Hiking Volcan Tajumulco

Return distance: 12.3 kms / 7.7 miles

Elevation Gain: 1200 meters / 3940 ft

Altitude: 4220 meters / 13845 Ft

Hiking time: 7-9 hours in total, split over 2 days

Hiking Volcan Tajumulco, Guatemala’s Highest Volcano.

So you want to hike the highest peak in Central America, and do it without a guide, well, we did also, and to be perfectly honest it was one of the most amazing things we did during our entire month in Guatemala. Standing at 4220 meters though is not exactly a walk in the park and while the hike itself is not overly challenging the altitude, especially if you’re not used to it will make you feel like your half way through an iron man. So here is everything you will need to know about hiking volcano Tajumulco without a guide. I am also going to cover hiking with a guide because after doing the hike I can understand how some people may be more comfortable with having one. Not only that paying for one is going to guarantee you get to the top haha. (As long as there are not major health or injury issues.)

One of the first things we noticed about the hike was the fact that it was not really much of a tourist spot, we were in-fact the only people on top of the mountain the morning we summited besides a group of about 10 locals dressed in traditional clothing who seemed to be having a very religious experience with the mountain.

This was actually a huge bonus for as we had just spent a few months in Mexico and although we found a lot of off the beaten path spots a lot of other places can get extremely crowded. But I would not worry about that here.

Our main reason for not wanting to take a guide is the time frame you normally end up on, you are sped up or slowed down by other people and the guides generally determine the amount of time you are on the peak for. Now both Sara and I being experienced hikers and both having a passion for photography we normally like to spend a few hours at the summit of the mountains we like to just make sure we don’t miss anything with the lighting conditions. We did speak to a few people that did a guided hike up Volcan Tajumulco and they were in a very small group and said it was one of the better-guided tours they had done in central America.

So if you are considering taking a guide I will cover that but first I will cover everything you need to know about hiking it solo.

While you’re here you should check out Hiking Volcano Pacaya which also close to Antigua. If you’re into hiking the highest peaks of Latin America you might also want to check out Climbing Pico de Orizaba

Is Volcan Tajumulco Active

The eruption history of Volcan Tajumulco is fairly unclear with several unconfirmed reports of eruptions centuries ago. Tajumulco is considered extinct and reports of its last eruption were in 1893. So you can climb this one pretty confident that you will not have to make a hasty retreat.

How to get to Volcan Tajumulco

Sara and I are traveling in our van so we actually just drove straight to the base of the mountain. If you are traveling to Tajumulco in a van I would suggest parking and stay at Hotel Villa Real. Don Abigail provides safe parking for campers for 30Q per vehicle and he was even nice enough to open a room for us to shower in and use the bathroom.  It is also about 200 meters to the start of the track and if there is anything you are unsure about even after reading this he will be able to answer questions for you.

However more likely than not you are not traveling in your own vehicle, which is how I used to do everything until this trip so here is how to get there.

At no extra cost to you, some of the links in this article are affiliate links and by using them Sara and I receive a small commission. This goes towards helping us continue to explore and write articles like this. 😁

Xela to San Marcos.

My first suggestion here is that you should leave as early as possible. The hike to base camp is not long 3 hours or so depending on your fitness but the more time you give yourself so you do not to end up setting up camp in the dark the better.

The assumption is that you are already in Xela (Quitzaltenango) if you are not there it is super easy to get a bus to there from any major town without too many transfers if any. SO, once there you will need to make your way to the Minerva terminal and ask one of the drivers or bus helpers for the bus to San Marcos. The bus will cost 10Q and take one and a half to two hours, I suppose depending on what ever happens to be going on on the road that particular day, which could literally be anything, delays are extremely common and no one on the bus ever seems to mind. We were in a particularly small town in Guatemala one day and a bus full of people pulled over for literally 3 to 4 minutes just to stare at Saras’ blonde hair. The only person that said anything was the lady selling us the fruit, everyone else just sat and patiently waited.

San Marco to Tajumulco.

So here is where you are going to want to make sure you get on the right bus. It is a little more tricky as the destination is a little less common but if you ask a few buses, probably the first person you ask will tell you the right bus, you should be straight on. The actual name you are going to want to ask for is Crucero Tajumulco but if you do not remember this and say Volcan Tajumulco you should get there but it might also confuse someone if they are not ready for it. The stop for the hike is at the turn off to the village of Tajumulco and opposite the start of the trail is a small blue shop, a taxi stand and a two story green building. The best idea is to ask the bus driver or the guy that comes to collect the money to tell you where you need to get off. Again this bus will cost 10Q but will only take about an hour.

Now you have arrived it is time to start the hike.

I have embedded a map below of where we stayed which is only about 50 to 100 meters from the start of the trail for Volcan Tajumulco so you can get some idea of the direction you need to head in.

Hiking Volcano Tajumulco

The start of hiking Volcan Tajumulco begins on a fairly steep cobblestoned street that after about 100 or 200 meters has a sharp left turn in it, there is no significance to the turn really but you will know you are on the right path.

After another short amount of time, you will come to your first split in the road at a small village at the top of the hill and you are going to want to stay to your right. Most people will know why you are there though and if you do happen to take the wrong turn people will let you know pretty quickly and send you back in the right direction.

As you continue you here the road slopes gently and is still wide enough to drive on, it remains like this for about 1.5 kilometers. The road eventually turns to the right and straight in front of you will be a very tall sitting sign on two legs, there will be a garbage bin behind you (probably overflowing with trash) and a fairly steep uphill into trees and grass. This is where you finally say good by to the road and begin to hike on the narrow trail.

After this section it becomes more consistently steep, it is still not overly difficult, it is just the altitude so just take your time and you will get there. You will continue to pass through forests, grassy fields and more forest before eventually coming to base camp.

Camping on Tajumulco Volcano

This was when things became fun, there are several small areas where you can camp and depending on when you arrive you will either have your pick of what is good or be left with some slightly funny not entirely flat platforms. Like I said earlier there were a few local people making something that resembled a pilgrimage and they had arrived earlier in the day than us so we let them have the best camping area to themselves and we found a small spot close to the track. It was perfectly sized for or three-man tent and flat enough that we were not sliding around in our sleep too much.

Things to consider when camping on Volcano Tajumulco

First of all, it is going to be cold no matter how hot it has been where you have come from, you are going to be camping at about 3700 meters above sea level and I have never known that to be warm. If you have a good sleeping bag you will want to take it. We both have minus 20 sleeping bags, which can be overkill at times but when you are high on mountains really come in handy. If you don’t at least have a 0 temp rating on a sleeping bag just make sure you have warm clothes to sleep in, beanie, gloves, spare socks that are DRY! Thermals will also really help, and a neck warmer maybe.

Having said all this if you don’t have these things do not let it deter you. You will need warm clothes and something warm to sleep in no matter what or you could end up in trouble but if you don’t have it all you will be able to make do with at least a few of these items as long as you layer them correctly.

The second thing that actually made it a little bit upsetting for us and potentially for you depending on the time of year you go is rain. We got rained on most of the afternoon and almost all of the night. Luckily we had taken a tarp up with us to put under the tent, even with this we did get a little bit of water pool at the bottom corner of the tent where it sloped down hill a little but we were very happy we had this. But also not necessary depending on your equipment.

Whatever equipment you have though, unless you are used to being at around 4000 meters above sea level you will probably have a terrible sleep anyway and if you want to see the sunrise you will be getting up around 4 am so sleep will be brief anyway. But as the old saying goes “I’d rather sit on a pumpkin than a crowded velvet cushion.”

Hiking Volcan Tajumulco Day 2

We woke up at 4am not really being sure how long it would take us to reach the top. Our original plan was to leave the tent until we came back down but after so much movement from other people we decided to pack it up just to be on the safe side. So we ended up leaving somewhere between 4:30-4:45. The hike only took us a little under an hour but this is by far the steepest part of the hike.

We were a little cold when we started the hike after waking up and packing up a wet tent in the dark and freezing cold but it did not take long to warm up again once you hit the trail.

We unfortunately didn’t get the sunrise we were after due to early morning cloud cover but about an hour after sunrise the clouds cleared and we were greeted with a beautiful view over the surrounding mountains.

We spent about 2 hours on the top, mostly trying to stay warm and take photos but also just enjoying the view and solitude.

Once you are ready to go back down though it is the same path back down as you came up. It took us a little over 3 hours but we went slow, took photos, ate some food and sat around in the sun for a while but if you really wanted to get down I am sure you could do it in 2 or 2 and a half.

Getting home should be easier the earlier you get down. It is the same process as arriving but reversed haha common sense really. I would not leave it too late though or you might get a little stuck, however if you do get stuck walk down hill about 100 meters from the bus stop and on your left will be a small hotel. Not the most beautiful place in the world but it will have a bed and a warm shower which is really all you need after a long hike.

Packing list for hiking Volcan Tajumulco

So hiking Volcan Tajumulco requires a little bit of gear to remain safe and warm, here is my packing suggestions for the hike. Also what to wear!

• Thermals You are going to want top and bottom. This seems like common sense but I am from Byron Bay, Australia and when I first started getting into colder climates none of this was common sense to me haha. I had no idea what thermals were.
• Hiking boots or good hiking shoes slipping along with cold feet and toes are the banes of enjoyment when it comes to hiking good boots will help reduce this.
• Good socks lifetime warranty merino wool socks
• A good jacket, personally I wore two. I had a small down jacket on like the one in the link with a waterproof jacket over the top because the wind can get brutal! Layering is key! You will get hot and then you will get cold being able to take on and off layers quickly is a godsend.
• Waterproof/windproof jacket
• Water and snacks are an obvious must. I would say 4 liters of water will be enough. You will want to drink more at altitude to help combat headaches.
• Hiking poles are good to have if you have any issues with slipping or if you just want to save your knees a little bit of stress on the way down. I did not use these but saw people that were. Also used them for other hikes and been sooo sooo happy that I had them
• Gloves and beanie are also very necessary items!!!

Camping Gear

• Sleeping mat these are super comfy and pack down tiny
• Good sleeping bag, nothing is worse than being cold all the time, this is the best $300 to $400 I ever spent.
• Tent – if camping and not staying in the hut. We use this big Agnes one because it is so light you can barely even tell its there. (this is the newest version of what we have, we bought ours in 2017)
• Stove – unless you are happy with cold food and no coffee
• Something to read or music – Kindles are great for travel but books are also nice. I’m currently reading The Ledge, it is a crazy story of survival in the mountains which was made a little more exciting by the fact we were actually in the mountains.

Electronics

• Camera – were shooting the Sony A7riii and A7ii
• Lenses – we have a few different lenses here are the two best all-around ones.
• Sony 16-35mm f2.8 – super wide lens great for wide landscapes
• Sony 24-70mm f4 – If you are only needing one lens then I think this is it. It covers such a huge range of everything that I would be happy to carry only this most of the time.
• GoPro – The new GoPro 7 has amazing image stabilization making even the bumpiest of moments look super smooth.

Hiking Volcan Tajumulco with a Guide.

So understandably hiking with a guide for a lot of people is a very reasonable responsible thing to do and if you’re ever in a situation where you don’t feel comfortable doing something in an area where you have the option to take a paid guide with experience and local knowledge then I would for sure do that.

The experience of hiking Volcano Tajumulco with the guide is going to be much the same as the one without a guide however a few things are going to be 100% sorted out for you. Those things are; transport, the route up the mountain and the amount of time it will take to reach base camp and the summit. The route, sleeping accommodation and food will all be either taken care of or advised on so there will not be that much thinking to do. Most companies will also offer the option of a horse to carry most of your gear, which depending on your fitness levels might be the make or break scenario that gets you to the top.

Now this experience can be good or bad depending on the company you choose to go with. This may or may not depend on your budget. The best way to assure you find a good guide is to check with popular hotels and hostels like the ones I have listed above. The people there will know the companies with the best reputations and the ones that may not be so reputable.

Not having taken a guide for this specific hike I can not recommend any one person or company in particular but again check with local companies and try not to take the first recommendation, always double check to make sure you have the best time possible.

Map of Volcan Tajumulco

The track is fairly easy to follow but there is also a few turns that you could take and end up going the wrong direction. We used an app called AllTrails. You can see the map below. When you get the app it should track your location in real time and you will know pretty quickly if you are on the wrong path.

Hiking Volcan Tajumulco Solo

Before Sara and I met I used to do a lot of hiking solo. Personally, I think hiking Volcan Tajumulco solo would be an amazing experience. Especially if you hike solo to get away from everything. There is hardly anyone around and it is fairly isolated meaning you will really have a lot of open space and alone time.

There was a few other people around in the morning like stated but it is not hard to find your own little corner.

As far as safety goes it is a pretty straight forward hike so the chance of a major injury is low. Not that accidents can’t happen anywhere but it is overall a pretty safe mountain.

Tips on how to hike sustainably

So this is something we think about every time we go anywhere and it ranges from things as simple as buying a banana and making a sandwich instead of buying plastic wrapped products to buying clothing from companies that support sustainable business practices. These are just a couple of practices that can help a little.

Bananas are actually one of the most environmentally friendly things you can buy. They travel well, hold for a long time during transport and they have their own natural packaging.

Here are a few little tips to help you hike more sustainably.

If you travel and hike often one of the things I would suggest investing in is a Water bladder. Osprey makes a nice series of them that range from 1.5 liters to 3 liters. I use one of these every hike unless it is below negative 5(Which it shouldn’t be on Izta) then the water tends to get really cold and or freeze. The benefit for me is that as you drink the packaging gets smaller and you end up with more room in your pack for a jacket or something else you might take off later and you never actually have to take your bag off to get a drink, just hang the straw over your shoulder and drink as you see fit. It is also reusable for a long time. I have been using my current one since 2010. So that’s 9 years of constant use and it looks good for another 10years.

Now if a Camelbak is not your thing, I know some people really don’t like them a reusable non-plastic water bottle is also something that will cut a crazy amount of plastic waste out of your life. Sawyer filtered water bottle is a company making water bottles with built-in filters. The filter also comes with a million-gallon guarantee, meaning it should last your entire life. These are perfect for travel also as you can fill them up from any tap in any country and they will remove 99.99% of bacteria and most of the smells and weird taste of any different water source.

Food, food is almost always wrapped in plastic when you buy it but this has been a surprisingly easy one to get around. It may be a little harder if you are backpacking but we’re traveling in our van so we have a small kitchen. We have started to make everything and package it in reusable containers that we just take on the next hike. Sara has been perfecting making these protein balls that are a mix of oats, peanut butter, cranberries, almonds and whatever else we have lying around. Also fruit! But if you buy fruit do not throw the peel along the track. These things can take forever to break down especially if they are not regional fruits and no one really wants to see someone’s old orange or banana peel lying around on the track.

Clothing is something that is often overlooked as a sustainable product as you just kind of wear things till they are old and then throw them away but there is a range of companies out there these days that are making amazing products built to last. Patagonia is one company I can not push enough. They support so many environmental campaigns, they have a lifetime warranty on everything they sell and they give one percent of all sales back to small grassroots charities. They will also repair any clothes you take into them with minor issues.