Humantay Lake Tour from Cusco

Humantay is the other great day out from Cusco: a lake the colour of a swimming pool, sitting at about 4,200 m in a bowl under the glaciers of Humantay peak, with Salkantay, the highest peak of the Vilcabamba range, standing behind it. Like Rainbow Mountain it is a pre-dawn start and a hard walk. Unlike Rainbow Mountain, the hard part is the slope, not the height.

The day, hour by hour

The most-reviewed day trip, featured above, collects you in Cusco’s historic centre between 3:30 and 4:00 am. After two hours on the road west you stop in Mollepata for breakfast and a chance to buy water and snacks. Another hour up a mountain road takes you to Soraypampa, a high grassy plateau with Salkantay and Humantay above it, where the walk starts.

From Soraypampa it is about 2 km of path and two hours up to the lake, then an hour back down. The shore gets busy as the morning goes on, which is why the start is so early. The group has about half an hour at the lake, with an optional short climb above the lake for the view down onto the water. Lunch is a buffet back in Mollepata, and you are dropped near the Plaza de Armas between 5:00 and 6:00 pm.

How hard is the climb?

The trail is steep from the start and does not let up, and it ends at about 4,200 m, some 800 m above Cusco. Most reasonably fit visitors manage it in the two hours the tours allow, stopping often. The guides keep the groups small and let people climb at their own pace. If you doubt your legs or your lungs, local handlers at Soraypampa rent horses for the way up: 80 to 100 soles one way in the October 2026 listings, paid in cash. Even with a horse you will walk part of the way.

Do not do Humantay in your first two days in the region. Cusco itself is at about 3,400 m; give your body two or three days there or in the lower Sacred Valley first. The altitude guide explains what to watch for.

Check Humantay dates and prices

What it costs on top of the tour

The tour price covers transport, the guide, breakfast and lunch. You pay these in cash, in soles, on the day:

The lower-priced Humantay day trip follows the same route and timing; the difference is the operator, the group and a few dollars.

Humantay or Rainbow Mountain?

Both are long pre-dawn days at similar prices, and many visitors only have energy for one. Pick Humantay for a glacier lake and a lower high point; pick Rainbow Mountain for the striped ridge in the photos, at about 5,000 m. The side-by-side comparison goes through the climb, the crowds and the season for each.

When to go

The dry season, May to October, brings the clearest water and the best chance of seeing the glaciers. From November to April expect rain, cloud and mud on the path. It is cold at the lake in every month: bring a warm layer, a hat, gloves and a rain shell, sunglasses and sunscreen. The tours lend a wooden walking stick and carry emergency oxygen; large bags are not allowed on the van.

Before or after the Sacred Valley

If you are planning several days around Cusco, a gentle day in the Sacred Valley at a lower altitude makes a good warm-up before Humantay. Ready to book? Compare the options or check live availability for the featured day trip.