Salkantay Trek 5 Days

The Salkantay Trek is a popular and challenging alternative to the Inca Trail and a good way to avoid the crowds as you make your way towards Machu Picchu. The trek covers a variety of ecosystems from jungle to alpine, crosses a high pass at 4650m/15200ft, visits hot springs and takes you to the ruins of Llactapata before ending essentially at the foot of Machu Picchu.

The trek starts with an early morning bus ride to Mollepata from where we will start hiking. We have some great views on the first day of snow-capped Humantay (4120m/13500ft) and Salkantay (6271m/20575ft). The second day of the trek is the most challenging as we cross over Salkantay Pass at 4650m/15200ft. The pass lies halfway between two huge mountains (Salkantay and Tucarhuay) and offers an incredible alpine vista. On the third day, we can enjoy much warmer temperatures as we are hiking through the cloud forest and jungle. We will set up camp at La Playa where there are nice hot springs and we can enjoy a soak after a long day of trekking. On the final day of trekking, we can catch a glimpse of Machu Picchu from the ruins of Llactapata before heading to Aguas Calientes for the night.

The following morning we will take the short bus ride up to Machu Picchu. Your guide will give you a guided tour of the ancient city and then you will have another couple of hours to explore on your own before heading back to Cusco by train and bus.

What's Included?

• 3 Days of Trekking the Salkantay Trail
• Expertly cooked meals on the trek
• 1 Night accommodation in Agua Calientes with breakfast
• All Land Transfers as mentioned in the itinerary
• Professional Guide & Cook
• Comfortable Dining tent, tables, and chairs
• All Trekking Permits & Entrance Fee to Machu Picchu
• Return Train tickets from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo

Day 1: Start Salkantay Trek - Hike to Soraypampa Camp

We will get started at 5 am and take the bus to Mollepata (4 hours). We will start our hike here and head to Cruzpata for lunch and to enjoy the views of snow-capped Humantay (4120m/13500ft) and Salkantay (6271m/20575ft). After lunch, we will continue to our first camp at Soraypampa (3900m/12800ft).

Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 2: Salkantay Trek - Soraypampa Camp to Colcapampa Camp

Today is a challenging day and we will get started around 5:30 am so that we can keep a slow pace as we hike towards the pass. The Salkantay Pass at 4650m/15200ft is halfway between two huge mountains; Salkantay on the right and Tucarhuay on the left offers an incredible alpine vista and is the highest point on the trek. We will continue down from pass leaving the alpine terrain and entering the cloud forests to the launch point at Huayracpunku. After lunch, it's another 3 hours heading gradually down till we reach Colcapampa (3000m/9800ft) our camp for the night.

Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner Included

Day 3: Salkantay Trek - Colcapampa Camp to La Playa Camp

We will get an early start again and can enjoy much warmer temperatures as we are hiking through the cloud forest and jungle. We will cross the Lluskamayo River and have some good views of the nearby waterfalls. We will set up camp at La Playa (2500m/8202ft). There are nice hot springs near the camp and we can enjoy a soak after a long day of trekking.

Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner Included

Day 4: Salkantay Trek - La Playa Camp to Aguas Calientes

We will again start early as we hike towards Llactapata which is about three hours of gradual uphill. The ruins of Llactapata were an important rest stop on the network of Incan Trails. From Llactapata we will get our first glimpse of Machu Picchu which lies about (5km/3miles) to the west. It's another 3 or 4 hours going mostly downhill to Aguas Calientes which is the end of the trek and we can enjoy the night in the hotel.

Overnight Hatun Inti Boutique in Aguas Calientes

Breakfast Included

Day 5: Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu to Cusco

We will get an early start today (6:00 am) to take the short bus ride up to Machu Picchu. Your guide will give you a guided tour (roughly 2 hours) of the ancient city and then you will have another couple of hours to explore on your own. Once you're finished exploring you will meet your guide in Aguas Calientes for the journey back to Cusco by train and bus.

Optional Tour: Wayna Picchu is the mountain directly behind Machu Picchu and is frequently climbed for great views of the mountains. This requires a pre-arranged permit which can be obtained for an additional cost. Please ask us if you would like to include the optional hike in the package.

Breakfast Included

Exclusions

• Meals and drinks other than those mentioned in the itinerary (Please let us know if you would like any extra meals included).
• Tips and gratuities.
• Optional excursions.
• Items of a personal nature such as souvenirs and telephone calls.
• Travel insurance.
• Personal equipment such as trekking equipment.
• Damages caused by the client to the bus or to the camping equipment.
• Camping equipment such as sleeping bag or walking stick.
• Personal porter who is responsible for carrying your duffel bag. (You will not have access to your duffel bag until your evening campsite).

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Please review the "Terms and Conditions" carefully before booking and don't hesitate to ask us if any questions.