.
They had a handful of hiking backpacks of various sizes. The one I picked worked great. My husband, father, and the kids used regular backpacks that also acted as their carry-on for the flight. As the most active person in our family and the one most worried about not having what we needed, I acted as a sort of pack mule, which worked fine.
They had a range of winter coats of various sizes and thicknesses. I was worried we’d be cold, so we packed our own gear, but there were plenty of adult options if we needed them. They also rent hiking boots (which sounds awful to me), but in a pinch, they would be better than nothing.
We asked for extra headlights, and they told us there were some available if needed. When our batteries ran out on one, they told us they would have more available once the hikers returned, but those never materialized. Reviews of many companies report this as a common issue. My advice is to bring your own headlamp/flashlight if possible.
Food and Water-How Much Do We Need?
Most of the companies offer lunch, dinner, and breakfast. For Mayan Outdoors, lunch was before the 4×4 drive. It was a chicken breast sandwich with some roasted veggies and a bottle of water. Dinner was spaghetti with tomato sauce and no meat, which everyone loved. Why is camp food always so good? There was also hot chocolate offered. Finally, breakfast was pancakes and honey (no maple syrup). I thought these tasted pretty normal, but for some reason, my kids stuck their noses up. It must be their Wisconsin loyalty to maple syrup. Coffee, tea, and hot chocolate were available in the morning.
I brought lots of snacks because, duh-Mom, always has snacks. I was worried dinner would be too late, but it was served at 7 pm, which felt reasonable. To be sure no one got hangry, I carried granola bars, protein bars, Life Savers, mixed nuts, and cubes of cheese and crackers. I would not have needed snacks, but they were nice to have.
Our company recommended 3L of water per adult. That was a blanket recommendation for hikers starting at the bottom and doing the evening hike and morning hike, as well as for 4×4 guests who skipped the extra hikes. We took about 9L for three adults and two kids who did the 4×4 ride, and for two people who did the sunrise summit hike. We brought at least 3L back down. Buy the water from a grocery store or market before you get picked up. We carried it up in bottles in our backpacks, but many of the hikers doing the harder hikes had camelbacks, which I’m sure was nice.
I wished I had brought electrolyte mixes; this was especially true when we attempted the sunrise summit hike, and the kid got altitude sickness.
Do the Guides Tell you Volcano Facts?
Some reviews complained that they did not learn about the volcano from the tour guides. This is not an educational tour. The guides are there to help you get there, take care of you, and keep you safe, and they did a great job. I felt I got appropriate answers to my limited questions about volcanoes, and the guides did seem to know a lot, but my basic/intermediate Spanish doesn’t include scientific terms like convergence, pyroclastic activity, or basaltic stratovolcano.
We read Science Comics: Volcanoes in preparation for our journey, which was a bit too advanced for my kids in early elementary, but we did read it to the end, and they retained some facts. For older kids, I think it would be fantastic. Hit up your local library if you’re interested in learning; the kids’ non-fiction section is guaranteed to have some volcano books.
My First Aide Kit
I didn’t need anything in our first aid kit, but that’s always good! I packed adult and kids’ ibuprofen, aspirin, band aids, moleskin for blisters, disposable gloves, non-stick bandages, and an ace wrap. My dad has some pulmonary issues, so he had a steroid script in case he needed it. If you’re worried about altitude sickness, you can talk to your doctor about prophylactic Diamox to be taken prior to your hike. We also had an EPIPen for my husband’s allergies, though it would have been highly unlikely to need it. Of note, our guide did offer some various medications for my son when he got altitude sickness, but my medical Spanish isn’t that good, and the pills were individually packaged but not clearly labeled, so we went without.
Some Logistical Details
WhatsApp is a popular means of communication in Guatemala. I found it to be the best way to communicate with businesses in Guatemala while planning the trip and while in the country. I highly recommend downloading it and getting comfortable with it before the trip. If they are using Spanish on the app, you can use Google Translate to help you. I’ve been learning Spanish on Duolingo for years. Is it the best way to learn a new language? No. But it is convenient, and with time, it is getting the job done. My 8-year-old recently started learning as well and is doing great on the app.
Mayan Outdoors picked us up at our Airbnb in Antigua. The exact time changed from 11 am to noon a couple of days before the adventure. Then, on the day of, our driver messaged me on WhatsApp saying he was ready whenever we were at 11:10 am. Be flexible, they will take care of you.
After picking us up, he brought us to the Mayan Outdoors headquarters in the town of San Miguel Duenas. It is a small place but has a bathroom, a place to store luggage, and some rental gear.
There was no private room to change here. We were still in shorts and t-shirts because it was hot. We ended up putting on our warmer layers between the 4×4 drive and the hike, but be warned: there was no real privacy here either.
Other Tour Companies
I researched many companies in Guatemala before our Acatenango Volcano Hike with the kids.
I loved that Wico and Charlie specifically addressed kids. They have a minimum age of 5 and insist that families with kids get private cabins. This makes sense to me. In my experience, companies that specifically address kids on their website are overall more kid-friendly. I didn’t go with them only because they have a limit of 4 people per day in the 4×4, and we had a group of 5.
I’ve heard good things about Trek Guatemala. The listed price was “as low as $409 per person,” which seemed pretty steep compared to the $800 we paid for all 5 people, and they charge extra for rental gear. You may be paying for a more luxurious experience, but that is not what we were after.
I also looked into Old Town Outfitters. It was $325 per person, which was pricey. I also didn’t like that it didn’t appear to have options for the Mount Fuego hike, but in hindsight, we didn’t go on that anyway!
V Hiking didn’t have 4×4 options, so that was a no-go for us.
Laundry-Make a Plan
Everything will get dirty. So dusty and dirty. Paid laundry services in Guatemala are easy to find and budget-friendly. Drop the laundry off in the morning and pick it up later that day, washed, dried, and folded. If you have something you don’t want dried, you need to specify that at drop-off. I ended up just airing out our pricer outerwear rather than risk damage, but that was a baseless judgment call.
Concluding Thoughts about Kids in Guatemala Hiking Acatenango
While planning this, I had a lot of concerns. Was I crazy for bringing kids on this? How safe will the drive be? Are we going to be warm enough? Do we need better hiking boots? Will we be able to see the volcano erupting from Basecamp? How much water do we need? What if our headlights die? Will the kids eat the food provided? And on and on, but in the end, it was all ok. Better than ok, actually. The Acatenango hike was the absolute highlight of our time in Guatemala.
Did everything go perfectly? Of course not. I packed two left-handed gloves for one kid, and he managed just fine. Someone got altitude sickness, and then he recovered. There were lots of rocks in the shoes for those hiking without hiking boots, and we just had to stop more often to empty them. I carried at least half the snacks and several liters of water back down in the morning, but was happy no one went without.
The kids didn’t like the breakfast provided, so they had to choose between granola bars and being hungry. We couldn’t find the extra headlights’ batteries when we needed them, so we shared lights and used the campfire as light. They survived. I was cold enough overnight to get up and find more blankets, but then I slept just fine. Despite the minor inconveniences, we had a fantastic time, and I’m so glad I didn’t let the worries keep us from experiencing it.
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