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Quetzaltrekkers

Volcán Tajumulco Hike

Watch the sun come and go from the highest point in Central America.

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*Price will raise to GTQ 850 on January 1, 2027

Get 10% off your 2nd multi-day hike!

Get 20% off your multi-day hike if you are a Guatemalan local!

A Sunrise you never knew you needed

Join us on our two day trek to the highest point in Central America: Volcán Tajumulco! At 4,220 meters tall, Tajumulco means “above the clouds” in the local Mayan language.

After a strenuous trek through montane pine forests to our base camp, this giant of the Guatemalan Highlands offers views galore. We’ll enjoy lunch and dinner at camp before going to bed early in preparation for the highlight of our trip.

We will awake in the earliest hours of Day 2 to begin the final ascent to the summit under the cover of dark. There, we will watch the night sky turn to dawn as the sun rises over the volcanic line of Guatemala. To see all that the summit has to offer, we will circumnavigate the volcano’s dormant crater during our descent to capture views of surrounding mountain ranges, nearby Mexico, and the Pacific Coast.

At the basecamp, we will have breakfast and prepare for our final descent down the mountain. After eating lunch at a small comedor at the bottom of the mountain, we will begin our trip back to Xela.

**There is a mandatory pre-trip meeting at 6:00pm the evening prior to the trek’s departure. Here, you will meet your guides and fellow trekkers, leave a deposit for any personal gear you may need to borrow, pay for trekking poles, receive communal gear, finalize payment, and more.**

Quick Facts

Trek difficulty

Total distance

15 km (9 mi)

Backpack weight

16 kg (35 lbs)

Maximum elevation

4,222 m (13,850 ft)

Elevation change

⇑ 1,200 m, ⇓ 1,200 m

The profits from one person hiking Tajumulco provides all the school supplies in the primary school for a week!

Want to get back on trek and make an even bigger impact? We’d love to go on another overnight adventure with you. If you book another multi-day trek with us, we will give you 10% off! In the confirmation email of your first trek, we will attach a promo code for you to use in your second booking.

Gallery

Trip Details

Start Time & Location

Quetzaltrekkers Office

End Time & Location

Quetzaltrekkers Office

What to bring

Hiking Backpack (>60L); Sleeping Bag; Sleeping Mat; Hiking Shoes; Hiking Clothes; Warm Clothes; Rain Jacket/Poncho; Headlamp; 3-4 Liters Water; Communal Food Items, Communal Tents

What is included

What’s not included

Language on trek

This trek is primarily run in English. If you have any questions about the language on the trek please contact us in either English or Spanish

Frequently asked questions

Where do we sleep?

We sleep in tents at the base camp (4,000m). Tents are carried by the group.

Will I need to bring food and water?

No, we provide plenty of food throughout your whole trek, and purified drinking water. 

What if I have dietary needs?

We accommodate dietary restrictions. All our trek food is vegetarian, and we can arrange for any other considerations as needed. Please let us know of any dietary needs that we should be aware of when you book the trek.

Can I bathe on the trek?

Not on this one!

Can I store personal luggage not needed for the trek in Xela?

Yes, we have a secure, locked room in which you may store your luggage.

How can I pay for the trek?

You can pay any remaining balance at our office during the pre-trek meeting on the night before the hike. We accept cash quetzales, or cards with a 3% fee.

Girl from EDELAC doing homework

Help Without Hiking

Your support is providing housing, care, and education for the children of EDELAC in Xela, Guatemala. 100% of your monthly gift goes directly to providing opportunities for children living in poverty.

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Michele Nobilini profile picture
Michele Nobilini
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Been last week on the "Nebaj-Todos Santos" hike with Quetzaltrekkers and it's been an amazing journey! The 4 days path is very challenging but totally worth the effort. Our american tour guides Gia and Ryan were so caring and highly qualified, despite their very young age!!! They helped us in every unecpected event may happen. We've had some lovely time together hiking, chatting, having pic-nics and listening together to the stories from the local people about their lives, the history of Guatemala and the maya culture. The only thing to improve about this trekking is the setting up of the backpack... because it's very heavy imo! Highly suggested experience!!!.
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Mira Hiltunen profile picture
Mira Hiltunen
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I did a three-day hike from Xela to Lake Atitlan, and it was definitely one of the highlights of my time in Central America. Our guides were nothing short of amazing, I really liked our group and everything was well organised. Temazcal was a lovely experience, scenery was breathtaking and varied every day, and the hike was appropriately challenging. I whole-heartedly recommend hiking with Quetzaltrekkers if you are into hiking at all. Type 2 fun that is totally worth your money. Only downside was that I slept very poorly the first night as the house we stayed was a bit cool and I did not have a lot of layers with me - so bring something warm for the nights if you tend to run cold at all!
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luh relle dee
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¡Que buena experiencia! Our hike to Mirador Santiaguito was fantastic. The first hour can be a bit challenging if you're not acclimated to the altitude, so make sure to bring lots of water. Thanks Quetzaltrekkers for making my first full day in Xela so fantastic!
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Leon D. profile picture
Leon D.
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Die 5-Tages-Wanderung von Nabaj nach Todos Santos war ehrlich gesagt ein absolutes Highlight unserer Reise. Landschaftlich stark, aber vor allem menschlich eine Erfahrung, die hängen bleibt. Unsere Guides Alex und Sam waren zwar die Küken der Gruppe, haben aber abgeliefert wie alte Hasen. Man hatte durchgehend das Gefühl, mit Leuten unterwegs zu sein, die das Land wirklich verstehen. Besonders stark: die Einblicke in das Leben der Familien, bei denen wir übernachtet haben. Die Geschichten der verschiedenen Familien wurden nicht einfach runtererzählt, sondern so persönlich und ehrlich vermittelt, dass sie uns teilweise echt mitgenommen haben. Gleichzeitig wurde es nie trocken. Irgendwo zwischen steilen Anstiegen und langen Tagesetappen wurden auch die wirklich „wichtigen“ Fragen des Lebens geklärt: Sam zum Beispiel glaub, dass das größte Tier, dass er im Kampf besiegen könnte ein Biber ist, während Alex ernsthaft glaubt, er könnte es mit 200 Hühnern gleichzeitig aufnehmen. Kann man so stehen lassen. All in all war es eine der besten Erfahrungen, die wir auf unseren Reisen in verschiedene Länder je gemacht haben.
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Justien Heideman profile picture
Justien Heideman
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Such a cool hike and amazing experience! Did the xela-atitlan hike and had the best time. The hike itself is pretty tough (in my opinion), but there are plenty stops, amazing food, nice homestays and beautiful views that make it completely worth it. Our guides Dama, Caty and William were great and we got to learn a lot about the culture and traditions in the area!
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Lena Voelkel
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Eine wirklich verdiente 5/5! Ich habe beim Reisen im Hostel von der Tour erfahren und war direkt begeistert. Und was soll ich sagen, meine Erwartungen wurden nochmals übertroffen. Die Organisation, das Team, die Gruppe, der Trail, die Homestays und das Essen einfach so gut! Ich würde es ohne zu überlegen direkt weiterempfehlen. Der Hike ist anstrengend und teilweise auch Kräftezehrend, aber es werden genügend Pausen gemacht und auf jeden individuellen eingegangen. Wenn man ein Outdoorfan ist und gerne Laufen oder Wandern geht, dann ist das auf jeden Fall was für euch!
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Laszlo Vreedenburgh profile picture
Laszlo Vreedenburgh
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We did the 3 day hike from Xela to Atitlan. It was a wonderful journey. The views were amazing, the climbing was tough, the temascal hot and the bees were angry, but the guides made it all very capable and fun. Cannot recommend it enough!
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Liam Bourke
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Rudy and Anna did everything to make our Tajumulco trek as enjoyable as possible. We had an awesome group, the food was fantastic, the guides were exceptional, and the campsite was great. I will be booking another multi day hike with Quetzaltrekkers for next week!
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