Hiking Tours · LAKE HIKES IN PERU
Good lake hikes in Peru cap their group sizes and fill weeks ahead. Below: the 8 to book early, what each includes and how hard they really are.
Leave Huaraz before dawn for Huascaran National Park, stop at the Llanganuco Lakes, then hike three hours from Cebollapampa to Lagoon 69. A Spanish-speaking guide leads the trip, with some English possible. Bring lunch, snacks, cash, and passport details for the permit.
“Bellissima escursione! Se siete a Huaraz, consiglio di fare questa gita”
Leave Cusco before dawn for Mollepata, breakfast, and a guided climb from Soraypampa to turquoise Humantay Lake. Luz is one guide praised for patient support. The $89 trip includes transport, entrance, breakfast, lunch, oxygen, and a small group of up to 15.
“Tour was awesome. Pick up perfectly on time. Our tour guide Luz was above and beyond , she was perfect. She answered all questions we were asking and most important she helped us to get all the way to the top because at the beginning of the climb I was struggling. Thank you Luz and I hope we meet again on some other tour.”
Travel from Cusco or the Sacred Valley to Humantay Lake with a guide and a maximum of eight people. Expect a 3 a.m. pickup, breakfast in Mollepata, a steep high-altitude hike, Peruvian meals, snacks, transport, and a full day in the mountains.
“My mother and I did this trek with our guide and it was just the three of us! It was so nice to have a small group and our tour guide made sure we were very comfortable and took breaks whenever we needed (15,000 ft is hard when you live at sea level!). We would highly recommend this to anyone going to the Cusco area and especially recommend FlashPacker Connect.”
From Puerto Maldonado, you hike about 3 kilometers through Tambopata National Reserve before exploring Sandoval Lake by canoe. Look for monkeys, macaws, caimans, river otters, turtles, and huge paiche fish. Guides may speak Spanish or English, and lunch is included.
“La excursión y la actividad merece mucho la pena. Con el guía, Gabriel, ningún problema. Explica con ganas y pone interés. El problema viene con la organización de la actividad a través de agencia Machu Picchu Journey. Nos indican una hora y un lugar en concreto. La noche de antes y a través de una actividad que no tiene nada que ver, nos indica otro guía que no, que en teoría debería ser a otra hora y que nos deben de recoger en el hotel. Esto sin información alguna de la agencia Machu Picchu Journey. A la mañana siguiente y por insistencia nuestra, nos indica que el horario ha cambiado…”
Leave Cusco at 4:00 AM for Pacchanta, hike a three-hour loop past Ausangate’s seven lagoons, then relax in thermo-medicinal waters. A guide, breakfast, lunch, walking sticks, oxygen balloon, and hotel pickup are included. Bring cash for the separate entry fee.
“The day started off bad the driver never picked me up, but Ya’ll sent a taxi to take me to meet up with the bus. Your bus conductor is a thief he took a few of us moneys to pay Ausangate entrance I gave him $100 Soles the guy sitting next to me also did give him $100 he never returned our change. We saw him at the hot springs he pretended he didn’t remember, our tour guide had to get our money back I’ve posted a photo of him. You can’t be promoting tourism when your staff members are dishonest. Your companies reputation is at stake”
Leave Cusco before dawn for Humantay Lake with an English or Spanish-speaking guide, breakfast in Mollepata, and a buffet lunch after the hike. The 3-kilometer climb from Soraypampa takes about two hours, with handmade trekking poles included. Hotel pickup is available near Plaza de Armas.
“My husband and I booked this the night before and they were very quick in response. We got picked up and our guide, Israel was very informative of what the trip would entail. We had a 2 hour drive to a place where we had a delicious buffet breakfast and then were taken to the place where we would commence our hike. I highly suggest buying the coca candy from the little shop where we had breakfast as they definitely helped with the altitude sickness. Also bring a big bottle of water with electrolytes. Trust me, you'll need it. Since there were multiple tour groups doing the same trek with…”
Leave Cusco before dawn for Pacchanta at 4,100 meters. With a bilingual guide such as Alexander or Julio, you’ll visit Ausangate’s seven colored lakes by foot or horseback, eat Andean meals in a local home, and finish with hot springs.
“Alexander was great. The breakfast and lunch was amazing and the views were second to none. You must do this while in Cusco you will not regret it!”
From Puerto Maldonado, you’ll walk 3 kilometers through Tambopata National Reserve to Lake Sandoval, then paddle by canoe in search of river otters, black caimans, birds, monkeys, and more. A guide leads the small group, with lunch and transport included.
“The tour was very interesting and our guide was very informative and kind. However, nobody contacted us the day before. It is very important to know that in that time the temperature is very high and the sun is very dangerous. It is better to do this trip very early in the morning or at afternoon.”
Water, rock, ice or forest. Choose the terrain and the list follows.
