Hike to the Andean Mountain Gem
The immense mountains of Peru hide countless precious stones in their basins: Blue, turquoise, green, yellow, and red lagoons. Among them, one of the most dazzling jewels that’s located in the Cusco region stands out—Humantay Lake. Its emerald waters and the imposing presence of the whiter-than-white glacier come together in blazing harmony at over 4,200 m / 13,780 ft.
No photograph can do justice to this absolutely stunning natural wonder. So don’t miss the opportunity to visit this gorgeous lake when you come to Cusco. Take a day away from the city and head out with nature to visit Humantay Lake on the ultimate trip with Salkantay Trekking. It’s the perfect respite from busy Cusco and is a must when in the region.
Humantay Lake Full Day Tour Map
- Itinerary
- Inclusions
- Before You Go
- Packing List
- Pricing
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You can join us on this exciting day out any day of the week. It doesn’t matter if you’re traveling alone, with a partner, or as part of a bigger group; we can accommodate you. Don’t miss out on seeing this glorious natural wonder when in Cusco.
Humantay Lake is one of the many hidden gems in Peru’s highland region. It sits in front of the shocking presence of two sacred snowy mountains, the Salkantay and Humantay, the famous Apus or Andean gods. The white backdrop will make you feel like you’re in a fantasy dream.
During the day, you’ll witness incredible scenery as you drive to the hike's starting point. You’ll get to visit our exclusive Sky Camp and hike up to the lake. Then, have plenty of time for lunch and take in the most beautiful landscapes imaginable before returning to the city.
Book with us, and we’ll cover every last detail. All you need to do is relax and enjoy yourself. We’ll collect you and drop you off at your accommodation door. What are you waiting for? Join us on this trip to a paradise in the Andes.
Highlights
- Be astounded by the gigantic glaciers, Humantay and Salkantay, that tower over you.
- Stare in awe at the absolute beauty of the turquoise waters of Humantay Lake against the snowy white background.
- Feel the powerful energy of Mother Nature as you immerse yourself in her world.
- Enjoy a tasty and lavish lunch made in the middle of the mountains.
- Spend the perfect day away from the city in the peace and quiet of the Andes.
Detailed Itinerary
Cusco | Mollepata – Soraypampa - Sky Camp - Humantay Lake
Highlight of the day: Without a doubt, reaching the lake and looking at the stunning scenery all around.
Day Out at the Incredibly Beautiful Humantay Lake.
Start your day at 4:00 a.m. with a pickup from your hotel and a drive to Mollepata. You’ll enjoy breakfast and continue to Soraypampa, where we start the hike. You’ll slowly walk up to Humantay Lake, where you’ll be shocked by the sheer beauty of this place. You’ll have plenty of time to explore, enjoy the scenery, and take memorable photos.
In the afternoon, you’ll hike down to Soraypampa and have an exquisite lunch made by a chef at our exclusive Sky Camp. Finally, it’ll be time to board our transport and return to Cusco. We’ll drop you off at your accommodation at around 6:30 p.m.
Our exciting day out begins at 4:00 a.m. with a pickup from your accommodation. We’ll start by driving to Mollepata, where we stop for a tasty breakfast and enjoy the mountains in the early morning light. This is an excellent opportunity to get some memorable photos.
Once we’re full, we’ll continue in our transport to Soraypampa (3,900 m / 12,795 ft), where you’ll begin to feel the powerful presence of the glaciers. You will surely be impressed by their haunting, snowy faces that defy any force or evil. After listening to brief instructions from your guide, we’ll begin our 2-hour ascent to the Humantay Lake.
Remember that you’ll be hiking across rocky and uneven terrain, so using a walking stick is a great idea. Take your time, walk slowly, rest, and drink plenty of water—you’ll be at a high altitude, so you need to take it easy. Please don’t carry plastic on the route, and never leave your trash on the trail.
After the effort of hiking uphill, you’ll enjoy the most incredible reward. The stunning Humantay Lake will gradually unveil itself before you. This beautiful turquoise lake is nestled within a rocky terrain that originates from the melting snow that blankets the Humantay Glacier. Take a walk around the lake or push a bit to climb higher up the rocky slopes for even better views. The higher you are, the more turquoise the water will look, and you’ll be able to take in the ultimate panoramic sights.
Being so close to the mountains is a powerful experience, so you’ll likely understand why they’re so sacred in the Andean culture. Our guide will perform a simple ritual and thank nature using coca leaves.
It’ll be around an hour-and-a-half descent to get back to Soraypampa, where our Sky Camp is located. You’ll enjoy a scrumptious lunch prepared by our chef and finally board our transport to take you back to Cusco. We’ll drop you off at your accommodation around 6:30 p.m.
Please Remember
To enjoy this trip to the fullest, you need to be well-acclimated. That’s why we recommend you arrive in Cusco at least two days in advance to avoid altitude sickness. It’s important that you avoid alcoholic beverages and cigarettes the first few days. You also need to stay well-hydrated.
Altitude sickness symptoms include shortness of breath or extreme agitation, severe headaches, vomiting, and even diarrhea. Nobody wants to feel like this in the middle of the mountain! So, make sure you prepare well and take the proper precautions.
Why Travel with us
At Salkantay Trekking, we specify the included and non-included services under all the tour itineraries listed on our website. We take care of all the logistics, but please pay attention to the details to avoid missing anything. Some items may be different for specific programs, so please read carefully before booking with us.
What Is Included?
Permits & Entrance Tickets
Entrance for Humantay Lake
High Quality Service & Safety
Experienced Tour Guide - All our guides have professionalism, experience, responsibility, seriousness and passion, which will make your trip safe and comfortable.
An official English and Spanish-speaking tour guide will accompany you along the route. Your guide will explain the culture and surroundings and keep you safe, sound, and comfortable to enjoy your trip worry-free!
- Bilingual Tour Guide in group service or shared (English and Spanish)
Trekking Poles and Rain Poncho
Medical Kit or First AID Kit - Our guides are trained to deal with basic emergencies.
All Salkantay Trekking guides have received specialized training in first aid. We hold mandatory training sessions with our guides every February. Your guide will always carry a first aid kit to face basic emergencies (altitude sickness, travelers' diarrhea, cuts, scrapes, etc.) as well as oxygen. If necessary, we’ll evacuate you from the path as quickly as possible and ensure that you arrive at a clinic for treatment.
24/7 Customer Service - We have 24 hours a day telephone service.
We have telephone service available 24 hours/day for ease of communication with Salkantay Trekking leading up to your trek.
Meals
Breakfast & Lunch
Our chef prepares the best dishes in the middle of the mountain. Our passengers love our food! We respect all diets (vegetarian, vegan, or special menus are available at no extra cost), so let us know if you have any particular allergies or restrictions on your reservation form and remind your guide during the briefing.
Snacks and water
Before the hike, we'll provide you with a water bottle and snacks of local fruits, cookies, chocolate, caramels, etc.
One cloth snack bag
To avoid the use of plastic bags that contaminate our environment, we'll give you a cloth bag for your snacks.
Transportation
Transport
All transportation is included in this tour. We’ll pick you up from your hotel, and after the end of the trip, we’ll drop you back at the door of your hotel in Cusco.
What Is Not Included?
Dinner
Personal Hiking Gear
Travel Insurance
Tips for our staff
Tipping is usual on any excursion to Peru. Although we pay good salaries to our team, something extra is always welcome.
Additional costs or delays beyond our control
Landslides, bad weather conditions, itinerary modifications due to a safety concern, illness, pandemic, government policy changes, political instability, strikes, acts of God, etc.
We want to make your trip to Peru as memorable and as carefree as possible. In this section, you’ll find the answers to all the questions you have about traveling with Salkantay Trekking in one place. Please read the following information carefully – it will help you with any questions about our services.
How many days do I need to acclimate in Cusco before the Trek?
It is very important to be well acclimated to the altitude before exerting yourself on a trek. We do recommend that you arrive in Cusco at least 2 or 3 days before the trek starts to help you become acclimatized and avoid possible problems with altitude sickness while on the trek.
Suppose you have already been in another area of Peru at a high altitude before arriving in Cusco. In that case, we still recommend you have a whole day in Cusco to rest, recover from your travel, and enjoy the sights and sounds of Cusco before departing for the trek.
Here some suggestions for activities to do in the Cusco vicinity before starting your adventure trek:
Can I store my luggage at your office?
Of course! During the trip, you can store your main luggage for free at our office (arrange it with us at our office or by email).
You can also safely keep any equipment you won't need for the tour in your hotel. Almost every hotel offers this service. Please do not leave valuable items in your bags; put them in the hotel safe and ask for an itemized receipt (in the unlikely case of theft, many insurance companies require that you have a copy of the receipt). For extra peace of mind, place items like credit cards inside a sealed and signed envelope.
Pick up of guests
Please note:
- All pickups are within Cusco City, but we recommend booking a hotel in the historic center for its convenient location.
- Our guide or staff will confirm the pickup time the day before the tour.
- Due to traffic conditions, the pickup time may vary between 30 and 45 minutes.
- Cusco is an old city and has many narrow cobbled streets. Some hotels and Airbnbs are located on streets without car access or on long, steep slopes, making it difficult to transport luggage. For such reasons, we strongly advise you to book accommodation with good access.
Group Tours
Group tours are made up of different people with varying physical conditions and ages. By agreeing to be part of a group tour, you acknowledge that some people may be faster or slower than you. Therefore, each person can go at their own pace on the route.
In some cases, a group may want to modify the tour; however, the guide will be the one who decides, after consulting with all participants, whether such changes are possible.
Strikes and demonstrations
Strikes and demonstrations are usually common in Peru, which may interrupt some of our tours. Roads and train tracks can be blocked or taken over. However, we will try to keep your trip as planned, even leaving the night before the scheduled date.
In case of changes or cancellations, our operations department will coordinate everything with you. Your safety is our highest priority, and we will make our decisions to protect it.
Lost objects
Please pay attention to where you leave your belongings and remember to take everything once you leave our transports or facilities. You’re the only one responsible for your objects during the tour.
WHAT SHOULD YOU BRING?
ESSENTIAL
CLOTHING
EQUIPMENT
RECOMMENDED
"Humantay Lake Hike" can leave any day of the week, from March through January. We don’t operate this itinerary in February because of the rainy season & maintenance of the route.
2025 Land Cost
Group Price: US$ 100.00 per person
This small-group journey is guaranteed to operate with just two guests.
Notice that PayPal charges a fee of 5%, which we ask the client to cover since it's due to the use of its service. This tax is just for online deposits.
Price Guarantee
Once your booking has been confirmed, we guarantee the price won’t increase, whatever the circumstances. So please, before booking, ensure you’ve read all our important tour information.
Thank you for your interest in having an adventure travel experience in Peru curated by Salkantay Trekking. Please take a moment to complete our short form, so one our friendly Adventure Consultants could provide you all the information for your trip of a lifetime in Peru.
Our Pledge | Your privacy is respected and protected. The Salkantay Trekking Company will never share, sell, or make public any of your personal contact information to third parties.
Remember | One of our Travel Experts will contact you soon to confirm the availability of the trip you chose, give you more information, and/or provide you alternative options. Once availability is established, we will ask for a deposit and a completed online registration to confirm your spot on the trek. Please call us at (+51) 958 191 179 with any questions or to confirm availability over the phone.
Note | Due to the rainy season and trail maintenance, we don't offer this trek during the whole month of february. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you, we are working to provide you a better service!
Feel free to reach us via email at info@salkantaytrekking.com or by calling us directly at (+51) 958 191 179
Every Day: 9:00 am to 7:00 pm
Triunfo Street 346 - Main Square of Cusco, Peru
