Quelccaya Glacier Day Trip

Day Trip Details 

Early in the morning, we’ll pick you up from your hotel in Cusco and set off on a 5-hour journey south. The Andean highlands await us!

During the journey, we’ll cross the Vilcanota Mountain Range, a geological massif where metamorphic and sedimentary rocks reveal the complex history of the Andes. With the first light of dawn, we’ll arrive at Phinaya, a high-altitude Andean community where time seems to have stood still.

Here we’ll take a 40-minute break to recharge with a traditional breakfast of scrambled eggs, potatoes, bread with butter, jam, coffee, or tea. We’ll enjoy it surrounded by a high-Andean puna ecosystem where llamas and vicuñas graze.

Afterward, we’ll continue by vehicle for 1 hour toward the foothills of the Quelccaya Glacier. As soon as we arrive at our main destination, we’ll begin a 15-minute hike that will lead us to the Quelccaya, the largest tropical ice cap in the world.

Before us stretches an immense ice mass spanning tens of square kilometers, with stratified ice walls preserving climatic records for thousands of years. During 2 hours, we’ll explore the glacier and its caves, with stalactites and deep crevices revealing a dynamic system in constant transformation.

After admiring this open-air natural laboratory and understanding its role as a water regulator for the region, we’ll head back to Phinaya to enjoy a traditional lunch. We’ll sit down to savor soup, fried fish, rice, salad, and potatoes, all accompanied by tea.

Recharged, we’ll hit the road again and make a 15-minute stop at Lake Sibinacocha. It’s a vast body of glacial water that reflects the surrounding snow-capped peaks. The perfect spot for the last photos of the day!

By late afternoon, we’ll head back to Cusco and drop you off at the Plaza de Armas, completing a 19-hour day trip. What a day!

Pickup Info

This tour includes hotel pickup in the areas of San Blas, Nueva Alta, Avenida El Sol, Calle Saphy, San Pedro, and Matara. If you’re staying outside these zones, you’ll need to make your own way to Plaza Francisco or Plaza Regocijo.