The Ultimate Guide to the 7 Best Huaraz Hikes in 2025
If you’re a solo traveler exploring Peru and love hiking, then the Best Huaraz Hikes should be high on your list. Tucked away in the Andes, this mountain town is a gateway to some of the most stunning treks in the country. While the city itself is fairly low-key, the real magic lies just beyond it, with breathtaking trails, glacial lakes, and rugged peaks waiting to be explored.
Whether you’re craving a challenging adventure or a scenic day hike, Huaraz is the perfect base for discovering Peru’s best mountain landscapes. Below, you’ll find a roundup of the top hikes around Huaraz to inspire your next adventure.
Laguna 69 Trek
Laguna 69 or Lake 69 (in English) is probably the most famous hike in the Ancash region and the one that everyone does when they visit Huaraz. It is located in the Cordillera Blanca Peru.
It is possible to get to Laguna 69 by public transport from Huaraz, but it takes much longer than the 3 hour drive it takes if you go with a tour group. If you plan to go by public transport then it is best to stay in Yungay the night before and from there take the bus to Laguna 69.
The Laguna 69 tour is an early start, you will get picked up around 5 am for the around 3-hour drive to the start of the hike. On the way, you stop for an optional breakfast so you can get some fuel in you for the hike!!
After breakfast, on the way to the start of the hike you stop at Laguna de Llanganuco, another stunning lake in the Huascaran National Park, just before the start of the hike to Laguna 69.
The hike starts at 3,900 metres above sea level, and from here you hike into the valley for around 45 minutes. You then hike the switchbacks to the right, towards Laguna 69 Peru, until you reach a lake. This is the halfway point, and you will hike the flat valley for around 20 minutes before arriving at more switchbacks up the mountain, where at the top you will reach Huaraz Laguna 69 after around 3 hours.
The Laguna itself is stunning and so worth the hike to it. On a beautiful day, I could sit there for hours, and if you want to relax and spend more time there, then you may want to go by public transport!! If you go on a tour, you will have a set time, when you need to start the hike to return, and if you are too slow, you may not reach the lake!!
Trekking Laguna 69 is not easy, and it is recommended that you acclimatise in Huaraz for a few days before attempting this trek and even better if you have done a hike at altitude before this one.
Make sure to have either altitude tablets or chew coca leaves, as they relieve the symptoms of altitude sickness.
Laguna Paron Huaraz
Laguna Paron Peru, is located on the other side of the mountains from Laguna 69, though at the moment there is no hike to link the two.
It takes around three hours to drive from Huaraz, and the road to Laguna de Paron starts from Caraz.
It is possible to visit on your own, though you would need to take a colectivo from Caraz to the entrance where you can hike the 9km uphill to the lake.
Personally, I decided to take a Laguna Paron tour from Huaraz, and we arrived at the Laguna in the van. From here, you have the option of a 30-minute hike up to the viewpoint, which has amazing views and is well worth the hike.
You can also opt to kayak or take a boat out on the lake.
This was the first of my Huaraz tours and one of my favourites, as on a clear day with the sun shining on the lake, the views are unbelievable, it’s also a great hike to choose to acclimatise in Huaraz before doing one of the harder hikes like Laguna 69 or Laguna Churup.
4 Day Santa Cruz Trek Huaraz
The Santa Cruz Trek Peru has to be the most popular multi-day hike in Huaraz, with many people doing it as part of a group tour, and many also hiking the Santa Cruz solo.
The Santa Cruz trail is located in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range near the town of Caraz. To get to the start of the hike, you pass the start of the Laguna 69 trek and carry on driving up the mountains.
There is a Santa Cruz trek tour which is 4 days long, you have a guide and mules to carry your belongings and your tents will be ready each day when you get to camp, and all meals are provided.
I did meet many people, though, who chose to trek Santa Cruz peru solo. It is possible to do it in 3 days, depending on how you cope with the altitude, but when I did it, I did the 4 day hike.
The whole circuit is 31 miles (50km) with the highest point at 4,750 metres above sea level. Trekking Santa Cruz is a tough hike due to the altitude, but the views are amazing and keep you going through the tough parts.
This is one of the most popular hikes in Huaraz, and if you enjoy multi-day hikes, it’s a great one to do.
8 Day Huayhuash Trek
The Huayhuash circuit is located around a 5-hour drive from Huaraz and is a hike around the Cordillera de Huayhuash mountain range.
The Cordillera Huayhuash trek can be done over 8, 10 or 12 days, though the 8-day trek is the most popular.
Trekking Huayhuash can be done either solo or with a tour, though I personally chose to do the trek with a tour as I cannot physically carry the equipment and food needed for an 8-day trek, plus I don’t want to put up my tent or cook after a day of hiking!!.
The Huayhuash Peru is stunning and is one of the 10 top ten hikes in the world. The views are stunning, though it is a difficult hike as you are hiking between 4,100 metres and 5,200 metres for most of the trek. Only on one day do you stay in a village at 3,700 metres. (The only village and place you can stock up, which is on day 5 of the 8-day trek. It’s also the only place you can get a shower (and it’s hot) during the trek).
The Cordillera Huayhuash views and mountain passes are stunning, and some of the campgrounds have amazing views that you just sit there enjoying the views until the sun sets.
If you are looking for a challenging multi-day hike with amazing views every day, then the Huaraz Huayhuash is the one to choose.
Laguna Churup Huaraz
Laguna Churup Peru, is located around 45 minutes by bus from Huaraz.
It is very easy to get to yourself, and most people do this rather than go on a tour. The bus goes at 7 am from the gas station near the crossroads of Av Antonio Raymondi and Av Agustin Gamarra near Av Las Americas.
This bus takes you right to the start of the hike and will be there at 2-2.30 pm when you have finished the hike. If you miss the first bus, you can get the bus to Llupa and hike to the entrance from there, it takes around an hour.
The hike to Laguna de Churup is a difficult hike as you start at around 3,900 metres above sea level, and Laguna de Churup is at 4,450 metres above sea level.
The hike to Churup lake starts with steps, there is then a section quite flat before a steep uphill section up to the lake.
People told me it is a good one to do as a warm-up for Laguna 69, but personally, I found this a lot tougher than Laguna 69!!
If you have time, though, I would certainly recommend the Churup Huaraz hike as the hike itself and Laguna Churup have amazing views.
Pastoruri Glacier
Pastoruri Glacier Peru, is located around a 2-hour drive from Huaraz.
The only options to get to Pastoruri Glacier is by tour or private transport. There is no public transport that goes to the glacier.
The drive through the Huascaran National Park is beautiful, and on the tour you stop a few times on the way to see some sites.
Once you reach the car park it is around a 40-minute hike up to the Glacier Pastoruri Huaraz at 5,000 metres. The hike is not too hard as it is on a concrete path, though some people do suffer from altitude sickness at this height.
Once you get to the Huaraz Pastoruri glacier, there are a few viewpoints from far away and close to the glacier to get the perfect pictures.
The glacier is receding at an alarming rate, so if you visit Huaraz, then make sure you tour Pastoruri glacier, as in a few years it may no longer be there.
Laguna Wilcacocha
Laguna Wilcacocha Huaraz is located just 15 15-minute ride in a colectivo from Huaraz. There are no tours from Huaraz as it is very easy to get to yourself.
Take the Colectivo to Chiwipampa, and from here, cross the bridge and start the Wilcacocha Lake hike on the dirt road going uphill.
This road goes all the way to Laguna Wilcacocha, though there are paths on the switchbacks to shorten your journey.
The views while walking are amazing, and finally you arrive at the small laguna Wilcacocha.
Is Huaraz worth visiting?
If you like hiking and enjoying seeing mountains and amazing views, then Huaraz is definitely worth visiting. If you prefer cities and eating in nice restaurants, then Huaraz is probably not the place to visit.
The city itself is not the prettiest of cities, but once you get out into the National Parks around the city then the views are truly amazing.
If you like to see the views but do not like hiking very much, then there are still things for you to do. Laguna Paron does not need to involve any hiking, and Pastoruri Glacier, you can get a horse to the glacier if you are unable to walk the mile from the car park or are suffering from the effects of the altitude.
FAQ’s about Hiking in Huaraz
You need to spend 2 to 3 days in Huaraz acclimatising before doing any hard or long hikes, though there are a couple of day trips you can do to acclimatise. Laguna Paron is at 4,155 metres above sea level and Pastoruri Glacier is 5,000 metres above sea level. These are only short hikes, but you may suffer from altitude sickness, especially at Pastoruri Glacier.
If you are looking to experience Huaraz and do a few days’ hikes, then you may only want to spend 5-7 days there, but if you are looking to do a 4-day or 8-day trek, then you will probably want to spend 2-3 weeks there.
Yes, it is possible to suffer from altitude sickness when you are in Huaraz, as it is just over 3,000 metres above sea level. It is a good idea to relax the first couple of days when you arrive to get used to it, before attempting any of the harder hikes.
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