Peru · CORDILLERA BLANCA LAGOON TREKS
Good cordillera blanca lagoon treks tours fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Travel from Huaraz to Pastoruri Glacier with a Spanish-speaking guide, stopping at Parco, Pato Cocha, Puma Pampa, San Patricio Cave, and Puya Raimondi. The day includes a one-hour walk from Pumapashimin Lagoon, transport, and glacier views. Lunch and the S/30 entrance fee cost extra.
“it was amazing weather and we saw beautiful nature definitely recommend”
Leave Huaraz at 5:00 am for Llanganuco Valley and a three-hour hike to Lake 69. You will stop at Chinancocha, pass Andean villages, and spend about an hour beside views of Huascarán, Chopicalqui, Pisco, Huandoy, Yanapaccha, and Chacraraju.
“Well organised! The agency was really great. However, the guide wasn't speak very well English.”
Travel from Huaraz to glacial Lake Parón with a Spanish-speaking guide, shared transport, and hotel pickup. After a breakfast stop in Carhuaz, continue through Yungay and Caraz, then walk about 40 minutes to a viewpoint at 4,170 meters for broad views of the lake and Cordillera Blanca peaks.
“Un lugar mágico, vale la pena cada kilómetro para ver este majestuoso lugar, buen acompañamiento de los guías, gran experiencia”
Travel from Huaraz through Recuay, Ticapampa, and Catac to Huascarán National Park. See Puya Raimondi, Pumapampa’s gasified waters, Pumashimin Lake, cave paintings, and Pastoruri Glacier. The group tour includes hotel pickup, transport, and a guide, but lunch and park admission cost extra.
“Some very nice views and the walk to the glacier is not long and it is a good trip if you just arrived in Huaraz. A lot of driving but the glacier is worth seeing, at least what is remaining of it. One last advice, do not book with viator, I paid 35usRead more”
Travel from Huaraz through the Callejón de Huaylas to Carhuaz, Yungay Cemetery, and turquoise Chinancocha Lake at 12,631 feet. Expect basic English, a Spanish-led tour, a local lunch stop, and a pottery visit in Taricá. The S/35 entrance fee and meals cost extra.
“Dans l’ensemble le tour est intéressant mais plusieurs éléments sont problématiques. De longues explications sont apportées par le guide, mais tout en espagnol alors que nous avions réservé un tour en anglais. Tout est également fait pour pousser le touriste à la consommation. Par exemple, le premier arrêt a lieu devant une glacerie et le dernier chez un potier. On nous a même vendu une dégustation gratuite de bières et de produits de la région. En y arrivant, il n’y avait absolument rien de gratuit et l’on se rend vite compte que le but est de nous faire acheter leurs produits plus chers qu’ailleurs. L’encouragement à faire des selfies devant…”
Travel from Huaraz through Carhuaz and Caraz to Parón Lagoon, then walk beside its turquoise water and climb to a viewpoint. A Spanish-speaking guide, round-trip transport, entrance ticket, hotel pickup, and a first-aid kit are included. Guide Junior is especially attentive.
“Very good and the guide, Junior, was very attentive at all times and made the journeys very enjoyable. The lagoon is a spectacle, I recommend going up to the viewing point, at first it seems a lot but the climb is really pleasant for people who go to the mountains from time to time.”
Leave Huaraz before dawn for Laguna 69, passing Yungay and the Llanganuco Lakes before a three-hour uphill hike. A Spanish or English-speaking guide, hotel pickup, and transport are included. Carlos is one named francophone guide connected with this excursion.
“El guía fue muy claro con tiempos y exigencias de la ruta, lo cual es de agradecer. El resto lo esperado, una auténtica pasada.”
Travel from Huaraz through Recuay, Ticapampa, and Catac to Huascarán National Park. You’ll see Pumashimin’s Seven Colors, cave paintings, and Pastoruri Glacier after a 40 to 60 minute trek. Spanish and English guides lead the 9-hour trip, with private groups available.
“precisa de preparo físico!! a altitude pega bastante, mas tem cavalos que podem ajudar a subir.”
Leave Huaraz at 5:00 AM for Huascarán National Park, stop at the Llanganuco Lakes, then hike 8 km to Laguna 69 at 4,620 meters. An English or Spanish guide leads the day. Choose private service for a packed lunch by the lake, or bring your own food.
“The walk was very good. The bad thing is that you didn't pick me up at the hotel nor did you leave me at the hotel on the way back... which is what you had indicated. I think it's not a walk for everyone and the schedule should be respected.”
Travel from Huaraz through Yungay and the Llanganuco Valley to Cebolla Pampa, then hike to turquoise Lake 69 at 4,600 meters. A Spanish-speaking guide leads the small group, with guides such as Wilson and Noel noted for careful support. Expect a long, demanding day and rough mountain roads.
“A very hard and tiring hike but completely worth it the scenery was amazing and just to say you got to the top is a huge accomplishment! I would highly recommend everything went smoothly.”
Leave Huaraz before dawn for Huascaran National Park and hike more than two hours uphill to turquoise Laguna 69. A bilingual English or Spanish guide leads the route, with time for photos and a short rest before returning to Huaraz around 8 p.m. Bring cash, lunch, and your passport.
Travel from Huaraz by minibus to Patococha Lagoon, Pumapampa’s hot springs and Puya Raimondi plants, then walk 45 minutes toward Pastoruri Glacier above 5,000 meters. A Spanish-speaking guide leads this small-group day trip, with hotel pickup and return included.
Travel from Huaraz through the Huaylas Valley to turquoise Lake Parón, with stops in Carhuaz, Marcara, Yungay, and Caraz. English or Spanish guides lead this 8 to 11-hour small-group or private trip. Private bookings include a lakeside lunchbox stop.
You’ll leave Huaraz around 8:00 am for Carhuaz, Caraz, and Parón Lagoon in Huascarán National Park. Walk beside turquoise water, spot Artesonraju and other Cordillera Blanca peaks, and add a 40-minute uphill path to the viewpoint. Groups are limited to 10, with English or Spanish guidance.
Leave Huaraz at about 8:00 am for Carhuaz and Caraz, then follow a rough mountain road to Paron Lagoon in Huascaran National Park. You can walk beside the turquoise water and take a 40-minute uphill path to a wide viewpoint. The tour is Spanish-language and limited to 10 people.
Pick a ruin, a summit, a dune or a kitchen.
