Humantay Lake Day Tour: Early Access to Pristine Beauty
4.9
142 Ratings
Cusco

An Exclusive Early Access to Serenity: Begin your journey ahead of the crowd to Humantay Lake’s pristine beauty. It’s not just about getting there; it’s about having that pristine space mostly to yourself.

Duration: 13 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Cusco - 3:00 am: Begin your day with an early hotel pick-up in Cusco. This early start is ideal for avoiding crowds and maximizing your experience.
  • SORAYPAMPA - 5:35 am: Relish a nutritious and invigorating breakfast, featuring fresh, high-quality ingredients, as you head to the briefing location.
  • Humantay Lake - 7:40 am: Arrive at the…
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What's Included
  • Small group tour for a more personalized experience
  • Local guide fluent in two languages
  • Transport in comfortable modified vans
  • Complimentary use of trekking poles, first-aid kit, mountain radios, oximeter, and oxygen bottle
  • Meals included: breakfast and lunch at a scenic restaurant
  • Convenient hotel pick-up and drop-off
What's Not Included
  • Entrance to the trek (S/ 20)
  • Beverages
Additional Information
  • Minimum 2 people in order for the tour to take place
  • Bring your backpack, a rain cape and layers of clothes so you’ll be warm
  • Take gloves, a hat, hiking shoes + extra socks with you (in case of snow)
  • Bring sunscreen, sunglasses and some extra money
  • Pack some snacks
  • We highly recommend at least 24 hours of acclimatization before doing any of our tours in Cusco
  • Minimum age is 12 years
Location
Cusco
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(142 Ratings)
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Pursuingsaudade_trvl
Jan 18, 2025
More privacy and rewarding views - We booked a "Beat the Crowds Humantay Lake Day Tour" with Explore and we left feeling very happy with our experience. We were picked up in front of of the hotel very early, the van was modern, clean and comfortable and the long ride to the mountain base. On the way we stopped for a few minutes while our guide - Darwin - Grabbed breakfast to go. This saved us some time and allowed us to arrive to the lake with with only a few people there and most of the view unspoiled. It was definitely worth the early rise compared to other Tours we saw online. Darwin was fantastic, he allowed us to go at our pace... we are both in our mid 30's and this climb was definitely strenuous. We stopped often but we kept pushing onwards. When we got to the lake we had a snack and enjoyed the gorgeous scenery. Of course, we took our photos and walked about a little. When we were ready to leave, we saw big groups of people coming in, so we just missed them! So is this Tour recommended? yes, despite the higher price we felt it was worth it for the little details that made it better. I would not have want to do this with a group bigger than 4 people... in this case it was just me and my partner. Climbs are very personal and each one has their own pace. Is this climb difficult? I would say it is for those that dont usually do this kind of trail and hike. If you, like us, are city people then this will be challenging. Bring water, ask for the complementary walking sticks and take it slow and stop often. The views along the way are amazing so dont feel rushed to the top.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kathrynr882
Jan 14, 2025
Humantay Lake - Had an amazing time visiting Humantay Lake! Thank you Maik (our guide) for sharing your passion and love of Peruvian history and culture with us! It was an early early morning, but worth it as we had the Lake all to ourselves on arrival, it was very serene and beautiful:) Pick up with our guide went well, our lunch post walk was fantastic and the views were again amazing. Would definitely recommend this trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Christie
Nov 9, 2024
Must see but tough hike. - So worth getting up early, my guide Maik and I were the only ones at the lake and there were hundreds of people hiking us as we were coming down. Maik was also able to sore my luggage in the van as I was changing hotels after the trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Samantha
Nov 4, 2024
Amazing Tour Experience - We had an incredible experience with Junior as our tour guide and Haro as our driver. Both were exceptionally courteous and made us feel welcome throughout the trip. Junior showcased some breathtaking views and guided us along special routes, providing fascinating insights into the history of the lake and Peru. His knowledge made the experience not only educational but also enjoyable. Junior took fantastic photos of us and demonstrated remarkable patience during the entire tour. My fiancé and I were thrilled to arrive early, as we truly had the lake to ourselves, just as others had mentioned in their reviews. This early arrival allowed us to capture stunning pictures in a serene setting, just before the crowds arrived. The private tour and one-on-one experience with Junior felt exclusive and intimate, which we greatly appreciated. It was absolutely worth the additional cost. Junior and Haro were also very accommodating, taking us for lunch and ensuring a comfortable return to our hotels. We enjoyed our time so much that we requested Junior to be our guide again, with Haro as our driver. We felt safe, cared for, and entertained throughout our journey. Their professionalism and warmth truly made our experience memorable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mela1022
Oct 12, 2024
Amazing early morning tour with Maik! - My husband and I did the private early morning day tour to Lake Humantay with our tour guide Maik. We were the first ones to arrive at the lake and had it all to ourselves before the crowds came, which was definitely worth it. We were able to take some breath taking pictures with the help of our tour guide Maik, he got the best shots! We were also able to sit there for a while before anyone arrived and take in the view with some great information provided from Maik about the lake. I must say pictures do not do this place any justice, finally being able to see Lake Humantay in person was an incredible and unforgettable once in a lifetime experience! I would recommend this tour to anyone planning on visiting Lake Humantay while in Peru. We also had a great driver Julio and a to go breakfast was provided as well as a delicious lunch after the hike.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Allier223
Jul 3, 2024
Humantay Lake - It's a very difficult hike but worth the trip! Carlos was our guide. He was patient, friendly, and made the journey memorable!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jbr294
May 30, 2024
Beat the crowds is 100% right with this tour - Went on this tour during our second day at Cusco. We were nervous due to the altitude and the difficulty of the trek but our guide Maik was incredible. We were picked up at 3:30am and took a 3+ hour ride to the start of the tour. We decided to take horses since it was our first major hike of 5 and didn’t want to run our race in the paddock (horse joke). We took the horses which cut our 90 mins of the climb so we were able to have more time at the lagoon. We had a 15 min climb to the upper most point of the lagoon which was 14,000+ feet elevation and maik was beyond encouraging of us. Once maik explained the history of the exploration of the lagoon and the glacier and the effects it’s facing due to global warming he became a photography expert, taking all these amazing pictures of us. On the trek down, we saw a couple hundred people making their way up the mountain so beating the crowd is really the truth and worth it. Maik was so patient with my wife and I taking our time to get back down with the steep terrain and the endless amounts of rocks we had to walk on. Overall he made an already incredible experience even better.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vivlg
May 25, 2024
Beautiful and unmissable experience!! - Incredible experience! They arrived at our hotel on time, the vehicle was super comfortable and there was no sudden movement like on other tours we were on. Once we were ready to begin the hike, Carlos explained to us and answered all of our questions. Thanks to him, we got to know Humantay before more people arrived and we were able to take photos and enjoy the beautiful landscape without any problem. We fell in love with this experience and this mountain. We recommend it 100%! Unmissable experience
Review provided by Tripadvisor
659garrettb
May 15, 2024
Best way to see this lake - Hands down the best way to experience this destination! It is an early morning but it definitely pays off. When we made it to the lake, there were only a few other groups up there so we got to enjoy the scenery in peace. By the time we were heading down, there were hundreds of people swarming up to the top and I can't imagine how chaotic it would have been with all those people up there. Plus, we were back to the car before the heat of the day hit and we were back to our hotel early enough that we could still spend some time exploring the city. We had Carlos as our guide and he was awesome. Took care of everything we needed and was very patient with us. He knows all of the shortcuts in the area and took us to a viewpoint of the lake that was spectacular that we would have never been able to find on our own. Overall a fantastic experience
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rolando620
May 7, 2024
very nice tour to Humantay Lake - On our tour to Humantay Lake with Exploor Peru, we were lucky for the second time that our guide was John Maik Taboada Quispe. He is really very professional and competent and has a great deal of knowledge about Peru and its history. The tours with Exploor Peru start very early in the morning, but have the advantage that you are at the lake or on the mountain before anyone else. We found that really pleasant and would therefore happily recommend it. We had a lot of fun with Maik again and climbed a long way up to Humantay Lake on horses, which was also a great experience. We then walked the last part to the top, then took a photo break with a very nice view of the lake from above. Maik played us a Peruvian folk song "Valicha" on his pan flute. Afterwards we stayed down by the lake for quite a while. As on the previous day, this day at Humantay Lake with Maik was another great experience. We would book these tours with Exploor Peru and Maik again immediately. Many thanks to Maik and TUPANANCHISKAMA = we will see you in the next life... (Quechua) Johanna and Roland
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