From Cusco: 7 lakes with hot springs in Ausangate and meals

The mountains here look almost unreal. This long day from Cusco takes you to the Ausangate Seven Lakes, where green, blue, and turquoise water sits below snow-capped peaks, then adds breakfast, a local lunch, and a soak in hot springs. I especially like the chance to visit a family home in Pacchanta and the fine views of Ausangate glacier.

The price is another strong point. At $38 per person, the tour includes hotel pickup, transport, breakfast, a buffet lunch, a guide, trekking poles, and emergency oxygen. The main catch is the altitude: much of the day takes place above 4,000 meters, and the food and English guiding may be basic depending on the group.

Key points to know before booking

• The first hike is the hardest part: Expect about 1.5 hours of uphill walking before reaching the first lake, followed by roughly 2.5 hours among the lakes and on the return.
• Ausangate is the star of the day: Snow-capped Ausangate feeds the high mountain lagoons and gives the route its grand setting.
• Pacchanta adds a local touch: Breakfast and lunch are served through a local family, using Andean ingredients and products grown in the area.
• Altitude matters more than distance: The walking can be steady and manageable, but 4,000-plus meters can make an easy path feel demanding.
• Hot springs cost extra: The optional 40-minute visit requires a separate PEN 5 entrance fee, and you need to bring a swimsuit.
• Guiding can vary: Felipe and Tony received praise for their energy and helpful attitude, but one booking reported that the guide did not speak English well.

Why this day trip is worth considering

The Seven Lakes route gives you a very different side of the Cusco Region. Many day trips from Cusco focus on archaeological sites, but this one is about open mountain country, glacial water, local food, and the way people live at high altitude.

I like that the day is not just a quick photo stop. You travel through villages, see traditional clothing, eat in a local home, walk through the Vilcanota mountain range, and finish with hot springs. The variety helps justify the 15-hour schedule.

Still, you should book this for the scenery rather than for polished service. The meals are intended to be filling, not refined. One meal description included plain rice and pasta with little seasoning, and another account found both breakfast and lunch disappointing. That may not bother you after a long hike, but picky eaters should pack snacks.

Leaving Cusco before sunrise

Pickup begins early from your Cusco hotel or Airbnb. You wait at the hotel reception, then settle in for about three hours of driving south toward Pacchanta.

This is a long road day, so your seat and tolerance for bus travel matter. The reward is the changing view outside the window. You pass villages, mountain scenery, and local homes, with traditional dress and older street layouts providing a glimpse of daily life beyond central Cusco.

The route passes through Ccatcca. This village is noted for women wearing the traditional clothing of the area and for narrow streets connected with the older settlement. It is not presented as a long walking stop, so treat it as part of the journey rather than a separate sightseeing visit.

You also travel along the interoceanic highway linking Peru and Brazil. That detail gives the drive some geographic context: this is not a sealed-off tourist road, but part of a major route through the Andes and toward the eastern side of South America.

Breakfast with a Pacchanta family

Pacchanta sits above 4,000 meters, so arriving here is your first real test of the altitude. A local family welcomes you into its home and serves breakfast made with Andean ingredients.

That meal is useful for two reasons. First, you need food before the walk. Second, eating in a family home makes the stop feel connected to the community rather than like a standard roadside break.

The menu is not described in detail, and you should not expect a café-style breakfast. The supplied feedback suggests that the food can be simple. I would bring a small supply of snacks in case you need extra energy, especially if you are sensitive to high-altitude exertion.

The welcome is one of the warmer parts of the outing. You have a chance to learn about Pacchanta before heading into the mountains, and the friendly manner of the local people is part of what gives the day its human side.

The first 1.5 hours to the lakes

From Pacchanta, you head toward the Vilcanota mountain range. The route brings the snow-capped Ausangate into view, a glacier that feeds the lagoons visited during the day.

The first walk takes about 1.5 hours and is described as the most strenuous section. That wording is important. The trail may feel steady and fairly easy under normal conditions, but altitude changes the equation. At more than 4,000 meters, your breathing can become harder, and a modest slope may require frequent pauses.

A trekking pole is included, which is helpful on uneven ground and during the return. Comfortable shoes are essential. Warm clothing also matters because temperatures can be low, even when the sun is bright.

One useful piece of practical information is the possible availability of horses. The experience details do not promise a horse ride as part of the package, but one booking specifically noted that riding a horse may be possible. Ask your guide about this on the day rather than assuming it is included or guaranteed.

If you have recently arrived in Cusco and have not adjusted to the altitude, take this section slowly. The tour includes an oxygen bottle for emergencies, but that is a safety measure, not a substitute for pacing yourself.

Comercocha, Alqacocha, and the color of the water

The first lakes include Comercocha and Alqacocha, described as green and turquoise lagoons below the glacier. This is where the trip earns its name and its strongest praise.

The colors may look almost too strong to be real. Mineral content, glacial water, light, and the surrounding rock create a sharp contrast with the dark mountain slopes. The exact appearance can change with the weather, so your photographs may look different from someone else’s, but the setting is the main reason to make the long trip.

Ausangate gives the lakes scale. These are not isolated pools placed in a scenic garden. They sit in a high mountain region with snow and open space around them. You get a sense of the glacier’s role in the whole area, since its meltwater feeds the lagoons below.

Your guide is important here. The better guides help with pacing, point out photo locations, and keep the mood light during the walk. Tony was praised for his energy and for stopping to help with photographs. Felipe was also described as enthusiastic and funny. On the other hand, English ability may vary, so if detailed explanations in English are essential to you, confirm the language arrangement before booking.

The remaining lakes and the return route

After the first lakes, the route continues past Patacocha, Otorongococha, and Azulcocha on the way back toward Pacchanta. The full section from reaching the first lagoon to returning to the restaurant takes about 2.5 hours.

The day is therefore more than a single viewpoint. You keep moving through a series of lagoons, each with its own color and position among the mountains. This makes the route feel like a proper outing rather than a bus ride followed by one photograph.

The word Seven Lakes is central to the experience, although the available description names Comercocha, Alqacocha, Patacocha, Otorongococha, and Azulcocha specifically. Your guide should clarify the full sequence on the day.

Plan for sun, wind, cold, and changing conditions. Bring water, sunscreen, warm layers, and a camera. Do not let the strong sunlight fool you into leaving your warm clothing behind. At this height, the air can turn uncomfortable quickly.

Lunch back in Pacchanta

After the hike, you return to the family home for a buffet lunch. The meal uses local products and naturally grown ingredients from the area, which gives you another chance to connect the tour with Pacchanta’s farming life.

The buffet format is practical. You can choose what you want and take enough to recover after the walk. Still, expectations should stay modest. One account described the food as plain and lacking flavor, with rice and pasta served without much sauce or preparation. Another called it adequate rather than impressive.

I would treat lunch as fuel, not a culinary highlight. If you enjoy simple local food and like knowing that the meal supports a local household, you may find the setting more valuable than the menu. If you need a substantial or highly seasoned meal, carry a few snacks.

Breakfast and lunch are included in the $38 price, so even basic meals add useful value. You avoid finding food on your own in a remote mountain village, and you get to eat in the same community that hosts the walking route.

Forty minutes in Pacchanta’s hot springs

After lunch, you have about 40 minutes for the hot springs. This part is optional, and it costs PEN 5 beyond the tour price. Bring a swimsuit if you want to enter.

The warm water is a welcome change after the cold mountain air and long walk. At this altitude, a soak can feel especially good on tired legs. The setting also gives the day a relaxed finish before the long return drive.

Do not count on an extended spa visit. Forty minutes passes quickly, especially if you need to change. One booking reported missing the hot springs entirely, so keep track of the schedule and confirm with your guide when the group is going.

There is also a practical temperature issue. Stepping out of hot water into cold mountain air can be unpleasant, so have dry, warm clothing ready. The springs are a pleasant extra, but the lakes remain the main reason to book.

Is the $38 price good value?

For a 15-hour day, $38 is a low price. The package covers hotel pickup, round-trip transport, a professional English or Spanish-speaking guide, breakfast, buffet lunch, a trekking pole, and basic emergency equipment including oxygen.

The value is strongest if you want to see Ausangate without arranging private transport. The road journey is long, the area is remote, and transport alone would make independent planning more complicated. You also get meals and a local family connection without needing to organize them separately.

The extra fees are small but should be part of your budget. The main lake entrance costs PEN 20, and the hot springs cost PEN 5. The springs are optional, but the lake entrance is not included.

At this price, the tour is best understood as a straightforward shared excursion. Do not expect luxury transport, elaborate meals, or highly polished guiding in every case. You are paying for access to an extraordinary mountain route and a practical way to handle the logistics.

Who should book this Ausangate outing?

This trip suits you if you want dramatic mountain scenery and can handle a very early start, a long drive, and high-altitude walking. It is also a good choice if you value local contact, simple meals, and a full day away from Cusco’s historic center.

You should think twice if you have a pre-existing medical condition, are pregnant, or are bringing a child under two. Those groups are specifically listed as unsuitable for the activity.

Fitness helps, but altitude preparation matters just as much. The walking has been described as long but relatively easy in shape, yet the height can make it tough even for someone who normally walks well. Move at a steady pace and tell your guide if you feel unwell.

The tour may also work for photographers. The guide can help with stops, and the lakes offer strong color against the glacier and mountains. Just remember that weather and light affect the final photographs.

Getting back to Cusco

After the hot springs, you return by road to Cusco. The tour ends at Plaza del Regocijo, close to the city center, rather than necessarily at your original pickup point.

That final ride makes this a full-day commitment. From early pickup to the return, allow the full 15 hours and avoid scheduling another important activity that evening. You may be tired from the altitude, the walking, and the long drive.

The end point near Plaza del Regocijo is useful if you want to eat or walk back toward the central area, but check your evening plans carefully. This is not a quick half-day side trip.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if your priority is seeing the striking Ausangate lagoons at a low price, with transport, meals, a guide, and hot springs handled for you. The turquoise and green water, the glacier views, and the chance to eat with a family in Pacchanta give the day real character.

Go in with clear expectations. The food may be plain, English guiding can vary, and the hot springs may receive less time than you hope. Bring snacks, warm layers, water, sunscreen, and a swimsuit. If you respect the altitude and accept the basic style of the outing, this is a strong-value way to reach one of the Cusco Region’s most memorable mountain areas.

FAQ

How long does the Seven Lakes tour take?

The activity lasts 15 hours, including pickup in Cusco, the drive to Pacchanta, the hike, lunch, the optional hot springs, and the return journey.

What is included in the price?

The price includes hotel or Airbnb pickup, round-trip transportation, breakfast, a buffet lunch, an English or Spanish-speaking guide, a trekking pole, and first-aid equipment with an oxygen bottle for emergencies.

Are the entrance fees included?

No. The main entrance fee is PEN 20. The optional hot springs require an additional PEN 5 entrance fee.

How difficult is the hike?

The first hike takes about 1.5 hours and is the most strenuous part. The route between the first lake and the return to the restaurant takes about 2.5 hours. Altitude above 4,000 meters can make the walk feel harder than the distance suggests.

What should I bring?

Bring comfortable shoes, warm clothing, water, sunscreen, and a camera. Bring a swimsuit if you plan to use the hot springs.

Is the hot springs visit required?

No. The hot springs visit is optional and lasts about 40 minutes. It takes place after lunch and requires a separate PEN 5 entrance fee.