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The Cordillera Blanca
The trekking capital of Peru — turquoise glacial lakes, the world’s highest tropical mountains, and the community of Vicos where our story began.
Altitude
3,052 m
9,810 ft
Season
May - Sept
Dry season
Region
Áncash
Peru
Highlight
Laguna 69
4,600 msnm
From Lima
~8 hours
by road, 410 km
Good for
Trekking
to 14 - day circuits
A valley framed by ice and sky
Huaraz lies in the Callejón de Huaylas, a high Andean corridor wedged between two mountain ranges: the snow-clad Cordillera Blanca, the highest tropical range on Earth, and the arid Cordillera Negra opposite it.
It’s the launch point for some of the most spectacular trekking on the continent — and, for us, where it all began. We started here as RESPONSible Travel Peru, building tourism hand-in-hand with the community of Vicos. Today Huaraz still teaches the same lesson: the mountains are extraordinary, and the people who live beneath them make the journey matter.
Where our story began
Community tourism in Vicos since 2006
The highlights of Huaraz
Expedition trek
Scenic valley
Day hike · The icon
Glacier · Easy access
Amazing day trip
Charming Town
Our story began here
High above the valley sits Vicos, a Quechua community of farming families. It was here, in the early days as RESPONSible Travel Peru, that we ran our very first community-based trips — and learned that travel does the most good when communities lead it.
🏡 Family homestays
Sleep, cook and share life with a host family.
🧶 Weaving & crafts
Natural dyes and traditional textiles by hand.
🌾 Andean farming
Learn ancestral highland agriculture.
🤝Direct impact
Income stays in the community that hosts you.
Plan your trip
Dry season & trekking peak. Clear skies, firm trails, cold nights. Best for lakes and high passes.
High season. The most reliable weather — and busiest trails. Book ahead.
Shoulder months. Greener landscapes, fewer people, occasional showers.
Rainy season. Lush valleys but cloud, mud and possible route closures on high treks.
🚌 Bus from Lima
Comfortable day or overnight buses cover the 8-hour, 410 km route through the desert and up into the Andes.
✈️ Seasonal flights
Short flights from Lima land at Anta airport, about 30 minutes from Huaraz.
🚐 Day-trip transport
Most lakes and ruins are reached by private or shared van from Huaraz, 1–3 hours each way.
🥾 On the trails
Treks run with local guides, arrieros (muleteers) and pack animals from valley trailheads.
Get inspired Huaraz Experiences
Hand-built itineraries across the Cordillera Blanca and Huayhuash — each one acclimatises you safely and channels tourism toward the communities you’ll meet.
Huaraz On the map
Good to know about Huaraz
Huaraz sits at about 3,052 m, and many day hikes climb above 4,500 m. Plan at least one or two days resting and walking gently before any high trek — a warm-up hike like Laguna Wilcacocha or Churup helps your body adjust before the big lakes.
The dry season from May to September offers the clearest skies and safest trekking, with June–August the busiest. The rainy season (roughly December–March) brings lush valleys but cloud, mud and possible closures on high routes.
It’s about 8 hours by road (410 km) on comfortable day or overnight buses that climb from the coast into the Andes. Seasonal short flights also land at Anta airport, around 30 minutes from town.
There’s something for everyone. Glacier walks like Pastoruri and the Chavín visit are easy; Laguna 69 is a demanding day hike; and the Santa Cruz and Huayhuash circuits are multi-day treks. Good fitness and proper acclimatisation matter more than technical skill.