Ausangate Trek 2027 (5 Days / 4 Nights)

Our Ausangate Trek is a 5-day, 4-night hike around the snow peak: we pick you up at your Cusco hotel around 5:00 a.m. and you return on the fifth day, arriving in Cusco between 5 and 6 p.m. It costs US$600 per person, with transport, guide, cook, muleteers and camping. You book by paying 40% online and the rest in Peru.

It is one of the highest routes we offer: it crosses three passes between 4,800 and 5,200 m, goes past colorful lakes and has hot springs at Upis and Pacchanta. This is a private-only service for groups of 2 to 10 people (there are no shared or group departures), with a guide in Spanish, English or Portuguese, a cook, muleteers with horses to carry the loads and an emergency horse.

Where is Ausangate and how do you get there?

Ausangate is the great snow peak of the Cusco region that you see in the background from Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca). The trek starts and ends in Tinki, which we reach by road from Cusco. All round-trip transport is included, so you only need to be ready at your hotel at pickup time.

How high is the Ausangate Trek?

The highest point is Palomani Pass, at about 5,200 m (17,060 ft) above sea level, which you cross on day three. The other two passes, Arapa and Campa, are around 4,800 and 5,000 m, and on the first night you already sleep at Upis, at about 4,400 m. That is why this route is for experienced, well-acclimatized hikers: we recommend spending 3 or 4 days in Cusco before you start. Read our guide to altitude sickness in Peru.

The Ausangate Trek day by day

Every day you hike with Ausangate in view, and alpacas and llamas are a common sight along the way. The full detail of each day is in the itinerary tab.

How difficult is the Ausangate Trek?

It is demanding: we rate it as challenging. It means five days in a row at high altitude, with three passes from 4,800 to 5,200 m, and day three, over Palomani Pass, is the toughest. This is not a route for your first trek: it is for hikers with multi-day trekking experience who are well acclimatized. Horses carry the loads, an emergency horse always travels with the group, and your guide carries a first-aid kit and oxygen.

When to do the Ausangate Trek, and how cold does it get?

The dry season, from April to October, usually brings clearer skies and better views of the mountain. From November to March it rains more often and clouds can hide the peaks. In any month the nights are very cold, below freezing, so you need a warm sleeping bag (not included; available for rent in Cusco) and thermal clothing. Read more in our guide to the best time to visit Cusco.

Ausangate Trek or the 7 Lakes day hike?

If you are short on time, the Ausangate 7 Lakes tour visits the colorful lakes near Pacchanta in a single day, with a 5 to 6-hour hike up to about 4,850 m. The 5-day trek circles the whole mountain, crosses higher passes and gives you several nights deep in the mountains. And if you want a better-known day hike, the Rainbow Mountain tour is a good way to acclimatize before the trek.

To plan your trip, read our guide: Ausangate Peru 2027: 7 Lakes, Altitude, Qoyllur Rit’i and How to Get There.

Book with a local Cusco agency

We are a Cusco-based agency and run our own Ausangate departures, with guides in Spanish, English and Portuguese, cooks and muleteers. Book through the form on this page: once you make the online payment, we confirm your date and send you the hotel pickup details.