Pacaya Volcano Horseback Tour from Antigua: Pizza & Sunset

★★★★★★★★★★ 5.00 (23 reviews) 100% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/17

Duration6h

GroupUp to 25

LanguagesEN · FR +1

PickupAt your hotel

Ride lava trails to an active volcano, then eat pizza cooked by its heat

The Epic Pacaya Volcano Horseback Tour is a six-hour ride from Antigua that takes you up hardened lava fields on horseback to watch a local chef cook fresh pizza using the volcano's natural heat, then roast marshmallows over volcanic vents at sunset. Hotel or Airbnb pickup in Antigua is included, along with a knowledgeable guide in English, Spanish or French, entrance to Pacaya Volcano, and an air-conditioned vehicle for the 1.5-hour drive each way. The sunset departure leaves at 2:00 PM; the tour is not recommended during rainy season (May–August). Children are welcome from age 8, and the ride suits all fitness levels, though riders must weigh no more than 250 lbs.

Step-by-step itinerary

Pacaya Volcano horseback adventure

Pickup from hotel or Airbnb in Antigua
Drive 1.5 hours to Pacaya Volcano
Horseback ride 1 hour up lava trails
Watch chef cook pizza on volcano heat
Roast marshmallows over volcanic vents
Enjoy sunset views over highlands
Horseback ride back down volcano
Return to Antigua

The Experience

You start with pickup from your hotel or Airbnb in Antigua, then ride 1.5 hours south in an air-conditioned vehicle to Pacaya Volcano, which rises over 2,500 meters and is one of Guatemala's most active volcanoes. The volcano sits on hardened lava fields and frequent steam vents, so the terrain itself is the landscape—not a hike through forest. Once you arrive, you saddle up for a one-hour horseback ride ascending the lava trails toward the summit viewpoints. One horse and one guide are assigned per rider, so the pace stays steady and the footing is managed.

At the top, a local chef is waiting with ingredients to cook fresh pizza directly over the volcano's heat vents—this is the centerpiece of the tour and the reason the sunset departure matters. You watch the pizza cook in real time, then eat it while the light shifts across the Guatemalan highlands and the volcanic landscape turns gold and red. After the meal, you roast marshmallows over the steam vents, a small moment that makes the heat and the geology tangible. The whole experience at the summit is unhurried; you soak in the views and the atmosphere before the ride back down.

The return ride down the lava trails takes you back to the vehicle by early evening. Your guide—fluent in English, Spanish or French—stays with the group throughout, and the six-hour total includes all transport, the entrance fee, and the pizza. The only thing not covered is gratuities. If you're in Antigua without a rental car or if coordinating a group transfer feels like too much planning, the hotel pickup and fixed itinerary mean the day is already arranged.

What’s included

Hotel or Airbnb pickup in Antigua and return transport.
1.5-hour drive each way in an air-conditioned vehicle.
knowledgeable guide in English, Spanish or French.
entrance fee to Pacaya Volcano.
one horse and one guide per rider.
fresh pizza cooked over volcanic heat vents.
marshmallows roasted over volcanic steam vents.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Go With The Flow Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you're staying in Antigua without a rental car—the hotel pickup and fixed itinerary mean the whole day is arranged, and you don't have to figure out how to reach an active volcano on your own. The sunset departure is the only time the pizza and marshmallow experience happens, so if you want that specific moment, the 2:00 PM start is the one to choose.