Hiking to Acatanengo or Fuego is probably the most popular thing to do from Antigua, Guatemala. Almost everyone you meet has either just hiked Acatenango or is about to. Everyone is talking about how difficult the hike is and wondering if they’ll be able to do it. But then again, it seems like everyone else just came back to town… so how hard is hiking Acatenango really? Is it worth the hype? And how do you choose a tour guide? Here’s my experience on an overnight hike to Acatenango and Fuego with OX Expeditions.

The group at the OX Expeditions base camp watching Fuego

About OX Expeditions and the Double Whammy

We hiked Acatanengo and Fuego aka the Double Whammy with OX Expeditions in late February.

OX Expeditions seemed to be the most reputable, sustainable and environmentally conscious of those I investigated. OX Expeditions was started nearly twenty years ago, by a guy from Alabama. These days, there are about 40 tour companies that run daily trips to Acatanengo, Fuego and Pacaya. The most popular volcano hikes in the area. So choosing a tour company is not easy.

Be sure to do your research. A lot of groups seemed ill prepared, ill informed, and simply ill. This hike is no joke – the altitude, the active volcano and the constantly changing weather are something you need to prepare for. Having a guide who speaks your language, who you trust, and who has your best interests and that of nature in mind are key.

We were in great hands with our tour guide Tyler Wood and OX Expeditions.

The pre-hike meeting

OX Expeditions is the only tour company I know of in Antigua that hosts a pre-hike meeting. Here you can ask any last questions, settle up your payment, meet your guide, check your gear and learn a bit more about the adventure you’re about to embark on. The next morning is a bit smoother this way.

The gear

Wondering what to pack to hike Acatenango? OX Expeditions has a great gear guide and even packing videos to help you out. I brought my 36L Osprey and found it to be plenty big, though they recommend a 55L pack. As a group, we needed to carry our own sandwiches, pasta for dinner and other group items for breakfast or snack. You also need about 4L of water per person and electrolytes. Typically my favorite are Liquid IV but you can also buy these locally.

A nice perk about OX Expeditions is that you can borrow some extra gear, like warm layers, headlamps and even backpacks directly from them. This is a great option, especially if this is your only hike during your stay in South America. I was skeptical about the quality of gear that would be available, so I brought a lot of my own. If I were to hike Acatenango again with OX Expeditions, I would borrow more items for sure.

Hiking Acatenango and Fuego, the Double Whammy

Breakfast in Antigua

After packing all our gear in the OX Expeditions office in Antigua, we headed out together for a local breakfast at a popular cafe. They opened up just for us. It was great to sit down and enjoy a meal before heading out on the bus ride. Only warning, don’t drink too much coffee, tea or water. The ride is about one hour and there’s no bathroom on the bus. We did have to stop for someone to pee, the driver was not amused.

Beginning the Acatenango hike

We hopped off the buses, unloaded our gear, visited the toilets and rented hiking poles from the local ladies. It cost only 5Q (about $0.60) per pole, I’d definitely recommend two. They also have fancy poles, but the wooden ones worked just fine.

The bathrooms here were also clean and tidy, so if you want one last visit to a real working loo – this is it for just 5Q. Men can pee on the street.

Once the others got their porters, for 200Q (about $25) per direction, we were on our way.

The farmland

The first part of the hike was incredibly crowded. In fact, this was probably the most crowded of any hike I’ve done. It was President’s Day Weekend so there were many Americans. Our tour guide also mentioned that weekends are always busy.

But don’t worry, after the farmland it clears out a lot. This part of the trail is still privately owned land, therefore the path is very narrow, and often only one person can pass at a time.

This part of the journey is also relatively steep with loose volcanic soil. Due to this, there is a lot of dust. Definitely grab yourself a cheap Covid mask or a thin buff to cover your nose and mouth. You’ll be thankful later.

Total hiking time: 1-1.5 hours

The cloud forest

The cloud forest is a welcome respite. The canopy protects you from the beating sun and the terrain is more forgiving. There are switchbacks to help with the steepness. Before we entered the cloud forest we took a generous break. And at the end, is where we had a lengthy lunch.

We had each received a brown bag with a sandwich in it. This was more of a loaded focaccia with an ooey gooey nearly cooked doughy center. Super filling, I only ate half and would advise the same to anyone. A full stomach and hiking at altitude is not fun.

Total hiking time: 1.5-2 hours

The alpine area

After the cloud forest we entered the alpine area towards Acatenango base camp. This terrain is much flatter and forgiving. Plus, there are incredible views overlooking the villages below and the green wooded pine forests all around. If you’ve made it this far, you can do it!

Total hiking time: 2 hours

OX Expeditions Acatenango Base Camp

At the Acatenango park entrance, we paid our entrance fee of 50Q (about $6) each. Be sure you have cash! Soon after, we heard a fierce grumble in the distance and the ground shook gently. Our guide Tyler informed us that that was indeed, Fuego volcano. We were close.

When we got to the OX Expeditions Acatenango base camp we could already see Fuego in the distance. Wow. Everyone rushed to the edge to get a glimpse and wait patiently for the next eruption.

The sleeping arrangements at OX Expeditions Base Camp

At the base camp there were 6 sleeping cabins, two smelly toilets and a shared kitchen area with a firepit. Each cabin had 5 sleeping pads. They are narrow. I can imagine in inclement weather the sleeping quarters would be tight. Drying boots or wet clothing would have been nearly impossible. Lucky for us, the cabins were sufficient for one night.

The sleeping pads were surprisingly thick and the sleeping bags were warm. I was also grateful that we only had to carry up sleeping bag liners. This helped a lot with the weight of the packs.

The sunset hike to Fuego Volcano

We arrived at Acatenango base camp at around 2:30 pm. Tyler suggested we leave by 4:30 pm to have plenty of time to arrive at Fuego before sunset. Tyler told us there would be a couple hundred more people up there with us to watch Fuego at sunset.

I didn’t realize quite how popular the Acatenango and Fuego hikes were until hearing this. But it makes sense, 40 some odd tour companies, with 40 some odd people each.

Tyler was of course right. We arrived before sunset and seemed to be one of the very first groups. Tyler suggested we find a spot along the ridge, but not too close to the volcano due to the wind. He had seen someone struck by ash last time he was there.

We took his advice and posted up. We could see the Fuego volcano to our left and the pink sky to our right. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the clearest night. A frustrating cloud refused to move from our view of Fuego. That said, we could still see the eruptions through the mist. And the pink sky turned brighter and brighter until the sun set.

Hiking from Fuego back to OX Expeditions base camp

As darkness settled in, it quickly got colder and colder. The wind picked up and we began our descent in the light rain. I was freezing and not looking forward to the hike back to camp.

Somehow, the time passed quickly and the headlamps lit the way. The terrain was steep and loss, but not unbearable. We eventually reached the saddle area, took a break, regrouped and continued up the other side back to Acatenango base camp.

I must admit, this hike was much more difficult than any section earlier in the day. The combination of steep terrain, loose rock, wet weather and exhaustion began to settle in.

I was also surprised to find that during our descent there were many groups still hiking up to Fuego in the wet, cold darkness. This was shocking, and I was grateful that we had arrived much earlier.

As we ascended back to base camp, I loved watching the headlamps on the path to Fuego in the distance. From here you could really see just how busy this hike is.

If you choose to hike Fuego, the total time is about 3 additional hours of hiking.

Hiking back down from Fuego in the dark, the path is lit with all the headlamps

Dinner at Acatenango OX Expeditions Base Camp

We arrived back at Base Camp just before 8 pm. The others who stayed back had already finished eating and were sitting around the fire or already tucked into their cabins. As we arrived, we saw one of the most magnificent explosions from Fuego. She lit up the night sky and roared loud with sparks and smoke in the dark sky.

The whole journey was worth it just to see Fuego light up like that.

For dinner, the guides prepared our pasta with a vegetarian sauce. We also had ginger tea or warm mulled white wine called Ponche. Both were so tasty and flavorful. I look forward to trying to recreate them at home. After dinner, Tyler brought marshmallows and mock graham crackers for S’mores by the fire.

And after that, bed time.

The sunrise hike to Acatenango Summit

To hike to Acatenango Summit for sunrise, we had a 4:30 am start time. With the wind and some mild snoring plus midnight pee breaks, it wasn’t the best sleep of my life – but certainly not the worst.

Tyler popped in around 4 am to wake us up and let us know the forecast for the morning. The cloud coverage had been thick for the last two hours, so he wasn’t overly optimistic it would clear. Despite that, he said for those that wanted we should give it a go – there’s a good chance we could end up above the clouds and with clear skies.

We decided it was worth the risk and joined the other brave souls for our journey to the Acatenango Summit.

The day before, our guide Leo told me that only about half the group usually attempts Acatenango, and only about a quarter end up making it all the way up. Leo was right. Of the 33, we had about 12 make it to the Summit. Even fewer hiked both Fuego and Acatenango – the Double Whammy.

Hiking Acatenango

The hike was steep and steady. There are some flatter parts in the middle, but overall it’s a challenging hike, especially in the morning darkness. Again, if you are comfortable with elevation and loose terrain, I would not be worried. I expected much worse, much steeper.

The walk is more exposed than any of the previous day, so at times this can be nerve wracking in the dark. Just keep your footing and you’ll be fine. Lucky for me, our dog friend joined us for the whole journey up and back. This kept my spirits high.

As we summited, the wind picked up. It was incredibly fierce and small pieces of volcanic ask were ripping in the wind, piercing any exposed body part. To seek cover, we found a spot lower, facing the rising sun. The view above the clouds was truly breathtaking.

To the left, we had Fuego, erupting violently every 15 minutes or so. At times, the volcanic ash would still hit us in the face, like hail. Definitely bring your warmest clothes, a buff and sunglasses to protect yourself.

The surprise of the day was the hike back to base camp. This was brilliantly fun. The loose rock and straight shoots enabled us to slip and slide like a ski run back to camp in less than 30 minutes.

Total hiking time: About 1-1.5 hours, with a rest to watch the sunrise

The hike back down

After the Acatenango summit hike, we arrived back to base camp for breakfast. Bagels, cakes and toppings from a local bakery, as well as tea and coffee. The banana bread was mmmm. After that, we cleaned up our tents, took a group photo and got ready for the hike back down.

We took a slightly different route down to keep the journey interesting. We also stopped a lot less frequently, and made it back down by around 11 am. This put us back in Antigua before 12:30 pm.

For me, the descent is always the hardest part. It’s tougher on your knees, feet and shins. The terrain was slippery, the rocks were loose, but all in all it was manageable.

Some people were unable to complete this section of the hike. So remember, if you are going up, you must also go down! Know your limits. Otherwise you may need to pay for a horse to help you down. Not cheap.

OX Expeditions review

Overall, I would highly recommend an overnight hike to Acatenango and Fuego with OX Expeditions. The Double Whammy was an incredible experience. I always felt safe with Tyler and the other local guides. The sleeping arrangements, gear and meal OX Expeditions provided were high quality, and Tyler really kept the spirits up. If I’m ever back in Antigua I would definitely consider another experience with OX Expeditions.

Note: This article is not sponsored, I just had a really great time. Tyler Woods and the other local guides were great companions. Definitely book with OX Expeditions if you can.

Hike Acatenango & Fuego with OX Expeditions