Hike active and dormant volcanoes, including Cerro Negro, Concepción and Masaya, peering into lava-filled craters
Kayak the wildlife-packed waterways of Ometepe Island, trek through tropical forest, and explore the colonial cities of León and Granada
Explore the boiling mud fields of San Jacinto, set up camp beside a crater rim and swim in the volcanic lagoon of El Tigre
Day 1
Your host will meet you at Managua International Airport, pop you in the van and drive you along the shores of Lake Managua over to the city of León, which takes around 1.5 hours. Settle into the hotel, maybe grab a swim in the pool, before heading out with the rest of your group to get dinner in a nearby restaurant and have a chat about the adventure to come.
Day 2
Take a short drive to the trailhead of Telica - your first volcano of the trip and one of the most active volcanoes in Nicaragua. The trail winds to the foot of Telica, the air full of sulphur and the roar of the active volcano. A steep switchback leads to the summit where you can - carefully - peer down into the crater and see the fiery magma deep below. Descend Telica and drive back to León, stopping for a short hike through the boiling volcanic mud fields of San Jacinto - a martian landscape that serves as breathing holes for nearby active volcanoes. Grab a cold beer and some dinner in León to toast a cracking first day.
Day 3
Volcano number two awaits today - the active, cone-shaped San Cristóbal, Nicaragua's highest at 1,745m. This hike is tough, with a full day of trekking up the steep slopes to reach the huge crater rim. The view at the summit is incredible, dotted with the nearby volcanoes La Casita, El Choncho, Moyotepe and La Pelona. On clear days you can see all the way to the Gulf of Fonseca, Honduras and El Salvador.
Day 4
Grab an early breakfast before heading for the black sand, gravel and lava rock of Cerro Negro (Black Peak). Your guide will help with the climb to the summit on the north side. The way down is a thrilling descent as you slip on a boiler suit and goggles, grab a board and swoop your way down the black sand-covered west face. Grab a picnic in the nature reserve and then hike to El Hoyo volcano where you will enjoy dinner beside the crater and camp for the night on its slopes.
Day 5
Wake up on the slopes of El Hoyo, tuck into breakfast on the volcano, pack up camp and hike back down to the trailhead. Hop in the van and drive over to Asososca Lagoon, also known as El Tigre. This volcanic freshwater lagoon was formed after a violent eruption and makes for a great place to grab a swim before heading back to León where you can enjoy some downtime and explore this brilliant little city at your own pace.
Day 6
One of Nicaragua's most iconic landmarks, Momotombo is summit five. A perfectly symmetrical volcanic cone nestled on the side of Lake Managua, it is a symbol of Nicaragua, cropping up on many a revolutionary mural. You'll take a 4x4 to 450m beneath the summit and hit the trail from there as you navigate the steep and difficult terrain. From the summit, peer over to the Pacific Ocean, the city of León, and on a clear day, Ometepe Island - your next stop.
Day 7
Rise early for a 3hr ride from León to San Jorge before hopping on the ferry to Moyogalpa on Ometepe Island - a lush, tropical slab of land in the middle of Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America. Rest your feet as you explore the waterways of Ometepe by kayak, along the beautiful Istián River, home to tropical birds, reptiles, monkeys, alligators, with views of Ometepe's twin volcanoes towering on both sides of the river.
Day 8
Today you’ll climb up Concepción, the highest of Ometepe's peaks, passing coffee and banana plantations as you make your way to the base of the volcano. Ometepe was once thought to be the promised land by Aztec explorers, and the lush, green and wild backdrop for today's hike makes you understand why. The climbing can be tough, with harsher terrain near the top and strong sun after the treeline, but you'll be treated to another rewarding summit looking back down over the promised land.
Day 9
You can't head to Ometepe and only summit one of its volcanos, so today it's over to the dormant Maderas to see what Concepción's twin has to offer. After another early start, you’ll head to the trailhead at Finca Magdalena, a local community farm. Wind through the lush tropical vegetation while white-faced and howler monkeys heckle you from the forests. At the summit, you can look into the crater lake and over towards Concepción. You’ll have a long descent to the base before heading back to the hotel for well-earned beers and a dip in the lake and pool. A shorter 2-3hr cascades hike is possible today if your legs can't face back-to-back summit hikes.
Day 10
Bid farewell to Ometepe, hop back on the ferry to San Jorge and hotfoot it over to the verdant tropical forested slopes of Mombacho, your first of two bonus volcanoes today. You will be driven to the top (1345m) in a truck from where you'll hike the well-kept crater trail through dense cloud forest home to howler monkeys, sloths and the endemic Mombacho salamander, found nowhere else in the world except here. Head down the mountain for a zip-lining tour of the forest canopy, before moving on to Granada to check into your hotel and enjoy the city. One last epic volcano awaits this evening at Masaya, known as the 'Mouth of Hell' where you'll watch molten lava rumble and glow inside the crater metres away from you - an experience once sacred to the pre-Columbian Nicaraguans.
Day 11
Your volcano odyssey ends as your host drives you from Granada back to Managua Airport in time for your onward flight.
English-speaking, local volcano specialist guide
9 nights in local boutique hotels, 1 night camping
All breakfasts, 5 lunches and 1 dinner
A group airport transfer and everything in between
Camping equipment for the night on El Hoyo, volcano boarding equipment and clothing
All permits and entry fees
Breakfast is either a light and simple option of toast, cereal, juice and tea or coffee, or the Nicaraguan breakfast - a more substantial option to fuel the hikes, which tends to include Gallo Pinto (rice and beans), tortilla, scrambled eggs and plan…
For solo travellers looking for their own space, an optional private room and tent can be booked for an extra charge, see Optional Extras for the price. Please request this at the time of booking (this is subject to availability).
To request any extras, message your host via your Much Better Adventures account once you have booked your trip.
All extras must be paid before your trip starts.
Natasha G. February 2024
Peter D. January 2024
Simon J. January 2024
Roxy G. April 2024
“It was full-on, challenging, and rewarding - exactly what you want from a volcano adventure. Too many highlights to reel off - climbing the highest peaks in Nicaragua in all weather, volcano boarding, swimming in volcanic craters, upside down ziplining through the forest canopy, camping and waking up to the most breathtaking views imaginable. Even managed to sneak in an afternoon to Las Penitas beach (thanks to Luis for facilitating our extra excursion!) Luis and the team on the ground were amazing - so passionate and knowledgeable, really bringing the hikes to life. Luis went over and above, from helping us sort laundry to getting my hiking shoes fixed. Wouldn't have been the same without him. Flag that there are a few costed extras that arose on the trip which should really be incorporated into the cost in future and watch out for the infamous breakfast sandwich! Completely incredible experience, with amazing people!”
Trevor N. February 2024
“Hi there, thanks to you and Team for a very enjoyable adventure. Your local guide Luis was outstanding and extremely helpful. I regret I was not able to summit any of the tough volcanos (4). I did not spend sufficient time building up my thigh strength even though I was aerobicly fit....I very much enjoyed; boarding down the slope, zip line and swimning in the Pacific and the the lake.I was 32 years older than the oldest and 38 years older than the youngest.... However, they all treated me like a legend. I did know one of the participants having met her on a trekking trip in Bhutan in October 2022. The only thing I would complain about was our requirement to buy our own water. I have been on at least 9 Treks and this is the first time we have had to buy our own water. The drivers were all very professional as were the local guides. All the hotels were very comfortable. Well done!!! Trevor”
Leigh November 2023
“This was such a great trip - as well as amazing scenery, such an interesting country. The hiking is tough, but the reward was the scenery! Luis our guide was great, he kept me motivated and made sure we had a great time. If you are up for a challenge definitely give this trip a go”
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Know before you go! Some stuff we'll provide, other things you'll need to bring.
You'll only need to carry a day pack for each hike, with around 2-3 litres of water. Your main pack can be left behind at the hotels in León, Playa Santo Domingo on Ometepe, and Granada, and will be transferred in between each of your bases. On the overnight camping days (Days 4 and 5) you'll have to carry camping equipment including tents - this weight is spread throughout the group as fairly as possible. There are no porters to carry this equipment.
Nicaragua has 40 volcanoes, 19 of which are active. The active volcanoes you will encounter on this trip (with the most recent eruption in brackets) are San Cristóbal (2004), Telica (2004), Cerro Negro (1999), Momotombo (1905), Masaya (2003) and Concepción (1986). El Hoyo, Maderas and Mombacho are dormant. Volcanoes are an integral part of Nicaragua's history and modern-day identity, and your volcano specialist guide will fill you in on all manner of knowledge alongside their expertise at navigating the hikes and scaling the summits.
Tips are not included in the trip cost. These are entirely at your discretion but there is an expectation to tip for good service. Your guide will help with advice, however we suggest the below as a guideline per person:
Guides: 5–10 USD per day
Tour driver: 2-5 USD per day
Restaurant staff: 10% of your bill
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap in Nicaragua. Bottled water can be found, however, please bring a personal refillable water bottle that you can fill at each of your hotels from a purified water supply. Your host includes a reusable water bottle within the trip price, but we suggest you also bring your own extra as the hiking can take place in hot conditions so plenty of water is always a good thing. The host recommends that each person carries 2-3 litres of water per day.
Yes, you can leave your main luggage in the hotels in León, Ometepe and Granada while you head off for the various volcano trekking days.
Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.
Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers are familiar with the practical information provided on the Government’s FCDO website, where current travel advice can be found by searching for the applicable destination(s).
For customers joining this trip from other international destinations – please also read the official travel advice applicable to your country of residence/origin, as this may differ.
We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. You must be over 18 to join one of our trips.
You're always in good company on one of our adventures.
Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.
Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way. Check out our Community Values – a shared code to make sure that everyone's experience is safe, inclusive and brilliantly unforgettable.
It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.
Don't just take our word for it:
See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.
We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 196kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity, ensuring the protection of the reserve and its wildlife.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
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