Things to do in Huaraz
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Huaraz
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best: dry season, clear mornings, stable trails and every route open. July and August are peak, so book ahead.
Shoulder: workable and cheaper, with afternoon rain some days, cloud on high lakes and fewer group departures.
Worst: wet season, daily afternoon rain, muddy trails, hidden peaks and disrupted roads. January to March is worst.
What's on
- Fiesta del Señor de la Soledad 1-10 May
Week of processions, dance troupes, bands and fireworks for the city's patron, centred on the Soledad sanctuary.
- Semana Turística Andina late June
Tourism and culture week in peak dry season: folkloric parades, food fairs and adventure sport events. Dates drift by year.
- Fiestas Patrias and Huaraz anniversary week late July, national holidays 28-29 July
Civic parades and concerts with full hotels and booked out Lima buses. Reserve transport first.
- Carnaval in the Callejón February/March
Water, paint and street parties across valley towns, Carhuaz noted. Trekking is secondary that week.
Best things to do in Huaraz
Laguna 69
Brilliant blue lake at 4604m under Chacraraju, the signature day hike once you are acclimatised.
Laguna Parón
Largest lake in the Cordillera Blanca with turquoise water and road access almost to the shore.
Chavín de Huántar
Pre-Inca temple complex whose underground galleries hold the Lanzon monolith in its chamber.
Museo Nacional de Chavín
Museum pairing for the temple, holding the displaced tenon heads and the Tello Obelisk.
Laguna Chinancocha
Emerald Llanganuco lake with lakeside walks, rowing boats in season and quenual forest.
Laguna Orconcocha
The second Llanganuco lake, seen on the same scenic valley drive between Huascaran and Huandoy.
Pastoruri Glacier
Ranger managed climate change route to a retreating glacier, past giant Puya Raimondii plants.
Museo Arqueológico de Áncash
Compact museum on the Plaza whose open air lithic park holds Chavin, Recuay and Wari stone sculpture.
Where to stay in Huaraz
Centro
first trip, all-round base
Flat and walkable to every agency, the market, both museums and almost every restaurant, inside all tour pickup zones.
Belén and José Olaya
quiet, comfort, longer stays
Residential north centre streets with better mid range hotels, local restaurants and big Blanca views, ten minutes from centre.
Independencia and Centenario
local life and mid-range value
A real Peruvian city feel across the Rio Quilcay, cheaper for the same room, at the cost of a walk or taxi to agencies.
Monterrey
rest and recovery, not a touring base
Hot springs suburb in eucalyptus and gardens, lovely after a trek but a pre dawn taxi negotiation before every departure.
Anta and the eastern foothills
splurge finale
Country house lodging with gardens, home cooking and unobstructed views, 20 to 40 minutes from centre.
Think twice about
- Far south around the bus terminals, southern Avenida Fitzcarrald and Avenida Raimondi
Noisy, traffic choked strip of terminals and workshops where commission touts are most persistent, with every pickup a taxi ride north.
- Immediate Mercado Central and Luzuriaga market blocks
Fascinating by day but loud, congested and pickpocket friendly in crowds from before dawn. Two blocks back fixes it.
- Steep hillside peripheries east and west, upper Rataquenua and lanes above Soledad
Unlit, steep and poorly mapped for pickups, and emptier at night than a first time visitor at altitude should improvise in.
- Caraz, Yungay and Carhuaz as a Huaraz base
Pleasant towns, but they strand a general itinerary one to one and a half hours from Churup, Pastoruri and most departures.
Best restaurants in Huaraz
Chilli Heaven
Consensus favourite for proper Indian, Thai and Mexican plates in massive post trek portions.
Trivio Café Restobar
Sierra Andina brewery taproom and trekkers' living room, with farm produce kitchen and big breakfasts.
Mi Comedia Pizzeria
Warm wood oven pizzeria with leopard spotted crusts, the post Huayhuash carbohydrate ceremony.
Café Andino
Book lined, fire warmed daytime cafe that doubles as a lending library and climber noticeboard.
Jama Restaurante
Small room doing refined Peruvian and international plates, the closest Huaraz gets to a destination dinner.
Recreo Turístico Don Cuy
Large family garden restaurant famous across the valley for cuy cooked to order and traditional plates.
El Fogón
Reliable big room Peruvian grill for grilled meats, trout, lomo saltado and soups in quantity.
Calima
Intimate, chef led Peruvian plates and hand made pastas in a cosy upstairs space, the date night pick.
Outdoor things to do in Huaraz
Santa Cruz Trek
The classic four day Blanca trek over Punta Union at 4750m, past turquoise lakes and Alpamayo views.
Huayhuash Circuit
Remote eight to ten day circuit with nine passes above 4700m and a different glacial lake most nights.
Laguna Churup
Steep acclimatisation hike to a vivid lake under Nevado Churup, with fixed ropes near the top.
Nevado Mateo
One day guided glacier climb to a 5150m summit facing Huascaran, for acclimatised beginners.
Alpamayo Circuit
Long, quiet loop to Alpamayo base camp over several high passes, with a fraction of Santa Cruz traffic.
Laguna Wilcacocha
Easy first hike in the dry Negra facing the entire Cordillera Blanca in one panorama.
Hatun Machay
Stone forest at 4200m with caves, petroglyphs and several hundred bolted sport climbing routes.
Los Olivos
In town crag used for half day and first time rock climbing sessions with a guide.
Best hotels in Huaraz
Cuesta Serena Boutique Hotel
Eight room country house in gardens facing the Blanca, the luxury pick despite being 25 minutes north.
Andino Club Hotel
Swiss Peruvian full service hotel in town with gardens, Huascaran views and decades of trek organising.
The Lazy Dog Inn
Long standing adobe lodge in farmland above the city with home cooked dinners, horses and trails.
San Sebastián Hotel Boutique
Small boutique hotel with a garden courtyard a short walk from the Plaza, the comfortable centro default.
Hotel El Tumi
Larger reliable Peruvian hotel with restaurant and spa, popular with families and tour groups.
Akilpo Guest House
Family guesthouse from a local trekking family, with private rooms that outperform many pricier hotels.
Akilpo Hostel
Trekker consensus hostel run by four local brothers, with route planning, storage and early breakfasts.
Kame House Backpacker
Social hostel with a rooftop terrace, movie room, group meals and a tour desk run by a trekking guide.
Is Huaraz expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | PEN 80 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | PEN 200 a person |
| Splurge | PEN 550 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Laguna 69: a few days ahead
- Chavín de Huántar: a few days ahead
- Pastoruri Glacier: a few days ahead
- Santa Cruz Trek: weeks ahead
- Huayhuash Circuit: weeks ahead
- Nevado Mateo: weeks ahead
- Alpamayo Circuit: weeks ahead
- Hatun Machay: a few days ahead
- Day tours: book in Huaraz 1 to 2 days ahead via a hostel or reputable agency, cheaper and more flexible than online.
- Santa Cruz groups: 2 to 7 days ahead in season. Huayhuash, Alpamayo, Pisco and private guiding: 2 to 6 weeks ahead in June to August.
- Huascaran park entry is paid separately in cash soles. Entrance huts have no card machines and no change.
- Confirm in writing group size, guide certification, oxygen, meals, gear and what happens if weather cancels.
Is Huaraz safe?
- Altitude is the main risk: gentle first night, town and Wilcacocha on day two, Churup or Paron on day three, Laguna 69 after that.
- Worsening headache with nausea and dizziness means stop and descend. Tell your guide early on trek.
- Insurance must explicitly cover trekking and climbing above 4000m and to your actual summit altitude, plus evacuation.
- Petty theft in markets and terminals: front pockets, bag on your lap on buses, no phone on street facing cafe tables.
- Hike above town with company in daylight, and take colectivos or taxis to trailheads rather than walking quiet approach roads alone.
- Build one buffer day before an international flight from Lima: protests and road blockades can close the roads for a day.
Huaraz travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Laguna 69 on day one, the commonest ruined day in Huaraz, sold by agencies who know better.
- The 15 dollar everything included trek: below a floor price, park entry, a real guide, food or a sound tent is missing.
- Pastoruri sold as a glacier adventure: it is a climate interpretation walk, good only on those terms.
- Captadores at the terminal claiming your booked hostel is full, closed or dangerous. Taxi to your actual booking.
- Selina dorm pricing and on Plaza premiums, undercut by half within two blocks.
- Buying the Llanganuco tour twice: it is passed on Laguna 69 and Santa Cruz days.
- Budget Chavin and Pastoruri buses sold with an English speaking guide but run Spanish only.
Getting around Huaraz: public transport and more
- Walk in town. Taxis are cheap and unmetered, so agree the fare first using your hotel's going rate.
- Colectivos run the valley spine to Carhuaz, Yungay and Caraz, and to Pitec, San Pedro and Monterrey for soles.
- Lima to Huaraz is 8 to 9 hours by bus, usually overnight. Book Cruz del Sur or Movil Bus in higher seat classes.
- For Paron and remote trailheads, a hired taxi for the day split four ways through your hostel is standard.
Who Huaraz suits
| Solo travellers | Great |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Great |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Great |
Make Huaraz your trip
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