Salkantay Trek - Epic trek to Machu Picchu Salkantay Trek - Epic Trek to Machu Picchu

The Salkantay Trek, recognized by National Geographic, takes you to explore glacial mountains, stunning lakes like Humantay, and the Amazon jungle, on an epic adventure to Machu Picchu!
Day 1: Cusco - Soraypampa - Humantay Lagoon - Quiswarniyoc
We will start the trip at 5:00 am with the pick up from your hotel in Cusco, to take direction to Soraypampa, the starting point of the trek. From here, we will walk for approximately 2 hours until we reach the spectacular Humantay Lagoon. You will enjoy free time to explore this beautiful place and take pictures. Then, we will descend for 2 hours to Quiswarniyoc camp, where a delicious lunch will be served. In the afternoon, we will hike to the Salkantay viewpoint to enjoy the sunset. We will finish the day with dinner at the exclusive Mountain Sky Hut camp, where we will spend the night.

Day 2: Quiswarniyoc - Salkantay Pass - Chawllay
We will wake up early to start the hike to Abra Salkantay, the highest point of the trek (4,630 m). This part of the hike will take between 3 and 4 hours of climbing. After a rest, we will descend for 2 hours until we reach Wayracmachay, where lunch will be waiting for us. Then, we will continue descending for 3 hours until we reach the Chawllay camp, located at 2,900 meters, where we will begin to enter the Peruvian Amazon jungle.

Day 3: Chawllay - La Playa - Santa Teresa
We will have an early breakfast and start a 5-hour hike along the Santa Teresa Valley, surrounded by the Salkantay River. This stretch will take us to La Playa Sahuayaco, where we can enjoy the natural beauty of the surroundings. After arriving at the campsite we will get ready to continue.

Day 4: Santa Teresa - Lucmabamba - Llactapata - Hydroelectric - Aguas Calientes
We will start the day walking to Lucmabamba, where we will begin a 3-hour climb to the Inca ruins of Llactapata, from where you have a spectacular view of Machu Picchu. After exploring the ruins, we will descend for 2 hours to Hidroeléctrica, where we will have a break for lunch. Finally, we will walk for 3 hours along the train tracks until we reach Aguas Calientes, where we will stay in a local hotel before the group dinner.

Day 5: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Cusco
This day starts early, as we will take the first train to Machu Picchu. From the main entrance, we will walk about an hour up the stairs until we reach the Inca Citadel. You will have a 2.5 hour guided visit to learn all the secrets of this wonder of the world. After the guided visit, you will have free time to explore Machu Picchu at your own pace or, if you have booked, climb additional mountains such as Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain.

Return options to Cusco:

Walking: You can walk back from Aguas Calientes to Hidroeléctrica, where you will take the bus to Cusco.
By train: If you prefer, you can take the train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo and then a shuttle to Cusco.

This trek will take you through amazing landscapes, from glacial mountains to the rainforest, culminating in the incredible Machu Picchu.

To guarantee availability book as soon as possible. Early booking is worth consideration especially if you planning the trip during high season like public holidays or weekends.

This excursion you can cancel with no cost up to 24 hours before the start of the trip. If you cancel it after 24 hours or not show up on the excursion you will still be charged the full price of the activity. Being late on pick-up or departure will be considered as not showing up.