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

Seven turquoise lakes change your sense of scale. This long day from Cusco pairs striking Andean scenery with a local breakfast, buffet lunch, and a soak in Pacchanta’s hot springs. I especially like the chance to see Ausangate Glacier and meet a family serving food made with local ingredients. The main catch is the altitude: much of the route sits above 4,000 meters, and a 1.5-hour uphill hike can feel far harder than it sounds.

The $38 price is strong for hotel pickup, round-trip transport, two meals, a guide, trekking pole, and emergency oxygen. I also like the warm, personal feel of the Pacchanta stop. Still, meals are basic, the hot-spring visit is optional, and English ability may vary by guide. One guide named Felipe was praised for his energy, while Tony was noted for stopping to help with photos.

Key points to know before booking

• The first hike is the hardest part: Allow about 1.5 hours to reach the first lake, with altitude making the effort tougher than the distance suggests.
• Ausangate provides the grand backdrop: The snow-covered glacier feeds the region’s remarkable green and turquoise lagoons.
• Pacchanta adds local contact: A family welcomes you for breakfast and lunch, giving the day more character than a simple photo stop.
• The seven lakes are spread across a mountain route: The full lake circuit takes about 2.5 hours after you reach the first lagoon.
• Hot springs are a short optional finale: You get about 40 minutes, and the separate entrance costs PEN 5.
• Bring extra food if you are picky: Some meals may be plain, with rice and pasta served without much seasoning or sauce.

Why this Ausangate day trip is worth your time

The Seven Lakes route is not a gentle sightseeing outing from Cusco. It is a very early, very long day in high country, but it gives you something different from the city, Sacred Valley, or Machu Picchu. Here, the attraction is open space, huge peaks, unusual water colors, and a close look at life in remote Andean villages.

I like the combination of scenery and local hospitality. The day does not simply drop you at a viewpoint, take a photo, and rush you away. You stop in Pacchanta, eat food made with Andean ingredients, walk through the Vilcanota mountain range, and return to the same family for lunch.

The experience costs $38 per person, before the PEN 20 lake entrance fee and optional PEN 5 hot-spring fee. That means your main day costs the equivalent of $38 plus modest local charges. For a 15-hour outing with transport from Cusco, breakfast, lunch, a bilingual guide, and a trekking pole, that is good value.

The tradeoff is comfort. You spend about three hours traveling each way, and the final drop-off is at Plaza del Regocijo rather than necessarily back at your accommodation. If you want a relaxed day with plenty of free time, this is not it. If you want dramatic scenery at a low price, it makes much more sense.

The early ride south from Cusco

Pickup begins early at your hotel or Airbnb. Wait at the hotel reception, since the vehicle will collect you before heading south from Cusco toward Pacchanta.

The drive takes about three hours. That is a serious chunk of the day, but the road gives you a gradual change from city streets to small villages and high mountain country. You pass through Ccatcca, a useful cultural window before the hike begins.

Ccatcca is known here for women wearing traditional local clothing and for narrow streets that retain the feel of an older settlement. You should pay attention during the drive, since this section is less about a formal stop and more about seeing daily life from the road.

The route continues along the interoceanic highway linking Peru with Brazil. That detail gives the trip a wider regional context. You are not just following a tourist road to a lake. You are using a major route through a remote part of southern Peru, where villages, pasture, mountains, and older customs remain part of the view.

Bring water and warm clothing within easy reach. Temperatures can be low, especially early in the morning and at high elevations. Sunscreen matters too, even when the air feels cold.

Breakfast with a Pacchanta family

Pacchanta sits above 4,000 meters, so arriving here is more than a meal stop. Your body is already dealing with thin air before the main walking begins. A local family welcomes you into their home and serves breakfast based on Andean ingredients.

I value this part because it gives the day a human center. You have a chance to learn something about the village before heading into the mountains, rather than treating Pacchanta as a parking area.

The food is described as nutritious, but you should keep expectations practical. Later meals receive mixed impressions, and one person found the food plain and lacking seasoning. If you are sensitive to simple cooking, bring a snack. That is sensible for any full-day high-altitude trip, especially one lasting 15 hours.

The meal may also help you start the hike with something in your stomach. Do not skip it just because the menu is not the main reason you booked the tour. You will need energy later.

Ausangate and the first difficult climb

From Pacchanta, you head toward the Vilcanota mountain range. The star of this section is Ausangate, a snow-covered glacier and one of the region’s most impressive peaks.

The glacier matters beyond its appearance. It feeds the lagoons you are visiting, helping explain why these bodies of water sit among such dry, high mountain surroundings. The scenery feels stark and grand, with the colored lakes set against rock, grass, and snow.

The first hike takes around 1.5 hours and is the most strenuous walking of the day. The distance alone may not sound alarming, but 4,000-plus meters changes the rules. A steady pace is more useful than trying to keep up with the fastest person in the group.

You should tell the guide if you need a pause. The tour includes a trekking pole, which is useful on uneven ground and gives you extra support when your legs feel heavy. The guide also carries first-aid equipment and an oxygen bottle for emergencies.

The route is described as long but generally easy in terms of technical walking. That does not mean easy for everyone. One person found the altitude made the hike tough despite the steady path, particularly if you are not in good shape. I would treat this as a moderate high-altitude walk, not a casual stroll.

Horse riding may be available along the route, according to one experience. The supplied details do not set out a formal horse option or its price, so do not book this tour assuming a horse is guaranteed. Ask the operator before you go if walking at altitude concerns you.

The green and turquoise lakes

Once you reach the first lagoon, the pace changes. You visit a series of lakes, including Comercocha and Alqacocha, both described as green and turquoise and set below the glacier.

This is the part that earns the long drive. The colors can look almost unreal, but the setting keeps them from feeling artificial. Snow, rock, open mountain slopes, and cold air frame the water. You will want photos, but take time to look without a camera in front of your face.

The full circuit from the first lagoon back toward the restaurant takes about 2.5 hours. Along the return route, you pass Patacocha, Otorongococha, and Azulcocha. The route includes seven lakes in total, though only some are named in the supplied details.

Do not expect seven separate, leisurely visits with long breaks at each one. The day has a schedule, and the lakes are part of a continuous mountain walk. Your guide may stop for photos and explanations, but the exact pace can depend on the group, weather, and altitude.

This is where guides can make a real difference. Tony was praised for a fun personality and for being willing to stop for photographs. Felipe was also described as enthusiastic and amusing. Those qualities matter on a long hike, especially when a little encouragement helps you keep moving.

English service may not be equally strong on every departure. One person specifically found that the guide did not speak English well. The tour is advertised with English and Spanish guides, but if clear English explanations are essential to you, confirm the language arrangements before paying.

Returning to Pacchanta for lunch

After the lake circuit, you return to the host family’s home for a buffet lunch. The meal uses locally grown natural products, which adds a welcome connection to the place you have just walked through.

The lunch is functional rather than gourmet. You may find rice, pasta, and other simple dishes. One meal was described as having little flavor and no sauce, while another description called the food sufficient but not especially good. I would treat lunch as fuel and local hospitality, not a culinary highlight.

That is not necessarily a bad thing. After several hours at altitude, a straightforward meal can be exactly what you need. Still, bring a small snack if you have dietary preferences or need more protein and flavor than a basic buffet may provide.

The family meal is one of the tour’s better ideas. It puts money and attention into the local community, and it gives you a chance to see a home setting rather than eating at an anonymous roadside restaurant. The cultural value is modest but real.

A 40-minute soak in Pacchanta

After lunch, you have about 40 minutes for the hot springs. The visit is optional, so you can skip it if you are tired, cold, or ready for the ride back to Cusco.

The hot springs are a pleasant contrast to the hike. Your legs have spent the day walking over high ground, and warm water can feel welcome. Bring a swimsuit, since one is not included. The separate entrance costs PEN 5.

The timing is tight. Forty minutes is enough for a soak, but not for a long, unhurried spa session. You will also need to think about the cold air when you get out. One person enjoyed the thermal pools but found the transition back into the cold difficult.

There is an important practical concern here: the hot springs are not guaranteed as part of every actual day. One person reported that the group did not visit them at all. Since the activity description makes the stop optional, ask your guide early in the day how the schedule will work and keep your swimsuit accessible rather than buried in your bag.

The return to Cusco

After Pacchanta, you ride back to Cusco. The return journey takes roughly three hours, making this a full 15-hour day from pickup to finish.

The tour ends at Plaza del Regocijo near the city center. That is convenient if you want to walk onward or meet someone downtown, but it may mean arranging your own final connection to your accommodation.

By this point, fatigue is part of the experience. You have had an early start, a long drive, a high-altitude climb, several hours around the lakes, and a possible hot-spring stop. Do not schedule an important evening activity after this tour. A quiet meal and an early night are more realistic.

Altitude, clothing, and physical demands

Altitude is the main issue, not a minor footnote. The route reaches areas above 4,000 meters, and even a fit person can feel breathless, slow, or light-headed. The supplied information advises preparation for high altitude, but it does not give a formal acclimatization requirement.

Warm clothing is essential. Bring layers, comfortable walking shoes, water, sunscreen, and a camera. Mountain weather can change your comfort quickly, so avoid relying on one thin jacket.

This outing is not suitable for children under two, pregnant women, or people with pre-existing medical conditions. If you have a health concern, get medical advice before booking rather than assuming the oxygen bottle makes the tour safe for everyone.

I would choose this day if you can manage a long hike and accept a basic level of comfort. I would not choose it as your first physical activity after arriving in Cusco if you are unsure how your body handles elevation.

What the $38 price really covers

At $38, the tour gives you a lot of structure for little money. Included services are:

• Hotel or Airbnb pickup
• Round-trip transportation
• Breakfast and buffet lunch
• English or Spanish-speaking professional guide
• Trekking pole
• First-aid equipment and emergency oxygen

You still pay PEN 20 for the lake entrance and PEN 5 for the hot springs if you choose to enter. Those extra charges are small, but you should carry local currency so they do not become an annoyance.

The real value is transportation. Reaching Ausangate and Pacchanta independently would require sorting out a very early transfer, a route into the mountains, meals, and the lake access. The tour handles those moving parts in one day.

The limitations are the long ride, possible language mismatch, plain food, and uncertain hot-spring stop. You are paying for access and organization, not luxury. That is a fair deal if your priority is seeing the lakes.

Who should book this experience?

I would recommend it to you if you want dramatic mountain scenery, unusual lake colors, and a low-cost route into the Ausangate region. It also suits people who enjoy a local meal and do not need polished tourist facilities.

You will probably appreciate it most if you are already comfortable with long days and basic conditions. A positive attitude helps when breakfast or lunch is simple, the road ride is long, and the cold returns after the hot springs.

You should think twice if you dislike early starts, struggle with altitude, need guaranteed fluent English, or expect a relaxed spa day. The lake route is the star, while the meals and hot springs are supporting parts of the program.

Should you book the Seven Lakes and hot springs tour?

Book it if the idea of turquoise lagoons below Ausangate excites you more than the inconvenience of a 15-hour day. The scenery receives the strongest praise, and the guides can add real warmth and humor to a demanding outing. Tony and Felipe are good examples of how a lively guide can make the hike easier to enjoy.

Go prepared for high altitude, plain food, cold weather, and a long return ride. Carry water, snacks, warm layers, sunscreen, and a swimsuit, then confirm the guide’s language and hot-spring plan. At $38 plus the two small entrance fees, this is a worthwhile choice for scenery and access, but not for comfort or fine dining.

FAQ

How long does the Seven Lakes tour last?

The activity lasts about 15 hours, including pickup in Cusco, the drive to Pacchanta, the hike, meals, hot springs if chosen, and the return to Cusco.

Where does pickup take place?

Pickup is included from your hotel or Airbnb in Cusco. You should wait at the hotel reception.

How high does the tour go?

The activity visits areas above 4,000 meters above sea level, including Pacchanta and the surrounding mountain route.

How long is the hike to the first lake?

The first hike takes approximately 1.5 hours and is the most strenuous part of the Seven Lakes route.

How long does the full lake visit take?

From reaching the first lagoon until returning to the restaurant, the route takes about 2.5 hours.

Are the hot springs included?

The hot springs are optional and require a separate entrance fee of PEN 5. You have about 40 minutes for the visit, and you should bring a swimsuit.

What is included in the tour price?

The price includes hotel pickup, round-trip transportation, breakfast, buffet lunch, an English or Spanish-speaking guide, first-aid equipment, an emergency oxygen bottle, and a trekking pole. The PEN 20 lake entrance fee and PEN 5 hot-spring entrance fee are not included.