PERU TREKKING DAY HIKES & TOURS
Prepare for your Peru trekking, hiking or climbing adventure with one or two day hikes, an important start to the acclimatization process.
Or if you are not undertaking a multi day trek, come with us and we can show you an amazing variety of scenery with our:
- Tours by car
- Day hikes - a variety from easy to challenging
- All tours and day hikes include private transport, guide and delicious picnic lunch
MACASHCA HILLS
Day Hike
Escape from the regular tourist destinations with a lovely hill walk close to Huaraz. Around 5 to 6 hours on wide grassy ridges to a saddle at 4200m with fantastic views of the snowcapped Cordillera Blanca peaks, Huascaran, the dry Cordillera Negra and over Huaraz. An excellent first day acclimatisation hike.
On The Saddle Macashca Hills
LLANGANUCO LAKES, PASO PORTACHUELO & LAGUNA 69
Full day hike or tour by car
Visit the famous twin crystal blue lakes of Llanganuco. From the lakes see the huge towering peaks of Huascaran, Huandoy and Yanapaccha. We can then drive to the top of the pass Portachuelo 4767m for more spectacular mountain views.
(left) Llanganuco Lakes (right) Portachuelo Day tour
For keen walkers, we can make a full day hike by climbing up to Laguna 69. The beautiful high mountain lake is tucked immediately at the base of the peaks of Pisco and Chacraraju and they tower over the lake, giving amazing reflections on a still day.
RUINS OF WILCAHUAIN
Full day hike, half day hike or tour by car
The Wilcahuain archaeological site is a 7 km walk on a good path from Huaraz. The ruins date to about 600 — 900 AD and the Wari Empire. The main 3 - story building housed the mummies of the Wari ancestors. The building is roofed with massive stone slabs and contains a system of ventilation ducts to keep the bodies dry.
From the ruins, continue through farmland down to Monterrey where there are hot springs, and take a taxi back to Huaraz. 5 hours round trip.
You can also choose a shorter half day hike or visit the ruins by car.
LAGUNA CHURUP
Full day hike
A good acclimatization hike for trekking. Take a car from Huaraz to Pitec at 3850m, driving through the attractive farming settlements of Unchus and Llupa. From Pitec a steady climb to Laguna Churup 4440m, a beautiful turquoise lake below Nevado Churup. It is quite a strenuous hike, with the final 100m to the lake scrambling up a steep rock gully.
About 5 to 6 hours to walk from Pitec to the lake and return.
Laguna Churup
LAGUNA SHALLAP
Full Day Hike
A long day hike to Laguna Shallap, a beautiful high glacial lake at the head of a remote valley in the Cordillera Blanca close to Huaraz.
Not many tourists know of this hike, and apart from the local people there are very few other people about. The lake (4250m) is tucked at the foot of the giant mountains San Juan , Tumarinaraju and Huantsán and the glacier fields from the mountains flow to the lake. About 6 hours walking to the lake and return to the car.
Although on a gradual gradient and not steep, it is a long day walk and suitable for people who have started to acclimatise already and are fit.
Laguna Shallap Day Hike
QUEBRADA QUILLCAYHUANCA
Easy day hike
An easy and relaxing hike in the Valley Quebrada Quillcayhuanca. The trail is almost flat and there are great views of the mountains and spectacular vertical rock walls. Sometimes we have seen condors in the valley. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the sun by the river at the head of the valley. A great hike for everyone - families, children, people looking for a relaxing day out. 6 hours return hike
Quebrada Quillcayhuanca
PASTORURI GLACIER & PUYA RAYMONDI
Day Hike, ice climbing or a car tour
Pastoruri is a mountain with a large glacier that you can walk on or practise climbing techniques. There is easy access to the glacier from the road, and we can take a guided walk onto the ice. We also offer a day of climbing instruction or ice climbing for those looking for more adventure.
On the way to the glacier we stop to visit the amazing giant plant Puya Raymondi. The Puya Raymondi is a plant that grows in the higher places of Peru only. It is of the Bromeliacea family and it is a very interesting plant because it flowers just once in its life and it might have at least 20,000 flowers. The Puya Raymondi is pollinated by hummingbirds. A full day from Huaraz is needed.
To visit here we recommend that you are well acclimatised .
Pastoruri Glacier (left) Puya Raymondi (right)
PUCAVENTA CANYON
Half day hike
A very interesting half day hike from Huaraz and a good first acclimatisation hike. From behind Huaraz we hike into the hills first on an open ridge and then we enter a hidden narrow canyon which winds up to the crest of the hills. The canyon is amazing with high walls of clay coloured many different shades of yellows, orange and red. We emerge onto the crest where we have panoramic views of the Macashca Valley and many of the huge snow covered peaks of the Cordillera Blanca & then we return back to Huaraz.
3 to 4 hours hiking
Pucaventana Canyon (left) View From The Top (right)
RUINS CHAVIN DE HUANTAR
Day tour by car
The architectural ruins of Chavin are located 3 to 4 hours by vehicle from Huaraz. The pre Inca culture is dated between 800 — 200 BC; and developed a powerful religion which had great influence over many parts of Peru. The great temple contains many stone-lined galleries where Chavin priests consulted their gods, performed sacrificial ceremonies and stored ritual items. The most interesting parts of the site were built underground in an exceptional feat of 3000 year old engineering.
We offer a guided tour to Chavin in our private vehicle.
LLACA VALLEY & RANRALPALCA GLACIER
Tour by car & easy hiking
From the top of the Llaca Valley we hike to the face of the glacier coming from the enormous mountain Ranrapalca 6162m. This is an easier option for a day hike, and there are few other places in the Cordillera Blanca where you can be so close to the ice.
First we will take the car to visit the ruins of Wilcahuain, then continue on to the Llaca Valley. The Lllaca Valley is a narrow valley with impressive rock walls popular for rock climbing. From the end of the road we hike up easily to the top of the valley to the glacier around 1½ hours. After a picnic lunch, we walk easily down the valley stopping on the way to see the Llaca Lake. We return to Huaraz in the car a different way through the Cojup Valley, driving down through the villages of Llupa and Unchus
Llaca Valley
Sitemap
© Peruvian Andes Adventures 2004 All rights reserved
Website design and development by Altered Ego Design Ltd
New Zealand Website Designers | Wellington