La Paz: Charquini Trek & Emerald Lagoon Day Trip

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/9

Duration8h–9h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Trek to Charquini and the emerald waters of La Paz

You’ll breathe in crisp mountain air as you trek from La Paz up to Charquini and Laguna Esmeralda, pausing at Milluni’s historic cemetery and a surreal red lagoon along the way. With snacks and hot drinks shared by your local guide, you’ll have space to take it slow—and maybe surprise yourself with how far you’ve come by day’s end.

8h–9h

Step-by-step itinerary

Charquini and Laguna Esmeralda tour

Travel 2 hours to first stop
View Nevado Charquini and mountains
Visit Milluni historical cemetery
See Laguna Colorada landscape
Travel to snowy mountain near Huayna Potosí
Trek 1 hour to Emerald Lagoon
Enjoy snacks at Emerald Lagoon
Return hike to base camp
Travel 2 hours back to La Paz

The Experience

I didn’t think the air would feel that thin so soon, but stepping out near Charquini, it hit me—sharp, cold, almost sweet. Our guide, Carla, handed out trekking poles with a grin that said she’d seen plenty of wobbly first steps before. The drive from La Paz was longer than I expected (maybe two hours?), but watching the city fade into these wild brown hills made it feel like we’d left regular life behind. There was this old cemetery in Milluni—Carla stopped us there. I’m not usually into graveyards, but she told us about miners and old strikes, and suddenly it felt important to stand there for a minute.

The road kept twisting up past patches of snow and these weirdly quiet stretches where even the wind seemed tired. We stopped by a lagoon—red water against white peaks. Someone asked why it was red (algae? minerals?), but honestly I just stared for a while. The last bit before base camp got bumpy; I almost spilled my tea when we hit a pothole. By the time we reached 4800 meters at Charquini’s base camp, my head felt light but not in a bad way—more like I was floating.

The trek to Laguna Esmeralda took about an hour, maybe more since we stopped every few minutes to catch our breath or just gawk at the Andes. It’s not super tough if you go slow (and you’ll want to). When the lagoon finally appeared—icy green under this huge glacier—I just sat down in the grass and ate my sandwich without saying much. Carla poured hot coca tea for everyone. She laughed when I tried to say “Charquini” right (I definitely didn’t). On the way back, nobody talked much; we were all kind of lost in our own heads with those colors stuck behind our eyes.

What’s included

Your day includes round-trip transportation from La Paz with stops along the way, eco trekking poles provided by your bilingual guide Carla (or someone just as patient), plus snacks and hot drinks served right at Laguna Esmeralda before heading back down together.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPets welcomeNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Feel Bolivia Travel Agency & Tours