A Guide to Hiking Laguna Wilcacocha in Huaraz, Peru

In this hiking guide we’ll share everything you need to know about hiking up to Laguna Wilcacocha in Huaraz. This small lagoon is located really close to Huaraz, so it’s perfect as a half-day trip from the city. Due to its lower altitude compared with other popular day trips from Huaraz, such as Laguna 69, it’s also the perfect acclimatisation hike.

In this blog post we’ll discuss whether to do it independently or with a tour and give you a step-by-step guide on how to reach the trailhead from Huaraz. You can also learn more about the length, difficulty and altitude of this hike and also what you should wear and pack to have the best possible experience.

If you’d like to see our adventures, then check out our dedicated Huaraz video on our YouTube Channel. For more Peru videos check out our Peru Playlist.

About Laguna Wilcacocha in Huaraz

Laguna Wilcacocha is located just outside of Huaraz in the Cordillera Negra, a mountain range that faces the jaw-dropping Cordillera Blanca. The range extends over an area about 230 km long and 25–40 km wide and is separated from the other mountain range by the Santa River.

The highest mountain in the Cordillera Negra range is the 5,181 m (16,998 ft) high Quñuqranra. It is quite a lot smaller than Huascaran Sur (6,768 m / 22,205 ft), the highest peak in both the Cordillera Blanca Range and Peru.

Laguna Wilcacocha is a small lake located at 3,725 m (12,220 ft) above sea level. The walk up to it is considered an easy acclimatisation hike for those wishing to complete more challenging trails within the Cordillera Blanca range.

Things to Know Before Your Laguna Wilcacocha Hike

Tour or Independent Visit to Laguna Wilcacocha?

Whilst it’s more convenient to complete most day trips from Huaraz with a tour, we recommend completing the Laguna Wilcacocha hike on your own.

This is because the trailhead to the lake is located only a short colectivo ride away from Huaraz. Unlike most hikes within the Huascaran National Park, the return journey from Laguna Wilcacocha is also much easier. Therefore, the whole day trip will be way cheaper than it would be if you did it with a tour.

However, if you don’t feel confident going independently, then you can always go on an organised day trip. There are many tour companies in Huaraz you can choose from or you can even book it through your hotel or hostel.

Entrance Fee to Laguna Wilcacocha in Huaraz

The best part of visiting Laguna Wilcacocha is that it’s not located in the Huascaran National Park. For this reason you don’t have to pay the park entrance fee so Laguna Wilcacocha is free to visit.

Do you Need Special Travel Insurance to Hike Laguna Wilcacocha?

We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to have travel insurance before any trip you make abroad. Now, most travel insurance won’t automatically include cover for all the activities you’re planning on doing during your travels.

For example, if you’re visiting Peru and planning on hiking in high altitudes, then you should have cover for high altitude trekking in your insurance policy. Make sure to shop around to find the most suitable one. You just never know what could happen and it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Best Time to Hike Laguna Wilcacocha in Huaraz

You can technically hike up to Laguna Wilcacocha all year round. However, there are better and worse times of the year to visit.

The wet season is normally between December and March/April. Whilst visiting during this time frame doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll be hiking in the pouring rain, the chances are much higher. The hike can become a miserable experience in bad weather conditions. You would really want to be enjoying the scenery and not wishing that you’d stayed in your hotel room.

The dry season is from about April to November. This time frame definitely gives you a high chance of a sunny and enjoyable hike. If you come just before the dry season, around April, then you’ll probably have a pleasant and rain free hike. There’s also a much higher chance that you could have the whole place to yourself. When we visited in early May we had a very lovely morning before the clouds started gathering for the usual afternoon shower and thunderstorm.

June to September are the most popular tourist months, so be prepared for more people to be on the trail with you. It still won’t be as busy as other places like Laguna 69 or Laguna Paron though.

How to Get to Laguna Wilcacocha Trailhead from Huaraz

The quickest and most affordable way to reach the trailhead is by colectivo. Colectivos towards Wilcacocha leave on the north side of Antonio Raymondi road just behind the Mercado Central de Huaraz. It’s even marked as Colcetivo to Laguna Wilcacocha on Google Maps.

You can either hop on to the Line 10 or E. The names are clearly marked, but you can always double check with the person who’s shouting the locations the colectivo is going to. You have to tell this person that you want to get off at Santa Cruz Bridge (Puente de Santa Cruz). I mean, it’ll be pretty obvious that you’re hiking up to Wilcacocha but you can always confirm it with them. You normally pay the driver’s helper when you get off and they will always shout the stop.

You can always track your journey on Google Maps, but we found locals to be very helpful. It takes about 20 to 25 minutes to get to the trailhead. A one way journey cost about S/. 2-2.50 per person.

When you want to return to Huaraz, just stand on the other side of the road and wait for a colectivo to pass you. You’ll need to wave it down and just tell the person that you’re going to Huaraz. Sometimes if a colectivo is full they won’t stop, in which case you might need to wait a bit longer.

Laguna Wilcacocha Trail

1. Santa Cruz Bridge to Wilcacocha Lake

You’ll start your hike at Santa Cruz Bridge where the colectivo dropped you off. You’ll need to cross the bridge and follow the dirt road for a few minutes.

You should soon notice a small trail heading up on your left. That’s the hiking trail you have to take, otherwise you’ll be following the dirt road the whole time. You can if you want to, but it would take you longer to complete the hike that way.

Along the way you’ll cross the dirt road three times. The trail will sometimes feel like you’re walking through someone’s property, but it should be obvious where the path is. You’ll pass a few small communities along the way too. Locals will be going about their daily activities, like herding their cows to the fields for the day.

You might encounter some roaming local dogs too. They normally aren’t aggressive, and will be happy to follow along with you for a bit. We only passed one barking dog who was chained and clearly didn’t like us walking past him.

2. Laguna Wilcacocha and Viewpoint

There will be a few signs when you’re crossing the dirt road, so you’ll know you’re going the right way. Soon you’ll reach Laguna Wilcacocha after walking past some more small houses.

Now, we have to admit that at first we didn’t think we were in the right place as we reached Laguna Wilcacocha. The lake is more like an overgrown pond, so don’t expect it to look anything like Laguna 69 or Laguna Paron.

You can still walk around the lake though, and get a cool reflection shot with the mountains in the background.

The beauty of this trail is actually not the lake, but the view you’ll get of Huascaran National Park and the Cordillera Blanca Mountain range. So, walk a bit higher up through the fields and be blown away by the scale of the mountains in front of you. When you’re in the national park it’s hard to imagine just how far it stretches.

We suggest spending some time up here enjoying the views, having a picnic or reading a book. It’s such a peaceful place to relax.

3. Wilcacocha Lake to Santa Cruz Bridge

Once you’re ready to leave Laguna Wilcacocha, you’ll need to follow the exact same route you took to get up there. Since it’s all downhill, it should take you less time to get back to the trailhead.

However, be careful as the path is uneven and you don’t want to trip over and spoil your day. It can also be hard on your knees, so if you have walking poles they can come in really handy.

Once you’re at the bridge, just cross the road and catch the next colectivo heading to Huaraz.

How to Prepare for the Laguna Wilcacocha Hike in Huaraz

How Long is the Laguna Wilcacocha Hike

The Laguna Wilcacocha hike is a 7 km (8.7 mi) point-to-point hike. It normally takes about 1.5 hours to hike up to the lake depending on your pace.

We got to the trailhead at 8:45AM and made it up to the lagoon around 10:30AM. We spent over an hour at the top enjoying the views and having a picnic before heading back down to catch a colectivo back to Huaraz.

The distance of this trail is short but the elevation can slow you down a little as it’s all uphill. Luckily, the trailhead isn’t too far from Huaraz, so you can complete this hike and be back in the city by mid afternoon.

What is the Altitude and Elevation of Laguna Wilcacocha

The Laguna Wilcacocha hike starts at Santa Cruz Bridge at an elevation of 3,150 m (10,335 ft) above sea level. The trailhead is only about 100 m higher than Huaraz (3,052 m / 10,013 ft). The maximum altitude along the hike is 3,725 m (12,220 ft) at the Laguna Wilcacocha viewpoint.

This means that during this short hike you’ll gain about 575 m (1,886 ft) of elevation. This is definitely less than the 800 m (2,625 ft) of elevation gain you’ll have on the popular Laguna 69 hike. Not to mention that you would be starting your Laguna 69 hike from a similar elevation to the maximum altitude at Laguna Wilcacocha. Therefore, this trail is definitely a great one to complete on your first day in Huaraz.

Whilst this hike is at slightly lower altitude, 3,700 m is still pretty high, so make sure to take it easy to avoid altitude sickness.

How to Prevent Altitude Sickness on the Laguna 69 Hike?

It’s important to know that anyone can develop altitude sickness and its symptoms can be less or more severe depending on the person. Symptoms of altitude sickness include dehydration, dizziness, headaches, shortness of breath, heavy breathing, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting.

If you haven’t visited other high altitude places in Peru such as Cusco 3,400 m (11,200ft) before arriving to Huaraz, then we suggest taking it easy on your first day to get used to the altitude.

The Laguna Wilcacocha hike is considered a great acclimatisation hike since it’s not as long or physically challenging as other hikes around Huaraz. Therefore, if you don’t have long in Huaraz, we suggest completing this first before you go on to other day trips.

Another way to reduce the risk of altitude sickness is to avoid drinking too much alcohol before your hike or eating a lot of heavy foods. Staying hydrated is also very important to avoid dehydration and headaches. You can drink Coca tea like the locals do at high altitudes in Peru. In addition, you can also buy some altitude sickness tablets before you hike anywhere in Peru.

Of course if you’ve done some high altitude hikes in Peru such as the Salkantay Trek, the Ausangate Trek to Rainbow Mountain, or you went on a 2 or 3-day Colca Canyon Trek, then you’ll most likely be fine.

What to Wear and Pack for Hiking Laguna Wilcacocha

We highly recommend wearing a hiking appropriate outfit on the Laguna Wilcacocha hike. Depending on the time of year you’re visiting, make sure to dress for the weather conditions. Since this hike is at lower altitude, it can feel much warmer compared with other hikes in the area, especially in the dry season.

The temperatures can change a lot during the day so definitely wear layers. You’ll likely get warm as you climb up to the viewpoint but it can feel cooler once you stop if it’s not a nice, sunny day.

If you’re visiting in the rainy season, then make sure to also pack a rain jacket. When we visited in early May we had a lovely day but the clouds were building up by the early afternoon. Luckily we didn’t get rained on, but you can easily get caught in an afternoon storm especially if you start the hike later. For extra safety, you can pack a waterproof cover for your backpack too.

In terms of footwear, we suggest wearing hiking boots or shoes that have good grip and support. The trail up to the viewpoint is a mix of dirt road and uneven path, so supportive shoes will come in handy.

We recommend carrying a daypack containing all the essentials you might need for the day. Pack your lunch that you can eat at the viewpoint and enough snacks and water to stay hydrated. Don’t forget your camera gear either and perhaps bring a portable charger for your phone.

Make sure to use sun-cream, a hat or cap and sunglasses for protection. Also, have enough cash on you to pay for your colectivo or anything extra.

We suggest having a basic first-aid kit with you with some painkillers, altitude tablets and band-aids in.

Facilities Along the Laguna Wilcacocha Hike

There aren’t any toilet facilities along this hike. There might be a few small shops along the road where the colectivo drops you off but it certainly won’t be a huge selection. Since you aren’t too far from the city, we recommend packing your own food and drinks for the hike and having a little picnic up at the top.

Just make sure that you Leave No Trace!

Final Thoughts on Hiking Laguna Wilcacocha in Huaraz

Although we don’t think that Laguna Wilcacocha is the most beautiful lake around Huaraz, we still enjoyed the hike for multiple reasons. Firstly, the views you get of the Cordillera Blanca are jaw-dropping and a hundred percent worth hiking up for.

Secondly, we truly enjoyed the fact that the trailhead is easily accessible by public transport so we didn’t have to sign up for another day tour. We love DIY-ing our day trips so it was definitely right up our street. We were also happy that we didn’t have to sit in a minivan for 8 hours just to complete a short hike like at Laguna Paron or the Pastoruri Glacier.

Have you ever been to Huaraz and hiked up to Laguna Wilcacocha before? If so, did you do the hike independently or with a tour? What was your experience like? If not, would you add this trail to your Huaraz itinerary? Let us know in the comments below.