Horseback Riding in Guatemala 2026: Antigua, Pacaya and Lake Atitlán Rides, Operator by Operator

Horseback riding in Guatemala is concentrated around Antigua and Lake Atitlán, and the published prices run from 50 USD for a San Pedro La Laguna ride to $269 per person for a guided Pacaya volcano ride from Antigua. Every price here is the operator’s or the selling agency’s own, read on 1 October 2026; where a ride has no published price we say so instead of guessing one.

Three of these are very different products: a short ride through coffee farms by the lake, a half-day at a riding stable outside Antigua, and a volcano experience with a private guide and a chef. Pick by what you want from the day, not by price alone.

The rides, operator by operator

All prices are in US dollars as the operators publish them.

Pacaya: the volcano ride

Guatemalan Horse Tours, which presents itself as Soul Shine Horse Rescue, runs its rides on Pacaya with transport from Antigua. Its flagship is a luxury ride at $269 per person with a private cowboy guide for each rider: up through volcanic rock to a picnic on the volcano, pizza cooked on hot lava by a private chef, marshmallows and Guatemalan chocolate, and on the sunset version a ride back down under the stars. It lists transport from Antigua, a volcano guide and an English-speaking guide as included, takes ages 4 to 100 with no experience necessary, and needs 2 people minimum (50 maximum). Single riders are asked to contact them to join a group.

The timing switches with the season: a morning tour, 8:30 to 3:00, from May to October (the rainy season, in the operator’s words), and a sunset tour, 2:00 to 8:30, from November to April. Wear sturdy shoes for walking on lava rock and bring layers, the operator says. Booking is through the site’s cart, then a WhatsApp or text message to its US number, +1 321 266 6489.

Its second Pacaya product is a fast ride through the lava beds, coffee plantations and local villages, which can also be done at a slow pace. It starts an hour’s drive from Antigua, includes an English guide, a volcano guide and a meal cooked in the lava, and needs 2 people and 24 hours’ notice. No price for it appeared on the page we read.

This is not the hike. If you want to walk Pacaya on the national-park trail instead, see our Pacaya day hike guide.

Above Antigua: Finca in the Clouds (closed until January 2027)

Guatemalan Horse Tours also sells Finca in the Clouds, a private ranch outside Antigua; both sites give the same booking phone. The ranch’s site puts it at 8,000 ft above sea level. Its own site prices a ride with appetizers at $185, a full package with a barbecue lunch cooked by a private chef at $232, and a non-rider day with a cheese tray and barbecue at $195, all with private 4x4 transport from Antigua, which the ranch says you must use. Riders must be 16, bookings need 2 people and 24 hours’ notice, and the ranch offers no refunds, only a rebooking with 48 hours’ notice.

But check before you plan around it: the Guatemalan Horse Tours site lists Finca in the Clouds as closed for renovation and horse training until January 2027. The ranch’s own site does not mention the closure. We report both and do not resolve them.

San Juan del Obispo: Ravenscroft Stables

Ravenscroft Stables in San Juan del Obispo, just outside Antigua, was established in 1989 by English riders, according to Adrenalina Tours, the Antigua agency that sells the ride. Adrenalina says the rides take around 2 to 3 hours through the countryside around San Juan del Obispo, guided by the owners, with slower-pace instruction and suitable horses for less experienced riders. It says boots or half-chaps and helmets are provided at no additional charge, that rides usually leave San Juan at 9:00 with arrival at the stable expected by 8:30, and that you are back around 3:00 pm. No price is published on the listing (checked 1 October 2026), so ask Adrenalina for one.

Lake Atitlán: San Pedro La Laguna

Adrenalina Tours also sells a ride from the San Pedro La Laguna dock at 50 USD with a minimum of 2 people, departing at 8:00 or 11:00 every day, with horses and a local guide included. The route goes through San Pedro’s streets and onto trails past coffee plantations to Playa Dorada on the lakeshore, then back to San Pedro. The listing gives Duration: 2 hours in its summary but describes riding for about three hours in its description; ask which applies.

Explore Lake Atitlan, a tour company based in San Pedro La Laguna, lists a horseback ride among the trees, coffee plantations and lakeshore that can be done at any time of day. It publishes no price (checked 1 October 2026).

To reach San Pedro by boat from Panajachel or the other villages, see our Lake Atitlán lancha routes. On the same trip you can kayak from San Pedro or Santa Cruz.

What we left out

We found no operator page with published prices for rides in Quetzaltenango (Xela), Flores, El Paredón or Guatemala City on 1 October 2026. Rides there may exist, but we only list operators whose terms we could read. We do not use online travel agencies’ prices here, because they are resellers, not operators. For other adventure options and how they compare, see our adventure sports guide, and for the rest of Antigua our things to do in Antigua.

Where to stay

The Pacaya and ranch rides include transport from Antigua, and San Juan del Obispo is just outside it, so Antigua is the base for every ride on this page except San Pedro.

Prices, ages, times and terms were read on each operator’s or agency’s own website on 1 October 2026: Guatemalan Horse Tours, Finca in the Clouds, Adrenalina Tours (Ravenscroft Stables and San Pedro) and Explore Lake Atitlan. Re-check with the operator before you travel.