Llama vs Alpaca: How to Tell the Difference Between Peru's Andean Camelids

What Is the Main Difference Between a Llama and an Alpaca?

The main difference between a llama and an alpaca is purpose, which shaped their bodies. Andean herders bred llamas as strong pack animals, so llamas grew large with coarse hair. Herders bred alpacas for fine fleece, so alpacas stayed small with dense, soft fiber. Size, ears and coat follow from that split.

You will meet both animals around the Inca ruins of Sacsayhuamán and in the Pisac market town. The Incas tracked their herds on knotted cords, explained in our Inca quipu guide.

How Can You Tell a Llama From an Alpaca at a Glance?

Look at the ears first, then the size and face. Llamas have tall, curved, banana-shaped ears, while alpacas have short, straight ears. A llama's head often reaches above an adult's head, but an alpaca's usually stays around chest height. Alpaca faces look round and woolly; llama faces look longer and bare.

1. Check the ears: curved and long means llama, short and straight means alpaca.
2. Compare height to a nearby person.
3. Look at the face for a woolly, rounded muzzle on alpacas.
4. Notice the back: llamas have a straighter, flatter back line.
5. Watch the tail: llama tails often stand higher than alpaca tails.
6. Touch the coat if allowed: alpaca fleece feels noticeably softer.

Why Is Alpaca Fiber Softer Than Llama Wool?

Alpaca fiber is softer because breeders selected alpacas for fine, uniform fleece with fewer coarse guard hairs. Alpaca fiber is often compared to cashmere, has no lanolin and is commonly described as warm and less itchy than sheep wool. Llamas carry a double coat, with a soft undercoat mixed with coarse outer hair.

Alpacas come in two breeds. Huacaya alpacas grow crimped, fluffy fleece and make up most of the world's herds, while Suri alpacas grow long, silky locks. Baby alpaca refers to the finest grade of fleece, not to young animals.

Do Llamas and Alpacas Spit, and Which Is Friendlier?

Both llamas and alpacas can spit, but they mainly spit at each other over food or rank, not at people. Llamas tend to be more confident and independent, and are often used as guard animals for sheep. Alpacas are herd animals that are usually shyer and prefer not to be touched.

In Cusco, women in traditional dress often pose with baby llamas or alpacas for photos, usually expecting a small tip. Ask before taking a picture and avoid feeding the animals unless invited.

How Do Vicuñas and Guanacos Relate to Llamas and Alpacas?

South America has four camelids: two wild, vicuña and guanaco, and two domesticated, alpaca and llama. Genetic studies indicate the llama descends mainly from the guanaco and the alpaca mainly from the vicuña. Andean people domesticated both several thousand years ago. The vicuña appears on Peru's coat of arms.

Vicuña fiber is among the most expensive natural fibers, and the species recovered from near extinction under strict protection.

Why Were Llamas and Alpacas So Important to the Incas?

Llamas and alpacas powered the Inca economy. Llama caravans carried goods along the Inca road network, alpaca fiber became fine cloth that was valued like currency, and both animals supplied meat, dung fuel and offerings in religious ceremonies. The state tracked herds carefully, partly with knotted-cord records called quipus.

Learn how the Inca state built its capital in our Cusco Peru guide, and see the empire's best-known site in our Machu Picchu history guide.

Where Can You See Llamas and Alpacas Near Cusco and Machu Picchu?

You can see llamas grazing on the terraces of Machu Picchu itself, which are a favorite photo stop. Near Cusco, textile centers on the road to the Sacred Valley keep llamas, alpacas and sometimes vicuñas, and the high country around Rainbow Mountain and Humantay Lake has working herds.

• Machu Picchu terraces: resident llamas trim the grass.
• Sacred Valley road: weaving centers show all four camelids.
• Cusco streets: photo opportunities with baby llamas and alpacas.
• High-altitude treks: alpaca herds near herding villages.

Plan the citadel visit with our Machu Picchu tickets guide, or explore more nearby stops in our guide to things to do in Cusco. To see highland herds on a day out, look at our Rainbow Mountain tour.