Now, let’s go to a crucial part, to know exactly how you can get to the Humantay lagoon.
As I said above, from the city of Cusco is about 120 kilometers away, and you have to pass through the towns of Limatambo and Mollepata, until you reach the community of Soraypampa (which is where you start walking to reach the lagoon).
So, in order to get there you have basically two options:
Go on a tour or excursion.
The easiest, most comfortable and recommended option to get to the lagoon is simply to take a tour that takes you (and returns you) from Cusco.
Personally, I always try to choose the option of going to places on my own, but believe me that in this case, given the location and distance from the lagoon, the easiest way is to hire an excursion that already includes transportation. This way you don’t get complicated or stressed.
It is also ideal if you are short on time, as it is a round trip on the same day.
It is important to mention that 120 kms does not seem like a lot and you would think that you would travel relatively fast from Cusco to Humantay. But the reality is that as I said, you will have to pass through several villages and the road is not straight, there are many ups, downs and curvy sections that make the journey quite long.
If you go on a tour, you have the huge advantage that already includes transportation to and from your hotel in Cusco, which is much appreciated. It is usually done in vans or shared vans that are quite comfortable.
Note: Being a one-day tour and given the distance, the tours depart from Cusco around 4 am (at that time they pick up passengers at their hotels). This is to allow time to arrive, take food and make the visit, returning to Cusco around 7 pm.
The day of the tour, first they will pick you up in the early morning at your hotel, after almost two and a half hours of road we stop in the town of Mollepata to have breakfast buffet, after that we continue to the town of Soraypampa where we start the hike to reach the Humantay lagoon.
We ascend 2 kms, on average it takes between 1 hour and a half and 2 hours, and we arrive at the lagoon as such. At the end of the visit with time for photos and rest, you return to Soraypampa to return to Mollepata to have lunch and then return to Cusco.
This tour is so popular that it is quite economical, on average you can find it from 100 soles per person.
Almost all agencies include the same tour, plus transportation, breakfast, lunch and a certified guide. Some include extra oxygen (in case you get altitude sickness) and trekking poles, which are useful for the hike.
Throughout Cusco you will find agencies that offer this day tour to Humantay, it is extremely popular. However, I recommend you to be careful with whom you buy it, as there have been cases in which it does not include what is established or the service is quite poor.
To avoid complications, it is best to book with a serious agency that has good ratings and prestige. You can book the following option that meets these characteristics:
Click here to book the Humantay Lagoon tour.
On your own
Is it possible to go on your own to the Humantay Lagoon? Yes, you can. It is an option you can take if you have more time available and want to explore at your own pace, although it is a more complex plan.
This is because the distances are long and above all, public transportation to get there is scarce.
The first thing you would have to do is take a bus from Cusco to the town of Mollepata, this is done from Arco Pata, a street very close to the famous slope of Santa Ana. The cost is around 15 soles and on average it takes 2 hours.
Once in the square of Mollepata, you have to take a cab to Soraypampa, sometimes you get a bus but not always. The cost is around 80 soles and it takes an hour on average.
From here you would walk to the lagoon, and then take a cab back (but consider that it is not very common to find one).
Given the complex logistics and times, it is best to stay overnight in Mollepata and return to Cusco until the next day, it is not advisable to return at night. Similarly, there is a campsite available in Soraypampa, but consider that it gets very cold at night here and you would have to be very well prepared.
Honestly, it can be more expensive to go on your own than to take a tour that takes you there, besides it is more complicated and maybe even unsafe. Therefore, it is best to simply take the tour from Cusco, so you avoid complications.