Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu 5 Days/4 Nights

Salkantay, Cusco

From

Duration

Tour Type

Overview

Then up the ladder of the earth I climbed, through the barbed jungle’s thickets until I reach you Machu Picchu.
The Salkantay Trek is the number one alternative to the Inca Trail (with the real and old-fashioned camping!). With high snow-capped mountains, lowland jungle and a visit to the Inca site of Amazon Andes Peru the trek offers a perfect mix of trekking, culture and nature.

With fewer people on the route the Salkantay Trek allows you to enjoy the natural beauty of the Andes without any of the distractions and disturbances you find on the Inca Trail

By booking your Salkantay Trek with Amazon Andes Peru you are choosing the best. Don’t believe? Try Us!

Useful Information

Starting Altitude – 2900m / 9515ft.
Highest Altitude – 4650m / 15,200ft
Walking Distance – 60.5 km / 37.5 miles
Longest Day – Day 2, approximately 18 km/11 miles
Coldest Night – Day 1 around 0º celsius
Overall Difficulty – Difficult (depends on your level of fitness).
Acclimatization is Recommended***

We look forward to meeting you.

PLEASE NOTE: We higly recommend booking the Huayna Picchu Mountain Climbing starting at 7:00 am so you will have access to Machu Picchu from 6:00 am which is more convenient in order to spend more hours in the Citadel of Machu Picchu.

IMPORTANT NOTICES

ZERO PLASTIC BOTTLES ON THE INCA TRAIL AND MACHU PICCHU FROM DECEMBER 1ST:
- Due to New goverment regulations for the Inca Trail it will be 100% PROHIBITED to TAKE PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES. We believe that in the first days the new enforced regulations may NOT be 100% controlled however as the days go it will be more and more strict therefore WE KINDLY suggest you getting your aluminum plastic bottles to avoid any dissapointment at the check points along the Inca Trail and in the Machu Picchu citadel.
ALUMINUM 0.700ml BOTTLES:
- As a way to avoid any inconvenience with our clientes Llama Path offers 0.700ml aluminum water bottles FOR SALE at the office for as liitle as 15 Soles (USD5.00).
- Aluminum water bottles can also be bought in many different shops around the main square.
- Also, if you are still at home and ready to fly to Peru for your trek we recommend you bringing aluminum water bottles or camel bags.

WHAT YOU NEED TO TAKE

Original Passport
Student card (if you are a student and want to qualify for the discount)
Walking boots
Waterproof jacket / rain poncho
Warm jacket
Hat and gloves
T-shirts
Comfortable Trousers
Sun hat
Sun cream (factor 35 or higher)
Insect repellant
Toiletries and hand sanitiser
Personal medication
Camera and film
Torch with spare batteries

Included/Exclude

Professional English Speaking Tour Guide Assistant Tour Guide for groups of 9+ Chef Mules to carry cooking and camping equipment and 7kg of your personal items. Pick-up from your hotel Transportation by bus to Challacancha Return transportation by train and bus to Cusco Water (excluding the first 4 hours of the trek when you need to bring your own) 4 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches, 4 Afternoon Snacks and 4 Dinners. If you have a dietary request such as vegetarian food please let us know. Dining tent with tables and chairs 4 man tent for every 2 trekkers 3 star hotel for final night Sleeping mattress Oxygen bottle First aid kit Entrance to Machu Picchu Return bus from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes

Sleeping Bag (Can be hired from us) Breakfast on Day 1 and lunch and dinner on Day 5 Entrance to Huayna Picchu Mountain Tips Travel Insurance - you are strongly recommended to take out travel insurance for the duration of your trip.

Tour Amenities

Cusco

Tour Plan

Day 1: Cusco - Mollepata - Soraypampa

Today's trek begins at the small village of Challacancha high above the Rio Blanco Valley. Following a wide, well established track we will gently make our way up the side of the valley covering a distance of about 16km /9.9 miles and climbing 1200m /3937ft. The views throughout the day are fantastic, all around us are verdant green mountains, along the path are a wide variety of native plants and flowers with birds flitting in and out and towards the end of the day we'll see the snow-capped peaks of Humantay and Salkantay (the Savage) looming high above us.

Our campsite for tonight is at Soraypampa (4000m / 12750ft.), the nights can get pretty chilly here so it's a good idea to put on your hat and gloves before you go to sleep.

Day 2: Soraypampa - Colcapampa

Today is the longest and hardest day of the trek but also the most beautiful. The scenery throughout the day goes from one extreme to another; starting from the high Puna covered in Ichu grass we make our way up and over Salkantay pass where everything is rock and ice and then descend the far side down to the warm and lush cloud forest below. Along the way we'll see a variety of wildlife from the small finches that scrape by at the higher altitudes to hummingbirds and toucans in the cloud forest, there is also a chance to see Andean Fox, White Tailed Deer and Viscacha (rabbit-like Chinchillas).

Our campsite for tonight is at Colpapampa (2900m / 9514ft), it is recommended you put on insect repellant from this point on as the mosquitoes in the area have a nasty bite.

Day 3: Colpapampa - La Playa

Our destination today is the village of La Playa about 12km down the valley from Colpapampa. Our route takes us along the Lluskamayo River through an area that is teeming with life and that has various coffee and fruit plantations. The scenery in this area is not as stunning as the previous day but the warmth and lush vegetation are a welcome respite from the high mountains we've left behind.

Tonight we will stay at the village of La Playa (2400m / 7874ft.) which is well connected and there are plenty of places where you can buy snacks and refreshments, you can also try some of the locally grown coffee. If you are interested there is the option to visit some hot springs that are close by, let your guide know in advance so that he can organise this for you.

Day 4: La Playa - Hidroelectrica - Aguas Calientes

Today is the final stretch of the trek before we reach Aguas Calientes at the base of Machu Picchu. The main focus of today is a visit to the Inca site of Llactapata sat on the mountainside high above. Following an original Inca Trail we'll arrive to Llactapata by early to mid-morning and can enjoy the fantastic views of Machu Picchu that we get from here.

After a tour of Llactapata in which we'll learn about the Inca people and their culture we'll head back down the mountainside to the Hydroelectric Station from where we'll walk to Aguas Calientes.

Day 5: Machu Picchu

Waking up early we'll take the first bus back up to Machu Picchu to enter the site as it opens. We'll have a 2 hour guided tour of the site during which you'll learn about the Incas and visit all the most important areas of the citadel. After your tour you'll have free time to explore the site by yourself and if you have permits to climb either Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountain. In the afternoon you will take the train back to Ollantaytambo from where you will carry on by bus back to Cusco.