Information for solo-hikers

Conclusion: we (2 persons) did the hike solo on a sunday at 11:30. The overall experience is pretty easy. Nonetheless, after doing it solo, I still think tours are a valid option if you want less hassle. Both options have positives and negatives.

Summary and description (including costs)

We choose the shorter hike, starting point: Santa Clara.

We took the boat from San Marcos to San Juan (25Q each, total 50Q). We got quoted 300Q for a tuk tuk to Santa Clara. We walked a bit further from the main touristic area to get a better price. We got one for 150Q. The drive is 20 to 30 minutes with tuktuk.

Go to the trailhead on google maps. If you stand in front of the church (see picture) take the street on your right. Take the first left. It is next to a small shop (see picture).

Walk down the forestpath untill the end and turn left. Follow the route, we passed some cows.

From here on, Im not gonna give specific instructions cause it will confuse you. Just make sure you are going up and in the good direction. It should be easy.

You will come across a sign “Indian Nose” with an arrow. Follow the route and you ll finally end up at the viewpoint.

We had the whole place for ourself, for over an hour. It was amazing.

We went back to Santa Clara. Got a tuktuk back to San Juan for 200Q (we were not in a good haggle situation). But i saw a lot of pick-up trucks offering taxi service. But we had whatsapped our previous tuktuk driver.

Have fun!

We originally wanted to do this hike on our own but after some extensive research we decided to go with a local tour (using Guadalupe Travel who only charge 85Q compared to the usual 150-200) and we were glad we did.

We love hiking and had heard about the extended hike starting in San Juan as opposed to Santa Clara but the more we spoke to people we realised that there are multiple checkpoints along the trail where you are charges for entrance to certain 'viewpoints' and if you want to continue all the way to the summit, they are unavoidable.

Plus we realised that the 'extended' part of the hike was at the bottom, rather than at the summit which meant just an extra 2 hours hiking in the dark, starting at 2am rather than 4am.

The tour was worth it in my opinion (having only paid 85Q). Return transport from your accommodation... A pretty steady 30-45 min hike from Santa Clara, all entrance fees included and a coffee or hot cacao, and a bread roll at the summit included.

Ps. If you decide to do this hike, take some dog food/biscuits with you. There are plenty of half starving dogs up there who are keen to take anyones bread roll if you are willing (or unwilling and unaware). We gave ours to the skinniest little fella who then proceeded to nap at our feet.

Gets cold while you sit there waiting for the sun to rise so take an extra layer. Well worth the early morning. Defo an easy worthwhile hike in the area.

We did a guided tour to a lookout that not many tourists go to (there were 7 of us total). It’s a very short easy hike. Stunning views with fuego erupting in the distance! Mixed reviews on the actual guide (Henry) as he was a bit full of himself but he did take us to a great viewpoint, taught us about Mayan culture and the surrounding volcanos. He just also talks about himself.. a lot. You ride the chicken bus up and back of pickup truck down which also added to the adventure.

1,000% recommendations on the sunrise hike but possibly search around on a guide.

Great views. We did it on our own. We took the chicken bus from San Pedro (15Q pp, stop is located near "Tienda Letty"), then took the trail from Santa Clara and were charged only once at the top (50Q pp).
Beware of the trail marked on AllTrails starting near the houses. A man there wanted us to pay 50Q pp just to point the direction or for passing near his house, claiming he works for the viewpoint. We didn’t believe him, politely refused, went back to the village, and took the path near the cemetery instead.
Walk down back to San Juan went seamlessly. Only a few friendly locals along the way.

The sunrise hike to Indian Nose starts very early, around 4 a.m., but it’s absolutely worth it. The hike itself takes about 40 minutes and goes steadily uphill, mostly along steps. I’d rate it as a medium-difficulty hike — manageable, but you’ll definitely feel the climb.

At the top, there are viewing platforms with seating, making it a perfect spot to rest and enjoy the incredible views. The panorama over Lake Atitlán and the surrounding villages is stunning, and on a clear morning you can even see Volcano Fuego in the distance.

It’s a good idea to bring light gloves, as it can be a bit chilly at the top before sunrise. A truly unforgettable experience and one of the highlights around Lake Atitlán.