Salkantay Trek (5 Days and 4 Nights)

per person

The famous Salkantay Trek (or Salkantay Trek to Machupicchu), is recently named among the 25 best Treks in the world, by National Geographic Adventure Travel Magazine.

Connecting Cusco with Machu Picchu. The Salkantay Trek is an ancient and remote trail that is located in the same region as the Inca Trail, where massive snow-capped mountains collide with lush tropical forests.

Located less than fifty miles northwest of the city of Cusco, in south central Peru by the Cordillera de Vilcabamba and reaching 6271 meters above sea level (20574 feet) Mt. Salkantay is an exceptional glacial summit adored by thousands of years by the local Indians. The name Salkantay comes from the Quechua word meaning “wild mountain”

5 Days

18+ Age

Trek

Departure

Hotel Transfer
Departure Time

Approximately 7:00 AM.
Return Time

Approximately 11:00 PM.
Dress Code

Casual. Comfortable athletic clothing, hiking shoes, hat and warm jacket.
Included

Accommondation

Bi-lingual Guide

Entrance Tickets

Meals

Transportation

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Chinchero, Maras, Moray, Salineras, Sacred Valley, Cusco, Peru, atv, maras moray, puno, lima, paracas, nazca, inka jungle, salkantay

Day 1: Cusco - Soraypampa

We will pick you up from your hotel and then we go the bus station and travel by bus for about 3 hours to Mollepata where we will have breakfast this first breakfast need to be ordered in a local restaurant in Mollepata after that we take again the private transport until Challacancha where is going to start our trek. A 3-hour walk will take us to Soraypampa where we will have lunch with panoramic views of beautiful snow-capped mountains (Humantay; 4120m/13500ft and Salkantay; 6271m/20575ft) – just the start! We will begin our trek towards Soraypamapa, our first campsite (3800 m/11750ft; the highest and coldest campsite of the trip) taking in the beautiful landscape along the way as optional visit we will go to Humantay lake which is 1 hour walking from Soraypampa our first Campsite.

Day 2: Sorayapampa - Chaullay

We will have breakfast at around 5.30am and begin our walk to the highest pass on this trek (4650m/15200ft) located halfway between 2 huge mountains; Salkantay on the right and Tucarhuay on the left. From the pass, the views of the 2 snow-capped mountains are incredible. There is a possibility of snow here. After a rest, we will continue our walk (downhill) through a dramatic cloud forest towards Huayracpunku, where we will have lunch. We hike again after lunch in the direction of the start of the jungle until we reach our second campsite, Chaullay 3000m/9800ft).

Day 3: Chaullay - Playa Sahuyaco - Santa Teresa

After breakfast, at 6.30am, we start trekking for the day through the upper jungle crossing the Lluskamayo River and a variety of little brooks to reach La Playa walking about 6 hours where we will Camp at a coffee plantation where we will learn about the process of the coffee so we will harvest, toast and ground the coffee as part of this trek . Today we will pass through valleys and have wonderful views of waterfalls, tropical fruits ,plants and as soon as we are at la playa place where we are going to camp at a coffee plantation, on the other hand the horses will go back to Mollepata. from here there is an optional thing to do so we can take a local bus to drive one hour to get to Santa Teresa where we can enjoy the natural hot spring ( bus fares and entrance fees to the natural hot spring is not included in this tour).

Day 4: Santa Teresa - Aguas Calientes

Highlights of today: The best day of the trek! We will try to get as early as possible to Llactapata. We hike up through a part of the original Inca trail and get some experience of the native people who live here in the area. Have a chance to harvest several fruits and have one of the best views of the Urubamba valley. See The Salkantay Mountain in the background and have your first glance on Machu Picchu! We will have breakfast at 8 am and leave our campsite at La Playa we will walk for about 7 hours to reach Hydroelectric where we will have our lunch and then continue walking, passing a variety of crop plantations, cocoa, banana we will be walking about two and half hours along the train road till reaching Aguas Calientes town where we will spend the night in a hostel. In Aguas Calientes, you can take advantage of the thermal springs in the town (entrance 10 soles) a real treat after finishing the trek.

Day 5: Machu Picchu - Cusco

We wake up early morning about 4 am to then to 4:30 to have the breakfast and leave to walk up to Machu Picchu which takes one and half hours up to Machu Picchu but there is another option to catch the first bus which leaves 5:30 to Machu Picchu (25-minutes long ) in order to appreciate the magnificent city as the sun is rising. A walking tour (approximately 2 hours) is given by your Guide and after this you can explore the mysterious city by yourselves. If you still have energy you can also climb Huayna Picchu (2720m/8890ft)!!! It takes 45 minutes to reach the top. Then you will take the train around at, 4:00 pm or 8 am according to the train Availability so you will arrive Hydroelectric Ollantaytamabo after 2 hours travelling so a private transport will wait for you and will take you back to Cusco to your Hotel.

✔ Sandals or jogging shoes for a higher comfort while at camp Flashlight/headlamp and batteries ✔ Strong footwear, waterproof trekking boots recommended ✔Rain gear (jacket and pants if available) or rain poncho (plastic ponchos can be purchased in Cusco) ✔ A backpack with a change of clothes for the whole period of the program ✔Camera and batteries (batteries consume more quickly under cold conditions) ✔ Hat or cap to protect you from the sun, rain and cold ✔ Sun Block ✔ After-sun cream or hydrating cream for face and body ✔ Insect repellent – minimum recommended 20% DEET – no malaria risk has been reported ✔ Handkerchiefs ✔ Toilet paper ✔ Snacks: biscuits, energy bars, chocolate, raw fruits, muesli, etc. Please note that we do provide a daily morning snack and our meal service is very complete and well supplied. This recommendation applies for all clients being used to a specific snack, as it may happen that it is not included in our selection ✔ Water container and water for the first morning. Important notice: plastic water bottles are no longer allowed into the Inca Trail. Plastic water containers (ie. Nalgene) or metal ones are recommended ✔ Optionally: water- sterilising tablets in case you pick up water from streams or rivers along the route. Otherwise, we provide filtered boiled water, which is safe to drink and has not reported any health problem so far ✔ Small Towel ✔ Swimsuit (if you wish to take a bath in the hot springs) ✔ Cash in soles and/or US$ ✔ Original passport ✔Original International Student Identity Card (in case you have applied for a student discount) ✔Optional: walking sticks or poles (rubber covers required in order not to damage archaeological sites)

Salkantay Trek (5 Days and 4 Nights)