Why I HATED the Acatenango Hike: What to Know Before You Go

“It was very hard, but SO worth it,” is what I kept hearing about the Acatenango Hike in Guatemala. But after embarking on the experience for myself, I have to say that for me it was definitely not worth it. And it’s not often that you’ll hear me say that about my travel adventures.

You and I might be very different kinds of travelers, and even if that’s the case I do believe you’ll find some value in my lessons learned. So in this post, I’m sharing what I wish I’d known before committing to Acatenango as part of my Guatemala itinerary for a better experience.

What I Wish I’d Known Before Embarking on the Acatenango Hike

I realize my feelings about Acatenango are in the minority, and that’s all the more reason I want to put this perspective out there. Had I seen even a handful of people saying it’s okay to skip it, I probably would’ve given myself permission to do just that.

1. Who you book with matters

There are many different travel agencies and companies that you can choose to book through for this experience.

The most popular one seems to be Wicho & Charlie’s. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any availability for our preferred travel dates. We visited Guatemala in January, during high season, so it’s understandable.

We also received a quote from another company called Noma Travel. Their basecamp offers more of a glamping setup and their meals are much more premier as well. But all this was reflected in the $500/person price.

In hindsight, I wish we would’ve paid it for a more comfortable experience! But it felt like a significant difference in price at the time from many of the other options.

Ultimately, we booked through Flore Hostel which had a partnership with a tour agency (Tropicana, I believe) for $212/person.

But on the day of our Acatenango booking we waited, and waited, and waited at Flore Hostel to be picked up. It seemed like they’d forgotten us.

Eventually, we were added to a van full of people but throughout the entire experience we wondered if they’d actually factored us in to this group or not.

It also was a different tour company than we were expecting. The sleeping quarters were so tight, that I again wondered whether they’d planned on this many of us. All in all, we got off to a rocky start.

2. The environmental impact of 4x4s

Two men prepare a red pickup truck parked along a dirt road in a forest of tall pine trees. One man stands on the roof rack beside secured hiking backpacks while the other stands next to the truck.

This seems like common sense now, but at the time I didn’t realize the environmental impact of taking a 4×4 most of the way up and down was that much worse than people simply hiking up and down.

My friend and I chose the 4×4 option from the very beginning. We were booking things pretty last minute and knew we weren’t going to have time to train for the full on hike before our trip.

But recently, there was a temporary ban on 4x4s ascending Acatenango. The ban appears to have been lifted, and there are now some restrictions around 4x4s being allowed on certain days/times.

Still, knowing that it’s not great for the environment I’d suggest avoiding this option if you’re able to.

3. How to respect and navigate high altitude

A distant cone shaped volcano rises above a blanket of white clouds under a bright blue sky. Dark green mountain slopes and dense shrubs fill the foreground along a high elevation hiking trail in Guatemala.

This is probably the number one reason that Acatenango was not worth it for me in the end: I got altitude sickness.

I had traveled to higher altitude destinations before and been just fine. I felt a bit headachy in Park City, Utah. I felt totally fine in Bogota, Colombia. So I didn’t have any reason to believe I was super prone to altitude sickness.

And I didn’t respect the altitude as a result. By which I mean, I didn’t take all the necessary acclimatization precautions.

Sure, I planned the itinerary to include 4 days in Antigua at a minimum before the hike. But simply existing in Antigua isn’t how you acclimatize.

You have to hydrate, not get up to too much activity in the first couple days, move a little slower and rest more. It’s important to also avoid alcohol and limit caffeine. And to eat lighter meals.

The day before our Acatenango experience, I believe I visited 5 different coffee shops and ate a big dinner at our cooking class along with a drink. Yikes.

I know better now, and I thank this experience for preparing me for much smoother acclimatization on my recent trip to Peru.

If you can, I’d ask your doctor to prescribe you altitude medication as well.

4. The reality of the weather

Two hikers bundled in winter jackets and gloves rest inside a dark wooden shelter with reflective emergency blankets hanging behind them. The cramped sleeping space shows the cold overnight conditions during an Acatenango hike in Guatemala.

Antigua and Lake Atitlan in January basically felt like summertime. But up high on Acatenango it was winter.

We’d been told it would be cold, and to layer. We obeyed. It still wasn’t enough. It’s freezing up there and sleeping there overnight means you’re stationary without any heat, which means it’s even colder.

I was wearing fleece-lined leggings under my pants, multiple sweaters, good socks, a jacket, scarf, gloves, headband, hat and boots. Then I tucked myself, wearing ALL of that, into a sleeping bag and put another sleeping bag over myself.

The saving grace was that my friend had packed us some emergency blankets. We each wrapped ourselves in two of this tinfoil blankets and prayed to keep our toes until morning.

If you’re going, pack even more warm layers than you think you’ll need. And bring some hand warmers, too.

5. Day tour options exist

Volcán de Fuego erupts in the darkness with glowing red lava near its summit and a thick plume of ash rising into the night sky. A faint orange glow along the horizon silhouettes the steep volcanic slopes.

I had assumed that the only way to see Fuego erupt was by staying overnight on Acatenango. But while we were shivering at the top, taking in the views of redhot lava erupting before us, another gentleman with a private guide joined us.

They also got to take in the views, but they didn’t stick around. They were heading back down to Antigua that very same night. I have to say, I was super envious!

The idea of getting to witness this spectacle of nature, and following it up with an evening on a comfy hotel bed in a robe watching TV sounded like the most perfect thing in the world.

I won’t be repeating this experience, but if I could go back in time and redo it this is the only way I would go about it.

6. The benefits of being with a friend

A dome shaped camping shelter with a metal door sits on a dirt clearing surrounded by pine trees glowing in the early morning sunlight. The rustic campsite provides overnight accommodation for hikers climbing Acatenango volcano.

As a frequent solo traveler, this experience reminded me of the perks of traveling with a friend from time to time. My 2-week Guatemala trip was not a solo trip, but a trip with one of my friends from grad school.

She also happened to be a friend who was natively fluent in Spanish. And in moments when I felt weak or less bold, like at the top of Acatenango, she stepped in with a fierceness.

Thanks to her, she and I ended up getting our own sleeping shelter apart from the one we’d originally been assigned to sleep in packed up like sardines.

Thanks to her, porters did not change prices on us on a whim. And thanks to her, I had someone who checked in on me when I spent most of our second week sick in my hotel room.

Of course, I am fully capable of navigating all of these situations solo. But sometimes, it’s nice to have a friend to be in the trenches with.

7. A better sequenced itinerary

A woman wearing glasses and a dark hooded jacket stands on a rocky volcanic trail with Volcán de Fuego erupting behind her. Orange sunrise light illuminates the mountainside as a thick plume of ash rises into the sky.

The hike up Acatenango is not something you want to do within your first couple days of arrival in Guatemala. As I mentioned above, you need to give your body time to acclimatize first.

But I’d take it one step further and suggest maybe doing this toward the end of your trip instead of in the middle, like we did.

In theory, the approach we took sounded great. We were in Antigua, did the hike and then headed to Lake Atitlan where we even had a spa day planned.

But what I didn’t foresee was that I would get altitude sickness as badly as I did, and spend the entire second week of our trip recovering in our hotel room.

Thankfully, it was a nice hotel room. But that means half of my trip to Guatemala was a wash. I barely got to explore Lake Atitlan. We had to cancel our reservations to dine at Sublime in Guatemala City.

It was an all-around bummer. At least if we’d done the hike last, I could be sick at home instead of during vacation…

8. The importance of shedding travel peer pressure

Golden sunlight rises above layers of hazy mountains and a dark volcanic peak during sunrise on the Acatenango hike. Pine trees silhouette the foreground while the sky transitions from warm orange near the horizon to pale blue overhead.

Since this trip to Guatemala I have gotten much better about not succumbing to travel peer pressure.

There will always be people who say things like, “you haven’t really been to Guatemala if you didn’t do the Acatenango hike!”

But their opinion doesn’t define your travel memories or experiences. It’s simply that – their opinion.

Fortunately, I’ve grown and my subsequent trips to Greece, Thailand and beyond have felt different as a result.

When I saw videos about people insisting the Acatenango hike was a must in Guatemala I distinctly thought: I don’t want to do this but clearly I have to. I believe the message I sent to my friend about it was along those lines as well.

The truth is, that’s not a travel must for me. It’s not my travel style. Am I willing to branch out from time to time for a unique experience? Of course! But only I can check in with myself to define what qualifies and what doesn’t.

This one didn’t. I pushed it anyway and learned from the consequences.

Final Thoughts on the Acatenango Hike

After reading all this I’m curious, will you do the Acatenango Hike during your visit to Guatemala? Send me a DM on Instagram or leave a comment on my Youtube video letting me know your thoughts!

If you want to see some of our experience come to life from this Acatenango Hike then check out the video I made on this topic: