If you are an avid traveller or trek enthusiast, Peru should definitely be in your bucket list. Cusco’s top destination is a must-visit place for tourists. Both Humantay Lake and Rainbow Mountain have stunning natural elegance and view.
Do you want to do a trek but confused about which trek to start from? Rainbow Mountain or Humantay Lake, both have their own significance. Read further to know the trek which is more suitable according to your interest.
Time Taken To Complete the Trek
The Rainbow Mountain tour is quite easy one hour hike with very less crowd. It has a lot of landscapes along with 3 mountains that are beyond appreciation.
Apart from the view from the Rainbow Mountain, you will also get to see the local community in the Andean mountains.
Peru has one of the most beautiful lakes: the Humantay Lake. This is amongst those undiscovered lakes which are not known by many. You will need to hike for around 2 hours to reach this lake. It is located at a distance of 4200 m.
Height
More the altitude, the more difficult it gets to reach the top and sustain. Whether opting for Rainbow Mountain or Humantay Lake, both are situated at a good altitude.
Altitude sickness might ruin your Trek if you are not able to bear the height. The Rainbow Mountain is at a much greater altitude than the Humantay Lake.
Rainbow Mountain is a part of the Andes of Peru. It is at an altitude of 5200 meters above sea level.
Try Humantay Lake is at a staggering height of 4200 meters above sea level.
The Scenic Beauty
The name is self-explanatory that the rainbow mountain has an appearance like a rainbow. This mountain is famous for its multicoloured beauty that is because of minerals deposited in the mountain region. The mountain has a mixture of turquoise, gold, lavender and red color.
Humantay Lake is an eye-catching blue lagoon. It is very alluring for anyone and everyone. It is a perfect spot to take pictures along the stretch of turquoise blue Lake.
Other Aspects
The Rainbow Mountain is quite unique. It is worth the trek only if the weather is good and you are visiting it is a part of the bigger trek. You will also see glaciers, snow-capped mountains.
Humantay Lake, on the other hand, is quite crowded as compared to the Rainbow Mountain. One can see people hiking, mountain biking, swimming and paddle-boarding in the blue water. The serene landscape and snow-capped mountain peaks look breath-taking.
When to Visit
Humantay Lake can be visited during the time between May to September. The weather is perfectly fine with dry months.
Visiting Humantay Lake from December to April is not advisable as the weather conditions are not good with heavy rains.
The Rainbow Mountain must be visited during the dry season between match to November. But the best time to trek the rainbow mountain is June-August.
Difficulty Level
The difficulty level depends on your acclimatisation and the level of fitness. Whether you take up trek to Rainbow Mountain or Humantay Lake, if you have altitude sickness, these treks might be a disaster for you.
If you are keeping good health, the rainbow mountain trek will not be difficult for you. You will certainly feel out of breath but the path is mostly flat.
Humantay Lake trek is not very difficult. Anyone, who regularly does some sport or physical exercise, can take on the trek. It is moderately difficult. One can encounter steep hills which is not too long.
Why TREKS IN CUSCO? Treks in Cusco provides superior, quality and authentic treks and tours to Machu Picchu and around Cusco. We want you to connect with the treks and the beautiful scenery, Andean people. Which is why our team consists of only locals who have grown up on the land.
