Humantay Lake and Salkantay Pass Trek: 2 Days, 1 Night

Included by the Listing

The listing includes a pre-departure briefing, hotel pickup and drop-off, an experienced mountain guide, private transport and transfers during the tour, the entry ticket to the Salkantay Trek and Humantay Lake, 1 night at the Sky Camp, and basic hiking equipment: sleeping bag, trekking poles and hand towel. Meals covered are breakfast, lunch and dinner on the trail, with dinner on day 2 excluded. Drinks are wake up tea, water, tea time and snacks on the trail.

Camp equipment such as dining room, kitchen, tables and chairs, plus walkie-talkies, oxygen and a first aid kit, are carried at all times. A personal duffel bag up to 5 kg (11 lb) is provided for your gear.

What You Pay on Top

Nothing is listed as a mandatory extra, so the fixed cost is the tour price itself. The open-ended items are dinner on day 2, tips for the staff, travel insurance, hiking clothing and personal equipment, and the optional horseback rides if your knees want them. Bring cash for those extras and plan dinner in Cusco on the final day once you are dropped off.

• Dinner on Day 2, not included
• Optional horseback ride from Soraypampa to Humantay Lake (Day 1)
• Optional horseback ride from Soraypampa to Abra Salkantay (Day 2)
• Travel insurance and tips
• Hiking clothing and personal equipment

Day 1: Cusco to Challacancha, Soraypampa, Sky Camp and Humantay Lake

Pickup in Cusco starts the day with about 2 hours of driving through Andean villages to Mollepata, where breakfast is served. From Challacancha the walk follows ancient Inca channels toward Soraypampa, and the listing blocks about 1 hour for breakfast and the start of the hike. On arrival at Soraypampa, lunch waits at the Sky Camp.

The afternoon climb to Humantay Lake takes about 3 hours, to the turquoise lake below the snow-capped peaks. At dusk you return to camp for dinner and a night in a panoramic igloo. Note that other sources put Humantay Lake at 4,200 m and Soraypampa at about 3,900 m, figures the operator listing itself does not state.

Day 2: Sky Camp to Salkantay Pass and Back to Cusco

Wake early for breakfast at the Sky Camp, then start a 4-hour ascent along the Path of the 7 Snakes to Salkantaypampa and up to Abra Salkantay, which the listing gives as 4,630 m (15,190 ft). Independent guides place the pass between 4,580 and 4,660 m, so treat the exact number as approximate. From the top you look at snow-capped peaks and glaciers before descending the same way to camp for lunch.

The listing gives no duration for the descent or the drive, only that you relax on the return trip to Cusco as the valley changes color, ending with hotel drop-off.

Age, Fitness and Health Limits

Ages run 15 to 70, and children aged 10 and over may join with a responsible adult at all times. The trek is rated challenging with a high level of physical fitness required. The listing does not recommend it for travelers with spinal injuries, pregnant travelers or travelers with poor cardiovascular health.

If the full pass sounds like too much in 2 days, the Humantay Lake guide covers the lake alone.

Booking and Refund Limits

You cancel 6 or more days out and get everything back, 2 to 6 days out and you get 50%, inside 2 days you get nothing. Compare that with Salkantay Sky Lodge Domes trek which offers free cancellation up to 24 hours. Passport name, number, expiry and country are required at booking for all participants, and the passport must be ready for use on the travel day.

Solo travelers are welcome in shared groups, most departures are guaranteed and no minimum applies.

The Sky Camp Caveat

Sky Camp availability is limited and can sell out, and the listing suggests booking at least 3 months ahead. That means your booking and your camp bed are both date-sensitive, so fix your Cusco plans first. If the camp is full, the classic 5-day Salkantay trek uses the same operator's camps along the full route.

Acclimatise in Cusco First

Cusco sits at about 3,400 m (11,200 ft), well above the 2,500 m line where the NHS says altitude sickness usually begins. The NHS advises avoiding a jump from below 1,200 m to above 3,500 m in one day, and Wikivoyage recommends 2 to 3 days at altitude before trekking. The operator asks you to arrive in Cusco at least 2 days before the trek.

Symptoms usually start 6 to 10 hours after arrival and most pass in 1 to 3 days. More on this in altitude and fitness.

What to Pack

The duffel is capped at 5 kg (11 lb) and hiking clothing and personal equipment are not included, so bring layers for a range the guides put at about 15 C by day to minus 10 C at night in the high areas. The sleeping bag, poles and hand towel are provided, as is a backpack cover. Add sun protection, a headlamp for the igloo, cash for tips and the optional horse rides, and any personal medication.

The full kit list is in the Salkantay trek packing list.

How the Trek Ends

Day 2 closes with private transport from the Soraypampa area back to Cusco and hotel drop-off. The listing states no return time, so treat the evening as open and do not book anything in Cusco that night. There is no train and no Aguas Calientes stop, and the price sits below the 4 and 5 day routes.

If you want the ruins afterwards, add the 4-day Sky Camp trek instead, or see what the listing price covers.