Salkantay Trek & Machu Picchu 8 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 ecosystem 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.

Our tour starts in Cusco the ancient capital of the Inca set high in the Andes and surrounded by the beautiful Sacred Valley. When you arrive in Cusco we will pick you up at the airport and the rest of the first day is free. The following day we will tour the Sacred Valley which includes; the lively markets at Pisac, a buffet lunch in Urubamba and the massive Inca Fortress of Ollantaytambo. In part this extra day is included in the itinerary in order to help you acclimatize before starting the trek.

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 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. The last night of the tour is in Cusco and we will drop you back to the airport on the final day.

What's Included?

• 3 Days of Trekking the Salkantay Trail
• Expertly cooked meals on the trek
• 3 Nights accommodation in Cusco with breakfast*
• 1 Night accommodation in Agua Calientes with breakfast
• Airport transfers in Cusco
• Sacred Valley Tour with transport and entrance fees
• All Land Transfers as mentioned in 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

* A single supplement of $300 for a private room for solo travelers.

Day 1: Arrive Cusco

We will pick you up at the airport when you arrive in Cusco and transfer you to your hotel. Your guide will arrange time for a briefing with you to go over logistics. The rest of the day can be spent exploring the city or relaxing.

Overnight Casa Andina Standard Cusco Plaza. Accommodation in Standard Room with private bath.

Day 2: Cusco - Sacred Valley Tour

Today we will tour the famous Sacred Valley of the Incas. Our first stop will be to Pisac with its lively handicraft market and hilltop citadel. Next we head to Urubamba for a buffet lunch with a focus on locally grown products. Our next stop will be Ollantaytambo a massive Inca Fortress with a huge sun temple and bathing complex. Finally, before heading back to Cusco we will visit the markets at Chinchero before heading back to Cusco. This extra day before the trek will help your body acclimatize and prepare for the higher elevations on the trek.

Overnight Casa Andina Standard Cusco Plaza. Accommodation in Standard Room with private bath.

Day 3: Start Salkantay Trek - Hike to Soraypampa Camp

We will get started at 5am 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).

Day 4: Salkantay Trek - Soraypampa Camp to Colcapampa Camp

Today is a challenging day and we will get started around 5:30am 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.

Day 5: 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 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.

Day 6: 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. Accommodation in Suite Room with private bath.

Day 7: Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu to Cusco

We will get an early start today (5:40am) 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 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 additional cost. Please ask us if you would like to include the optional hike in the package.

Overnight Casa Andina Standard Cusco Plaza. Accommodation in Standard Room with private bath.

Day 8: Depart Cusco

Take breakfast at the hotel and we will arrange your transfer to the airport for your flight back to Lima.

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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