Acatenango Entrance Fee and Rules
The Acatenango entrance fee (Q100 for foreign visitors, set by the municipality), which tours include it, the August 2026 restriction, the ban on climbing Fuego and the no-camping zones.
The entrance fee for Acatenango is Q100 (quetzales) a person for foreign visitors, set by the Municipalidad de Acatenango, which manages the volcano (checked November 2026). Some tours pay it for you and some leave it to you. On top of the fee, three rules from Guatemala’s authorities shape the hike in 2026: an ascent restriction during Fuego’s eruption in August, no authorization to climb Fuego, and no camping in two zones closest to it.
The fee
The fee is per person, and each kind of visitor gets a coloured wristband:
| Visitor | Fee | Wristband |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign visitor | Q100 | Red |
| Guatemalan national | Q25 | Blue |
| National student with a current card | Q10 | Yellow |
| Local resident | Free | Green |
Municipalidad de Acatenango, acatenangovolcano.gt, checked November 2026.
The fee is paid at a BANRURAL bank to the municipality’s account; each visitor shows the proof at the entrance gate and gets the wristband and a receipt. The municipality says a quarter of the income goes to projects in La Soledad, the village where the trail begins.
On a tour that does not include the fee, ask the operator how it is paid on the day.
Which tours include it
| Tour | Entrance fee |
|---|---|
| 2-Day Acatenango Volcano Hiking Adventure (Volcano Expeditions) | Not included (Q100) |
| Acatenango Volcano Overnight Tour (Tours & Activities SA) | Not included; Q100 a person |
| Small-Group Acatenango Hike & Eruption-View Cabins (Acatenango Experience VIP) | Park entrance fees included |
| Acatenango with Overnight Stay by 4WD + Glamping (Silverbacks Experiences) | Farm and national park entrance included |
| Overnight Adventure Hike Acatenango Volcano (Brothers Expeditions) | Not included |
| Two day hiking tour to the Acatenango Volcano (Experience GT) | Included |
| Acatenango Overnight Hike Multiday Tour (CA Travelers) | Admission included |
| Acatenango Volcano Overnight Hike with Comfort Glamping (Trek Guatemala) | Included |
From the listings’ inclusions and exclusions (GetYourGuide checked November 2026, Viator checked November 2026).
When a tour that excludes the fee gives a figure in dollars as well, that is the operator’s conversion; the municipality’s figure is the Q100.
The August 2026 restriction
On 4 August 2026, during an eruption of Fuego, CONRED, Guatemala’s disaster-reduction agency, said the national police were stationed at the entrance to Acatenango to stop tourists climbing, because Fuego’s activity put hikers, tourists and guides at risk (CONRED, 4 August 2026). CONRED’s bulletin 245-2026 then reported that after about 50 hours Fuego’s activity had returned to its normal levels.
We found no notice from an issuer saying when the restriction was lifted. Operators were selling dates in November 2026 when we checked. Check CONRED and INGUAT, Guatemala’s tourism institute, before you go.
Fuego: no ascent
CONRED said on 9 August 2026 that the ascent of Fuego is not authorized, for civilians and for staff of the institutions in its own system, as reported by Emisoras Unidas. Fuego is the active volcano beside Acatenango, 3,763 m high (CONAP, 2008).
Several Acatenango tours sell an extra trip to Fuego on top of the hike. Where that trip goes is not stated, and we do not guess.
No camping on La Meseta or El Camellón
The Municipalidad de Acatenango forbids staying or camping in the areas called La Meseta and El Camellón of the volcano’s municipal park, because of the danger of incandescent material thrown out by Fuego. INSIVUMEH, the national volcano institute, says the same in its daily bulletin: on 7 November 2026 it advised against staying on the meseta or near Fuego’s crater, as ejected material can travel more than 500 m (INSIVUMEH bulletin, 7 November 2026).
The tours spend the night at base camps on Acatenango.
Protected-area rules
In July 2026 CONAP, the national council for protected areas, published Resolution 01-15-2026 on the volcanoes declared “zonas de veda definitiva”, Acatenango among them. As reported by La Hora (14 July 2026), sustainable tourism in those zones needs a tourism-potential study approved beforehand, in coordination with INGUAT. We have not read the resolution’s own text, so we print nothing further from it.
Do you need a guide?
We have not found an issuer rule that says whether a guide is required on Acatenango, so we make no claim either way. Every hike on this site is guided.
Where to check before you go
- CONRED for restrictions and closures: conred.gob.gt.
- INSIVUMEH for what Fuego is doing: its daily volcano bulletin.
- INGUAT for tourist notices.
- The Municipalidad de Acatenango for the fee: acatenangovolcano.gt.
For the hike itself, see how hard the Acatenango hike is and the tour companies compared.
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