Peru’s Humantay Lake Hike: Everything to know!

Last updated on July 23rd, 2025

Whether done as a day hike or as part of the Salkantay Trek, Peru’s Humantay Lake hike is a MUST when visiting Cusco!

Also known as Laguna Humantay (pronounced “oo-mahn-tie”), this lake requires a short, but steep hike, where your efforts will be rewarded with a bright blue lake, surrounded by massive glaciers. It’s absolutely breathtaking! Quite literally, as it’s located at around 4,200 meters (almost 14,000 feet!) in altitude.

And in this guide we’re sharing everything you need to know before tackling the Humantay Lake hike. Including how to get there (both on your own and on a tour!), the best time to go, and tips from our experience. 

About the Humantay Lake Hike

Distance (roundtrip): 6.4 kilometers (4 miles)
Elevation Gain: 440 meters (1,443 feet)
Reviews & Current Conditions

On the route above you’ll notice that this is a loop hike. However, you don’t have to do it that way! We personally took the trail on the northern side of the loop both there and back, as it was closest to our lodging for the night. This trail also starts right by a toilet and snack stand. So it’s convenient if you need either before your hike.

Where is the Humantay Lake hike?

Humantay Lake is located about 3-3.5 hours west of Cusco and the hike begins from this parking lot. This is where day tours will be dropped off to begin hiking. But if you’re hiking the Salkantay Trek, like we did, you will likely start here instead.

How much does the Humantay Lake hike cost?

The cost to hike to Humantay Lake is S/20 ($5.35 USD) per person for foreigners. We paid this fee with our Salkantay Trek entrance (included in the same fee) at the checkpoint right before starting the Salkantay Trek.

If you’re with a tour, the fee may be included in your tour price and they will handle the payment. But make sure to confirm this in advance, as not all tours are the same.

Is the hike to Humantay Lake difficult?

While everyone’s fitness and ability levels are different, with the altitude and elevation gain we think the hike to Humantay Lake is pretty difficult. The trail is short, but the majority of it is uphill. Even as experienced hikers, we found ourselves moving slowly.

There are also sections with looser rocks, so the terrain can make it more difficult and slow moving.

How long does the Humantay Lake hike take?

After the journey to the trailhead, the trail takes most people about 3-4 hours to complete, including hanging out at the lake. 

If you’re hiking to Humantay Lake as part of the Salkantay Trek, you can expect around a 1-1.5 hour detour from the trail to the lake. It’s a bit shorter on the way back, since it’ll be downhill and easier to breathe.

How to get to Humantay Lake

Guided day trip from Cusco

The easiest way to visit Humantay Lake is on a guided day trip. It’s easily one of the best day trips from Cusco! These tours will include pick up and drop off from your accommodation, an experienced guide, and possibly breakfast and lunch. 

There are tons of tour companies in Cusco and it can be hard to choose which to go with. While we visited Humantay Lake on the Salkantay Trek (more on that next!), we highly recommend AB Expeditions, which we used for a Sacred Valley day trip and a 6 day Ausangate Trek!

But beyond AB Expeditions, here are a few other popular tour options to choose from:

• Humantay Lake Hike with Salkantay Trekking
• Private Humantay Lake Day Hike (Use our code APLUSK10 for 10% off any tour booked on Tripadvisor)
• Humantay Lake with Breakfast and Buffet Lunch
• Humantay Lake Full Day Trek 

Want to save money? We hear that it can be cheaper to book the tour in person in Cusco, rather than online in advance. However, you’re taking a risk with the quality of the company. We personally prefer to book online so we can read reviews and know exactly who we’re going with.

Before booking your day trip, there are a few important things we want to emphasize, so you can decide if it’s right for you:

This will be a VERY long day. You will have an early wake up call, with tours picking people up starting at 3-4 AM, and won’t return to Cusco until between 4-5 PM. Because of all of the driving, you will spend more time in the car than at the lake. 

Many of these tours have large groups. So if you don’t want to be with a ton of people, we’d suggest booking with AB Expeditions, who focuses on smaller groups and takes no more than 8 people. Or booking the private option we shared above!

It gets VERY crowded. Day tours are all at the lake around the same time, so there can be hundreds of people at the lake at once. For us personally, this would put a damper on the experience.

You need to have a decent fitness level to do this hike. Even as experienced and very fit hikers, who had acclimated to the high altitude for days, we still thought it was pretty tough. There is an option to rent a horse for S/80 ($21.40 USD) per person, but we cannot ensure that these horses are well taken care of and would advise against riding them.

On the Salkantay Trek

The Salkantay Trek is a 4 day, 69 kilometer (43 mile) backpacking trip through the Andes Mountains that takes you to Machu Picchu. On the first day of the trek, you will have the option to take a short detour to Humantay Lake.

And in our opinion, visiting Humantay Lake as part of hiking the Salkantay Trek is the best way to do it!

First off, by visiting the lake as part of the Salkantay Trek, you’ll be able to get to the lake in the afternoon after the majority of the guided tours have left.

Another perk is that you can spend as long as you like at the lake. This is especially true if you’re hiking the Salkantay Trek unguided, as you’ll have total flexibility in how you spend your time.

And lastly (and maybe the best part!), by doing the Salkantay Trek you get to stay the night close to the lake, with views of Salkantay Mountain.

If the entire trek is too much for you, you can also do a two day Humantay Lake and Salkantay Pass trek. This will show you some of the best scenery along the trek, but in half the time.

While hiking the Salkantay Trek with a guide is the most common option, it’s very easy to hike on your own. We have a detailed Salkantay Trek guide, video, and packing list that covers everything you need to know to hike it without a guide.

Hire a taxi

You don’t really need a guide to hike to Humantay Lake, as it’s easy to follow. So another option for getting to Humantay Lake is to hire a taxi from Cusco. However, this can be a tad difficult, as you will have to find a driver who is willing to make the long drive and wait around for you all day.

But if you can find a driver, a big benefit of taking a taxi and going on your own is you can leave later than the tour groups and stay at the lake until after they leave. The groups typically crowd the lake between 10 AM-12 PM. So if you leave Cusco between 8-9 AM, you will be able to beat most of the crowds.

To visit Humantay Lake this way, expect to pay about S/300 ($75-100 USD) for the taxi. If you can split it with 1-2 more people it is a more cost effective way than a tour to get there. However, the entrance fee, plus breakfast and lunch will be on you though.

Taxi Intur Perú S.A.C. is a highly rated taxi company that has taken people to Humantay Lake. According to their website, they charge $130 USD for this service. We also suggest asking your hotel if they can help you coordinate this taxi. That way you are not scrambling the morning of trying to find one. 

When to hike to Humantay Lake

There are two seasons in Peru, the dry season and the rainy season. The dry season runs from April through October and is the best time to visit Humantay Lake. In the dry season you likely have the clearest weather. This will give you the best chance to see the water at its most vibrant. However, even within this season, the weather can vary a bit.

If you go at the beginning of this timeframe (April and May), the scenery will be more green. Later in the dry season, the scenery will be more brown, especially in the higher altitudes. We hiked to Humantay Lake at the end of September and while some of the surrounding scenery was more dry and brown, it was still gorgeous!

Time of day to hike to Humantay Lake

As far as time of day for hiking to Humantay Lake, your options depend on how you get there. If you are with a tour you’ll get there in the morning, along with all the other tours. It will be crowded at the lake, so be prepared!

If you take your own taxi or are doing the Salkantay Trek, you can hike to the lake in the afternoon and avoid most of the crowds.

When we hiked to Humantay Lake, we left the Soraypampa Hostel just after 1 PM. And when we first arrived at the lake about an hour later, we were one of only a handful of people there. Then a few trekking groups of about 15 people each arrived and it felt quite a bit busier, but there was still plenty of room to find your own space.

One thing to keep in mind is that around 3:30 PM (during our visit in September), the lake started to get shadowy, which makes the colors a bit less vibrant. So make sure you arrive well before that to see it in all its glory!

What to expect on the Humantay Lake Hike

If you’re visiting through a tour (the most common way to hike to Humantay Lake) you’ll get picked up in the 3 AM hour and then drive 3 hours to the trailhead. On the way you’ll likely stop in Mollepata for breakfast. After breakfast, the tour will drop you off at the parking lot of the trailhead. 

For the first 15-20 minutes of the hike you’ll walk a path lined with various accommodations, plus cross a raging river via a wooden bridge. You will want to walk this path until you reach Soraypampa Hostel.

At Soraypampa Hostel you can find toilets (for a fee), as well as a stand selling snacks and water. Plus this is a great spot to stay the night if doing the Salkantay Trek unguided, like we did. If you need to fuel up or go to the restroom, we suggest doing it here. Once you’re ready to go, cross over the path you just came in on and go through the fence toward the big incline. This is the beginning of the hike to Humantay Lake!

The trail is very wide open, exposed, and starts with a gradual uphill climb. As you keep going, it will increasingly get more steep. Be sure to take plenty of breaks on your way up and drink lots of fluids to stay hydrated!

Also, on this first stretch of the hike, make sure to pay attention to where you step. There are lots of land mines along the way, also known as piles of horse poop! 

The trail gets a bit more confusing as you make your way towards the top. We noticed quite a few social trails, which made it difficult to know which was the correct trail to follow. But from our experience, all of these trails connect again and take you to the right place. We still suggest having the Alltrails map downloaded just in case (which requires an AllTrails+ membersh. Use our code aplusk30 for 30% off!).

After a bit more climbing you will finally get to see the stunning Humantay Lake and its gorgeous bright blue waters! 😍

You arrive at the lake right at its shoreline, which gives you a perfect head-on view of the lake and the huge mountains and glaciers behind it. There is a large, rocky “beach” area where you can snap photos. While this area gets very busy with other hikers, we found that it’s pretty spacious and you can spread out a bit. 

But for the ultimate view, climb up onto the ridge on the left side! While it may seem daunting to climb up even more after the hike to get there, it’s pretty short and WELL worth it. From this ridge you’ll get an even better perspective of the lake’s vibrant water. Plus even better views of the surrounding mountains and valleys!

Once you’re done experiencing Humantay Lake, you can return the same way you came or take the other trail in the map we showed above. We personally suggest taking the northern trail both ways, as you can access the toilet and snack stand at Soraypampa Hostel easier this way.

Things to know when hiking to Humantay Lake

You cannot get in the water

Don’t come to Humantay Lake expecting to be able to swim in the vibrant waters. Visitors are NOT allowed to get into the lake or touch the waters! There is rope along the shoreline to prevent people from touching the water, plus staff monitoring visitors. They WILL whistle at you if you break the rules, so please follow them!

Drones are not allowed

Drones are NOT allowed at Humantay Lake. There is signage stating this, but it is covered in stickers, so it isn’t super obvious. We did see two people flying drones here and they both got in trouble (drones aren’t quiet after all!). The staff even forced them to delete their footage, so do NOT disobey this rule! 

Acclimate

Humantay Lake is located at high altitude, so it is recommended to hang out in Cusco for at least a couple days to get acclimated. Luckily there are tons of fun things to do in Cusco to help pass the time while acclimating!

If you are not acclimated and attempt this hike it will NOT be a fun experience. You will likely get a headache, feel lightheaded or nauseous, or even worse. So please do not attempt the Humantay Lake hike unprepared! And if you do feel the symptoms of altitude sickness, make sure to turn around and lower your altitude to prevent things from getting worse.

Restrooms

There are two restrooms along the trail. The first restroom is in the parking lot and the last one is at the Soraypampa Hostel, which will both cost a few Soles to use. Make sure to bring your own toilet paper!

What to bring on the hike to Humantay Lake 

To see everything we packed for our trip to Peru, check out our full Peru Packing List. You can also see all our outdoor and backpacking gear on our gear page, as well as our Salkantay Trek packing list here. But here are a handful of items we want to emphasize bringing on the Humantay Lake hike!

Sturdy shoes

The Humantay Lake hike is rocky, rugged, and steep at times. Make sure to wear comfortable and sturdy shoes with good tread. You don’t need full on hiking boots, but we’d highly advise against sandals (unless they are hiking sandals) or anything with a heel. We wore our Altra Lone Peak 8s and they were perfect!

Layers

The weather in the Andes Mountains can change in an instant. It’s best to dress in layers so you can add and remove layers when you get cold or hot. Also, don’t forget a rain jacket, even if the forecast doesn’t say it will rain.

Sun protection

The sun can be more intense at high altitude and the Humantay Lake hike is fully exposed to the sun. Make sure to have a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses!

Cash

Make sure to bring cash to pay for the entrance fee (if applicable), as well as to use the toilets or buy any snacks/drinks.

Snacks or a lunch

Humantay Lake is an epic backdrop for a picnic or snack! Make sure to bring some food to enjoy after working hard to get to the lake.

Water

It’s very important to stay hydrated on hikes, especially at high altitude and with so much sun exposure. Make sure to bring water, but to take your hydration up a notch, add in some LMNT. This is our favorite electrolyte drink mix. We drink it on every hike and it especially came in handy when in the Andes! And if you use our link, you’ll get a free sample pack with any order!

Toilet Paper

As you may have learned throughout your travels in Peru (hopefully not the hard way!), you often need to provide your own toilet paper for the toilets. So make sure to bring some with you, just in case!

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