Best time to hike the Santa Cruz Trek
Best: May–September.
The Santa Cruz Trek is 45 km long, in 4 stages. Below is the average weather for every month at about 3,845 m, the middle height of the trail (2,914–4,772 m), from 10 years of daily data (2015–2024).
Weather month by month
| Month | High °C | Low °C | Rain mm | Rain days | Daylight h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16° | 4° | 65 | 11 | 12.6 |
| February | 16° | 4° | 67 | 12 | 12.4 |
| March | 15° | 4° | 81 | 14 | 12.2 |
| April | 16° | 4° | 38 | 8 | 11.9 |
| May | 16° | 4° | 39 | 6 | 11.7 |
| June | 15° | 2° | 14 | 3 | 11.6 |
| July | 16° | 2° | 19 | 4 | 11.6 |
| August | 16° | 2° | 14 | 3 | 11.8 |
| September | 17° | 4° | 15 | 4 | 12.1 |
| October | 17° | 4° | 31 | 7 | 12.3 |
| November | 17° | 4° | 62 | 10 | 12.5 |
| December | 16° | 4° | 96 | 15 | 12.6 |
Higher up it is colder: about 6 °C less for every 1,000 m of height. The highest point of the trail is 4,772 m.
Season notes from our guide
The dry season, May to September, is the time to go; SERNANP recommends May to October. June to August have the most stable weather and the busiest campsites. Days are sunny and warm, but nights at Taullipampa often fall below freezing. The rainy season runs from October to April: expect afternoon storms, snow on Punta Unión, mud and cloud over the peaks.
Stages, map, elevation profile, places to stay and emergency help, free.
Read the full Santa Cruz Trek guideHike it with Outest
Offline maps, stages and places to stay on your phone.
Best time for other trails
- Tour du Mont Blanc
- Alta Via 1
- GR 20
- John Muir Trail
- Laugavegur
- Cotswold Way
- Kerry Way
- Camino Finisterre
- West Highland Way
- Walker's Haute Route
- Kungsleden
- Tour of Monte Rosa
- Coast to Coast Walk
- Pembrokeshire Coast Path
- Hadrian's Wall Path
- South Downs Way
- Dingle Way
- Wicklow Way
- Fishermen's Trail
- Camino Portugués
- Alta Via 2
- Malerweg
- Peaks of the Balkans
- Overland Track
- Lycian Way
- St Paul Trail
- Camino Francés
- Inca Trail
- W Trek
- Everest Base Camp Trek
- Annapurna Circuit
- Kumano Kodo Nakahechi
- Camino del Norte
- Via Francigena
- GR10
- Pennine Way
- Carian Trail
- Evliya Çelebi Way
- Kaçkar Mountains Traverse
- Phrygian Way
- Sultans Trail
- Mount Ararat Climb
- Hittite Trail
- Troy Culture Route
- Independence Way
- Mysia Ways
- Rheinsteig
- Westweg
- Goldsteig
- GR54 Tour des Écrins
- Via Alpina
- Path of the Gods
- Cinque Terre Trail
- Alta Via 4
- GR221 Dry Stone Route
- Stubai High Trail
- Milford Track
- Routeburn Track
- Kepler Track
- Tongariro Northern Circuit
- Larapinta Trail
- Great Ocean Walk
- West Coast Trail
- Wonderland Trail
- Teton Crest Trail
- Annapurna Base Camp Trek
- Markha Valley Trek
- Salkantay Trek
- Huayhuash Circuit
- Kilimanjaro Machame Route
- Toubkal Circuit
- Jordan Trail: Dana to Petra
- Torres del Paine O Circuit
- Abel Tasman Coast Track
- Three Capes Track
- Mestia to Ushguli Trek
- Nakasendo Way
- Berg Lake Trail
- Skyline Trail (Jasper)
- Fitz Roy & Cerro Torre Loop
- Otter Trail
- Fish River Canyon Hiking Trail
- Camino Primitivo
- Camino Inglés
- Eagle Walk (Adlerweg)
- Berliner Höhenweg
- Cape Wrath Trail
- Great Glen Way
- Offa's Dyke Path
- Cleveland Way
- Rota Vicentina Historical Way
- Via Podiensis (GR 65)
- Heaphy Track
- Queen Charlotte Track
- Cape to Cape Track
- Rockwall Trail
- Juan de Fuca Marine Trail
- Quilotoa Loop
- Nahuel Huapi Traverse
- Ala Kul Trek
- Tiger Leaping Gorge High Trail
- Mount Kenya Sirimon–Chogoria Traverse
- Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek
- Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route
- Lebanon Mountain Trail
- Aladağlar Traverse
- Kokoda Track
- Chilkoot Trail
- Lost City Trek
- Choquequirao Trek
- GR R2 Réunion
- M'Goun Traverse
Weather: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis), daily values 2015–2024 near -8.92, -77.61, adjusted to 3,845 m. Rain days: days with at least 1 mm. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th of the month.