If you’re in Cusco or plan to visit Cusco soon, chances are you’ve heard of Humantay Lake. Hiking Humantay Lake for me was very hard. It was one of the very first tours I did while in Cusco. Going uphill at that altitude felt like I wasn’t my usual self and that I had a smoker’s lungs. But, it was also one of the best hikes I’ve ever done.
Here’s my article on is Cusco worth visiting for everything you need to know before you make a decision to visit.
What I loved most about Humantay Lake was how beautiful and picturesque the scenery is while hiking. At every moment you could see a towering snow capped mountain. I took so many epic pictures and videos with it in the background. There are rivers running alongside you and trees all around. Humantay lake is definitely one of the best day trips from Cusco that you shouldn’t leave out your itinerary.
In this guide and based on my own experience, I’ll talk about how Humantay Lake was like, how it was getting here, hiking difficulty and some tips on doing this amazing tour.
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Humantay lake Peru: My Experience
Honestly, I booked this tour based off of just looking at a few images online and knowing there was a hike. The images I’ve seen online about Humantay Lake before were of the actual lake, not the hike leading up to it. So, like many other people, I was really excited to do this tour.
This was also my first real tour in Cusco. At this point, we were there for only one and a half days. But luckily we didn’t experience any altitude sickness at all. So, we were really looking forward to an enjoyable hike doing Humantay Lake and visiting the lake didn’t disappoint.
For this tour, we had to leave our hotel at 4 am to get the tour bus. Because we stayed in the city center, the tour bus picked us up right by our hotel. It’s a 2 hour bus ride to Humantay Lake. But first, we stopped for breakfast at a large food hall where all the other tour buses also gathered. So everyone doing Humantay Lake today was at this place for breakfast.
It’s a large flat hall room with buffet style food and breakfast items to choose from. The seating is arranged by group. So you sit together with the people from your tour bus.
I recommend drinking some coca tea here to help curb any altitude sickness that’s about to kick in. Coca tea is known to help with the symptoms you feel from being at such a high altitude. I was surprised that coca tea is free basically anywhere in Cusco. Funny that you have to pay for water, but never for coca tea, which is also made of water.
We arrived at the drop off point to Humantay Lake at around 7 am. From this point, there is a short walk to the bathroom area where you can use the toilets and get water if you need. Our tour guide told us how long the hike is, the elevation, when we’ll be going downhill versus uphill and that it takes about 2 hours to reach the lake.
This is where the hike truly begins. I tried to follow my tour guide as much as I can, but he was all over the place. Not seeing your tour guide is perfectly fine. Not everyone can stick together and there are always other people that need help. There are dozens of other tour groups doing the exact same hikes as you, so just follow everyone else.
Shortly after starting the hike and just before it gets really steep, we arrived at a location where they ask us whether we want to use a horse to go up or hike the trail on foot. I decided to go on foot because I just like challenges and I felt that I wasn’t sick and could most likely make it fine.
I’d definitely recommend getting the horse if you just prefer to ride. Riding a horse is way more fun than walking anyway, plus you save all that energy for your other tours. It costs 100 soles for a horse up to the lake.
I honestly thought that this hike was really hard. Not only are you at 4000 meters above sea level where the oxygen is really thin. But, you’re going up hill most of the way to the Lake. Even in the city going up hill would make my body tingle. So I’d say you need to be in decent physical shape to do this hike without any issues.
What I loved most about Humantay Lake was that there were so many spots to stop and take photos and videos of the most epic scenery. But, the place with the best background for pictures was the actual lake with the huge snow capped mountain in the background. This is the area everyone spends the most time and the final destination on this tour. From here we turn back.
What to Expect from Humantay Lake Peru
Before I visit any place or do any activity, I wish there was a “things to know before you go” article I could read for everything. The reality of what it’s like, not just the highlights or the Instagram shots.
When you get to Humantay Lake, it’s going to be very cold and you’d think that you’d want to get layers on to keep warm. That’s not a good idea. In about 10 minutes after starting the most basic part of the hike, I stripped down to my t-shirt and track pants. A lot of other people on the hike were in leggings, sports bras and plain tees.
Make sure you pack water on this hike if nothing else. There is one stall where you could buy snacks and drinks at the very end of the hike. My friend and I bought a beer here just to cheers in front of the Lake.
The hike can get really steep and very narrow. I was almost trampled by horses multiple times. If you have a bandana you could wear it around your nose because it gets really dusty in cramped and narrow parts of the hike. The horses kick up a lot of sand and it can get into your eyes and nose.
Something I noticed very early on this hike was that most of the people here are hiking enthusiasts that are just speeding through it. Don’t try to keep up with them. Maybe they have a challenge they’re doing or something. Just try to stay close to your group and with your friends if you came with any.
Once you get to the Lake area of the hike, it’s going to be crowded with people and the best area to take the most iconic shots is basically in one place. So, everyone is waiting to get their shots at this place mostly. Luckily there were not that many people on this hike as usual. Once you arrive at the lake, you’re given 20 minutes to chill and take pics.
There are toilets at the very beginning of Humantay Lake. If you need to go again then you’ll just have to find a bush and do your business there.
How difficult is Humantay Lake hike?
In general, I’d say Humantay Lake was a difficult hike. For about 80% of the way to the end of the hike, it’s all incline. Hiking at an incline for a long time is difficult by itself. Hiking at an incline at 4000 meters above sea level is another level.
It’s really normal for people to get sick on this hike. You can get lightheaded dizzy and feel to throw up. Someone from my group had to turn back really early on, even when they were on a horse. The elevation can affect people differently. But, everyone feels the effects of the lack of oxygen. No matter how much I tried to breathe properly, it felt like I wasn’t getting enough oxygen sometimes.
The trail itself is not technically difficult, but the altitude will make what would be a normal hike, feel harder than it really is.
There is really only one treacherous section of the hike and that’s at the beginning. It’s basically a narrow dirt path at the side of the mountain. It was about 3 feet wide. If you misstep and fall, you’re basically tumbling down thousands of feet down. I was surprised they didn’t build a railing or put a rope at least for people to hold on to.
Compared to Rainbow Mountain, Humantay Lake is much longer, more of an incline and a more difficult terrain. Even though Rainbow Mountain was at a higher altitude, I felt like it was so much easier.
What to bring and tips for Humantay Lake
- Wear proper hiking shoes. Nothing fancy. Just regular hiking shoes with good grip and that are comfy should do the trick.
- Walk with cash. You’ll get a Whatsapp message before the day of the hike letting you know that it costs 20 soles to enter the Humantay Lake hiking area. You also need money to pay if you take a horse. It’s 100 sol for the horse.
- Bring Water. Probably the most important tip on here is to walk with enough water for a full day and more.
- Don’t try to rush the hike. One of the mistakes I made was trying to walk too fast and take big steps. But, what I learned from the Rainbow Mountain hike after this one, was that if you take it much slower, you’ll actually need fewer breaks and end up reaching sooner anyway.
- Walking sticks might not be better. I used the walking sticks that our tour guide gave me and I found it felt awkward to use. When I ditched it and started walking normally it felt much easier.
What to wear for Humantay Lake
Because this is such a physical activity and it’s during the day. I would say that you do not need layers for warmth. You need regular underwear, long hiking or track pants, hiking shoes, regular t-shirt and maybe a jacket.
In the image above is our tour guide and if you dress similar to this then you’re golden. I think everyone needs a day sack to carry around all their items, water, snacks, wallet, phones etc. You don’t want to be holding anything in your hands while you hike because you’ll need free hands to grab rocks or brace for a fall.
Is Humantay Lake worth visiting?
Absolutely. Humantay is very much worth doing when you’re in Peru. It’s one of the most picturesque and best activities to do here. I would recommend this hike to people who really think they have what it takes for a difficult hike at high altitude. Or if you really love hikes in nature and grand immense scenery, then Humantay Lake would be great for you. I think it’s also really great for photography and taking pictures from up high and of large scale mountains.
If you really do not like hiking or have some injury where hiking is an issue, you should maybe leave it off your Cusco itinerary. If you’re struggling with altitude sickness on your Cusco trip, then doing a hike like this would only make things worse. Exertion is one of the causes of feeling ill in Cusco.
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