Hiking and horseback riding Pacaya Volcano - Unforgettable experience! Much more challenging than I expected. I’m glad the “taxis” (horses) were an available along the route. Riding horseback partway up Pacaya made the climb easier while still taking in stunning views. Hiking across lava fields and roasting marshmallows over heat vents was surreal. A must-do in Guatemala — magical, humbling, and unlike anywhere else.

A Horse & A Girl On A Volcano Hike - It was a fantastic experience. At first I tried to hike, but it was too hard after 20 mins. If you’re not in the best shape, I recommend renting the horse. They had many guides along the way to help and make sure you were comfortable. I liked that. Had enough tile to take lots of pictures with beautiful views. 10/10. Even though I ended up getting on a horse.

Stellar experience! September 2025 - Book it! I booked it at last minute and it was ideal. Whatsapp communication from the tour company was prompt. Timely pick up from my accommodation. Great driver. The tour guide gentleman was just tremendous. So warm and caring to everyone on the tour. I encourage guests to carry some cash to tip the guides and driver, at your discretion. They really put in a lot of energy to get everyone up there in whatever fitness level you are at. Some guests did end up transferring to horse back part way up the incline utilizing services of a local horseman. Bring a water resistant jacket, water and reasonable walking shoes. For my needs this tour was excellent as I didn't have much time in Antigua to commit to a longer tour of larger volcano. Visiting from USA (Australian)

It's an impeccable job. - I had a wonderful experience! The staff was friendly, everything was well organized and exceeded my expectations. I would recommend it to others.

Everything was fine, the... - Everything was fine, the guide was very friendly, if you need a little conditioning for the tour, although there were also horses in the area

It was a great trip, but there are a few areas that could be better planned. - The views of the Pacaya Volcano and the Antigua Valley were stunning. The hike itself is okay, but the way up is quite steep, and the guide moves quickly with only a few brief stops for rest. If you're not in good shape, I’d recommend taking a horse ride up, as it’s not an easy hike—the guide climbs quickly, and the path is challenging! That said, the tour guides and driver were professional and did their best to accommodate everyone. I deducted one star, not because the tour itself was bad, but because I believe the planning could be improved. First, instead of picking up guests from various locations, which took an hour in a town with little traffic, it would make more sense to have everyone meet at a single location since Antigua is a small town. Second, the tour should ideally depart around 12pm or 1pm, as descending in complete darkness is unsafe. Starting at 2pm is too late, especially in winter, as it’s already dark by the time you begin the descent.

Nice, but clouds may be in your way - We went on December 31st, 2024. One thing we noticed (and were told by other people) was that in Guatemala, it is much clearer in the morning than the evening. Low clouds seem to come back in the evening. I would DEFINITELY do this tour in the morning, not the evening. Also, this tour mentions roasting marshmallows. Well, the chances of that marshmallow actually melting is slim to none. The heat sources are just not that warm. You really need to be in decent shape because the incline is pretty long. Guides follow with horses exactly for that reason. If you just can't make it, you can rent a horse (I believe it was like $20 USD), and they really don't want to budge on that price. Don't get me wrong, it was nice and I did get to see a lava field, but when we got to the top in the afternoon, we couldn't see the volcano because of cloud cover, and it was right in front of our face. Also, if you take the afternoon tour, you WILL be walking down in the dark. That's why it is listed that you may want to bring a lantern or a light brighter than your cell phone light.

Ruta Ideal tour agency poorly run. Volcano tour crew was decent. Challenging hike. - I was at the designated hotel pickup point at 545am. At 6am, I messaged the tour operator to confirm I'm waiting. No response. B by 630am, still no response. I contacted viator at that point and the agent was mostly useless. A bus came to pick up 2 other people that were waiting with me. The driver said my name wasn't on his roster. The tour operator finally messaged me to say he FORGOT to add me to the roster. The bus had to come back around after another 15b minutes. I'd essentially been waiting an hour. The tour operator said he would contact the bus driver to have him pay $13 for my park entrance fee. Nobody paid for my entrance fee once I got into the park. The bus was packed. Every seat filled. It took about an hour for the drive. Very twisty and lots of switchbacks. If you have motion sickness, take Dramamine before the trip. Once we were dropped off, our group was turned over to the folks that work at the volcano park. The hike is very steep and takes alot of effort due to 7000 foot elevations. They do rent horses if you are unable to hike. At the top, it was all cloudy and foggy that day. There was nothing to really see. On the way down you go through lava fields. The marshmellows do not "roast", they get "steamed" in the fissures. On the way down, parts are steep. The rocks and scree make for very slippery path. Lots of folks lost their footing or fell. Bring hiking poles. I was at the designated hotel pickup point at 545am. At 6am, I messaged the tour operator to confirm I'm waiting. No response. B by 630am, still no response. I contacted viator at that point and the agent was mostly useless. A bus came to pick up 2 other people that were waiting with me. The driver said my name wasn't on his roster. The tour operator finally messaged me to say he FORGOT to add me to the roster. The bus had to come back around after another 15b minutes. I'd essentially been waiting an hour. The tour operator said he would contact the bus driver to have him pay $13 for my park entrance fee. Nobody paid for my entrance fee once I got into the park. The bus was packed. Every seat filled. It took about an hour for the drive. Very twisty and lots of switchbacks. If you have motion sickness, take Dramamine before the trip. Once we were dropped off, our group was turned over to the folks that work at the volcano park. The hike is very steep and takes alot of effort due to 7000 foot elevations. They do rent horses if you are unable to hike. At the top, it was all cloudy and foggy that day. There was nothing to really see. On the way down you go through lava fields. The marshmellows do not "roast", they get "steamed" in the fissures. On the way down, parts are steep. The rocks and scree make for very slippery path. Lots of folks lost their footing or fell. Bring hiking poles and water. I would have only given this a 1 star review due to Ruta Ideal tour operator very poor coordination of my trip. I would never book with them again. This rate review was 2 stars due to the volcano crew being separate.