Guatemala 5 Volcano Challenge

What an adventure. The scenery was epic and the people even better. The high energy from our Guides was amazing & fellow trekkers were a fabulous group of humans. So many caring & funny people. Memories that will last forever.

The hiking was a good challenge with steep ascents and descents. I never use poles but did for the downhills which are slippery. The group was great, the accommodation and food was better than I’ve had on other group trips, and the positivity and enthusiasm of our three guides was infectious. Even if the cloud doesn’t clear, there is a real sense of achievement ant each peak, and when the cloud cleared the views were breathtaking. A brilliant trip.

I’ve waited over a week since returning from Guatemala to write this review as I had to let it all sink in. I had an amazing time with MBAs and their local team. The guides, chef and driver were amazing and made the trip so special and as easy as hiking 5 volcanoes can be! This trip is #1 in my travels for scenery - and I have travelled to many places. The effort required on this trip is significant but the views and sense of achievement make it worthwhile. I have returned home a very satisfied and happy person as a result of this trip, just loved it 🙏❤️

This isn’t easy but well worth the effort as it provides a fabulous cultural and scenic experience in a wonderful country full of lovely people. The guides, accommodation, facilities and food all fantastic.

To start off, the tour was amazing highly recommended! Pepe, David, and Edgar were fantastic and had great energy the entire trip. The group got along well too. Pepe put up with my shenanigans and answered any questions or concerns we had. One of the best adventures of my life! The volcanoes, trekking, and Guatemala in general was spectacular, don’t hesitate just book it! Thank you Pepe, David, and Edgar!! 🔥 🙌

One recommendation would be more time at Lake Atitlan, it was very beautiful and relaxing there.

This trip was everything and more. The guides Pepian, Davide and Wily were super knowledgable, friendly, funny and hospitable and our driver was an absolute wizard. This trip was spectacular. The views were amazing, the people in the group were all great value and the experience was phenomenal. I am running out of superlatives to describe this trip however one of the best would be = Absolutely Epic!! Would definitely recommend to everyone.

The 5 volcano challenge is certainly a "challenge", but this made the views even more rewarding. Pepian and the team are absolutely fantastic, they made this trip one of the best holidays I've ever been on.

The 5 Volcanoes Challenge was one of the best trips I’ve ever taken!

The itinerary was fantastic. Although we were hiking consecutively for 7 days, there was an excellent mix of activities throughout the trip. Each volcano brought unique challenges, amazing views, and different experiences.

Guatemala is an incredible country to visit, and this trip allowed us to explore many locations across it.

Everything about the trip was exceptionally well-organised, from transportation and accommodation to the food provided.

A huge shoutout to our amazing guides: Jerry (David), who was so kind, knowledgeable, and truly made the trip special; Diana, whose food was not only delicious but perfectly planned; and Pablo, who organised our accommodation and equipment.

This was an unforgettable adventure, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a challenging yet rewarding experience!

The treks were incredible and the guides - Diego, Christa, Gilberto & Marcelo - were amazing. No need to overthink it. . . buy the ticket, take the ride.

I was recommended this trip by others I had known who had already done it, and it didn't disappoint! As ever, it was professionally organised and a fantastic experience. The 5 volcanoes are all different in their feel and experience of hiking up.

The group was great and we had a fantastic 10 days together! I would recommend to anyone interested in a good challenge in a fantastic country!

Our guides were incredible, supportive and knowledgeable and supported us all during the treks and the week overall. The food was delicious and varied.

This is up there as one of my favourite holidays ever!!

Watching volcanic eruptions is an unforgettable experience! Highly recommend this fun and active trip through a beautiful country.

A big shout out to our cook Gilberto for making delicious vegetarian meals! He made amazing vegetarian chiles rellenos, pepián, and Christmas tamales so that we could enjoy traditional Guatemalan meals too.

I loved this adventure! I'm fairly active and this was a challenge, but so fun. I liked the pace of the whole experience, it was fairly aggressive but with adequate time to rest. Having multiple night hotel stays in between camping was helpful in feeling a little settled, getting laundry done, etc. Our guides were incredible. So friendly and enthusiastic. The food was delicious and thoughtfully prepared. Each hike was unique and absolutely worth the effort, even if the weather didn't always cooperate!

This trip was absolutely epic. The itinerary was fantastic. A good mix of challenge and down time. Bus time is what you make of it. The guides of David, Oriel and Rudy made this trip exceptional. They worked fantastically as a team and complemented each other immensely, finding the perfect balance between professional and fun. They will write legends about the driving of Edgar, simply sensational.

Wow, honestly one of the best things I've done in my life. The trip itself was incredible, really stays true to the itinerary. The hikes are not that tough, the only thing that makes some of it difficult can be the weather but no one can control that.

Guides I had were unbelievable and provided more than enough resource and information for everyone, plus kept everyone happy and safe and did so with a very positive attitude. They made the whole trip so fun.

I was also lucky to have an incredible group of people to share the experience with which of course helps enhance the great memories.

Would highly recommend this trip to anyone who is a big fan of long hikes & nature, with enough time to relax as well.

I can’t suggest this adventure enough. It is one of the best challenges I have completed so far. Amazing group! Amazing guides! Super amazing arrangements! Loved every bit of the 10 days spent in this trip. No hiccups, no second thoughts ever while on the trip. Highly recommend this!!

Well organised trip. Guatemala is beautiful and the volcanoes were stunning though challenging hikes. The local team were excellent, the guides Luis and David ensured we had a safe and fun trip, Willie made great meals even in camp and our driver had amazing skills on the challenging roads. I would fully recommend this trip.

Great trip overall

A great way to see some of the sights of Guatemala

Challenging but well paced hikes up 5 volcanoes. Felt like a real achievement to have summited all 5. Definitely needed lots of warm clothing for the two overnight climbs. Tents on Acatenango were very comfortable, Tajumulco less so but the hotels were all very nice, comfortable, good settings and breakfasts. There is a lot of time on buses but this was unavoidable as the volcanoes weren't all close together and Guatemalan roads are both busy and winding. There was at least plenty of room on the bus and four hours, with breaks, was probably the longest journey. Our guides were excellent and made the trip fun and well paced so everyone was able to finish each volcano. Not easy but if you're moderately fit and up for a challenge then definitely worth doing.

Our guides David, Rudy, Edgar, and Uriel were brilliant. Super fun and they always took good care of us.

Our co-adventurers were all brilliant people. We had such a motivation and encouraging group dynamic.

The physical challenge was hard but all the more satisfying because of it. We pushed ourselves to get up all five volcanoes and were bone tired at the end of the trip.

All the accommodation was great and Rudy’s cooking was superb.

We had the trip of a lifetime. Couldn’t recommend this enough!

Had a great time in Guatemala with Old Town Outfitters/MBA. It was a busy trip with lots of travel and volcanoes but was absolutely worth it, and it really takes you off the beaten track in Guatemala. The guides looked after us really well and were very reactive to changes to the plan/personal requirements. As always with MBA trips the group was excellent and was full of likeminded people up for a challenge!

The local hosts went above and beyond for every step of this adventure, working miracles of last-minute replanning - and also working late into the evening - to make absolutely sure that everyone on the trip had the best possible time. I don't know if we just had an unusually friendly group and unusually friendly hosts, but we'd bonded by the third day and the hosts dealt with everything thrown at them - from hail to pulled muscles - confidently and practically.

It helped that Fuego decided to be especially active while we were up on Acatenanga; the experience of watching a plume of fire rise, and bright specks of lava spatter down onto the slopes and form into brief glow-worm rivulets, simply cannot be bought. Nor can the sound of the eruptions; the dull rolling crump like thunder or artillery that repeatedly drove us to brave the chill wind to see yet another spectacular explosion so close at hand.

There was a little more driving than expected, but we were mostly tired enough to doze through it, especially towards the end of the trip, and plenty of stops for coffee, snacks and other necessities. I also felt that despite the hosts' best efforts we didn't encounter enough of Guatemalan culture, but it would be hard to remedy that without missing out volcanoes.

If only the hosts could have controlled the weather; several of the hikes felt much like hiking in Britain, with the magnificent views obscured by cloud and drizzle. Still, the sun came out when it counted, because our morning in San Juan La Laguna wouldn't have been the same in the rain.

Fast paced, structured tour that focuses on going up and getting down volcanoes. The guides are great, but I've left not knowing much about the volcanoes hiked, or the flora/fauna/culture of Guatemala. Dry season here also means wet - always take waterproofs!

Our guides- Luis, Gerry, and Gilberto, were wonderful. They were super organized, informative, and kept the many logistics running smoothly. The hikes are varied and interesting; I did the trip without poles, but at least half of it is probably much easier with poles as there is a lot of loose, rocky soil. It’s probably worth checking a bag just to bring them. The camping nights are cold! But well worth it. Our group was fun and compatible. Food was good, lots of veggie options; take extra snacks on the camping nights because there’s nowhere to restock if you get hungry. Totally recommend the trip.

I would highly recommend this trip to anyone. The scenery is amazing, the organisation was excellent and I had the best time. I forgot a head torch and poles, both very much needed. On day one they took us to the company’s shop and they lent me the kit no problem

Excellent experience with awesome great tour guides Joel and Didi. Would recommend this trip to anybody with an active lifestyle. Definietly challenging, you need to consistently push yourself, super satisfying to comlete the hikes everyday. Phenomenal views at everything location, we only got clouded out occasionally in early November. I enjoyed the reasonably aggressive pace/scheudle to visit all of the cool spots. Fun group of strangers that all got along great. Fair amount of time in the bus, but I loved looking out at the Guatemalan countryside. This was my first MBA trip and can't wait to plan another.

Gear: I brought the entire recommended gear kit. Poles were super usefull for 80% of the hikes. Never used the gaiters, these probably would have been nice in a few specific spots, but alternatively you could just empty sand/rocks out of your shoes 2-3 times. Didn't use the multiple neck buffs, maybe it just wasn't cold enough for us. Motion sickness pills (non drowsy dramamine) were clutch for some of the bus rides on steep roads

A great, well organised trip! The walks were amazing, and the hotels were lovely. The guides Joel and Diana really made the trip and the two camps and sunrises were unforgettable. Can't recommend this to enough!

The trip was an amazing experience, ended up with a very fun like-minded group. Need to give a shout out to our guide Jerry from Old Town Outfitters. His knowledge and friendship really made this trip stand out compared to other tips I've taken.

This trip was superb from start to finish and far exceeded all of my expectations. I’ve made memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life and I am so thankful to the guides for making this trip so special, especially Joel who’s passion and enthusiasm for exploring his country is inspiring.

Easily one of the most challenging, yet rewarding weeks of my life.

Guatemala is a beautiful country and the hikes are stunning. Five volcanoes in a week is tough work, but every hike has its strengths and the sense of achievement is enormous once competed.

Our guides Joel and Diana were incredibly professional and friendly. Both are wonderful souls and were accommodating and positive throughout. I’ll genuinely miss them.

If you’re considering this trip - do it!