Yes, you can sleep on Pacaya. As of 4 November 2026, two Antigua operators sell a guided overnight camp on the volcano through their own websites: OX Expeditions at US$99 per person (park entrance extra) and Old Town Outfitters at US$125 to US$225 per person, by group size (park entrance included). Both leave Antigua at 2 PM, watch sunset from the volcano, sleep in tents on the volcano and come down after sunrise, back in town by late morning or noon.
TL;DR: OX Expeditions and Pacaya Tours both sell Pacaya as a half-day trip, but an overnight version also exists. It is a short, easy climb to camp (OX puts it at 1 to 2 hours from the trailhead) with dinner, a night on the 2,552 m volcano and a sunrise view toward Fuego and Acatenango. Lava is not guaranteed: OX’s page says Pacaya is not erupting at present and has no active lava flows.
For the standard half-day trip, see our Pacaya day tours comparison and the Pacaya hiking guide. If you want the bigger overnight, it is the Acatenango overnight hike.
Quick summary
| OX Expeditions | Old Town Outfitters | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | US$99 | US$125 to US$225, by group size |
| To book | US$29 deposit | Deposit of the 2-person price if you start a new departure |
| Meet | OX Expeditions office, 1:45 PM for packing; departs 2:00 PM | Old Town Outfitters shop, 2 PM |
| Back in Antigua | 10 to 11 AM per its tour text; the itinerary has the drive back at 9:00 to 10:30 AM | About 12:00 PM |
| Park entrance | Not included | Included |
| Tents and sleeping gear | Rental gear included | Tents, sleeping bags and pads included |
| Meals | Snack, dinner, breakfast, fresh coffee | Picnic dinner and breakfast, hot coffee and tea |
| Grade | Easy | Beginner |
Both operators’ own tour pages, read 4 November 2026. In other currencies at Banguat’s rates for business day 3 November 2026: US$99 is about CAD 138 or £77; US$125 to US$225 is about CAD 175 to CAD 315, or £97 to £175. See current exchange rates.
OX Expeditions: the 1.5-day Pacaya overnight
OX Expeditions sells its Pacaya overnight as a 1.5-day trip at US$99 per person, booked with a US$29 deposit. The tour starts and ends at the OX Expeditions office in Antigua; the contact block on its site gives the office as 2da Calle Poniente No. 23.
Included, per its page: rental gear, a local guide, a bilingual professional guide, fresh coffee, and a snack, dinner and breakfast. Not included: your own snacks, the guide’s tip and the park entrance fee.
The itinerary OX publishes (it says timings shift with weather and group ability):
| Time | Day 1 |
|---|---|
| 1:45 to 2:00 PM | Meet at the OX office and pack |
| 2:00 to 3:30 PM | Drive to the volcano; OX says the drive takes around an hour, longer in traffic |
| 3:30 to 5:00 PM | Hike through farmland and cloud forest; the lava fields come after about 1 to 2 hours |
| 5:00 to 5:30 PM | Snack while camp is set up |
| 5:30 to 6:30 PM | Sunset and marshmallow roasting on hot spots |
| 6:30 to 9:00 PM | Dinner and drinks |
| Time | Day 2 |
|---|---|
| 5:00 to 7:00 AM | Sunrise; OX says it goes up to the crater only if conditions are right |
| 7:00 to 8:00 AM | Breakfast and coffee |
| 8:00 to 9:00 AM | Hike down |
| 9:00 to 10:30 AM | Shuttle back to Antigua |
OX grades the tour Easy and calls it one of its least difficult tours, with the walk from the trailhead to camp taking around 1 to 2 hours. From the sunrise spot it names Acatenango and Fuego as the volcanoes in view, weather permitting.
Old Town Outfitters: the private-transport version
Old Town Outfitters sells its Pacaya overnight through its own site, adventureguatemala.com, at US$125 to US$225 per person, by group size. It works on tiered pricing: the price per person depends on how many paying people are in the group, so joining a departure that already has people on it is cheaper. If you start a new departure, its page says the company charges a deposit equal to the 2-person price and refunds the difference if others join later.
Included, per its page: private round-trip transport from its Antigua office, all park entrance fees, a picnic dinner and breakfast made fresh on the mountain, hot coffee and tea at meals, sleeping bags, sleeping pads and tents, and a local bilingual guide with first-aid training.
The group meets at 2 PM at the company’s shop in Antigua; its footer gives the address as 7a Calle Poniente #23. The drive to the park office takes just over an hour. Once the group has signed in at the park office, the guide picks the route for the day’s conditions and chooses where to camp. The company lists the route at about 8 km with about 400 m of climb and the same back down, a high point of 2,552 m, and graded Beginner. After sunrise and breakfast the group walks down and is back in Antigua at about 12:00 PM.
Lava, hot spots and the crater
Do not book the overnight expecting flowing lava. On 4 November 2026 the OX tour page carried a note that Pacaya is not erupting at present and has no active lava flows, and that activity is unpredictable. Both operators make the marshmallow roast depend on hot spots in the lava field, and Old Town Outfitters says its guide decides the route on the day.
OX’s sunrise stop mentions the crater when conditions allow. Before you go, check Pacaya’s status on our Guatemala volcano tracker and the safety notes in the Pacaya hiking guide, and follow the guide and the park on the day.
The park entrance fee
OX lists the park entrance fee as not included, so bring cash for it. Old Town Outfitters includes it.
Neither overnight page states the amount. Pacaya Tours, which sells day trips only, publishes the entrance on its own site as Q100 or US$15 per foreign visitor, Q30 for Guatemalans with a DPI, cash only. That is an operator’s figure, not a posted park tariff; Q100 is about US$13 at Banguat’s 3 November 2026 rate. Other day-tour sellers’ entrance figures are on our Pacaya day tours page.
What to bring
From the two operators’ kit lists:
- Shoes: hiking boots or trekking shoes, no sandals (Old Town Outfitters); good trainers or hiking boots (OX).
- Layers: OX recommends three layers and a waterproof jacket even in the dry season, because fog can soak you. It gives the volcano’s temperature range as 10 to 25 °C (50 to 77 °F), colder in wind.
- Rain gear: a rain jacket from May through October and a daypack with a rain cover (Old Town Outfitters).
- Water and light: two litres of water and a flashlight for the sunset walk (Old Town Outfitters).
- Cash: for the park entrance if it is not included, and the guide’s tip.
Pacaya overnight or Acatenango?
The Pacaya overnight is the easy option: both operators grade it at their lowest level and the camp is a short walk up. It suits people who want a night on a volcano without a hard climb, and families: OX calls the Pacaya hike a great family-friendly experience. Acatenango is the hard two-day climb sold for its views of Fuego erupting; compare the two on our Acatenango overnight hike guide. For children, see Pacaya with kids.
Sources
- OX Expeditions, Pacaya Volcano Hike: Overnight, https://oxexpeditions.com/tours/pacaya-volcano-hike-overnight/ (read 4 November 2026)
- Old Town Outfitters, Pacaya Volcano Overnight, https://adventureguatemala.com/tour/pacaya-volcano-overnight (read 4 November 2026)
- Pacaya Tours, home page and FAQ (entrance figure, day tours only), https://pacayatours.com/ (read 4 November 2026)
- Banco de Guatemala exchange rates, business day 3 November 2026, via our exchange rates page
Affiliate links — if you book, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Before you pay, check each plan's medical-evacuation limit and its rules for hiking and adventure activities. Three options, as each company describes them on its own site:
- Genki Traveler: a monthly subscription for up to 12 months that covers up to €1,000,000 for unexpected medical care while traveling abroad, at public and private doctors and hospitals.
- SafetyWing Nomad Insurance: the Essential plan is travel medical insurance paid every 4 weeks; the Complete plan is full health insurance with extra travel protections.
- Faye: single-trip plans sold to residents of U.S. states (not U.S. territories); its FAQ lists emergency medical cover of up to $250K and emergency medical evacuation of up to $500K, and adventure and extreme activities need a paid add-on for medical cover.
Limits, prices and the altitude rules side by side: travel insurance for Guatemala · insurance for volcano hikes
Affiliate links: we earn a commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you. Plan descriptions come from each insurer's own site, read September 22-25, 2026; Genki's limit is in euros, Faye's in U.S. dollars; this is not insurance advice. Disclosure
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you camp overnight on Pacaya volcano?
Yes, with a guided tour. As of 4 November 2026 two Antigua operators sell a Pacaya overnight on their own websites: OX Expeditions (1.5 days, US$99 per person) and Old Town Outfitters (US$125 to US$225 per person, by group size). Both leave Antigua at 2 PM, camp on the volcano and come back the next morning.
How much does a Pacaya overnight tour cost?
OX Expeditions lists US$99 per person with a US$29 deposit to book, and its page lists the park entrance fee as not included. Old Town Outfitters lists US$125 to US$225 per person, falling as more people join the departure, and includes all park entrance fees.
What is included in the Pacaya overnight?
OX Expeditions lists rental gear, a local guide plus a bilingual professional guide, fresh coffee, and a snack, dinner and breakfast. Old Town Outfitters lists private round-trip transport from its Antigua office, park entrance fees, a picnic dinner and breakfast, hot coffee and tea, sleeping bags, pads and tents, and a bilingual guide with first-aid training.
Will I see lava on a Pacaya overnight?
Not necessarily. On 4 November 2026 the OX Expeditions tour page said Pacaya was not erupting and had no active lava flows, and that activity can change without notice. Marshmallow roasting depends on hot spots in the lava field. Check the volcano tracker before you book.
How hard is the Pacaya overnight hike?
Both operators grade it as one of their easiest tours: OX calls it Easy and Old Town Outfitters calls it Beginner. OX says the walk from the trailhead to camp takes around 1 to 2 hours; Old Town Outfitters lists about 8 km in total with about 400 m of climb and descent.
