4650 m.s.n.m
8 person(s)
Group
Hike, Van
The Humantay Lake Trek is a very scenic 2-day hike to Humantay Lake through the indigenous villages of Iscuchaca and Limatambo which still hold on to their ancient traditions. The lake is situated at the base of the glacier covered Salkantay Mountain Range. On the second day, you hike to the highest point of the trek (4,650m / 15,367ft). From this vantage point, you can take in nature at its purest, while enjoying the massive Salkantay, Humantay, and Huayanay snowcapped mountains surrounding you. Finally, you take a detour off the main trail to the panoramic and truly exquisite turquoise Salkantay Lake.
This spectacular trek begins with an early morning pick up at 5:00 am. Our journey to Soraypampa will take about 3.5 hours in our van to the starting point of the trek. Along the way, you will get to see the indigenous villages of Iscuchaca and Limtatambo and some excellent view of the valley and the snow capped peak of Salkantay.
Upon arriving Soraypampa, we will prepare our daypacks and give our duffels to the horsemen so our pack horses can set off. We will have some snacks looking up at the view of Humantay (5.900m/19,356ft) and Salkantay (6,217m/20,396ft) mountain glaciers. We embark on an hour hike up to Humantay Lake while enjoying the amazing views around us.
We arrive at Humantay Lake and it’s picture time! We will take the time to explore the lake and its beautiful surroundings. After exploring we will head back to the trailhead of Soraypampa and making our way to our campsite Soyroccocha. Upon arrival your afternoon tea and snacks will be waiting for you. Your tents will already be set up, so you can settle in before dinner.
A hearty and delicious hot breakfast will served before starting our trek which is a moderate climb of approximately 1 hour to the highest point of the trek (4,650m / 15,367ft). We will then take a break and enjoy the view of Salkantay (6,217m/ 20, 717ft), Humantay and Huayanay glacier-covered mountains.
Off the main trek route, we take a side trek for half an hour to enjoy the panoramic views and the shockingly turquoise Salkantay Lake. Returning to our primary trek route, we hike down to the trailhead again, where we have lunch, and then we take our private van back to Cusco, arriving around 6pm in the evening. Time to celebrate!
The Humantay Lake & Salkantay Mountain trek for 2 Days is available on any date as long as we have a minimum of 2 people.
| No. OF PEOPLE | PRICE |
| 2 to 8 people | $ 297 USD per person |
Personal porter included!
***This price includes an extra pack horse which will carry your belongings up to 7 kg / 15.4 lbs. We will provide a duffel bag to put your things in.
***We provide large Eureka 4-person tents for every 2 people.
Please read the following information to help answer any questions you may have about our Humantay Lake & Salkantay Mountain trek.
We will pick you up from the Cusco airport and take you to your hotel in Cusco. Please let us know your flight details at least 14 days before arrival. Our representative will be holding an orange sign reading ORANGE Nation outside the arrivals. You must exit the terminal to find our representative as they cannot enter. (Please let us know if your hotel is in the Sacred Valley so we can make the necessary arrangments).
The Briefing will be the night before the trek at 6pm in our office which is located at Garcilaso Street 210, Office Nº:213 (2and Floor) in the la CASA DEL ABUELO shopping center.
ABSOLUTELY! During your Humantay Lake & Salkantay Mountain trek, your main luggage can be stored at our office or at your hotel, both are free.
FIRST, to book your Humantay Lake & Salkantay Mountain trek, we need you to fill out our booking form by clicking on BOOK NOW on our homepage or click here – BOOK NOW.
We will need the following information (FROM EACH PARTICIPANT in your group). This information is necessary to purchase the entrance tickets to Machu Picchu the train tickets:
You can pay in cash at our office (US dollars or Peruvian soles) here in Cusco to avoid the additional 5.5% charged by the Credit Card companies and PayPal. We have many ATMs within the historical center to withdraw money. You can also pay by PAYPAL online but you will have to pay a 5.5% service charge by PAYPAL. To pay your balance through PAYPAL, you need to log into your PAYPAL account using our email address of orangenationperu@gmail.com.
Yes, but with some restrictions. Please notify the office as soon as possible if you need to change the date. If you cancel your Humantay Lake & Salkantay Mountain trek, the deposit is lost!
The weather is very unpredictable and always changing in the Andes Mountains, so it is difficult to say with any certainty. We recommend that you be prepared for warm weather, possible rain showers (Orange Nation provides rain ponchos) and a warm jacket in case of cold. We also recommend that you dress in layers so you may take off or put on clothes as needed.
The climate in Cusco has temperatures between 10º – 20º C, with warm days and cold nights. During the months of June, July and August nights are very cold which is why Orange Nation rents good quality 4 season sleeping bags.
The rainy season is during the months of November through March, if you want to hike during this season, bring warm clothes and be prepared for rain but there will be a beautiful landscape and colorful flowers.The month of February, the Inca Trail is closed for safety, repairs and restoration.
The Average weather conditions on the trail:
For some visitors, the first hours in Cusco can be summarized as: shortness of breath, a discomfort in the body, dizziness, headaches, stomachaches, even vomiting. As great connoisseurs of natural medicine, the Incas used coca leaves to counteract soroche, quechua for high-altitude sickness.
If you travel from Lima to Cusco, the effect can be immediate. This lack of oxygen, scientifically known as hypoxia, begins to manifest itself at 7,874 ft (2,399 m) above sea level. That’s why right after landing in Cusco, visitors can feel fatigued and have difficulty walking. It is advisable to take it really easy on the first day and, if possible, rest the first few hours to help the body acclimatize to the altitude.
How do people feel after a night of drinking? Thirsty. That’s how you’ll feel when you arrive in Cusco. As already stated, the body dehydrates quickly in high altitudes. It is recommended you drink lots of water before and during your trip to Cusco. Also, avoid heavy meals since your stomach takes longer to digest food at high altitudes. A diet of low proteins and high carbs is advisable.
The maximum group size is 8 persons. Our groups are usually between 2-6 persons. Orange Nation specializes in SMALL and PRIVATE groups and provides personalized service.
The evening before your trek, you will be given a SMALL DUFFEL BAG to pack your clothes for the next four days. Your weight allowance is up to 7kg / 15lbs. including sleeping bag, so 5kg / 11lbs. Your team of porters will carry your duffel bag for you, together with the food and camping gear. It’s important to be aware that you will not have access to your items in the duffel bag until the end of each day, as the pack horses will always be ahead of the group. During the trek, you need a day backpack big enough to carry your personal belongings such as a warm jacket, a rain jacket, camera, sunscreen, snacks, water, etc. A 30 to 40L backpack is sufficient.
The Humantay Lake & Salkantay Mountain trek is fairly difficult and you should be prepared and healthy prior to starting. You have to be relatively fit and exercise regularly.
In preparation: try walking 15kms in a day or go to the fitness club in the months leading up to the trek. It is also important to be well acclimatised to the altitude. Try to spend at least 2 days in Cusco (3,350m / 11,047ft) prior to starting the trek.
If you’re happy with the services provided, a tip is appreciated. It means a lot to the staff, who will take care of you during the tour. It inspires better service and is a major part of the tourism industry across many ORANGE Nation destinations. Of course you are free to tip as much as you want, depending how you feel about the quality of service and the length of your tour.
We are a local sustainable & responsible tour operator which functions according to the ethical principles of tourism: protect the environment and benefit the indigenous communities by respecting their culture and religion. We have trained all of our staff to know, understand and respect the local communities and the people living there.
As a Direct Local Tour operator, we provide you with a duffel bag at your briefing (night before your Trek) and INCLUDE an extra pack horse which will carry up to 7 kgs or 15.4lbs including your 3kg sleeping bag, mattress and extra clothing.
We highly recommend a small backpack 30 to 40L for hiking in the day. The remainder of your belongings will be in your duffel bag at camp.
$297USD Per Person
It was perfect! On the first day we had a great time exploring the Sacred Valley and see the main attractions and learn about the history of this beautiful place.
I would definitely recommend the short Inka trail, I think it was the best way to get to know Machu Picchu and the surrounding area. We arrived at Machu Picchu when most of the crowd was gone and it felt really special.
You won’t regret booking with this tour company, especially if Liz Montesinos is your guide. My boyfriend and I did the 4 day Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain (private) tour. The tour covered everything; from transportation, hotels, meals, tickets and entrance fees, to stops at local places we would’ve never known to go or check out. We did a private tour because for us we felt this would help us get the most out of our time and experience in Peru
Best mix of adventure, history and nature: Sacred Valley & Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
4-day trekking option seemed too intense for us, but we still wanted to experience the entrance to Machu Picchu through the ancient Inka trail, so we opted for Orange Nation’s combination of Sacred Valley & Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. I couldn’t be more happy about our decision.
We booked and paid the deposit to Orange Nation / Sam travel for the 4 day Inca Trail and Machu Pichu trip back in 2019. But we couldn't travel in 2020 and 2021 - but the company honoured our agreement and so we came back in 2022.
recommends Orange Nation Peru
You won’t regret booking with this tour company, especially if Liz Montesinos is your guide. My boyfriend and I did the 4 day Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain (private) tour. The tour covered everything; from transportation, hotels, meals, tickets and entrance fees, to stops at local places we would’ve never known to go or check out. We did a private tour because for us we felt this would help us get the most out of our time and experience in Peru. This tour had so many incredible things and places packed into 4 days.
recommends Orange Nation Peru
My girl and i did the Machu Pichu trek tour with Orange Nation. It was seriously the most amazing experience that we'll never forget. Gorgeous views! The long trek was worth the amazing view. The tour guide was friendly and very knowledgeable. We considered other tours but chose Orange Nation because we liked the idea of smaller groups and this was definitely worth it. I will be using Orange Nation again next year when I come back to Peru!
recommends Orange Nation Peru
Wow, what a wonderful trekking experience! My trip to Peru was amazing thanks to this awesome tour that i took with Orange Nation. I did multiple tours with this company. I'm a solo traveler and everyone in my group was always still friendly and did not make me feel left out. I loved going off the beaten track with this company. It's much better to pay extra to go off the path for the quality experience of this amazing guided tour They definitely helped guide us and gave us a quality experience with a small group and paid special attention to each one of us. I highly recommend using Orange Nation for your next tour in Peru!
Has one of the most outstanding meal services. Our chefs have been highly trained to prepare the best peruavian and International food our treks. You should be prepared to not only have a superb trekking experience, but also a culinary one. "The food has been the highlight for all our hikers"
Christian B
10/10 Amazing experience
If you’re thinking about which agency to use, look no further- Ray and Jimmy went well above and beyond and made this a memorable, safe, fun, and professional experience.
Ray is the most knowledgeable guide I’ve ever had in any country for any excursion - during both the Short Inka Trail and the actual tour of Machu Picchu, Ray’s expertise shined through in his ability to give us a detailed background on every aspect of the history, climate, nature, flora, animals.. anything!
Likewise, Ray and Jimmy were truly the friendliest, kindest hosts that I could have imagined our group having.
Thank you both so much and I will definitely book with you again if (when) I come back!
Matt A
Awesome experience!!
Did the 2 day Inca trail with Ray and Jimmy they were great and knowledgeable. Ray not only guided us along trail to Machu Picchu but also was an excellent photographer and taught us the history. It was a group of 10 and we had a great time. Even everything going on in Peru, we always felt in good hands.
Rius
Short Inca Trial (2-Day)
This tour was the perfect experience for our (group of 10) short trip to Peru. The trail was sometimes challenging, but the views and history made it all worth it. Ray and Jimmy were our guides and imparted sooo much knowledge about the history of Peru, Inca, and beyond. I would definitely recommend!