Guatemala
EN
My trip
View my trip
Tiled-roof houses and a volcano among clouds in Antigua Guatemala.

Antigua
& volcanoes

The CNPAG monuments, two museums and the Acatenango, Pacaya and Agua volcanoes

Before you go, understand the place.

The National Council for the Protection of La Antigua Guatemala (CNPAG) opens the Capuchinas, Santa Clara, La Recolección and Santa Teresa de Jesús convents, the San Jerónimo college and the Holy Week Museum to visitors Monday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except 1 January, 1 November and 24, 25 and 31 December. For the Holy Week Museum, the Ministry of Culture's directory gives different hours (Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.).

By Asesordeviaje.com Editorial Team · updated

Our view

Is it worth it?
Yes, even if you don't climb a single volcano. The old town alone justifies the visit: the CNPAG opens five convents and colleges and the Holy Week Museum, all in the centre and open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The volcanoes' status is unconfirmed, and INSIVUMEH warns of danger on the Acatenango plateau.
Who it suits
Yes for anyone who wants to see colonial heritage on foot: the Capuchinas Convent, the Plaza Mayor and the Santa Catalina Arch are all in the centre. If you're coming to hike the volcanoes, bear in mind that there is no mountain rescue service, according to the United Kingdom, and that Spain advises climbing in a group, by day and with a professional guide.
How many days
Keep the city and the volcano separate. INGUAT describes Acatenango as a one- or two-day hike with a night at the camp, so it needs days of its own, on top of the time you give the monuments, which open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The usual mistake
Assuming you can camp anywhere on Acatenango: the INSIVUMEH bulletin of 13 October 2026 prohibits approaching, staying in or camping in La Meseta and El Camellón. People also slip up by arriving at the checkpoint without the Banrural payment receipt and their passport, or by heading to the monuments on 1 January, 1 November or 24, 25 or 31 December, when they are closed.
If you are short on time
Walk round the CNPAG monuments, the Plaza Mayor and the Santa Catalina Arch, which you can see from the street and which INGUAT includes in its first walk through the centre. Leave Acatenango out: it doesn't fit into a single day.

Themed guides

Places grouped by theme, to plan your day.

  • CNPAG monuments

    Five colonial convents and colleges in La Antigua, with one fee and one timetable, on a single walking route through the city.

    Open the full guide

  • Museums of La Antigua

    The Casa Santo Domingo Archaeological Museum and the Colonial Art Museum are in La Antigua. Their hours are unconfirmed.

    Open the full guide

  • Volcanoes near La Antigua

    Acatenango, Pacaya and Agua have unconfirmed status. INSIVUMEH publishes bulletins on volcanic activity. The 13 October 2026 bulletin says that it is dangerous to stay on the plateau because of the risk of falling ballistic material from Fuego volcano, and warns that it is prohibited to approach the La Meseta and El Camellón areas of Acatenango, stay or camp in them, because of the danger of falling incandescent ballistics. On Pacaya, the same bulletin advises not to climb to the crater of the Mackenney cone or walk on the lava flows or fissures of the west flank.

    Open the full guide

  • Colonial churches and ruins

    San José Cathedral, La Merced and San Francisco el Grande are in central La Antigua. The cathedral, on the east side of the Plaza Mayor, has the ruins of the old Santiago cathedral behind it; La Merced is Baroque and its complex holds the 18th-century Fuente de Pescados, and San Francisco el Grande has the tomb of Santo Hermano Pedro and, next to it, the Santo Hermano Pedro Museum of Religious Art. All three have unconfirmed visiting hours and status.

    Open the full guide

  • Nearby towns

    Ciudad Vieja, the village of San Juan del Obispo and Santa María de Jesús are Sacatepéquez towns near La Antigua and have no opening hours. Ciudad Vieja, to the south-west, has a square that marks the founding of the second city of the Kingdom of Guatemala, and San Juan del Obispo, to the south, has the religious art museum in the residence of Bishop Francisco Marroquín, whose hours and admission are unconfirmed. Santa María de Jesús, also to the south, is one of the starting points for climbing Agua volcano according to CONAP; that climb has unconfirmed status.

    Open the full guide

Plan your visit

The practical information you need to plan your visit

The essentials

Best time to go
According to the United Kingdom, the rainy season normally runs from May to November, with frequent flooding and landslides; poorly maintained roads and bridges have been known to collapse.
Getting there
The CNPAG monuments are in the town centre of La Antigua; the volcanoes have their own approaches, described on each card, which are not verified entrances. From La Aurora airport or hotels in zones 10 and 13 of the capital, Atitrans runs a daily shuttle to La Antigua, leaving at 6:00, 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 and 4:00 p.m., taking about 1.5 h and from US$18 per person (Atitrans website).
  1. The Capuchinas and Santa Clara convents
  2. The San Jerónimo college
  3. The Colonial Art Museum

Where to stay

Town centre of La Antigua
Next to the monuments, museums and churches of the historic centre, which you can explore on foot.
Acatenango volcano
CONAP recommends camping only where authorised. The status of the climb is unconfirmed. INSIVUMEH's daily volcano bulletin of 13 October 2026 says that it is dangerous to stay on the plateau because of the risk of falling ballistic material from Fuego volcano and warns that it is prohibited to approach the La Meseta and El Camellón areas, stay or camp in them, because of the danger of falling incandescent ballistics.

Tips and precautions

  1. At the CNPAG monuments drinking alcohol, pets, weapons and physical activity are not allowed, and fee exemptions are not granted.
  2. For Acatenango, the Municipality asks you to pay at Banrural and show the receipt and your ID or passport at the gate.
  3. For Casa Popenoe, book on its website at least 3 days ahead: the visit is paid in advance and groups are of 5 people at most.

Safety and precautions

  • According to the United Kingdom (advice current on 3 October 2026), Guatemala has one of the highest violent crime rates in Latin America, and incidents can also happen in tourist areas.
  • Spain (update of 8 May 2026) lists among the risk areas to avoid zones 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12 and 18 of Guatemala City, Villa Nueva and Mixco, and the departments of San Marcos, Huehuetenango, Escuintla, Petén and Izabal. It rates the rest of the country as medium risk and warns that there are no completely safe areas.
  • Spain says the town centre of La Antigua has traditionally been considered safe, but recommends extra caution from dusk, especially at weekends, because of rising insecurity (update of 8 May 2026).
  • Before climbing a volcano, the United Kingdom advises checking with INSIVUMEH and CONRED: there is no mountain rescue service and local organisers tend to underestimate the risks. Spain reports occasional robberies on the climbs of Pacaya, Santa María and Agua, and recommends doing them in a group, by day and with a professional guide.
  • The US Department of State advises reconsidering travel to Guatemala because of crime and terrorism (level 3, advisory issued on 12 March 2026). It advises against travel to the departments of San Marcos and Huehuetenango, zone 18 of Guatemala City and Villa Nueva (level 4).
  • According to the Ministry of the Interior, a 15-day state of prevention came into force on 21 April 2026 in the departments of Guatemala, Escuintla, Izabal, San Marcos and Huehuetenango (Government Decree 6-2026). Whether one is in force now is unconfirmed.
  • INGUAT tourist assistance: 1500, free and 24 hours. National Civil Police: 110 and 120.

Frequently asked questions

Which La Antigua monuments does CNPAG open?

Capuchinas, Santa Clara, the San Jerónimo college, La Recolección, Santa Teresa de Jesús and the Holy Week Museum, Monday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except 1 January, 1 November and 24, 25 and 31 December. For the Holy Week Museum, the Ministry of Culture's directory gives different hours (Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.).

Which areas does the INSIVUMEH bulletin flag for people climbing Acatenango?

INSIVUMEH's daily volcano bulletin of 13 October 2026 says that it is dangerous to stay on the plateau because of the risk of falling ballistic material from Fuego volcano, and warns that it is prohibited to approach the La Meseta and El Camellón areas, stay or camp in them, because of the danger of falling incandescent ballistics.

How much does it cost to climb Acatenango?

According to the Municipality of Acatenango, Q100 for foreign visitors, Q25 for Guatemalans and Q10 for Guatemalan students with a valid card; entry is free for locals. Payment is made at Banrural and the receipt and ID or passport are shown at the gate.

Sources

Information checked in . Prices, hours and rules change: confirm them with the official source before you travel.

  1. CNPAG – Servicios: visita de turismo a los monumentos2026
  2. Municipalidad de Acatenango – página oficial2026
  3. Atitrans – Shuttle Guatemala City to Antigua2026
  4. INSIVUMEH – Boletín vulcanológico diario (3 oct. 2026)2026
  5. INSIVUMEH – Boletín vulcanológico diario (13 oct. 2026)2026
  6. CONAP – Parque Regional Municipal Volcán de Acatenango2026
  7. CONAP – Parque Nacional Volcán de Pacaya y Laguna de Calderas2026
  8. CONAP – Zona de veda definitiva Volcán de Agua2026
  9. Gobierno de España – Recomendaciones de viaje: Guatemala (8 may. 2026)2026
  10. FCDO (Reino Unido) – Guatemala: safety and security (13 ago. 2026)2026
  11. U.S. Department of State – Guatemala Travel Advisory (12 mar. 2026)2026
  12. Ministerio de Gobernación – Nuevo estado de prevención (21 abr. 2026)2026
  13. INGUAT – Asistencia al Turista 15002026

Everything you can do

Closed or restricted places are included and flagged, so you know what to expect.

Showing 28 of 28 · 14 unconfirmed, flagged

Nature and jungle · 6

Living culture · 21

City and food · 1

  • Coffee drying patio and buildings at La Azotea.rohsstreetcafe · CC BY-SA 2.0

    La Azotea Cultural Centre (Coffee Museum)

    FoodStatus unconfirmed

    A coffee museum on a coffee farm in Jocotenango, next to Antigua. According to the Ministry of Culture's cultural directory, the farm dates back to 1883, its owners set up the La Azotea Cultural Centre in 2000, and the museum explains how coffee is planted, picked, dried and sorted, with models and period pieces.

    Hours and fee unconfirmed by the centre, which has no active website of its own: two entries in the Ministry of Culture's directory give different hours.

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Adults Q50 and children Q30, according to both entries in the Ministry of Culture's directory.
    Hours
    One directory entry gives Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; another gives every day with hours that vary by day, from 8:00 or 9:00 a.m. until 6:00, 8:00 or 9:00 p.m.
    Source
    SIC (Ministerio de Cultura) – Museo del Café La Azotea · 2026 · +1

    Nearby: La Recolección convent (1.3 km) · San Jerónimo college (1.5 km) · Cerro de la Cruz (1.7 km)

    Sources: SIC (Ministerio de Cultura) – Museo del Café La Azotea · SIC (Ministerio de Cultura) – Finca La Azotea

    Calle de La Azotea, Jocotenango (Sacatepéquez). The pin marks the farm in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.11.2 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

Keep exploring Guatemala