5-Day Ausangate Trek from Cusco
Ready for an adventure? Join this Ausangate 5-day trek that takes you through some of the highest parts of Peru’s Andes! Explore landscapes and local cultures as you go on this challenging hike.
Ausangate Trek 5 Days is an expedition through the slopes of the Ausangate glacier in Peru.
Enjoy a great trip on your next vacation near the Ausangate mountain range. You will see stunning views of unique landscapes every day while hiking.”
Kondor Path Tours runs the trek. It starts in Upis and ends in Pacchanta. The trek circles snowy Ausangate and then returns to Cusco.
Start your adventure on the Ausangate Trek 5 days. It is located southwest of Cusco. Enjoy unique trekking and camping in the Andes for unforgettable experiences.
The Ausangate Trek is a 5-day, 4-night hike. It is one of the best walking trails. You can explore Peru’s geography and wildlife. You can see herds of alpacas during your adventure. The Ausangate Glacier area in Cusco is home to unique and challenging plants.
Introducing the Ausangate Hiking Trail 5 Days—an adventure you’ll never forget! Explore incredible scenery and snap perfect photos when you embark on this journey of a lifetime.
The Ausangate Trek is a 5-day journey through the Andes Mountains in Peru. It offers stunning views of snow-capped peaks, blue lakes, and traditional Quechua communities. This trek is not for the faint of heart, as it reaches altitudes of over 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) and requires reasonable fitness. The rewards are worth it. You will enjoy the stunning beauty of the Andes and connect with the local culture.
The 5-Day Ausangate Trek is considered challenging due to its high altitude and long mountain passes. Hikers typically walk between 10 and 16 kilometers (6–10 miles) per day, averaging 6-8 hours on the trail. Several passes exceed 5,000 meters (16,400 ft), making steady pacing and proper acclimatization essential.
This trek is best suited for experienced hikers or physically active travelers who are comfortable trekking multiple consecutive days in remote high-Andean terrain.
Spending five days in the Ausangate region is more than just a hike — it’s a full immersion into the raw beauty of the Peruvian Andes. Each day brings a different landscape: turquoise glacial lakes, vast open valleys dotted with alpacas, colorful mineral mountains, and towering snow-capped peaks that seem almost within reach.
Unlike crowded trekking routes, the Ausangate circuit feels remote and authentic. You’ll walk through traditional Quechua communities where life still follows ancient rhythms, camp beneath incredibly clear night skies, and wake up to the sound of mountain winds moving across the high plains.
This adventure offers a rare balance of physical challenge and cultural connection. It’s not only about reaching high passes — it’s about experiencing one of the most sacred mountain regions in Peru at a slower, deeper pace.
The 5-day Ausangate Trek is ideal for adventurous travelers seeking a demanding yet rewarding mountain experience. It’s perfect for hikers who have completed multi-day treks before or who feel comfortable walking long distances at high altitude.
This route is especially suited for those who:
It may not be the best choice for beginners with no hiking experience or for travelers short on time. The terrain, altitude, and daily distances require preparation and a positive mindset.
This trek reaches elevations above 5,000 meters (16,400 feet), making it one of the highest classic trekking circuits in Peru. At these altitudes, the air is thinner and physical effort feels more intense, even on gradual inclines.
A good level of cardiovascular fitness is strongly recommended. You don’t need to be a professional athlete, but you should feel comfortable hiking 6 to 8 hours per day on uneven mountain terrain. Strength, stamina, and steady pacing are key.
The most challenging sections are the high mountain passes, where slow, steady walking helps your body adjust naturally. With proper preparation and guidance, most well-acclimatized hikers successfully complete the route.
Spending time in Cusco before starting the trek is essential. We strongly recommend arriving at least 2 to 3 days in advance to allow your body to adapt to the altitude.
During these days, you can explore Cusco city, visit the Sacred Valley, or take short hikes that help your body gradually adjust. Staying hydrated, eating light meals, and avoiding intense physical activity during your first day at altitude can make a significant difference.
Proper acclimatization greatly increases your comfort and reduces the risk of altitude-related symptoms. Arriving prepared lets you fully enjoy the trek without unnecessary physical strain.
The 5-Day Ausangate Trek is a high-altitude expedition through the slopes of the Ausangate glacier in southern Peru. Each day reveals dramatic mountain landscapes, glacial lakes, and remote Andean communities.
Ausangate Trek 5 Days: we start with the pick-up service at the clients’ hotel at 05:30 a.m. As a guide, driver, and vehicle, our adventure team meets the group of hikers to start the journey to the southwest of Cusco in the direction of Tinqui-Upis. The trip lasts approximately 3 hours and a half until the trail ends to begin the Ausangate Peru Trekking Expedition.
The incredible and exciting thing is already having a spectacular, unreal view of the Andes with several groups of alpacas; observe them from different sectors of the Andes Mountain range. They surprise us, giving joy to the entire group of adventurers; it is ideal for taking several spectacular photos and videos of the Andean camelids.
In the UPIS sector, at 4,350 meters or 14,272 feet, we find the pack horses for hikers from the company’s adventure team. After packing all the equipment, hikers start hiking the Ausangate Peru circuit.
After approximately 03 hours of walking, we arrive at the Andean community of UPIS 4,600 meters, or 15,088 feet, “lunch zone,” entering a broad valley to have a panoramic view of the Ausangate glacier.
From the UPIS community, we ascend for approximately 2 hours towards the ARAPA Pass, 4,800 meters/15,748 feet. From Arapa Pass, we descend and ascend again for about 2 hours until we reach the first base camp of Yanaqocha, 4,650 meters (15,256 feet).
WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND
Dear hikers, bring sleeping bags for temperatures below zero to rest well every night on our Ausangate Trek Hike 05 Days. Also, bring thermal clothing for our expeditions and the necessary equipment for this trek in the Andes of Ausangate, Peru.
Summary of the Ausangate hiking warm-up
1L, 1D
Intense
12km (7.4 miles)
6-7 Hrs.
Upis: 4,300m (14,108 ft)
Yana Cocha: 4,650m (15,256 ft)
Arapa Pass: 4,800m (15,478 ft)
Ausangate Trek 5 Days: We are on our second day of hiking, which takes us along a brittle trail that passes through the beautiful blue glacial valley. In this first section of the hiking trail, we have a period of 1 hour and a half where we find the Yanaqocha (black lake) and Puca Qocha (red lake) lagoons until we conquer the Puka Qocha pass at 5,000 meters (16,404 feet).
We continue the expedition with impressive views of the Andes Mountains, almost always accompanied by the tremendous Ausangate glacier. The guide explains that we continue towards Ananta 4,650 meters, or 15,256 feet, “lunch zone.”
After refueling the group of hikers with enough carbohydrates, we continue with more conquests and steps to produce what we athletes like best: the pure adrenaline of hiking.
We ascend for approximately 2 hours to conquer the WARMISAYA Pass, 5,000 meters (16,404 feet). We have a big surprise for our entire hiking group.
Guess what! We have the first views of the rainbow mountain extensionof Vinicunca. After taking group and personal photos, hikers walk for 45 minutes to reach our base camp at QOMER QOCHA, at 4,680 meters (15,354 feet).
Summary of QOMER COCHA
1B, 1L, 1D.
Challenging
12km (7.4 miles)
8-9 Hrs.
Yana Cocha: 4,650m (15,256 ft)
Comer Cocha 4,680m (15,354 ft)
Rainbow Pass: 5,100m (16,732 ft)
Our 5-Day Ausangate Trek starts at 05:30 to reach the mountain of colors, Vinicunca. The additional hike on the alternative route takes about an hour and a half to reach the top of Rainbow Mountain Extension and enjoy an impressive view of the colorful, famous hill. WHEN YOU ENJOY THE BEAUTIFUL AND COLORFUL VIEWS OF VINICUNCA, we return to the same hiking trail to Qomer Qocha.
After lunch, we resume our classic 5-day/4-night Ausangate Trek, hiking for an average of 3 hours to reach our other outdoor camp, AUSANGATE QOCHA, along the foothills of the Andes. Several panoramic views of the Ausangate glacier, with its different mountain ranges, valleys, and inter-Andean ravines, offer unique and colorful geographical features that make each explorer enjoy their vacation in the Peruvian Andes.
Summary of Ausangate Qocha
1B, 1BL, 1D.
Challenging
15km (9 miles)
9 Hrs.
Comer Cocha 4,680m (15,354 ft)
Ausangate Cocha: 4,700m (15,420 ft)
Ausangate Cocha: 4,700m (15,420 ft)
We start our challenging trek for about 3 hours until we reach the Palamani Pass at 5,130 meters (16,831 feet). From the Palomani, we descend towards the lunch area. We then continue hiking through 03 through the high mountain swamp area. “It’s not a swamp, BUT it appears to move like a swamp, but always walks carefully” until we reach our beautiful remote camp of QAMPA 4,750 meters (15,580 feet)
INFORMATIVE NOTE FOR OUR GROUP OF TREKKERS
Our leading tour guide gives us the plan for each day and every night before going to rest. The hiking guide will make the best decisions, such as whether to change camp, the start times of the walks, and the gradual evolution of the walking group, etc.
Summary of Qampa of the penultimate day of the Ausangate Trek 5 Days
1B, 1L, 1D.
Challenging
10km (6.2 miles)
7-8 Hrs
Ausangate Cocha: 4,700m (15,420 ft)
Jampa Pampa: 4,700m (15,420 ft)
Huchuy Pinaya: 5,550m (18,208 ft)
Finally, we have our last leg of the trek to the top of the QAMPA Pass, at 5,020 meters (16,380 feet), for around 2 and a half hours. With our panoramic view of the high inter-Andean valleys, we descend towards the side of the QOMER QOCHA (green lake), surrounded by a reddish terrain, among other unique colors, the Andes present to us. After two more hours of walking, we arrive at the community of Pacchanta to take a dip and relax our athletic bodies. After lunch, we say goodbye to our team of muleteers, horses, and cooks to start the return trip to Cusco. “The trip lasts approximately 3 and a half hours.
INCREDIBLE HIKING THROUGH THE ANDES OF PERU
Ausangate Trek 5 days 4 nights carried out in the surroundings of the slopes of the Ausangate glacier with unique and incredible mountain passes. We find several Andean hamlets of the last Inca Empire lineage that wear colorful costumes in each community. Thank you for visiting the Ausangate Trek, a five-day, four-night trek located south of Cusco, Peru, in South America.
Hike summary of the last leg of the Ausangate Peru trek
1B, 1L.
Intense
12km (6.8 miles)
4-5 Hrs.
Jampa Pampa: 4,700m (15,420 ft)
Pacchanta: 4,350m (14,271 ft)
Jampa Pass: 5,080m (16,667 ft)
The Ausangate Trek is a 5-7-day trek through the Andes Mountains in Peru, culminating at the Ausangate glacier.
The Ausangate trek is challenging due to its high altitude and varied terrain.
The highest point of the Ausangate trek is the Ausangate mountain, which stands at 6,384 meters (20,945 feet) above sea level.
The best time to do the Ausangate trek is from April to October, the dry season in Peru.
The starting point of the Ausangate trek is in Tinki, a four-hour drive from Cusco.
The Ausangate trek can be completed in 5-7 days, depending on the itinerary.
The weather during the Ausangate trek can be unpredictable and varies depending on the time of year. It is recommended to pack for both hot and cold weather conditions.
The Ausangate Trek reaches high altitudes, and altitude sickness can be risky. It is recommended to acclimatize in Cusco before beginning the tour.
Accommodations during the Ausangate Trek range from camping to rustic lodges.
Doing the Ausangate trek without a guide is possible, but hiring a guide or joining a guided tour is highly recommended for safety reasons.
Packing warm clothing, sturdy hiking shoes, a sleeping bag, a backpack, sunscreen, a hat, a water bottle, and snacks is recommended.
No permits are required to do the Ausangate trek.
Visiting small Andean communities and interacting with residents during the Ausangate trek offers opportunities.
Combining the Ausangate trek with a visit to Machu Picchu by taking a train from Cusco to Aguas Calientes is possible.
Several tour companies offer guided Ausangate treks, including Kondor Path Tours.
Our travel Company is fully authorized by the Ministry of Culture of Peru.
A minimum of two trekkers is necessary for the Ausangate Hike 5-Day Private Service.
| Persons | Price (p/p) | |
| 2 | $ 901.00 USD |
The Ausangate Hike 5 Days shared group service needs a minimum of three hikers to start the adventure.
| Number of persons | Price (p/p) | |
| $ 659.00 USD |
Ausangate Trail 5 Days: The five-day Ausangate trek gives you amazing views, great photo spots, and beautiful nature! Prepare to take breathtaking photos along this once-in-a-lifetime hike.
Ausangate Trek:
Explore the stunning Andes in Peru. This is a five-day hike from Ocongate to Tinki. You will see incredible views of tall, snow-capped mountains and deep valleys.
Experience the breathtaking beauty of the High Andes on the Ausangate outdoor experience, which includes a day’s trek! Explore glaciers, lagoons, and stunning snow-capped peaks.
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