Our adventure begins in the early hours of the morning with hotel pick-up at 3:00 a.m. from your accommodation in Cusco. Leaving the city behind, we travel for approximately five hours through the impressive Andean highlands, passing remote villages, wide open plains, and breathtaking high-altitude landscapes that characterise the southern Andes.
Depending on weather conditions and visibility, we may make a scenic stop at Sibinacocha Lagoon. When conditions allow, we pause briefly to enjoy the tranquility of this spectacular high-altitude lake and take photographs of the surrounding scenery.
We then continue our journey to the remote Andean community of Phinaya, where we arrive later in the morning to enjoy a traditional Andean breakfast, ideal for acclimatisation and preparing for the day’s exploration.
After breakfast, we drive for approximately one additional hour, travelling deeper into the high Andes towards Suyuparina, the access point to the Quelccaya Glacier, the largest tropical glacier in the world.
At the end of the drivable road, we begin a moderate walk of approximately 50 minutes to reach the glacier viewpoint. Along the trail, we are surrounded by vast Andean landscapes, glacial valleys, and impressive ice formations. Visitors may have the opportunity to enter natural ice caverns formed within the glacier, offering a unique and unforgettable close-up experience of the Quelccaya Glacier.
After spending time at the glacier viewpoint—admiring the immense ice walls, exploring the surroundings, and taking photographs—we return along the same route with an approximately 50-minute walk back to the vehicle.
Following the glacier visit, we return by vehicle to Phinaya, where a traditional lunch prepared with fresh, locally sourced ingredients awaits us.
In the afternoon, we begin our scenic return journey to Cusco along the same highland route. The experience concludes with drop-off near Cusco ’s Plaza de Armas, with arrival between 7:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., depending on traffic and road conditions.
