Real travellers · real day
People who actually went.
What you actually get
Included. And not included.
Being aggressive about exclusions reads as confidence. Most negative Cusco tour reviews trace to an unlisted extra. The list below is what you actually pay for — and what you don't.
Included
- 01Video-call briefing after you book, so you know exactly what to expect and can ask anything before the tour
- 02Hotel pickup between 4:30am and 5:00am
- 03Round-trip transportation, Cusco ↔ Soraypampa
- 04Breakfast, with vegetarian options
- 05Professional bilingual guide
- 06First-aid kit and oxygen on hand throughout the tour
- 07Buffet lunch, with vegetarian options
Not included
- 01Laguna Humantay park entrance ticket — S/25 (about US$7), payable on site
Hour by hour
The day, in twenty-four timestamps.
- ~04:30–05:00
Hotel pickup in Cusco.
- En route
About a four-hour drive to Soraypampa (3,850 m), at the foot of the Salkantay range.
- In Soraypampa
Breakfast in Soraypampa, before the hike begins.
- The climb, ~1h30min
The hike begins: Soraypampa → Laguna Humantay (4,200 m), a moderate climb of about one hour thirty. Horse rental is available at the trailhead for anyone who'd rather not walk. On clear days, both the Salkantay and Humantay glaciers are visible along the way — Humantay, the queen, and Salkantay, the king, in Inca mythology.
- At the lake
Free time at the turquoise lake for photos. Many visitors follow the local custom of leaving a small offering to the Apus, the Andean mountain spirits.
- The descent, ~1h
Descend back to Soraypampa, about an hour — easier than the way up.
- Back in Soraypampa
Lunch in Soraypampa.
- ~17:30
Arrival back in Cusco.
Altitude & fitness
Who should not do this tour.
The most credibility-building paragraph on a Cusco tour page is the one that tells a buyer to walk away. This is that paragraph for the humantay lake.
- If you have not spent at least two nights in Cusco before the tour, this day is not for you.
- If you have a heart, lung, or blood-pressure condition, the altitude is a medical decision, not a travel one — talk to your doctor first.
- If you are pregnant, the operator will not run the day. We will not pretend they will.
- If the only thing you want is the photograph and not the day, hire a photo operator in Cusco plaza for a tenth of the price. We are not it.
What to bring
The list, with reasons.
- A small day-bag
- Sun hat
- Sunscreen
- Warm jacket and gloves
- Rain coat
- Snacks, water, and your camera
- Hiking boots
- Sunglasses
- Original passport
- Cash — for the park entrance ticket (S/25) and any extras
- This is a gentler climb than Rainbow Mountain and accessible to most people, but it's still real altitude — not recommended for travellers with heart or lung/respiratory conditions. If you'd rather not walk the ascent, horse rental is available at the trailhead.
- Daily departures. Cusco's dry season runs roughly May–November; some light rain days are possible December–April. It's a full-day tour that reaches the lake around midday, usually the sunniest part of the day — check the day-of forecast at https://www.accuweather.com/en/pe/cusco/257812/weather-forecast/257812
Booking cutoff
Next-day
The minimum lead time on this tour.
Pre-dawn pickup. Steep morning climb from Soraypampa to the turquoise waters of Laguna Humantay.
- Payment is in full, by payment link or bank transfer.
- No processor on this site. We send a payment link by hand from WhatsApp.
WhatsApp about this tour
Humantay Lake.
Same-day reply, Cusco time. We will tell you whether your date is open before you pay.
