1-Day Humantay Lake Hiking Tour from Cusco with Salkantay Views

The journey

Trip highlights

• 01 Hike uphill from Soraypampa to the turquoise waters of Humantay Lake
• 02 Admire breathtaking scenery with Salkantay's snow-capped peaks in the background
• 03 Take in the changing landscapes as you travel from Mollepata into the high Andes
• 04 Spend time at the lake for photos, guide explanations, and panoramic views

Escape daily life on a refreshing day trip to Humantay Lake, where turquoise waters sit beneath the snow-capped mountains of Salkantay (6,270 m). Travel with your fellow travellers from Mollepata to Soraypampa and enjoy a rewarding uphill hike to one of Cusco's most beautiful high-altitude landscapes. Along the way, take in the changing scenery and spend time at the lake listening to your guide's explanations and admiring the wonderful views of the area.

Escape daily life on a refreshing day trip to Humantay Lake, where turquoise waters sit beneath the snow-capped mountains of Salkantay (6,270 m).

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 1 Day

Tour type Shared

Activity level Easy

Accommodation Not included

Transport Not included

Wheelchair access Not applicable

City Cusco

Languages English, French, Portuguese

Day by day

The itinerary

1

Day 01

Humantay Lake Hike via Mollepata and Soraypampa

• Meet your tour guide for pickup from your respective hotel between 4:30 and 5:00 am.
• Travel by car to the town of Mollepata for about 2 hours, where you will stop at a restaurant for a delicious breakfast for about 1 hour. Then continue by car for 1 more hour to the start of the hike at Soraypampa, located at 3,900 m.
• Next, head to the control point to pay the entrance fee to the community (20 soles for foreign visitors and 10 soles for Peruvians). Afterwards, get ready for the hike to Humantay Lake, an uphill walk of around 2 hours covering a distance of 3 km. Once at the lake, you will have enough time to take pictures of the breathtaking scenery, listen to your guide's explanations, and enjoy all the wonderful landscapes of the area. The time spent at Humantay Lake is about 45 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on the weather conditions. Sometimes it is cloudy, foggy, or a little rainy, and if it is very cold, you may stay for about 30 minutes. If the weather is sunny and clear, you can stay for around 1.5 hours, which is enough time to get to know Humantay Lake.
• Start the return hike to the car stop, marking the end of the hike. Then drive back to Mollepata for about 1 hour, where you will stop for a buffet lunch, followed by a 2-hour drive back to Cusco.

The route

Where you'll travel

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

• English-speaking tour guide

Know before you go

• Humantay Lake is named after the nearby mountain (Humantay, 5,473 m) and is considered one of the most beautiful and sacred lakes in Cusco. Its turquoise waters, with the snow-capped mountains of Salkantay (6,270 m) in the background, whisper directly to you the reason why it is so popular.
• In addition to tourists who make day trips to the lake, there are more adventurous tourists who go on the so-called "Salkantay Trek," which is a 5-day trek to Machu Picchu and during which they can visit this lake at their leisure and at their own pace.

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point

Mollepata 08645, Peru

Tour start

Mollepata 08645, Peru

Tour ends at the same location as the start point.