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SALKANTAY TREK TO MACHU PICCHU 4N/5D

Conquer Salkantay Pass and discover Machu Picchu on this epic five day adventure trek.

  • 4 Nights / 5 Days
  • Max 16 People
DURATION

4 Nights / 5 Days

LOCATION

Machu Picchu

MAX ALTITUDE

4,630 m.s.n.m.

DIFFICULTY

Moderate

Salkantay Trek To Machu Picchu – 4N / 5D

The tour begins at 05:00 AM with a four-hour drive from Cusco to Soraypampa, followed by a hike to Humantay Lake and an ascent to Soyrococha camp. On day two, you will climb to the high Salkantay Pass (4,635m) before descending through changing cloud and tropical forests to Collpapampa town. The third day features a six-hour trek down the valley to Lucmabamba, where you will enjoy local agricultural activities like coffee roasting. Day four involves an uphill hike over Llaqtapata Pass for your first view of Machu Picchu, followed by a descent to the hydroelectric station to catch the train to Aguas Calientes. Finally, on day five, you will take a bus to Machu Picchu for a 2.5-hour guided tour before returning by train.

Itinerary

Pre-trek briefing (required)

We provide a full pre-trek briefing at our office or at your hotel in Cusco. This gives you the chance to ask questions about the trek itinerary. Briefings are scheduled for the day before your trek starts.
Please take this into consideration when booking your travel plans to Cusco, to ensure you arrive in time for the briefing.

Day 1: Cusco - Mollepata – Soraypampa – Soyrococha

Early in the morning we will pick you up from your Cusco hotel at 5:00 a.m. and will drive 4 hours to the start of the hike. We will stop to stretch our legs in Mollepata and then will continue to the starting point of the trail, called Soraypampa at 3,883 meters or 12,740 feet.
After a short rest we will have the opportunity to walk to the Humantay lake that lasts approximately 2 hours. In total we will walk around 10 km (6.2 miles) to our camp. Once we arrive at the turquoise lagoon, we will be able to enjoy its beautiful waters. Then we will continue walking for about an hour to our lunch spot called Salkantay Pampa. After enjoying a good lunch and getting some rest, we will hike for about 2 more hours to our camp. Going up slowly we will arrive at Soyrococha which is located at 4,400 meters or 14,435 feet, being one of the highest camps in the Cusco region. Here, it is essential to have warm clothing, thermal clothing and a sleeping bag that can withstand at least -20°C (-4°F) as the temperature can drop below freezing and sometimes it can even snow.

Overnight in Soyrococha
Camp site.

Meals: Lunch and Dinner.

On the second day, we will walk a distance of 16 km (10 miles) and we will be able to see a wide variety of ecological zones. We will start climbing for 40 minutes until we reach the Salkantay Pass at 4,635 masl (15,200 feet). Here, we can observe the Salkantay mountain, which is the highest snow-capped peak in the area at 6,264 masl (20,551 feet). If we are lucky we will be able to see condors or other animals such as the vizcacha, which is a relative of the chinchilla. We will descend for 3 hours to our lunch site located in Rayanniyoc. On the way, we will be able to see the geography changing, because we start in the puna area where there are no trees, there is only wild grass and we end up in the cloud forest. After lunch, we will continue descending for 2 hours and enter the tropical forest where we can see orchids and other native flowers, as well as hummingbirds. As we descend we will pass through bamboo forests, until we reach the town of Collpapampa which is at 2,855 masl (9,366 feet) where we will have dinner and camp.

Overnight in Collpapampa

Camp site.

Meals: Lunch and Dinner.

On this day we will walk a total of 16 km (10 miles) and enjoy a cultural afternoon with a local family. After breakfast, we will continue down the valley for an average of 6 hours, during which we will see a lot of vegetation such as bamboo and we will have many opportunities to see birds in the area and some waterfalls. The path descends gradually, and along the way our guide will show you the variety of flora and fauna in the area. We will arrive at our camp located in a small town called Lucmabamba which is 2,008 masl (6,588 feet), and here we will have lunch. In the afternoon, we will do some agricultural activities depending on the time of year. We could pick and roast coffee, pick avocados, oranges, granadillas, and we could also get honey from the beehives.

Overnight in Pacaymayo

Camp site.

Meals: Lunch and Dinner.

After breakfast, we will hike for 8 km ( 5 miles) and will need to get up early. From Lucmabamba to our lunch site we will hike for about 5-6 hours. We will start ascending through the lush rainforest for about 2 and a half to 3 hours to the Llaqtapata Pass which is at 2,700 masl or 8,910 feet. Then we will then descend for 15 minutes and arrive at the archaeological site of Llaqtapata where we will stop and have some snacks. This site provides our first view of Machu Picchu from the other side of the valley, and we will learn about how Llaqtapata was an important astronomical center. After resting, we will begin our descent for 2 and a half to 3 hours down the mountain and will stop to eat our box lunches along the way. We will hike down until we reach the hydroelectric station, where we will say goodbye to our chef. We will get our duffle bags and go to the train station to take the train to Aguas Calientes which takes about 45 minutes.

At Aguas Calientes we will check into our hotel and then will have some free time before meeting for dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight in Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu)

Accommodations: Hotels ⭐⭐⭐ standard (Hotel Hatun Samay, Flower House and others the same category).

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Pre-trek briefing (required)

After a delicious breakfast at your hotel. You will meet your guide and take the 25-minute bus ride up to Machu Picchu. You will have a 2 hours and 30 minuts aprox. the tour with your guide. where we will visit the incredible architecture and the mysterious temples left by the Incas.

A professional English-speaking guide will help us understand the sophisticated ideas and technology of this highly advanced culture. The suggested time to descend from Machu Picchu to the town of Aguas Calientes is 13:00 p.m depending on the departure time of the train to be always 30 minutes before the departure of train.

Expedition Train Aguas Calientes – Ollantaytambo or Poroy (Cusco).

Upon arrival at the station you will be waiting for a staff of the company to transfer to their respective hotels in Cusco.

Meals: Breakfast.

Trip Details

Duration 4N / 5D
Activities Hiking – Adventure
Difficulty Moderate to challenging
Hiking distance 71KM / 44 miles
Minimum height 1900 m.s.n.m. or 6,232 ft (Pueblo de Santa Teresa)
Maximum height 4630 m.s.n.m. or 15,190 ft (Paso Salkantay)
Destinations Machu Picchu
Tour language English, Spanish
Accommodation 03 Nights Camping / 01 night Hotel
Meals 04 Breakfast, 4 Lunch, 04 Tea time and 04 Dinners
Starts / Ends Cusco – Cusco

IMPORTANT: Please Allow 2 - 3 Days for Acclimatization

Services Included

The services Included

  • Transportation from your hotel in Cusco to the start of the hike and back to your hotel at the end.
  • Entrance ticket to Salkantay.
  • Entrance ticket to Machu Picchu.
  • Train ticket from Hydroelectric Station to Aguas Calientes.
  • Train ticket in the Expedition service from Aguas Calientes back to Cusco at the end of the journey.
  • Round trip bus tickets to Machu Picchu and back to Aguas Calientes.
  • One night Hotel in Aguas Calientes (⭐⭐⭐ Econimic).
  • The tents which are 2-person, 4 season tents designed for maximum comfort.
  • The mattress.
  • Duffle bag that you can fill with up to 7 kg or (15 pounds) of your personal gear that the horses will carry.
  • Other camping equipment, such as a kitchen tent manned by a professional cooking staff, a dining tent with table and chairs, and a bathroom tent.
  • Experienced tour guide fluent in English, Spanish and Quechua. Our guides are equipped and trained to practice First-Aid, administer oxygen if needed, and conduct radio communication.
  • Complete meals and snacks during the trip starting with breakfast on the first day and ending with breakfast on the fifth day at your hotel (the last lunch in Aguas Calientes is not included).
  • Our experienced chefs make amazing meals in the middle of the mountains and are also used to preparing dishes for people with different food restrictions or lifestyles, so please let us know your preferences and we will make sure to meet your dietary needs.
  • Professional chef who grew up in the countryside and a horseman with horses/mules to carry all of our gear.
  • One extra horse in the case of an emergency.

Not Included

  • Lunch on the last day in Aguas Calientes.
  • Sleeping bag or trekking poles (can be rented from us),
  • Tips for guide, chef, and horseman (optional).

Group Service

USD $640.00 per person

Private Service
Number of people
Price per person USD
1 - 2 people
USD $760.00 per person
3 - 5 people
USD $695.00 per person
6 - 8 people
USD $635.00 per person
9 + people
USD $640.00 per person

Discount

Children 17 years old and under – $40USD off

* To receive the child discount you must send us a copy of the child’s passport.

Additional Options

Huaynapicchu Mountain: USD$70.00

Vistadome Train: USD$45.00

Sleeping Bags: USD$25.00

Trekking Poles: USD$15.00 (1 pair)

Prívate Tent: USD$40.00

Document
Small backpack
Large backpack
Warm clothes - Including jacket, fleece, thermal clothes for sleeping, gloves, scarf
Rain clothes - Jacket and trousers, poncho, hat
Swimsuit
Small towel
Strong, waterproof trekking boots
Walking poles
Sandals
Flashlight
Camera - Extra batteries as they run out faster under cold conditions
Suncream, moisturiser
Insect repellant - Min 20% DEET
Toilet paper
Personal first aid kit
Snacks - Biscuits, energy bars, chocolate, raw fruits, muesli, etc
Water bottle
Cash in Soles/$USD
YOU MUST BRING YOUR ORIGINAL PASSPORT

How to book

To book the tour, please send us an email with the information of each person in your group:

Full name, nationality, date of birth and gender
Copy of your passport
The tour you want to do, the start date
How many people are in your group
info@peruvianpathsandadventures.com

Tour Map: Salkantay Trek To Machu Picchu - 4N / 5D

Experience the Tour

Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu 1 / 6
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