To begin our exciting one-day tour, hike or adventure to Humantay Lake or Laguna Humantay from Cusco, we’ll pick you up from your hotel at 4:00 am, very early morning to avoid the crowds at the beautiful Humantay Lake.

Then, we’ll start driving in our private roomy and comfy van for about 2.5 hours by the route Cusco-Mollepata, passing through small towns and communities like Izcuchaca, Limatambo, and make our way towards Mollepata, where we’ll stop for a taste breakfast, stock up the latest provisions, and enjoy the mountains against the early morning light.

After breakfast, we’ll continue our trip for one more hour in our transport; the road we will take is dirt (path) to Soraypampa, which is located in the lush valley of the Apurimac River and at an altitude of 3900 meters above sea level (12,795 ft.), where we will begin our Humantay Lake trek.

• Soraypampa has the extra benefit of being a prime location from which we can appreciate the majestic Salkantay mountain (6270 m / 20,571 ft.), the second highest mountain in Cusco.

Once we reach to the trailhead of Humantay Lake tour; if the sky is clear enough, you’ll begin to feel the powerful presence of the impressive snow-capped Salkantay and Humantay glaciers, as well as impressed by their haunting snowy faces that defy any force or evil.

After listening to brief instructions from your guide and get ourselves ready for the short hike to Humantay Lake! We’ll begin our ascent to the gorgeous Humantay Lake and it will take us about an hour and a half to two. The first 45 minutes are fairly moderate difficulty, but then the trail get steeper during the latter half and as we approach Laguna Humantay.

While we do the walk towards the impressive turquoise Humantay Lake, we will see a panorama of snow-capped mountains, impressive natural landscapes and a great diversity of flora and fauna. After the effort of hiking uphill with adjacent verdant fields and the surrounding snow peaks and magical views

Finally, we’ll arrive at Humantay Lake in Peru (4230m / 13,878 ft), sparkles in the Andes mountain range like an emerald jewel. Here, you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy this natural marvel in all its splendour, as well as enjoy the views in quiet contemplation, or capture that perfect Insta photo.

• This beautifully still, turquoise-emerald Humantay Lake is truly a stunning lake, hidden among the rocky landscape, that offer tourists an all-encompassing, breathtaking scenery; and this day hike is an easy way to take it in.

On our Humantay lake tour, we also have the opportunity to explore the area a bit more, hiking uphill for about 15 minutes to reach another viewpoint for even more spectacular views of Laguna Humantay, as well as the stunning Apu Humantay mountain (5480m / 17,979 ft). Being so close to the mountains will really shake you, and you’ll likely understand why they’re so sacred in the Andean culture.

After basking in nature’s beauty on this Humantay Lake day trip and some free time, we’ll start our hike back down to Soraypampa, where our day hike began. In Soraypampa or in the town of Mollepata, we’ll enjoy the lunch. After lunch, our private transport will take us back to the city of Cusco, thus ending our hike to the Humantay lagoon for 1 day, at approximately 6:30 in the afternoon with a drop off at your hotel.

Quick Tip: BE AWARE: In order to avoid the effects of altitude sickness and make your one day hike to Humantay Lake more enjoyable be sure to spend at least 2 days acclimatizing prior to going on the tour.