Peru · Travel guide
Huaraz, Peru: 5 Day Trips in Order of Altitude (2026)
Huaraz, Peru, is the base for the Cordillera Blanca. Five day trips in the order that suits acclimatisation, and the new Laguna 69 rule.
This is the reasoning we use when we date a trip, not an article written to fill a blog. The Peru itineraries it feeds are here.
Huaraz, Peru, is the town you base yourself in to see the Cordillera Blanca and Huascarán National Park. Its Plaza de Armas sits at 3,052 m, according to Peru’s national tourism inventory, and the day trips from it climb from there to glacial lakes above 4,000 m. The order in which you do them matters more than which ones you choose.
This guide puts five day trips in that order, with the fees and access the official records give, and the rule that changed Laguna 69 in February 2026. Distances and altitudes come from the tourism inventory, the park service and UNESCO, linked where we use them.
The five day trips, from lowest to highest
| Day trip | Altitude | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Chavín de Huántar | 3,180 m | 107 km, closed Mondays |
| Llanganuco lakes | 3,850 m | National park |
| Laguna Parón | 4,185 m | S/ 5 community fee |
| Pastoruri glacier | Not given | Retreating |
| Laguna 69 | 4,604 m | Agency only |
Why Huaraz comes after Cusco
Huaraz is lower than Cusco, but its day trips are not: three of the five go above 3,800 m, and Laguna 69 is a walk at over 4,600 m. That is why we put Huaraz at the end of a Peru trip, after a week in the southern Andes, and never at the start. If you arrive from Lima, give yourself a first day in town and the lower trips before the high lakes. Our South America altitude guide explains why the order matters.
Chavín de Huántar
Chavín de Huántar is the only one of the five that is not a lake or a glacier: a temple centre of the Chavín culture, on the UNESCO list. The tourism inventory places it at 3,180 m, 107 km and about three hours from Huaraz, with an entry fee of S/ 15, and closed on Mondays. It is a good first day, because it is the lowest.
The Llanganuco lakes
The two Llanganuco lakes, Chinancocha and Orconcocha, lie at 3,850 m in a valley under Huascarán, inside Huascarán National Park, a UNESCO site since 1985. According to the park’s inventory record, you drive 56 km to Yungay and then 25 km up the valley. The same record gives the park fee for foreign visitors as S/ 30 for a day.
Laguna Parón
Laguna Parón, at 4,185 m, is a lake you can reach by car. The inventory gives 69 km from Huaraz to Caraz, and then about 30 km of track to the lake, with a community fee of S/ 5, open from 7:00 to 16:00, and recommends the months from May to November.
Laguna Parón, Cordillera Blanca. Photo by PsamatheM, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Pastoruri, a glacier in retreat
Pastoruri is the glacier visit, and the one that has changed most. According to Peru’s water authority, reported by Andina, it retreated more than 650 m between 1980 and 2019. We have not found an official figure for its altitude, so we leave it out; plan it after the lower trips.
Laguna 69, with an authorised agency
Laguna 69 is the walk most people come to Huaraz for: a turquoise lake at 4,604 m, reached on a 7 km path that takes about three hours each way from Cebolla Pampa, according to the tourism inventory.
Since 9 February 2026 the rules are different. According to Andina, entry is now only through travel agencies authorised by SERNANP, the park service. You can no longer go on your own with a bus ticket, so the hike has to be booked in advance with an authorised operator. It makes most sense as the last day trip, after the lower lakes.
Getting there and how long to stay
PromPerú puts Huaraz at about eight hours by bus from Lima, which is why most people go for at least three days and often more. With three days you can do Chavín or Llanganuco, Parón and Laguna 69; with five, all of them at an easier pace.
The Cordillera Blanca is also famous for multi-day treks, such as the Santa Cruz. Those are a different kind of trip from the one in this guide, and need their own planning.
For where Huaraz fits in the rest of the country, see our guide to the best places to visit in Peru, and for the trips we run, our Peru tours.
Asked before booking
The questions we get on this
- Is Huaraz, Peru worth it?
- Yes, if you like mountains. Huaraz is the base for the Cordillera Blanca and Huascarán National Park, a UNESCO site since 1985, and its day trips reach glacial lakes such as Laguna 69 at 4,604 m and Laguna Parón at 4,185 m. It is a detour from the southern route, about eight hours by bus from Lima, so give it at least three days.
- What is the altitude of Huaraz?
- Peru's national tourism inventory puts the Plaza de Armas of Huaraz at 3,052 m. That is lower than Cusco, but the day trips climb much higher: the Llanganuco lakes are at 3,850 m, Laguna Parón at 4,185 m and Laguna 69 at 4,604 m. That is why Huaraz works best after a trip to the southern Andes.
- Do you need a tour for Laguna 69?
- Yes, since 9 February 2026. According to Andina, Peru's state news agency, entry to Laguna 69 is now only through travel agencies authorised by SERNANP, the national park service. You can no longer walk in on your own, so the hike has to be booked with an authorised operator.