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Humantay Lake Peru is a popular attraction that can be easily visited on a full day trip from Cusco. The turquoise waters of the lake are truly intriguing making this one of the unmissable attractions on your trip to Peru.
Locally known as Laguna Humantay Peru, it nestles at 4,200 meters above sea level (13779 feet) in the Peruvian Andes.
Humantay Lake gets its name from the snow-capped Humantay Mountain. The lake nestles on its foothills. It is fed by the melting snow from the hill.
This is the first stop on the Salkantay Trail to Machu Picchu. Humantay Lake Peru has been sacred to the Andean people since the Inca civilization. This is primarily because they worshiped the nature entities for good yielding.
Even today Shamans (Andean priests) hike up to the lagoon to offer Apacheta. It is a process of piling stones each on top of the other to thank Mother Earth (Pachamama).
Humantay Lake Peru can only be reached by hiking for 1.5 hours from Soraypampa. If you are not keen on hiking, you can rent a horse at an additional cost.
From the summit, you will get a spectacular view of the Vilcabamba Mountain Range.
Lake Humantay is high up in the Peruvian Andes where it is subject to two seasons – dry season and rainy season. It rains in the Andes from November to March.
It often gets cloudy and the trail gets slippery. The best time to visit Lake Humantay on a full day tour is during the dry season, between March and October.
Humantay Lake hike is a high altitude experience. We highly recommend you to spend at least two days in Cusco to acclimatize and avoid altitude sickness.
We operate the Lake Humantay tour both in private and as a small group tour.
Check out our reviews on Tripadvisor.
Cusco Hotel Transfer
0430 AM
Your full day trip to Humantay Lake from Cusco begins with an early morning (0430 AM) transfer from your hotel in Cusco. We will embark on a two hour drive to Mollepata. It nestles at 2803m/9196ft.
We will be having a brief stop here so you can use the restrooms and buy some last minute supplies.
After breakfast, we will be continuing to Soraypampa (3850m/12631ft). This is the starting point to visit Humantay Lake. As our tour guide will brief you on the safety aspects of hiking the Andes, you can take some time to prepare and wear sunscreen.
We will gradually begin the hike to Laguna Humantay. The route offers enchanting views of the Andean highland farms. You will be hiking through different highland communities. Along the way up, you will be able to spot Alpacas and Llamas grazing.
As we get closer to Humantay Lagoon, the air gets thinner making it hard to hike. We highly recommend carrying a bottle of water to stay hydrated. It is also worth mentioning that you are in a reasonable physical condition and well acclimated to avoid altitude sickness.
Our tour guides are trained on first aid and on providing assistance in case of altitude sickness. You will be in safe hands all the way through.
Once at the summit, you will get a breathtaking view of the lagoon snuggled by the snow capped peaks. It is truly worth the effort. Our guide will be explaining the importance of this lagoon in the Andean mythology.
You will have plenty of time to soak in the views and feel the energy of the Andes recharging your soul.
Once you have had your fill of the turquoise lake, we will begin our hike back down to the car park in Soraypampa. We will drive you back to Mollepata.
Here we will be serving you buffet lunch. After lunch, we will be driving you back to Cusco. We will be reaching Cusco by 06:00 PM.
Knowing the humantay lagoon is a wonderful experience. Erickson Travel took care of all the preparations for this adventure and I really do not regret it, they pick us up at the hotel at the indicated time. From that moment we were surprised by the punctuality, a guide who knew a lot about his wonderful country and again an excellent lunch, everything was respected according to the instructions of the agency.
The Humantay Lagoon is impressive and right now it is the third most visited attraction in Cusco by tourists (in front of it is Machu Pichu and the mountain of seven colors) so do not miss it.
