Best trip in Peru besides Machu Picchu - hard hike, v early morning but it’s the best ever! Go with mapi travel - last minute booking but guide was fantastic!

We did the hike with Mapi Travel we thougt. We did not get any information in advance. There was no way to get in contact with the agency. At the last moment they give us a message via tripadvisor that they will pick us up at the hotel at 4:30 AM. The agency changed in name to Willka travel. Bit annoying they do not response at our emails, we almost canceld the trip because of that. The hike it selfs was a bit crowdy, many people along the way. Many people at the lake also. The view was really beautiful en calming. But many people where shouting en talking loud so you just cannot relax and take a moment for your self. At the lake you only have 30 minutes and then you have to go back again (wich is much easier) If i could do it another time if would stay more directly by the mollepata Checkpoint en crab a taxi to the starting point and then start hiking before the crowd or after 1 PM when everybody is leaving and you have the lake to yourself

Not only a great location, this was a great tour overall. I had lowered my expectations because of a mediocre experience in a different hike two days prior, but Javier and company did a great job with this tour. In addition to speaking English and Spanish, Javier shared some great insights about the cultural and historical importance of an awe inspiring location. Breakfast, lunch, and the driver were all excellent as well. I doubt you will find a better deal than this!

I booked the trip via TripAdvisor with MaPi Travel Agency in the back for 5 September. In my trip confirmation, there was never a mentioning of start/end times so I tried to contact the agency via mail and phone. Via email, there was only one short response without the information needed and my several follow-up emails have not been answered. My hotel then tried to call the number that was provided but the line didn’t exist any longer. So, I had to do some google research to find out the location of the agency in Cusco. When I went there, I found out that this company has double names or recently changed its name into Willka Travel. This was definitely a minus for my review. The tour as such was very well organized. Unfortunately, it was rainy/cloudy so we couldn’t enjoy the lake view in the end. Pickup was at around 3:50 from the hotel with Cusco finally leaving at 4:45. After 2 hours, we arrived at Mollepata Checkpoint for breakfast which was really excellent (very nice garden, Indio music, coffee/tea, juices, fruits, scrambled eggs etc). At around 7:30, we left for another 1 hour car ride to Sorampayo bus parking from which the trek started. Good thing was that the company provided walking sticks which was specifically important for the long way down. The trek as such is a roundtrip of 7.6km (3.8 up, 3.8 down) from 3.900m (Sorampayo) to 4.250m (Humantay). The way up is very steep and very challenging for people who have not adjusted to the height. I’m in very good physical condition and it was a real challenge for me. You can of course take horses to get up to the lake (2-8 Soles) but here, I’m really missing the point why one should do it. The lake is smaller than I expected and you will have around only 30min up there. It gets really crowded with tourists up there which can be a bit annoying, specifically with the growing Instagram community for which only the good picture is the aim of such a day. You will see foolish girls falling/stepping into the water why slipping from the rocks. They are usually the ones taking the horses... Our tour guide Hilton did a great job in explaining everything, I really enjoyed the day with him as tour guide. Overall statement: nice challenging trek which is nice to prepare for more (i.e. 4 Day Inca Trail). If you want to find such a like in front of a mountain, you will easily find that in the Alpes without any tourists.

This was a lot of fun! Very on time pick up. Met cool people in their 20s and 30s. The ATVs were fun. The salt flats and sacred valley were beautiful!

The hike was very steep so I took a horse for the ascent for 80 soles. Views were definitely worth it and the tour guide was excellent in ensuring everyone’s safety and comfort.

I liked that this excursion was only 45 mins from Cusco, and didn’t start at some ridiculous early hour! Make sure you bring a buff to cover your nose and mouth, and clothes you don’t mind getting dusty. We drove on dirt roads, and saw some cool sights. Great folks running the tour also. It would have been nice to take the atv’s on more technical terrain, but, I guess there were beginners there, so, it was appropriate for the audience. I highly recommend it. One thing, be careful when you select the package, it may read that you want 2 separate adult riders, but, you may actually be selecting one driver one passenger....

Thank you so much Mapi Travel for organized such us an unforgettable experience in the sacred valley Moray and salt mines, I totally recommend it for whom is looking for an adventure tour with Atvs.

Everything was well organized with a great guide, excellent atvs and equipments definitely worth it.

This is a decently high altitude hike. Although the hike is not long, some parts are straight up and it’s easy to lose your breath if you’re not a seasoned hiker. Highly recommend acclimating yourself to the higher altitude before going if you plan to walk it (not take a horse). Regardless of how you get there, the view is incredible. 1000% recommend as a must see if you’re going to the Cusco area! If you’re going during July, bring warm clothes. You’re going to need them.

I just wanted to leave a review about our awesome trip to this wonderfull lagoon, it was a tough hike as traveling uphill the majority of the way, I recommend this tour you will not regret it easy to book by Mapi travel on the website. Thanks again

This was such a beautiful experience! The entire hike was gorgeous. It was definitely a challenging hike because it was mostly uphill, but it was so worth it! It was beautiful along the way and the lake at the end was gorgeous. I'm glad we had an early morning tour because the lake got very crowded around 12pm when we were leaving. We had plenty of time (1-2 hours) at the lake itself, which was amazing because that's why we came. The people who were slower hikers definitely didn't get as much time at the lake since it was a large group. Our tour guide didn't really interact with us much. I appreciated that he kept accountability for us when we got there and made sure we never left anyone behind. He also carried oxygen for us and asked several times if anyone needed anything. He gave a small description/explanation at the lake about some history. Other than that, he didn't really engage with us (on the hike, he was with the last group member so we never saw him). The bus ride was a nightmare. They were late in picking us up (we had to meet at a plaza because apparently our hotel was not in the range for them to pick up). This made us nervous just because it was dark and so early in the morning we started to get nervous that we were in the wrong spot! We were the last ones they picked up, so we had to sit in the very back of the bus. It was so cramped and such a small space for my 6'5" husband, it was extremely uncomfortable the entire ride. They definitely crammed 19 people into this bus! We got a flat tire on the way there, and again on the way back. The way back was scary because you could hear the tire just completely go flat. They took forever to figure it out, and they replaced the tire in the afternoon with the flat tire from the morning (they only had one spare). I understand that this wasn't the guides fault, but he didn't say anything to us about it, nor did he apologize or acknowledge the inconvenience this was for us. The 12 hour day turned into a 15 hour day because of this.

I think this amazingly beautiful turquoise blue green pearl should be on "must seen" list in Cusco. It was my last tour in my 4 day trip to Cusco and the most impressive one. The majestic snowy Hymantay mountain, the blue skies with lovely clouds and this green-blue miracle lake - altogether make a breathtaking picture! Many thanks again to our great tour guide Freddie Mercury or Freddie Krueger :) for possibility to reach and see this mysterious spot, story about it and a special ritual. Also for a heated minibus in a chilly morning and blankets which made long distance cosy and comfortable. Kind regards, Iveta

The ride going up to Machu Picchu was amazing since the views were magnificent. The buses were comfortable for a 30 minute ride, the line was orderly and they left on time. You have to have a valid ticket otherwise you will not be allowed on board.

The length of this post is a tribute to my passion for and awe of Humantay Lake. I found this excursion after booking my trip to Peru, with my 81 year old Dad, to visit one of our bucket list items - see Machu Picchu. I'd never heard of Humantay Lake, but when I saw the pictures and read the review, I knew I HAD to see it. And, the long journey was well worth the reward of laying my eyes on this incredibly beautiful site! Unfortunately, after booking the trip, my Dad had some health issues which resulted in multiple procedures/surgeries. We weren't sure, until ~2 weeks before the trip, that he'd be able to go. He made it, but was still weak, so I made arrangements with Rolando for horses and a personal guide. There was a misunderstanding about the "extras" I paid for. Before I could even ask about it, Rolando had already communicated with our guide to resolve the issue. Our guide, Cesar (Cobarrubias?) was amazing! He was informative/helpful from the moment we sat down in the bus/coach. He was very attentive to my Dad (and me), which was what we really needed to make it to the top. After taking pics, he sat us down and told us about his people (the Incas) and the details/history of Humantay Lake, He even played Andean music to set the mood! We got to know him personally throughout the day. He ended up being more than a guide and we couldn't have asked for a better one than Cesar! Important things to know: -Even if you take horses to the top, you still have to walk a distance that's pretty steep on the final leg. We didn't know this and if my Dad had known in advance, he may not have done the trip. We had to stop to rest several times, but he was determined and Cesar helped him with an extra walking stick. -Getting horses is usually only for the trip up. The rocks and the steep decline make it very difficult for the horses on the way down - even without a human on their backs. My Dad made it down much of the way, but it wasn't easy and became clear he couldn't walk all the way down. Once we got to the less steep part, Cesar quickly got another horse and a wonderful woman - who's name I don't know...:( - for the remainder of the trip down. -Although it's a long journey, don't let that dissuade you from booking this excursion!! The purpose of our trip was to see Machu Picchu - I've wanted to since I saw pictures in elementary school (~5 decades ago). However, having done both now, I'd say it's a tie - Machu Picchu for human creation; Humantay Lake for natural creation. It's a natural miracle and I feel honored to have seen it!!