Duration 1 day
Difficulty easy
Max altitude 3,800 m a.s.l.
Distance short walk (25 km from Yungay)
Best time to go March to November
The Llanganuco Lake tour includes a visit to the towns of the Callejón de Huaylas and the Campo Santo of Yungay, the city destroyed by the 1970 earthquake and avalanche. We'll also visit Chinancocha Lake, located in the Llanganuco valley, between the Huandoy and Huascarán mountains. It's ideal if you don't want to exert yourself too much and want to connect with the nature of the Cordillera Blanca, since almost 90% of the tour is done by vehicle.
This circuit through the Callejón de Huaylas is the classic and most important tour in Huaraz and Huascarán National Park, as it visits picturesque towns such as Carhuaz, Yungay and Caraz, as well as small villages along the valley.
Today we'll enter Huascarán National Park and see the highest mountain in Peru, Huascarán (6768 m a.s.l.). We'll also visit the old city buried by the 1970 earthquake and avalanche, the Campo Santo of Yungay, now declared an Intangible Zone.
We'll start the visit by heading north from Huaraz to the town of Carhuaz, where we'll enjoy its traditional ice cream and take photos in the main square. Then we'll go on to Yungay to visit the city buried in 1970, the Campo Santo, and afterwards we'll climb up to Chinancocha Lake, in Llanganuco, where we'll take a boat ride.
Afterwards, we'll descend and pass through Caraz to visit the town and buy handmade manjares. On the way back to Huaraz, we'll visit the artisan village of Taricá.
The Llanganuco lakes are at 3800 m a.s.l. The smaller one is called Orconcocha, or "male lake," with sky-blue waters, and it's at the end of the glacial valley.
Meals are arranged with the travel agency (the group has lunch at a restaurant); we also recommend bringing snacks and drinks for the tour.
You can visit all year round, but we recommend going in the dry season, from March to November, or in the high season, June and August, when there's little or no rain.
Generally yes, with children from age 9, as the route isn't complicated. For older adults, contact us to adapt the tour to their needs.
No. Many people ask, but on this tour the walks are just to explore the area; you won't have to walk long stretches to enjoy the sights.
The 1-day entrance ticket to Huascarán National Park costs S/ 30 (foreigners), S/ 11 (Peruvians) and S/ 5 (children) per person.
Location: the Llanganuco lakes are 25 km northeast of Yungay (45 minutes by car), inside Huascarán National Park, and are fed by meltwater from the Huascarán, Huandoy, Pisco, Yanapaccha and Chopicalqui peaks.
