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Humantay Lake Tour, One Day Trip

Cusco - Soraypampa - Humantay Lake
(42)
Service Level:
Premium
Activity type:
  • Hiking
  • Local Culture
  • Wildlife
  • Scenic Vistas
Physical Rating:
Trip Type:
Private Tour
Trip Length
Full Day
Starting from
$ 150
per person

Embark on the Humantay Lake Day Trip from Cusco

Humantay Lake Day Tour from Cusco – Experience a one-day adventure to one of the most picturesque lakes in Peru, nestled amidst stunning mountains such as Humantay and Salkantay. With our private itinerary from Cusco, you’ll have an exclusive and personalized experience, away from the crowds.

The Lake Humantay Day Tour is the best option for those looking for short hikes, glacial lakes and nature lovers as it offers spectacular landscape view, exotic flora, and fauna along this adventure hike through beautiful valleys and white-capped mountains. It is definitely one of the top places to visit in Cusco! Humantay Lake is sure to leave you in awe of its spectacular landscapes!

The Humantay Lagoon is located along the popular Salkantay trekking route and it ranks among Peru’s top natural attractions but its remote location makes access a challenge. During the last few years, this destination became very popular so it is now often crowded. Want to hike to go on an off-the-beaten path and explore a lesser-known route with beautiful Lakes? check out our Ausangate 7-Lake Day Trip which is perfect for those interested in nature and local culture.

Why you will love this tour

  • Enjoy the stunning views of the snow peaks of Salkantay and Humantay on a day trip from Cusco
  • Avoid crowds and enjoy a private tour at your own pace. Enjoy a personal experience, and go at your own pace. You will be able to talk to your guide and ask questions and be involved during the tour.
  • Unlike the standard bus tours to Humantay Lake, we prioritize the safety of our customers by offering an exclusive private tour. This ensures that our knowledgeable guide can provide individual attention and assistance if needed, especially regarding altitude sickness.
  • Visit the turquoise Colored Humantay Lake under lovely snow-capped mountains
  • Hiking on the Salkantay trail, the second most popular trek in Cusco, and enjoy the spectacular scenery with flora & wildlife
  • Experience a personal and flexible private guided tour to Humantay Lake. Go at your own pace while enjoying the scenery. You will be able to talk to your guide and ask questions and be involved during the tour.

Trip Details

  • Tour Type: Private Tour basis 
  • Tour duration: Full-day tour
  • Activities: Hiking, culture, and nature
  • Meeting location: Your hotel lobby in Cusco. We can also depart from Hotels in Urubamba
  • Pick-up schedule: At 6.30 – 7 am from your hotel in Cusco
  • Group Size: Depends on you since the tour is in private service
  • Good For: Those with a sense of adventure and in good hiking shape
  • Physical rating: Moderate due to the altitude of the trail
  • Consideration: Please make sure you are acclimatized to Cusco’s altitude before you set off on this hike and bring comfortable shoes – lots of walking around. 
  • Hiking time:  4 hours approx. 
  • Customizable: Yes! Custom, add-ons are also available. You can add this tour to any trek or multi-day tour

ITINERARY

Cusco - Soraypampa - Humantay Lake - Cusco

Pickup time from your Hotel will be at 6:30 – 7:00 AM and we start the day adventure with a 4-hour drive to the trailhead called Soraypampa (3,800 m.a.s.l)

It’s then a 2-hour hike uphill to Humantay Lake (4200 m.) located at the base of a mountain with the same name, the scenery along the way is beautiful and if the sky is clear enough, we will be able to see the impressive and famous snow mountains –  Salkantay and Humantay.

Once there you will be amazed by the views of the crystal clear water reflecting the sky, you can also see native birds, flowers, and magnificent mountain tops.

After some free time, we will start our descent to the trailhead (1 hour approx.) Here we enjoy a deserved Lunch and then we return to Cusco.

Included

  • Personal pick-up and drop-off from/to your hotel
  • Bilingual Local Friend Tour Guide
  • Private transportation with a separate driver
  • Morning Snack & Lunch
  • Entrance Tickets to Humantay Lake
  • First Aid-kit + Emergency Oxigen.

Not Included

  • Breakfast
  • Personal riding horse. Additional horses may be rented according to the needs of the individual.
  • Gratuities
  • Travel insurance.

Book this Experience

We require a minimum of 2 participants to book this tour
More than 2 people? Group discounts here.

What to Expect

* Impressive views, mild to moderate temperatures although kind of glacier wind at the viewpoint of Humantay Lake; mostly sunny days during the months of May, June, July, and August; Stops at scenic spots en route; Friendly English-speaking tour guide; Your journey your way!

* The hike to the top is no joke. Constantly changing weather conditions, combined with high altitude, can be a challenge for some hikers. But if done right it’s manageable even for those who don’t hike much.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I pack for this day trip?

PACKING LIST


  • Daypack
  • Good hiking Shoes: hiking or Running shoes
  • Waterproof jacket/rain poncho
  • Hat and gloves
  • Warm clothes, warm fleece, Layers, socks gloves
  • Comfortable trousers
  • Sun hat and Sunscreen
  • Reusable plastic/metal water container, or camel bags
  • Water
  • Personal medication

Why Travel with us

Local Knowledge & Expertise

It's great to travel with professional experts from the same destination you are going, that's how you get first-hand information. With deep in-country knowledge, We know the ins and outs of all the logistics, we will ensure you can make the most of your time away.

Personalized Experiences

Your time is precious - we know that. Your experience is our top priority. No big bus groups, No flags to follow! Traveling with a private guide and driver you’ll do what you want, when you want with the freedom to change your plans on the fly.

Friendly Local Guides

Great sights don’t make an amazing tour. Great guides do! Our guides don’t read from a script, we give them the freedom to make each tour their own, and your experience unique. We love what we do and it shows. From the moment you arrive, you'll feel the buzz and excitement that Cusco Local Friend to offer.

Exclusive Itineraries

It’s not all about the destination, it’s also about the journey. We offer only the best itineraries and tours. As local experts, we know first-hand what tours or experiences are the ones that most travelers enjoy and request. Escape the crowds! Never waste any minute, never miss any highlight!

Trip Reviews

Cusco Local Friend has been awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence due to the most consistent 5-star reviews in Cusco, the Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu for exceptional levels of service and care.

Ammar B
Ammar B
September 4, 2023.
Tour with Abraham! People of Peru :) Highly recommend Abraham! Was one of the highlights for our trip for sure and we enjoyed it thoroughly, definitely book and request him. He was so funny and we got to joke a lot throughout the whole trip. Peru is known for the people and Abraham is one of them for sure!
Romil B
Romil B
September 2, 2023.
Amazing Experience - Highly recommended We booked full day sacred valley tour with Cusco Local Friend and our experience was amazing. Let me start by mentioning the ease of booking the tour by chatting with Percy via Watsapp. Percy provided us complete guide on the tour in details and booking was done with in minutes. On the day the tour, we met our guide Juan Pablo. He was awesome. Throughout the whole tour from Pisac Ruins, Salt Mines, Moray to Tempe del sol - Juan Pablo provided us intricate details of the history of Peru and kept us engaged. Since we are vegetarians, Juan Pablo took extra precautions of finding a nice restaurant which catered to our dietary restrictions. I would highly recommend Cusco Local Friend for Sacred Valley Tours !!!
Getaway40980607404
Getaway40980607404
August 30, 2023.
Perfect Experience! Cusco Local Friend put together the perfect vacation package for my mother (77) and I. It included Ollantaytambo, The Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu. Our entire experience with the company was an absolute pleasure. Abraham, our guide had a passion for sharing his knowledge of Inkan culture, and was a joy to be around. Each of our drivers (Romulo and Edgar) were skillful and made us feel safe and in good hands. Percy and Hugo were both available at any time to answer questions via instant message, and made sure that we knew what to expect on each leg of the journey, and made sure we have any necessary documents well in advance. I would book through Cusco Local Friend again in an instant.
Diana T
Diana T
August 29, 2023.
Interesting tour of Sacred Valley sites This tour was so informative and interesting! Our guide, Pablo, knew so much about the history of the sites we visited, we learned so much. He and the driver were friendly and nice. The sites we visited were some of our favorites on the trip. Would definitely recommend!
Shilesh J
Shilesh J
August 9, 2023.
Great Tours and Team My family of 3 found Cusco Local Friends (CLF) during online research. We were going to Peru for a wedding in Arequipa and decided to make an extended vacation out of the trip. Our private trip with CLF included a full day in Sacred Valley, late afternoon followed by early morning entrances to Machu Picchu, horse-back ride up to Humantay Lake, followed by Rainbow Mountain. The team I worked with these arrangements was Hugo primarily and Percy in the background paperwork. I worked extensively with Hugo via WhatsApp, email, and on the phone to plan the tour. Hugo gave great advice on the sequence to make sure we were properly acclimatized to high altitude prior to Humantay and Rainbow portions of the tour. Our guide was Ferdinand, and the driver was Edgar. Everyone in this team was just fantastic. I have the highest recommendation for CLF as tour operator. We were met at CUZ airport by Hugo and driver Edgar. The minivan was spacious, clean, and comfortable. During the drive into town, Hugo spent a lot of time explaining everything to us, went over the plans, and most importantly gave us great advice on what to eat, what to avoid, and how best to gradually acclimatize. He helped us change USD to PEN at a great rate, provided us with bottles of water before exiting the van as he left us in the capable hands of Edgar to drive us to Ollantaytambo. Hugo had advised us to visit a free site in Ollantaytambo adjacent to the actual ruins. We did that in the later afternoon. Our tour started the next day when we were met by Edgar and guide Ferdinand. Ferdinand spoke perfect English and was a pleasure company for entirety of our tours. He is knowledgeable of the history of all the sites we visited. He had the foresight of bringing us walking sticks for our downhill walks from Humantay Lake, which was a challenging walk for us. He helped in every possible way during the tours. The team even planned our trip schedule to Humantay to account for a road closure, to make sure we had the least amount of waiting time for the road to reopen. I cannot emphasize enough how this was slick planning. Peru is a great country to visit, the people are very friendly and there is so much more to explore. We barely covered a small portion in capable hands of CLF team. My family thanks Hugo, Ferdinand, Edgar, and Percy for a great, safe, informative introduction to a small portion of Peru. I recommend CLF without any reservations. PS: I forgot to add that Hugo gave a complimentary ride from hotel to CUZ airport day after our final trip. See my review in google for pictures
MFerraro
MFerraro
August 4, 2023.
Absolutely perfect & wonderful friends Hugo, Abraham & their team were beyond incredible. They became friends from the moment we met them. It was such a pleasure having them w our group throughout our stay as they made everything effortless on our end. They have every piece of information you need and/or want & were incredibly knowledgeable & passionate about sharing their knowledge w us. They were able to answer every question we had about the history of Peru & all the wonderful sights we saw on our adventure together. Thank you Hugo for your incredible team. Can’t wait to come back & see you again.
Francesca B
Francesca B
August 3, 2023.
Good views, great experiences, excellent staff! This tour was worth every dollar spent! Our group was able to see so much of the Sacred Valley while traveling comfortably and having lots of fun. Our tour guides Hugo and Abraham were very kind, knowledgeable, efficient and had a trip packed full of adventures for us. We experienced Machupicchu while our guides passionately explained the history. They truly thought of everything and we hardly waited in any lines since they knew the most efficient times to visit. I would absolutely do this tour again if I ever visit Peru again! Will recommend to anyone visiting the Sacred Valley.
Lily Z
Lily Z
August 3, 2023.
Amazing experience These guys are pros! They have a wealth of history knowledge and were so attentive to our groups needs. They made our trip more full filling and they treated us like family!
Katie S
Katie S
August 3, 2023.
Amazing experience and awesome guides! Hugo and Abraham were excellent guides. They were knowledgeable, caring, and friendly. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience in Cusco! Highly recommend!!
Marissa L
Marissa L
August 2, 2023.
Amazing experience with the best guides! Hugo and Abraham are the best guides ever! They welcomed and guided us through Cusco for a week with Kula Adventures. We had the best experiences and quickly became family by the end of the trip. Hugo and Abraham are so warm, welcoming, and passionate which made our trip so memorable and powerful!

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