From Cusco, you can take many beautiful day trips, and one of them is the hike to Humantay Lake. This stunning glacier lake is surrounded by huge mountains and glaciers and sits at an elevation of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet) above sea level. Due to climate change, the glaciers will continue to disappear, so now is the time to go. When we were there, we saw a large piece of ice fall with our own eyes, causing an avalanche-like effect. In this article, you can read all our tips about what the hike to Humantay Lake looks like, how to get there, and what to bring.
Tip: Is Huaraz also on your itinerary? Then you might consider skipping Humantay Lake because you will see similar lakes there that may even be more beautiful.
What does the hike to Humantay Lake look like?
You start the hike at an altitude of 3,800 meters (12,500 feet), and as we described in the intro, Humantay Lake itself is at an altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). So, you have a climb of 400 meters (1,300 feet) to complete. The trail is quite steep, and especially if you are still getting used to the altitude, it can be a challenging hike. That was also the case with us because we had quite a bit of trouble with our breathing. After many short breaks, we stood eye to eye with Humantay Lake after an hour and a half. You can also be brought up on a horse or donkey, but we personally are not in favor of that. If you have not hiked at altitude before, make sure you have spent at least two days in Cusco or the surrounding area to acclimate first. If you have an average fitness level, then this hike is definitely doable afterwards.
Tour or taxi to Humantay Lake?
The ride from Cusco to Humantay Lake takes three hours. You can visit Humantay Lake with an organized tour from Cusco, or you can arrange a taxi and visit it on your own.
Tour: It’s very easy to take a tour from Cusco to Humantay Lake. These all depart very early in the morning around 4:00 am. The biggest disadvantage of an organized tour is that all tours arrive at Humantay Lake around the same time. The big advantage is that it’s slightly cheaper than a taxi, and you don’t have to arrange anything. A tour costs around $35 per person and can be booked here.
Taxi: If you take a taxi, you don’t have to get up super early, and you’ll be at Humantay Lake when all the tours have already left. Leave around 8:30 am, and you’ll see that you almost have Humantay Lake to yourself. In addition, the trail is well-marked, and you can easily hike without a guide. The price for a taxi is 250 soles / $68, and the driver waits in the parking lot until you return. We arranged a taxi through a taxi company. You can send them a WhatsApp message asking if they can take you to Humantay Lake and back to Cusco. You’ll probably have to negotiate to get the price of 250 soles. The phone number of this taxi company is: +51 975 204 990.
Packing list for the hike to Humantay Lake
- Dress in layers. You can get hot quickly while hiking, and at Humantay Lake, the weather can be windy and freezing. Therefore, bring a hat and gloves, a raincoat, wind jacket, and a fleece sweater.
- 10 soles for the entrance fee
- Snacks / lunch
- 1.5 liters of water per person
- Possibly hiking poles
- Good shoes
- Sunscreen and sunglasses
More cool day trips from Cusco
Are you curious about more fun day trips from Cusco or the sights in the city? Then read all our tips for Cusco here or click on the banner below for all our articles about Peru.
