If you’re in Cusco, Peru there are so many day trips to go on within a couple hours of the city. The only hard part is picking the one (or ones) you want to do. You can go to Rainbow Mountain, Maras Salt Flats and do a variety of hikes nearby. We chose to do a day trip to Lake Humantay and it was absolutely beautiful! Here is exactly what our day trip to Lake Humantay consisted of and all the logistics of arranging it.
After some research we found this blue lake surrounded by snow covered mountains and decided that we definitely wanted to check it out. Lake Humantay is a turquoise lake surrounded by Humantay Mountain in the Andes about 3 hours from Cusco, Peru. It is a very popular day trip for visitors in Cusco looking to explore the greater area. And after doing it we would highly recommend it if you have the time!
Arranging a Tour to Lake Humantay
Once in Cusco you will see about a million different travel agencies selling day trips to all the nearby places. Especially around the Plaza de Armas, the main plaza in Cusco, you will find many different options for companies. We went with a company called Machu Picchu Reservations. They actually have two offices in Cusco but we went to the one thats one block off of the main plaza on Plaza Regocijo. We would definitely recommend them as our guide was really nice and encouraging but never discouraging!
Read More: Travel Guide to Cusco, Peru
Around 12 PM the day before we went in and had no problem booking a day trip for the next day. We would suggest booking your day trip once you’re in Cusco because you usually get a better deal as opposed to booking online ahead of time.
- You might be thinking why did you guys choose this company. Honestly we were looking for a different one that we had read about but we couldn’t find it. So we stopped at Machu Picchu Reservations. It looked like a nice office so we quickly looked it up, saw it had pretty good reviews and walked in.
When we asked about the price at first they said 80 Soles and then after us hesitating for about 30 seconds they quickly went down to 70 Soles which is about 21 USD.
- For that price we got breakfast, lunch, a guide during the hike and bus transportation to and from the main plaza in Cusco.
Travel Truth: There definitely are more expensive options if you’re looking for more during your day trip. Ask questions while booking such as what does it include and the itinerary to get a feel for what your buying before commiting.
Getting There
Our meeting time was 5:30 AM in Cusco and then we drove for about 2 hours before stopping for breakfast at about 8:00 AM. Each tour is slightly different in where they stop for breakfast and lunch but ours stopped at a very picturesque restaurant about two-thirds of the way there. It was a nice opportunity to stretch our legs and carb up before the hike. Breakfast including hard boiled eggs, bread, pasta salad, fresh fruit and coffee or tea.
- When we stopped for breakfast we were at about 9,000 feet in elevation so we were still feeling the same as Cusco.
Then we drove for 1 more hour on significantly smaller, more windy roads up the mountain. If you get car sick this might bother you a little but we were both fine.
Where you get dropped off there is a clean bathroom you can use for 1 Soles. At the parking lot we were at about 12,660 feet in elevation. Our guide offered everyone coca leaves and this liquid that you run on your hands and inhale to clear your sinuses and for the altitude. It was about 10:15 AM when we started hiking!
Hiking Up to Lake Humantay
The first 30 minutes from the parking lot is a fairly flat, wide path. You pass a few buildings and some beautiful pastures before getting to the real mountain. It was about 10:45 AM when we started hiking up the main incline. When we say incline we mean its pretty much uphill from there until you’re at the top. The path up is rocky and uneven so definitely wear your hiking shoes!
It took us 1 hour to hike from there up the top and it was a very long, hard hour. It is very steep and the combination of the uphill hiking mixed with the altitude meant we had to stop a lot to catch our breath.
At 11:45 we reached the top and got our first look of Lake Humantay! It is so beautiful and honestly worth the hike! The water on the edges appears yellow/green but then the higher you walk up the more blue the whole lake appears. We seriously were in awe of the snow covered mountains from the moment we got off the bus.
Is the Hike to Lake Humantay Hard?
Honestly, yes it was one of the more challenging hikes we have done. It’s very steep and is at such a high altitude that it feels like your body is hardly moving and you’re completely out of breath. Our strategy was to try to walk slow to better catch our breath instead of moving fast and then have to stop and be gasping for air. You go up about 1,200 feet in about 2 miles so you’re going up a significant amount in not a very long distance.
At the top of Lake Humantay we were at about 13,880 feet in elevation. That high of altitude means you’re body is able to use about 60% of the oxygen you would be getting at sea level. From the parking lot to the top we were hiking for 1 1/2 hours. So a very steep hike combined with being at a very high altitude means that yes, the hike to Lake Humantay is challenging.
- If you’re not a comfortable hiker the uneven terrain mixed with the steep climb will definitely be challenging.
- We were in Cusco for 1 1/2 days before attempting this hike. We would recommend getting to Cusco, which sits at about 11,152 feet in elevation, and seeing how you feel with the altitude before immediately doing this day trip. You want to give your body time to acclimate before going up even higher and physically exerting yourself.
Hiking Back Down Lake Humantay
We had about 1 hour at the top to walk around, take pictures and enjoy being in this insanely beautiful place before leaving to hike back down. There were other groups at the top but there definitely could have been more and we were able to take pictures without other people in them.
It took us about 45 minutes to hike back down to the parking lot where we met back up with our bus. It is very steep so hiking downhill especially on some narrower spots was challenging and definitely was hard on our knees by the time we reached the bottom.
Travel Truth: The reason we only had about an hour at the top was because we were slower hiking up. There were other people in our group that got to the top quicker than us and therefore had more time. So the amount of time you have at the lake depends a bit on how fast or slow you’re hiking. Regardless we still wished we had a little more time. It kind of felt like a mad dash to take pictures before having to hike down but again it depends on your hiking speed and obviously your tour.
Returning to Cusco
We drove for about 45 minutes back down the thin, windy mountain roads before stopping for lunch at the same restaurant. Lunch included a potato and (we think) couscous soup and then chicken, rice, potato and lentils and salad.
We arrived back to Cusco at 5:15 PM at the main square. So all in all it was about a 12 hour day trip with our guide and 6 other people in our group. We were very impressed to be in such a small group and it made it feel a little less like a huge touristy tour.
Overall, we would highly recommend the day trip to Lake Humantay if you’re in Cusco. It was definitely a hard hike but the views at the top were incredible!
