Quelccaya Day Tour
- 17 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- 2 languages
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
Two things make this trip different from other ways of reaching the ice. The first is Laguna Sibinacocha. This lake covers around 30 square kilometres and sits at 4,869 metres, held between the plateau and the Vilcanota range. Very few day tours from Cusco reach it, because it adds an hour to the route. It is included here. The second is how little walking is involved. The Quelccaya viewpoint is ten to twenty minutes from the vehicle on nearly flat ground. Most high mountain sights in this region ask for an hour or more of climbing. That puts the largest tropical ice cap in the world within reach of travellers who would not attempt a trek. You are also unlikely to share it. Better known sites in the Cusco region receive hundreds of visitors a day. Quelccaya receives a handful of vehicles. Guides are local to the region. They carry emergency oxygen and a pulse oximeter, and check the group before anyone walks at altitude.
Inclusions
What's included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Professional guide
- First aid kit
- Lunch
- Private transportation
- Breakfast
What's not
- To be paid directly to the community
- Bottled water
Itinerary
The first stop is a small farming village in the Vilcanota valley, about two hours south of Cusco. Breakfast is served here while it is still dark. Eat well at this stop. It is the last full meal before the high plateau, and food taken at a comfortable altitude helps more than anything you can do higher up. Toilets are available here. There are no facilities again until the afternoon.
Quelccaya is the largest tropical ice cap in the world. It does not hang in a valley like most glaciers. It lies flat across the top of a high plateau and runs out of sight in both directions. From the vehicle it is a walk of ten to twenty minutes over uneven ground to reach the viewpoint, which stands above 5,000 metres. The walk is short but the altitude makes it feel like work, so it is taken slowly. Below the ice sit two meltwater lagoons. One is turquoise and the other grey brown. Both are fed by the same glacier. Walking on the ice is not permitted. A community entrance fee is collected at a control point here and must be paid in cash in local currency.
A high altitude lake of around 30 square kilometres, held between the plateau and the Vilcanota range at 4,869 metres. The water is turquoise and changes colour through the morning with the wind and the light. Flamingos are often seen feeding at the shallow southern end. Snow peaks stand along the far shore. Very few day tours from Cusco include this lake, because it adds an hour to the route.
he return route passes back through the same village in the Vilcanota valley. Lunch is served here. Eating is far more comfortable at this altitude than on the plateau, and most travellers find their appetite returns on the descent. From this stop it is around two and a half hours by road back to Cusco.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- If your hotel is not within the centre of Cusco, we can meet you at the main square - Plaza de Armas, by the fountain.
- Pickup
- Pickup is offered, or you can meet at the starting point.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 9 travellers
- Operated by
- Planet Odysseys
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness
How it compares in Cusco
- Its from-price is 29% below the median of the 1358 day trips we list in Cusco.
- It is longer than most of them.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Cusco
Cusco, the old Inca capital high in the Peruvian Andes, blends massive stone walls with colonial churches and is the gateway to Machu Picchu.
The Plaza de Armas is the heart of the city, framed by the cathedral and the Jesuit church of La Compañía. Inca stonework survives throughout the centre, most famously at the Qorikancha, the sun temple on which the Spanish built a monastery, and in the twelve-angled stone on Hatun Rumiyoc street. San Blas, the artisans' quarter, climbs steeply with workshops and cafés.
Top-ranked sights in Cusco: Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu, Ollantaytambo Ruins.
Special offers in Cusco
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
![Excursion to MachuPicchu from Cusco with lunch | Private Service|]()
5% offFree cancellation
