Ultimate Guide to Visiting Laguna Paron: Hike vs Day Tour 

If you’re looking for one of the most beautiful day hikes in Peru you’re in the right place.  

Laguna Paron is the largest lake in the Cordillera Blanca. This bright blue lake is surrounded by towering snow-capped peaks, including the Artesonraju which is said to be the mountain that inspired the Paramount Pictures logo!

After seeing just one photo of Laguna Paron, we decided we had to visit, and it didn’t disappoint. Trust us, it’s even more beautiful in real life. 

There’s no doubt that Laguna Paron should make it onto your Peru bucket list, but the hard part is deciding how to get there. 

The most popular option is to take a tour, but you can also visit independently and hike to the top. We chose the latter option and we’d love to convince you to do the same. Sure, it’s the more difficult option, but there’s no better reward than reaching the top and having the views completely to yourself. 

However, it’s entirely up to you which option you choose. In this guide we’ll walk you through every option, including the pros and cons of each, as well as discussing where to base yourself to visit Laguna Paron, cost, packing list and more. 

Where to stay when visiting Laguna Paron: Caraz vs Huaraz

When planning your visit to Huascaran National Park, there are two main locations to consider as a base to hike from – Huaraz and Caraz.

The larger, and more popular of the two is Huaraz. Huaraz acts as the main tourist hub in the area which means you’ll find more options in the way of hotels, tours and restaurants. It’s also close to many popular hikes such as Laguna Churup and the Santa Cruz Trek. 

If you decide to take a tour to Laguna Paron and you prefer to stay in places with more tourist infrastructure, this is where you should stay. 

However, to visit Laguna Paron independently, it’s much more convenient to stay in the smaller, quieter town of Caraz. Caraz sits 70 km closer to the trailhead, meaning that you save 1.5 hours of driving each way. 

Caraz is less touristy than Huaraz but in our opinion it’s much nicer and there are still some great accommodation and restaurant options. 

Our recommendation would be to stay in Caraz to visit Laguna Paron and Laguna 69 (as it’s much closer to this hike as well) and then base yourself in Huaraz for the rest of the hikes and day tours. 

Entrance Fee to Laguna Paron

Although Laguna Paron sits within Huascaran National Park, it’s one of the only places where you don’t have to pay the S/30 ($8) national park fee to enter. 

The entrance fee to Laguna Paron costs just S/5 ($1.50), making it one of the cheapest lagunas you can visit, especially if you decide to go independently. You need to pay the fee at the ticket booth located at the trailhead of Paron. This opens at 8am each morning. 

If you decide to hike the trail to Laguna Paron like us, you may arrive before the ticket office is open. However, you can slip through the barrier and pay a collector on your way up. If you don’t see anyone, just pay at the shelter by the lake or at the ticket booth on your way out.

When visiting with a tour, your driver will stop at the office for you as the entrance fee is generally not included. 

How to visit Laguna Paron

When visiting Laguna Paron, you have two main options – take a tour from Huaraz or visit independently from Caraz. 

To help you decide, let’s get into the details. 

How to visit Laguna Paron Independently 

Laguna Paron Hike

If you’re like us and want to spend unlimited time at Laguna Paron and arrive before the crowds, we really recommend doing the hike. 

The night before the trek we stayed in the smaller, quieter town of Caraz as it is situated closer to the trailhead than the more popular Huaraz.

From Caraz you can take a colectivo from Terminal Terrestre to Pueblo Paron. Unlike the normal colectivos which are shared vans, this one was a standard car which can be shared by up to 9 people.  

To make sure you arrive before any of the tours, take the first one that leaves at 6:30am. This should cost around S/15 ($4) per person and it takes approximately 1 hour. 

If you decide instead to stay at Huaraz but still want to do the hike independently, you’ll have to wake up early and take a colectivo to Caraz. This takes around 1.5 hours. 

The first bus usually leaves at 5am but make sure to double check the night before as the timetables aren’t always reliable and are subject to change. This should get you to Caraz in time to catch the 6:30am colectivo to Pueblo Paron.

Once you reach Pueblo Paron, you’ll need to walk 1 km to the trailhead. As we mentioned above, you’ll likely arrive before the ticket office is open but you can slip through the barrier and either pay a collector or at the booth on your way out. 

From here, follow the sign-posted hiking trail 9 km uphill, weaving in and out of the road. This will take around 3 hours. It’s possible to follow the road up instead, but it’s much longer and less scenic.

This is not a technical hike, but with the altitude reaching 4,200m it can become quite strenuous. Therefore, we recommend taking some time to acclimate before doing this trail. 

Once at the top, you’ll be rewarded with incredible views and unlimited time to enjoy them. We got there around 1 hour before any tour groups started to arrive, meaning we could admire the lagoon, enjoy the views and take a few snaps with no one else around. 

Getting back to Caraz is where it gets a little more tricky. This is because it’s really unclear when the last colectivo leaves from Pueblo Paron. Some people told us 5pm, others said 1pm or even 7pm, but either way transport back is pretty unreliable. 

Due to this, we decided to hitch a ride with one of the tour buses from the top of Laguna Paron back down to Caraz. With so many people visiting, it’s easy enough to find someone with space that is willing to give you a ride for around the same price as the colectivo.

If you are staying in Huaraz, you might get lucky and find a tour bus to hitch a ride with that can take you all the way back. If not, you’ll need to take a colectivo back to Huaraz from Caraz. These are pretty regular throughout the day. 

Although this makes visiting independently a bit more effort, don’t let it put you off as there is always a way to get back, it’s very unlikely that you’ll be stranded in Pueblo Paron. 

If we were to do it again, we’d still choose this option as having Laguna Paron to ourselves was a magical experience. It was also more of an adventure and the hike made the views at the top even more rewarding.

By Taxi

If you want to visit independently but don’t fancy the hike, you can instead take a private taxi from Caraz all the way to Laguna Paron. However, we wouldn’t recommend this if you are on a budget as it will set you back around S/120 ($32). 

If you decide on this option, it’s best to leave Caraz at around 7am to make it to the entrance for 8am when the ticket booth opens. You can’t go up any earlier than this as the barrier to the road will be closed. 

Your taxi will drive you all the way to the top, wait for around 2 hours for you to enjoy the lake and then take you back to Caraz. 

Laguna Paron Tours 

The most convenient way to get to Laguna Paron, especially if you decide to base yourself in Huaraz, is by tour. However, it’s also possible to take tours from the closer town of Caraz and this will mean you’ll spend 2-3 hours less travelling to and from the lake. 

The most popular option is to take a tour that leaves at 8am from Huaraz. The duration of the tour is typically between 9.5-10 hours with most of this time spent driving. On a standard tour, here’s what your day will look like:

• Depart Huaraz at 8am and drive 45 minutes to the town of Carhuaz where you’ll make a 30 minute stop to grab some snacks. 

• Jump back in the van and continue to drive another 2.5 hours past Caraz and then up to the lake, stopping at the ticket booth to pay the entrance fee (not included in the price). The road up to the lake is very windy so if you know you suffer from motion sickness, make sure to take some pills. 

• Once at the lake, you usually get around 2 hours to explore independently and enjoy the views. There are a few different things you can do at Laguna Paron which we’ll discuss in the next section.   

• You’ll then head back to the van to begin the journey back. After 2 hours on the road, you’ll make a stop to stretch your legs in Caraz, and then continue for another 1.5 hours to Huaraz.

Tours to Laguna Paron can cost anywhere from S/60 to S/130 ($15-$35) per person. We recommend shopping around in Huaraz for the best price. Since the tour really just includes transport, it’s probably worth going for the cheapest option. 

However, if you are someone that likes to be organised and wants to book in advance, you can book here. But it’s worth noting that it’s always more expensive to book online.  

Some tour agencies also offer tours that leave from Huaraz at 5am and include the hike up to Laguna Paron. 

However, it’s important to note that when some agencies say ‘hike’, they mean the short hike from the lake’s edge to the view point, and not the 3 hour hike from the trailhead. Therefore, make sure you clarify with the agency which hike they mean before booking. 

Visiting on one of these tours is much more convenient than hiking independently as you don’t need to worry about your transportation. 

However, tours generally all arrive at a similar time around midday. This means that you won’t be able to enjoy it without the crowds. 

Alongside this, the best and clearest views of Laguna Paron and the surrounding mountains (depending on weather and season) tend to be in the morning when there are less clouds to obstruct the view.  

However, despite all of this, the main reason that we decided to hike independently rather than take a tour was to have unlimited time at the top. 

There are a few things you can do once at Laguna Paron (which you can read about below) but as tours only allow you to spend 2 hours there, you may not be able to do everything. 

What to do at Laguna Paron

Climb the mirador

For the best views over Laguna Paron you can climb to the mirador. This takes around 1 hour in total but it depends on how much time you spend at the top admiring the view and taking photos.  

Although the trail to the viewpoint isn’t very long, it does get pretty steep and also requires some scrambling over large boulders as you near the top. 

Alongside this, you’re already at an altitude of 4,200 m at the lakes edge and you need to ascend a further 400 m to reach the mirador. If you aren’t acclimated (or even if you are) this can leave you a little breathless, so make sure to take your time and drink plenty of water.

However, it’s more than worth it for the unbeaten views at the top. If you only have time to do one thing, make sure not to miss this!   

Go kayaking or hire a row boat 

Another popular activity is to get out on the lake itself and go kayaking or hire a row boat. To rent a kayak it costs S/20 ($5.50) per person and row boats are slightly cheaper, costing S/10 ($2.60) per person.  

We chose to kayak and we’d definitely recommend it as it’s an incredible experience being out on the lake surrounded by towering snow-capped mountains. 

However, it’s important to note that you can only kayak or row on a small section of the lake that is cordoned off. This is for your safety but if you were expecting to row right out into the middle of the lake, this is not possible. 

Walk along the lakes shore

For a different perspective and even more beautiful views, it’s possible to follow a walkway along the left side of the lake, hugging the waters edge. 

However, eventually the path comes to an end meaning it’s not possible trek all of the way around. We don’t recommend trying to continue once the trail disappears as this can be very dangerous. 

Spend the night at Laguna Paron

If just one day isn’t enough time for you to enjoy Laguna Paron, you can spend the night here and wake up to incredible views all to yourself. 

There are two options if you decide to do this: 

• Camp for free next to Laguna Paron. This is a perfect option if you have your own camping gear with you. If not, tents are available for rent for S/30 ($8). 

• Rent a bunk bed in a basic shared dormitory in the Refugio right by the lakes edge. This costs S/20 ($5.50) per person.

The facilities here are basic but it’s comfortable and the owners are very welcoming. 

Onsite there’s a small cafe/restaurant as well as a shop that sells plenty of snacks. However, they aren’t always open so make sure to bring your own food just in case. You can use the on-site kitchen to cook and you can also pay extra if you’d like to have breakfast included.  

We recommend taking your own sleeping bag for some extra warmth, especially if you’re camping. If you don’t have one, they can be rented for S/20 ($5.50).

There may be some electricity in the Refugio but we always like to take a portable charger for our phones just in case. Another essential is a headlamp or torch to find your way around at night.   

There are limited spaces in the Refugio but as it’s not popular to stay here, it’s not really necessary to book in advance. However, if you want to double check and make sure there is space, you can ask your hostel or hotel back in Caraz or Huaraz to contact the Refugio for you. 

Things to know before visiting Laguna Paron

Whether you’re hiking or going on a tour to Laguna Paron, here are some important things to note:

• Take plenty of snacks and water: This might seem obvious if you are doing the hike, but even if you take a tour, food and water are not included and it’s a very long day. We recommend packing some lunch. There’s a small cafe that’s often open at the Refugio but the options are limited (especially for vegetarians). We stupidly didn’t pack any lunch and ended up having to eat dry potatoes and hard boiled eggs as it was the only thing that wasn’t meat.

• Wear clothes suitable for hiking, even if you’re on a tour. If you plan to hike to the mirador, you’ll need a good pair of hiking boots that support your ankles 

• Try to bring the correct amount of money (S/5) for the entrance fee as they rarely have change. 

• Bring some small change as the bathrooms cost S/1 per person. They usually provide toilet roll but it’s worth bringing your own as well as some hand sanitiser. 

What to pack for Laguna Paron 

• Plenty of layers – When you are hiking (or even driving) up to high altitudes in the mountains, the weather can be very temperamental. Make sure to layer up so that you can regulate your temperature. 

• Waterproof jacket – Even if you are visiting in the dry season and it looks clear when you leave for the day, there is always a chance that it can rain. 

• A good pair of hiking boots – Wear hiking boots with good ankle support even if you are visiting on a tour as the terrain up to the mirador is very uneven. 

• Sunscreen – As you are close to the equator and at a high altitude, the sun is very strong even in the winter so don’t forget to pack sunscreen. 

• A phone and portable charger – This is particularly important if you are going hiking independently. This way you can always have a charged phone to contact someone in case of an emergency. On a tour, you may need this for entertainment on the long journeys.  

• A torch or headlamp – Unless you are staying overnight, it’s unlikely that you’ll need this but it’s definitely worth bringing one just in case you overshoot it and end up hiking back in the dark. 

• Camera gear – If you have camera gear, you’ll want to take it to capture this stunning lake. We carried our drone up and we didn’t regret it as the footage was incredible. 

For a full packing list for Peru, you can read more here.

Best time to visit Laguna Paron

The best time to visit Laguna Paron is in Peru’s dry season from May to September. Visiting in this season will mean that you can avoid the rain and experience the best hiking conditions. 

During this time, the days are usually clear and sunny which means you’ll get to experience the best views of the mountains and observe Laguna Paron at its brightest and most beautiful.  

However, make sure to layer up and bring some warm clothes as this is also winter in Peru, meaning temperatures can drop below zero once the sun goes down.   

How to get to Caraz and Huaraz

From Lima

There is no airport in Huaraz, so the only way to get there from Lima is by bus. As it takes 8-9 hours, the most popular option is to take a night bus. 

Movil, Civa and Cruz del Sur are a few of the bus companies that offer this route, but the best way to check routes or book your ticket is on BusBud. 

If you want to visit Caraz first, you can take a colectivo here directly from Huaraz. The station is named ‘Paradero Caraz’ on google maps. However, some night buses do continue on to Caraz so make sure to check this with your bus company.  

Bus tickets range between S/75 and S/114 ($20-$30) depending on the company, the time and which seat you choose. 

From the Coast

If you are somewhere along the northern coastline of Peru, Caraz or Huaraz is a logical next stop. It’s best to travel to Huaraz on a night bus from the city of Trujillo. This takes 8-9 hours and costs around S/55-S/65 ($15-$17). Linea is the main bus company that runs this route.

All buses to Huaraz will pass Caraz so you can get off here on the way. This will take 1.5 hours off your journey.  

RedBus is the best website to search for booking this route. 

From Cajamarca

We travelled to Caraz from Cajamarca. This is a little more complicated than one night bus but is still an easy route. From Cajamarca, take the night bus to Trujillo or Chimbote. Many of the routes and times between Cajamarca and the coast do not show up online. Therefore it’s best to book your ticket in person at Terminal Terrestre in Cajamarca.

Once in Trujillo or Chimbote, take a direct bus to Huaraz or Caraz. 

Where to stay in Caraz

Low Budget: La Plaza Hospedaje – This is a basic but clean and comfortable guesthouse that is located in the perfect location overlooking the Plaza de Armas. It has its own restaurant and offers free wifi and a 24 hour front desk. Prices range from S/68 to S/93 ($18-$25).

Mid Range: Hotel Dulzura – This is a comfortable hotel located close to the Plaza de Armas. It has a restaurant, bar, garden and shared lounge. It also has it’s own tour desk and free wifi. This costs between S/90 and S/223 ($24-$59).

High Budget: Casa Pukayaku Lodge – This is a highly rated lodge located just outside of Caraz. It has spectacular mountain views as well as it’s own restaurant, a shared lounge, bar, garden, outdoor pool and terrace. It offers free breakfast and free wifi to all guests. This is a more luxurious stay costing S/290 ($77) per night.

Where to stay in Huaraz

Low Budget: Krusty Hostel B&B – This is a basic but comfortable hostel that offers both private rooms and dorm rooms, free wifi and complimentary breakfast. Prices range from S/40 to S/130 ($11-$34).

Mid-Range: Selina Huaraz – Selina is a modern hostel that offers both private rooms and shared dorms. It has its own restaurant, bar, a shared lounge and garden, as well as free wifi. Breakfast is included in the price of some rooms but you may have to pay extra. The price ranges from S/50 to S/400 ($13-$105).

High Budget: The Lazy Dog Inn Mountain Lodge – This is a cosy mountain stay with delicious free breakfast and stunning views. It’s a little outside of Huaraz but offers a peaceful, more luxurious stay. Prices start from S/550 ($150).

Avoiding Altitude Sickness

Altitude sickness typically occurs when you ascend to high altitudes too quickly and your body struggles to adapt to the reduced oxygen levels. 

Symptoms of altitude sickness include a headache, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, fatigue and shortness of breath. 

The best way to avoid this is to increase your altitude slowly in order to acclimatise. This means don’t start with the most difficult and highest hike!

Make sure to stay hydrated and avoid overexertion, especially during your first few days at altitude. If you do get altitude sickness, it’s best to take some medication for it, have some rest and if needed descend to a lower altitude.

If you are hiking to Laguna Paron, we recommend spending a few days acclimating first, especially if you are coming from sea level. Some good day trips to do to acclimate are Laguna Wilcacocha or the Monterrey Hot Springs. 

However, if you are taking the tour to Laguna Paron, you may be okay to do this as one of your first day trips. However, make sure to take it easy when hiking to the mirador. 

Final Thoughts on Laguna Paron

Whether you visit Laguna Paron with or without a tour, it will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of your Peru trip. If you want a convenient and less physically taxing option, the tour will be for you. However, if you’re up for an adventure and decide to hike, you’ll be rewarded with incredible views all to yourself and unlimited time to enjoy the smaller treks and activities once at the top.

We hope that this guide has made it easier for you to plan your trip to Laguna Paron. As always, if there are any questions we haven’t answered in this guide, feel free to send us an email, we’re always happy to help!

FAQs

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