Full day
Cusco – Pacchanta – 7 Lakes circuit – Pacchanta – Cusco
Pickup and drive to Pacchanta: the Flamenco Travel team will pick you up before dawn at your hotel in central Cusco. We'll drive south by tourist transportation, first on paved road and at the end on a dirt road, to the community of Pacchanta (4,200 m a.s.l.) at the foot of Ausangate Mountain. There we'll have breakfast before we start hiking.
7 Lakes circuit: we'll start the hike at a slow pace. The trail climbs gradually, then levels out, with a few steeper stretches. We'll visit the circuit's seven glacial lakes: Azulcocha, Patacocha, Pucacocha, Alqacocha, Q'omercocha, Orqo Otorongo and China Otorongo. Their waters are blue, green, turquoise and reddish, colored by glacier melt and the area's minerals. Along the way you'll see Ausangate Mountain, local herders in traditional dress, and Andean wildlife such as alpacas, llamas, vizcachas and Andean geese. Your Flamenco Travel guide will explain the geology and biodiversity of the area.
Lunch and hot springs in Pacchanta: after the circuit we'll return to Pacchanta for lunch. You'll have time to relax in its hot springs, with views of the mountain range.
Return to Cusco: in the afternoon we'll drive back by tourist transportation and arrive in Cusco in the evening.
