Ausangate Trek 5 days: the complete guide
Ausangate is the highest mountain in southern Peru and the most sacred apu of the Cusco region. The five-day trek around it is remote, high and utterly wild — glaciers, turquoise and crimson lagoons, and passes above 5,000 m, far from any crowd.
A trek for the high and wild
This is true high-altitude trekking. You circle the glaciated mass of Ausangate (6,384 m), crossing passes up to 5,200 m, past lakes coloured red, green and turquoise by the minerals in the rock, with alpacas and vicuñas for company.
The route, day by day
| Day | Route | High point |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cusco → Tinki → Upis | 4,100 m camp |
| 2 | Upis → Ausangate Cocha | Pucapunta Pass 5,000 m |
| 3 | Ausangate Cocha → Hampa | Palomino Pass 5,200 m |
| 4 | Hampa → Pacchanta | Hot springs |
| 5 | Pacchanta → Tinki → Cusco | Return |
See the full itinerary
Day-by-day plan, inclusions and dates.
Difficulty and altitude
This is a challenging trek and not the place for your first day at altitude. The passes are very high, so several days acclimatizing beforehand are essential. Go in the dry season; nights are genuinely cold, so pack accordingly.
The circuit: a full loop of a sacred peak
The classic Ausangate trek is a high-altitude loop around Nevado Ausangate (6,384 m), the most revered apu (mountain spirit) of the Cusco region. Over five days you cross several passes above 5,000 m, camp beside glacial lakes in colours from emerald to turquoise to red, and pass herds of alpacas and remote Quechua herding communities who still live much as their ancestors did.
| Day | Highlight | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trailhead → first camp, hot springs | ~4,400 m |
| 2 | First high pass, glacial lagoons | ~4,900 m |
| 3 | Highest pass of the trek | ~5,100 m |
| 4 | Red Valley and rainbow ridges | ~5,000 m |
| 5 | Descent and return to Cusco | — |
The Red Valley and Rainbow Mountain detour
One reason the Ausangate trek has surged in popularity is that it can fold in two of Peru's most photographed landscapes: the lesser-known Red Valley (Valle Rojo), where iron-rich soil turns whole hillsides deep crimson, and Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) itself, which sits on the same massif. Walking in from the high camps, you reach these viewpoints early and often alone — long before the day-trip crowds arrive by the busload. If seeing Rainbow Mountain without the crowds matters to you, the trek is the way to do it.
Fitness, altitude and cold: be honest with yourself
This is one of the most demanding treks in the region, and it is unrelenting in altitude — you sleep above 4,400 m every night and rarely drop below 4,800 m during the day. Nights are bitterly cold, often below freezing. It rewards strong hikers who have acclimatized for several days in Cusco first and who are comfortable with multi-day camping in harsh conditions.
Pack a genuinely warm sleeping system, read our altitude guide carefully, and treat acclimatization as non-negotiable. New to high trekking but drawn to Ausangate? The shorter 4-day Ausangate & Rainbow Mountain and the 7 Lagoons day trip are gentler ways to experience the same massif.
Frequently asked questions
The highest pass, Palomino, reaches around 5,200 m, and the trek spends days above 4,000 m. Thorough acclimatization is essential.
No. Ausangate is a remote high-mountain circuit and does not include Machu Picchu — its rewards are glaciers, lagoons and solitude.
Nights are well below freezing at the high camps, so warm layers and a good sleeping bag are essential.
