In this Huaraz travel guide, I aim to provide my firsthand experience and lessons learned so you can have the best possible experience in this beautiful region.

Huaraz is a mecca for budget friendly backpackers and nature lovers. Nestled at about 10,000 feet, it is as breathtaking as it is humbling.

I spent the longest amount of time in Huaraz, with my first section staying and documenting a local Quechua family an hour outside of the city, and the second part was partaking in tours around Huaraz’s beautiful landmarks.

Overall, the town itself is nice but the real magic of Huaraz is in its natural beauty and especially in Huascarán national park surrounding the city.
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This guide will give some information and tips from my experience in the city in January 2024.

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The bus ride from Lima to Huaraz was a grueling 8-hour journey that was made well worth it for its breathtaking scenery.

The ride starts from sea level, ascending through high desert and eventually into the Andes Mountains. While a flight may be more convenient, this ride offers views of some of Peru’s greatest biomes and portrays the diversity of this country

I highly recommend taking the Cruz Del Sur bus through Bus Bud, which offers both day and night buses without compromising on quality.

Tickets were around $20, reasonably priced especially with reclining seats, A/C, and a TV.

​Note: There is recently an airport opened outside of Huaraz with direct flights from Lima. It is worth checking out if a long bus ride isn’t for you.

​My Tips: 

1. Bringing food is highly recommended, stops are limited

2. Pack warm clothes, the change of weather is very real and that AC gets cold

3. Bring a camera, there were so many perfect opportunities for photography.

What to do in Huaraz

Huaraz is a city with about 100,000 people and the capital of the Ancash region. While Huaraz is most famous for its landmarks outside the city limits, the city itself has some cool sights that any traveler will enjoy.

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was one of my favorite memories of my entire trip throughout Peru. This was my first latin market experience, and it was an attack of the senses, the sights and smells of foods and goods that are seldom seen in the U.S. put a smile on my face instantly. Mercado Central is embedded in a large downtown warehouse with exotic foods, linens, and everything in between. I highly recommend this place for the best kind of cultural immersion and for some good deals.

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was a nice way to gain insight and knowledge about the history of this region, of the ancient civilizations of Chavin that predated the Incas. While the signs were in Spanish, it was cool to look at the ancient artifacts and relax in their beautiful back garden.

Price: 7 soles

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The Plaza de Armas was where I spent most of my time in the city. It was a fantastic place and had an awesome vibe. The weather was great during my stay and there were tons of families outside.

The Plaza de Armas mostly consists of restaurants, cafes, ferias (local markets), and hiking shops to purchase equipment before you begin trekking. The town is remiscent of many Nepalese towns whose economy is dependent on trekking.

The Plaza de Armas has a great selection of restaurants, stores, and cafes for you to explore.

Encuentro offers a blend of reasonably priced yet fine dining with magnificent views of the Plaza. I ordered the Picante de Cuy and a Mojito for around 50 soles ($15). I highly recommend this restaurant for an upscale experience.

Jirón Julián de Morales 673, Huaraz 02001, Peru

What’s better than embracing the local culture by eating some Neapolitan Pizza in the name of globalism?

Pizzeria Michefmonchi is nestled in a nondescript ally that you may miss if you were to walk by, however what lies within was a welcoming taste of home.

I ordered a Hawaiian personal pizza for 30 soles ($8.80). While relatively expensive, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the slices.

Geneva Park, Pje. Ocshapalca 658, Huaraz 02001, Peru

Getting Around Huaraz

I found Huaraz extremely walkable given the central location of my hotel. However, if you prefer to get around in a faster/more convenient way, I recommend Colectivos.

Colectivos (shared taxis) are the cheapest way to get around Huaraz and the surrounding areas, usually costing just a few soles. For day trips, I recommend using online booking agencies or local hostels.

Laguna Pastoruri Quick Facts:

​The bus ride from Huaraz to Pastoruri glacier was like entering another planet. Located about 2 1/2 hours south of Huaraz and at about 17,000 feet, it was the highest I have ever been.

What shocked me most was the rapid shift of weather, especially the intense winds at the summit that made it frigid.
Although, Pastoruri is a beautiful place and is a bucket list day trip for anyone visiting Huaraz, it is even more important to visit because of the heartbreaking melting occurring on the glacier. Pastoruri has lost over 22 percent of its size over the past 30 years.

Global warming and climate change was something I always cared about, but witnessing with my own eyes was especially haunting and sparked my ambition to make changes in my daily life.

While Pastoruri is beautiful and should be visited regardless, it is even more important to visit this place before it is gone in a few years.

My Tips:
1. Being over 17,000 feet, the weather is gnarly. It was very windy and rainy, definitely bring appropriate clothing .
2. The building before the trail is relatively basic, use the bathroom before as the paved “trail” does not have any. There are a few vendors who sell lunch at base camp
3. Workers have horses to ride up to the glacier if you are struggling The trail is paved and relatively easy but there were plenty of tourists who struggled due to not being acclimatized. 

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Laguna 69 is one of those bucket list adventures for any backpacker. It’s an amazingly bright blue lake nestled between massive mountain ranges, that feels otherworldly.

You are able to book online or in person through your hotel or local travel agencies, however online may be more convenient and will usually pick you up at your hotel/hostel.

The journey to Laguna 69 begins very early in the morning and takes a few hours to reach the trailhead. Unlike the relatively easy Pastoruri trail (with acclimatization), Laguna 69 is a seriously demanding hike.

From trailhead to the lake and back is about a 9 mile hike with a 3,000 foot elevation gain. In reality, most tour groups will limit you to about 3 hours to hike up and back with time to enjoy the view, you have to keep moving or you won’t make it up with time to spare.


I highly recommend doing this trip after you have done easier hikes like Pastoruri to get your body acclimatized, and please invest in quality hiking boots. The amount of tourists who did not make it because of lack of training or quality equipment was sad to see. Don’t waste your money due to ill preparedness.

With proper gear and training this hike will be one of the best hikes you will ever be on, seeing the lake in real life was so amazing. This is why people come to this region. 

Laguna Radian sits near the WilkaLodge homestay where I was staying, making it a natural first hike of my trip.

​This trek was a perfect way to get immersed into the Andean landscape and local culture of the outskirts of Huaraz, but even as an experienced hiker it was especially challenging due to the elevation and my lack of acclimatization. 

​While the whole 4 laguna trek takes multiple days, I only did the first lake, Laguna Radian. It was only about 4 miles but I took longer than usual to take many breaks and strike up conversation with the local Quechuan Farmers.

My Tips:

1: Properly acclimatize before you do any trekking in Huaraz, I quickly got humbled and had to take many breaks. I recommend at least 2 days of full acclimatization before any hiking.

2:  Keep in mind of the unpredictable weather, especially in the rainy season. The weather can go from hot and sunny to cold and pouring rain in a matter of seconds. Weather is unpredictable at 12,000 feet. 

Chavin de Huantar, located an hour outside of Huaraz is one of the most influential pre-Columbian archaeological sites in the world.

Chavin, a UNESCO World Heritage site was a significant spiritual home of the Chavin culture, the first unified culture formed between 900 and 200 B.C.

Self-admittedly, I typically find archaeology and ancient history quite boring, but Chavin felt different. It is a strikingly large and imposing complex nestled in the province of Huari.

Chavin was historically both a ceremonial and pilgrimage center for the Chavin culture. The complex’s labyrinth system was the first of its kind in the Americas to feature advanced canals and vents to mitigate flood risk to keep the structure strong for centuries.

The Chavin culture’s religion was heavily focused on nature, particularly in the combination of both physical and mythical creatures. This belief is evident throughout the complex, where the walls are etched with half-jaguar half-mythical creatures.

The central monolith called Lanzón was the supreme deity further embodiying this design language, with various animal and mythical type features.

Knowing I was coming to Huaraz during the rainy season was a worry of mine before arriving, but I was pleasantly surprised. The weather was beautiful and it only rained a handful of times, and when it did it was quite fun running down mountains with people I had met.

I think I must have just gotten lucky, but Huaraz can be enjoyed throughout the year. When I went during the rainy season, I saw almost no tourists and the weather was perfect.

Huaraz, unlike Lima and Iquitos, felt completely safe throughout my stay. I walked alone at night without concern, and locals were consistently friendly and helpful.

As with any destination, use common sense with your belongings, but crime was never an issue in my experience.

My Recommended Travel Resources

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