The best time of the year to do a 7 lakes of ausangate day trip is during the dry season, from May to September to maximize the number of clear days to take beautiful pictures with amazing landscapes.

This is the dry season in the Peruvian Andes, Try to hike particularly in June or July, or August, the driest months of the year. These months are actually winter in the Andes so it can feel quite cold, but it usually means there is little to no rain. Clear sunny days and dry trail conditions are perfect for hiking!

The dry season means the high season in Cusco, Machu Picchu, and Inca Trail. Luckily, the 7 lakes of Ausangate are a unique place where there are no crowds year round – even in peak season.

December through March is the rainy season in the Andes and hiking to the Seven Lakes of Ausangate is not recommended. Sustained, heavy rains can make the trail unsafe. Rain quite often means snow at higher elevations, too, which is not only unpleasant to hike through, but could dramatically affect your views the striped mountains!

Trekking during the shoulder season (April, September, October) is weather-dependent. We are willing to book a 7 Lakes of Ausangate Full Day Tour during this time, but if conditions are poor we reserve the right to cancel or modify your trip.

This may just be a day trip to Seven Lakes of Ausangate Mountain, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. In fact, we rate this trek as moderate to challenging.
There are two factors that affect the difficulty of this day hike: the altitude and the steep uphill climb.

Your 7 Lakes of Ausangate Full Day Tour starts at an altitude of 4200m (13,780 ft). That’s already very high up and you must be well acclimatized before beginning the hike. From there, you will hike about 5-6 hours (in total – round trip, but depend on your speed and level of physical fitness). The highest point of the trek is at 4800m (15,748 ft). That’s enough to take your breath away – literally!

On the trek of “7 LAKES,” you will notice that the difficulty increases as you go along. At first, the hike is quite simple, there’s not a whole lot of elevation to deal with. Yet as time goes by, you will notice that the Ausangate 7 Lakes hike becomes more and more difficult. It’s definitely a medium-difficulty hike in general, but it’s an uncommon one for people that are not really accustomed with the region and more challenging hikes.

Of course, others will find the return trip down even harder! Steep inclines can be very hard on the knees. Make sure you are prepared for the strain on your lungs and your knees for this trek, and that you know your body can handle it. We recommend walking sticks!

Exact walking times depend on the relative fitness and speed of everyone in your group. On average, The 7 Lagunas of Ausangate Hike, take about 5-6 hours (in total)

You do not need to purchase any additional permits to do this day trip. The local community around Ausangate Mountain charges an entrance fee to access the mountain, but this fee is included in the cost of your trek.