Salkantay Trek is the most popular alternative trek to Machu Picchu, visiting the Humantay Lake, breathtaking views of the mountain glaciers, and following in the footsteps of the Incas along the off the beaten path to Machu Picchu.
Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu is Listed among the 25 best hikes globally by National Geographic Travel Magazine and undoubtedly one of the best alternative treks in Cusco. You’ll encounter lakes, glaciers, many different landscapes, orchids, coffee farms, and venture into the dense cloud forest. The best choice, if the Classic Inca Trail is sold out, and you want to be off the beaten path. To book the Salkantay Trek with Ultimate Trekking, you need to make an initial payment of 200.USD per person; the remaining balance can be paid online, in installments, or at Cusco upon your arrival. Discount for Students: Travelers under 17 years old can get a 40$ discount. Day 1: Cusco – Soraypampa – Humantay Lake – Basecamp.- Pick up from your hotel in Cusco at 4:30 am and journey to Soraypampa (3870 m / 12696 ft). After breakfast, You’ll hike for 2 hours up to Humantay Lake. Explore the beautiful views. Then, another 4 hours to the Campsite at Salkantaypampa (4000 m /13123 ft). Day 2: Basecamp – Salkantay Pass – Collpapampa.- Wake up in your tent with a cup of coffee or tea. Then, hike for 2-hours to the highest point of the trek at Salkantay Pass (4630 m / 15190 ft); once reaching the top, you’ll take some time to explore and enjoy the views of the snowcapped peaks. From here, descend for 2 hours to the second campsite at Collpapampa (2800 m / 9186 ft). Day 3: Collpapampa – Lucmabamba – Llaqtapata.- After breakfast, continue for 3 hours downhill through the Salkantay River Valley, passing waterfalls and varied flora and fauna. Lunch is a special Pachamanca underground barbecue followed by a coffee tour. After lunch, you’ll hike for 3 hours up along an ancient Inca Trail to Llaqtapata. Camp in front of Machu Picchu. Day 4: Llaqtapata – Hidroelectrica – Aguas Calientes.- Today, you’ll wake up, open your tent and see Machu Picchu. After breakfast, You’ll start an easy 2 hours downhill to Hidroelectica and then head to Aguas Calientes. Along the way, you’ll visit the Sundial, Mandor farms, and hike around Machu Picchu. Spend the night in a hotel. Day 5: Machu Picchu – Cusco.- Discover Machu Picchu with an exclusive guided tour of the citadel before the crowds arrive. Your expert tour guide will take you to the most beautiful places in Machu Picchu for about 3 hours. In the afternoon, board the Expedition train back to Cusco. Optional hikes after Machu Picchu guided tour: Huayna Picchu Mountain – Needs to be booked far in advance, takes 2 hours round trip, $75 extra per person. Machu Picchu Mountain – Needs to be booked in advance, takes 3 hours round trip, $75 extra per person.
Pick up from your hotel in Cusco at 4:30 am and drive for three hours bus to Soraypampa (3870 m / 12696 ft). Upon arrival, the chef will prepare the first breakfast with a view of Humantay and Salkantay snowcapped mountains. After breakfast, you’ll meet your trekking team and start the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu. The hike starts with a 4-hour up to Humantay Lake (4200 m / 13779 ft); you’ll arrive at this amazing place before the crowds, explore the surroundings, take a lot of pictures in the turquoise water lake, and start descending for another 2 hours to the lunch place. After lunch, continue hiking for two more hours to the campsite near the base of Salkantay mountain. Along the way, you’ll see endemic flora and fauna like the Andean goose (love birds) and vizcachas. Upon arrival at the campsite at Salkamtaypampa (4000 m /13123 ft), you’ll find the tents ready, warm water to wash, tea time, dinner, and spend the night under a clear sky view. Day 2: Basecamp – Salkantay Pass – Collpapampa Before the sunrise, your team will knock your tent with a hot cup of coffee or coca tea for an excellent start to the day; once you come out, you will have the spectacular views surrounded by the snowcapped. After breakfast, you’ll start the longest and most challenging day of the trek. The day begins with a 2-hour climb to the expedition’s highest point, The Salkantay Pass (4630 m / 15190 ft). Once you reach the top, take some time to enjoy the fantastic vistas of the mountains. From here, descend for 2 hours to Wayrajmachay (3905 m /12812 ft), where your chef will be waiting with another delicious meal prepare with fresh products. Next, continue downhill for 4 more hours to the second campsite in the village of Collpapamopa (2800 m / 9186 ft); throughout the day, the landscape goes from the high Puna covered by Ichu grass to the warm and lush cloud forest. Along the way, you’ll see a variety of flora and fauna, including orchids and hummingbirds. After breakfast, start an easy 3 hours along the Salkantay River Valley; you’ll hike along the cloud forest, where farmers are cultivating coffee and different kind of fruits such as passion fruit, oranges, bananas, avocados, yucca, etc. There will be incredible sights of the lush valley and the fantastic waterfalls. Lunch is a Pachamanca underground hot stone barbecue where we put all kinds of meat and vegetables. You will also visit a local coffee farm to learn to plant until it becomes a steaming espresso. After lunch, you’ll start a 3-hours hike up to Llaqtapata; the walk is along a portion of an original Inca trail, built in the XV century and connected Vilcabamba (the Last capital of teh Incas) with Machu Picchu. We’ll arrive at Llaqtapata and have the first views of the great Inca city of Machu Picchu. The Campsite is located in front of Machu Picchu with the best views of the entire trek to Machu Pichu. Llactapa is a unique place from where we can take photos from a different angle of Machu Picchu. The sunrise is worth experiencing, so after wake up, you should make your coffee cup and sit around to observe Machu Picchu surrounded by mountains as the clouds rise from the valley revealing the sacred and lost City of the Incas. After breakfast, you’ll hike for two hours down the path with the tropical forest’s sights until you arrive at the hydroelectric power station. Here, you’ll have a box lunch to later hit the road for three hours to Aguas Calientes town. This path was used by the American professor Hiram Bingham III, who rediscovered Machu Picchu in 1911, encounter different species of flora and fauna, and the Peruvian national bird called Cock of the Rock, parrots, toucans, and hummingbirds. Once you are in Aguas Calientes, you’ll check-in in the hotel, enjoy a hot shower. At night, enjoy the last dinner with the group in a local restaurant and prepare for Salkantay Trek’s next and most important day. On the final day, wake up early in the morning, have breakfast in the hotel, and take the first buses to Machu Picchu before sunrise. The hotel will keep you stuff that is not needed. Once in Machu Picchu, you’ll have a guided tour for around 4 hours visiting the most important places in Machu Picchu. We usually start with a short hike to Sungate or Inca bridge, then start exploring inside the citadel. After the guided tour, you’ll have time to explore yourself or hike to Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mounatin (different for the fortress and not included). After finishing with Machu Picchu, you’ll take the bus down to Aguas Calientes, have lunch (not included). Then take the afternoon expedition train back to Ollantaytambo, where our transportation will be waiting for you to Transfer you back to your hotel. Arrive at Cusco around 7.30 pm, where the Salkantay Trek ends.
During the Salkantay Trek, you must have a daypack to carry always with you and a duffle bag provided by Ultimate Trekking during the briefing; the mules will take this. It’s important to know that according to regulations, your backpack should not be larger than 25L to be allowed in Machu Picchu (if you have a more oversized bag, fear not, contact us) During the Salkantay Trek, there is a briefing held the day before the trek at our office. Ultimate trekking Peru will provide you a duffle bag for your stuff. Remember that this must include sleeping bags (2 kilos) and air mattresses (1 kilo) if you need to rent from us. The duffle bags you’ll only see in the campsites and not during the day.
WHAT TO DO IN CUSCO? Upon arrival to Cusco (3033 m / 11154ft), you need to take some time to acclimatize to the high altitude of the city. We recommend taking tours around the city like the city tour of Cusco, Sacred Valley Tour before taking the long trip to Machu Picchu. This way you’ll reduce the risk of getting altitude sickness. If you have on Schedule tours like Rainbow Mountain or Humantay Lake, please try to plan after the Machu Picchu Tour. WEATHER IN CUSCO? Cusco has two seasons: The rainy season from November to March and the dry season from April to October. However, weather in the Andes is unpredictable so it doesn’t matter when you come just bring good rain gear, also prepare for sunny days. Together with our 4 seasons equipment, we will make sure you have an experience of a lifetime despite any adversity. The only one thing you can say about the weather in Peru is that it is difficult to accurately predict. You can Have beautifully clear hot days in the middle of the wet season and hail storms in the dry season – it’s one of the beauties of Peru. Since Cusco city is the main destination in South America, it should not be an issue finding flights and places to stay. However, during high season you must book in advance. If you are having trouble with your bookings don’t hesitate to contact one of our travel representatives. We will be more than happy to assist you in finding the best deals and places for you. VACCINES NEEDED PRIOR TO COME TO PERU If you’re headed to Peru, you need to make sure to consult a clinic or your doctor at least four weeks prior to the trip. Vaccines for Peru vary based on your specific itinerary. A passport health travel specialist will help you decide which vaccines are best for you. Yellow fever (this vaccine may be required based on your travel itinerary), typhoid, hepatitis a, hepatitis b, rabies, routine vaccines. Visit this Page DIFFICULTY OF THE TREKS All of our treks are moderately difficult and challenging but nothing that you cannot do it. So please before you come to Peru make sure you exercise regularly and also acclimatize to the altitude. For this, we highly recommend you arrive at least two days ahead of your tour. BOOKING WITH ULTIMATE TREKKING PERU Booking with us was never easier. We only need to submit the info required below, and a 200 dollars deposit to book your entrance, train, and bus tickets. You can pay the balance once you arrive at our office. Personal information (your full name, exactly as on your passport), Gender, Passport number, date of birth, and Nationality HOW CAN I PAY MY DEPOSIT? PayPal: (For alternative treks and Inca Trail tour reservations a $200 deposit is needed, and $400 for the deluxe tours). The remaining balance you can pay upon arrival to Cusco city directly at our office. ALTITUDE SICKNESS OR “SOROCHE†At high altitude, the air is thinner and each body starts to react differently for the changes in oxygen levels. So basically there is less oxygen going into your body than you’re used to. To counteract you need to breathe faster and deeper and pump blood more rapidly in order to take the same amount of oxygen. This could be shocking to your body manifesting in various symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, poor appetite, lack of sleep. Cusco is at 11,152 feet (3,399 meters) so you may experience some symptoms, on the other hand, Machu Picchu is significantly lower at 7,972 ft (2,430 m). So Machupicchu isn’t really the potential problem. The best way to deal with the altitude is: Breathing exercise. Deep breaths will help you get more oxygen in your body. The best way to acclimatize faster is drinking water, resting, having normal activities. Drink lots of water. This will really help you, but lots of water and try to go to the toilet often. Coca tea. It is in every corner in Cusco city, this plant used through centuries in Cusco to reduce altitude problems. Avoid alcohol and drugs. Alcohol is a big no at high altitude, so avoid the first days to your trek. The celebration is at the end. Use Diamox or the equivalent in Peru to help you adapt to the altitude faster Supplementary oxygen. If needed you can ask in your hotel for free or you can contact us. We will deliver to you at no cost. NUMBER OF VISITORS TO INCA TRAIL AND MACHU PICCHU? The number of visitors to the Inca trail has a limit of 500 per day and 2500 to Machu Picchu, according to UNESCO recommendations. Therefore, it is recommended to book in advance, especially during the high season. The trains are usually full so make your reservations in advance. You can book your visit to Machupicchu only or a ticket including the Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountains. As long as the name is the same we can update any passport number needed. If you have an old passport and a new one, please send us a photocopy of both. If you don’t have the old you can send any ID with your name. Remember to bring both passports when you travel.  DO I NEED TO CARRY MY PERSONAL STUFF? We provide a porter for your belongings (7kg), so you can go carrying only your daypack.  WHO GETS DISCOUNT?  If you have a valid UNIVERSITY STUDENT CARD at the time or you are under 17. you are entitled to a discount. In order to claim this discount, you have to send us a photocopy of this card. TOILETS DURING OUR TOURS Almost all the treks in Cusco are government regulated, therefore, is possible to find public toilets. Since past experiences with our guests showing discomfort with public toilets in the trails, we introduced our latest Alternative Porta-potty toilets and hot showers on all our tours to maximize your trekking experience. WHEN TO START PACKING? Start packing in advance all necessary equipment for trekking. if you need any assistance you can contact us anytime and come to Peru all prepared just to have fun and enjoy. DO WE HAVE A CHEF WHILE HIKING IN THE MOUNTAINS? We have highly trained CHEFS and PORTERS in our tours, capable of handling any special request or diet you may require on our tours Breakfast – Snack – Lunch – tea time – Dinner – wake up tea every day WHERE DO WE GET WATER? We will provide you drinkable water throughout the tours from the beginning until your last day with Ultimate Trekking. This is taken from the natural spring in the mountains and boiled, filtered and then cooled. To refill you must bring your Camelbak or bottle for at least 2 liters each day.
Overview
Overview of the Salkantay Trek
Highlights of the Salkantay Trek
Price per person 595.USD
Day by day summary of the Salkantay Trek
Day by day summary of the Salkantay Trek
Not Included in the Salkantay Trek
Full Itinerary
Day 1: Cusco – Soraypampa – Humantay Lake – Basecamp
Day 3: Collpapampa – Lucmabamba – Llaqtapata
Day 4: Llaqtapata – Hidroelectrica – Aguas Calientes
Day 5: Machu Picchu (The Lost City of the Incas) – Cusco
Packing List
What to put on your daypack during Salkantay Trek
What equipment goes in the Duffle bags for the Salkantay Trek?
Important Info
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