Humantay Lake Tour from Cusco is one of the most popular full-day tours from Cusco. A trek to Laguna Humantay takes you to the awe-inspiring high altitude glacial lake that nestles at 4250 meters above sea level (13943 feet) in the Vilcabamba Mountain Range.
Laguna Humantay is a hidden gem. During our Humantay Lake Tour from Cusco you will explore the turquoise waters of Laguna Humantay, which are snuggled between the snow-capped mountains. It flows on the foothill of Humantay Mountain. Melting glaciers of the mountain feeds the lake.
This is a popular stop on Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu the famous alternative to the 4 Day Inca Trail Hike to Machu Picchu.
The lake and mountain are sacred to the Andean people. During the Inca civilization, the Incan priests (Shamans) used to give offerings to express their gratitude to mother nature. Nowadays, to preserve tradition and to protect the environment, they practice something called K’intu and Apacheta.
K’intu is a process of holding three coca leaves and seek the blessing of the mountain God – Apus. Apacheta is a process where they pile stones each on top of the other by worshipping Apus as a form of gratitude to guide them safely on their travel.
In our Humantay Lake Tour from Cusco you will be accompanied by an English-speaking local tour guide. Also, you will be getting a deeper insight into the culture and Andean traditions. Locals around the village have religiously preserved them.
Please note that the Humantay Lake Tour from Cusco is a high-altitude experience. The full-day hike begins at 3800 meters above sea level (12467 feet). You will be gaining roughly 400 meters (1313 feet).
From the trailhead, it normally takes 1.5 hours to reach the summit. This is a high-altitude experience. It is imperative that you spend at least three days in Cusco city before visiting Humantay Lake to acclimate and avoid altitude sickness.
At Cusco Travel Agency, we care for the safety of our guests. Our crew is trained on first aid and on treating altitude sickness. We aim to make your Humantay Lake Tour from Cusco a pleasant and memorable one. Our group tours are always carefully planned.
Laguna Humantay nestles high up in the Peruvian Andes. It is subject to two seasons, wet season and dry season. During the rainy season, the trail gets slippery. We highly recommend experiencing the hike in the dry season – between March and November.
Do take a moment to check our reviews on Trip Advisor.
Cusco Hotel Transfer
04:30 AM
We will be picking you up from your hotel in Cusco at 0400 AM. Then in our private transport, we will embark on a drive through the Sacred Valley of the Incas to Mollepata. Here we will be stopping for breakfast.
After breakfast, we will continue to Soraypampa, the trailhead. Our tour guide will be giving you some tips on hiking before we commence the trek.
It normally takes about an hour and a half to get to Humantay Lake. The first 45 minutes of the trek is somewhat moderate as it is not steep. It then gets a bit steeper as we will be nearing Lake Humantay.
You will have plenty of time to immerse in the serenity and enjoy the natural marvel. If desired, you can hike for 15 minutes to the viewpoint from where you will get spectacular views of the lake and the impressive Apus Humantay.
After reveling in the enchanting beauty of Andes, we will gradually begin the hike back to Soraypampa. The place where we started the hike from. Here we will meet our private vehicle for our journey back to Cusco.
On our way, we will be stopping at a local restaurant for lunch. We will be reaching Cusco at around 07:00 PM.
Excelente servicio de David nuestro Guía durante la estancia en cusco… Atento, servicial y completamente conocedor… Por si fuera poco toma unas fotos espectaculares!!!… Recomiendo ampliamente sus servicios…
Excelente servicio, muy buen trato de los guías siempre muy atentos y accesibles. Disfruté mucho de mi tour, ya que todo estuvo perfectamente organizado. Las instalaciones y el transporte también estuvieron en óptimas condiciones. 100% Recomendado. Mi guía fue David y toma unas fotos increíbles, además de que es super atento.
I couldn’t have asked for a better experience on this tour. Pickup from the hotel in Cusco was on time. Breakfast on the way was sumptuous. The trek to the lake was challenging but well worth it. David Sinti was our guide and did an amazing job getting the entire group safely to the lake and back. He is also an exceptional photographer. If you are looking for some awesome memories to take back home with you, make sure to ask for David for your tour!
We hiked Humantay Lake after visiting Machu Picchu and Aguas Calientes which helped us a lot in coping with the altitude. We highly recommend the trek.
