Cusco to Humantay Lake: Early Access Private Hike & Valley Lunch

4.88

(144 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I’ll be honest, when my alarm went off at 2:45am in Cusco, I wondered if I’d lost my mind booking this Humantay Lake day trip. But then the city was still dark and quiet outside, and our driver’s “buenos días” felt almost conspiratorial. The van seats were actually soft (not the usual stiff ones), so I dozed a bit as we bumped along winding roads — still half-dreaming of what the lake might look like. Our guide, Diego, handed out coca tea and grinned like he knew something we didn’t.

The first sunlight hit just as we stopped for breakfast — not some sad tourist buffet but warm bread that steamed when you tore it open, eggs that tasted like someone’s grandma made them. I tried to say “gracias” with a mouthful and probably sounded ridiculous. By the time we reached the trailhead, it was chilly enough for gloves but not freezing. Diego checked everyone’s gear and oxygen (he was quietly attentive all day), and then we started up together — slow enough that even when my lungs complained at 4,200 meters, I never felt rushed.

The climb is steady but not punishing if you take your time. At one point I stopped just to listen: wind in the grass, someone’s laughter echoing back down the valley, a faint smell of eucalyptus from someone’s scarf maybe? When we finally reached Humantay Lake, it was… well, blue doesn’t really cover it. There were only a handful of other people around since we’d beaten the big groups by hours. Diego pointed out little spots where you could see both glaciers reflected in the water — he even took a photo for me that actually looks like what I remember (which almost never happens). We lingered longer than I expected; nobody hurried us along.

Lunch after the hike tasted better than any meal has a right to — maybe because my legs were jelly or maybe because the view over the valley was just so wide open. Someone at another table raised their glass to us and said “salud,” which felt oddly perfect after such a quiet morning. The ride back to Cusco is long but honestly I slept most of it. Still thinking about that silence by the lake sometimes — you know how some places just stick with you?