Salkantay Trail 5 Days and 4 Night

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

Day 1
Cusco – Mollepata – Soraypampa
1 stop
1
Casa Salkantay Museo Restaurant
The tour begins with a 5:00 a.m. pick-up from your hotel in Cusco and a transfer by tourist vehicle to the town of Mollepata. There, you will be introduced to the team that will accompany you throughout the hike. Breakfast is not included. Afterward, we will head to Marqoq’asa, the starting point of the hike to the viewpoint, from where we can observe two valleys: the Mollepata Valley and the Marqoq’asa Valley. We will then continue our hike to Soraypampa, where we will enjoy a well-deserved lunch. Then, we will ascend for approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach Humantay Lagoon, located at 4,220 meters above sea level. After admiring this beautiful place, we will descend back to Soraypampa.
5 hours • Admission ticket not included
Day 2
Camp from Suyroccocha to Challway (Chaullay)
1 stop
2
Salkantay Trail
After a pleasant wake-up, you will be served a hot cup of coca tea in your tent to help ease the cold morning. We will prepare all our equipment to begin this beautiful day of trekking toward the Salkantay Pass, experiencing both the cloud forest and the subtropical forest along the way. This second day involves more challenging hiking than the first. As you make your way to the summit, the effort is rewarded with even more breathtaking views than before. After reaching the top, the trail becomes a continuous descent over rocky terrain, leading into a more accessible tropical forest area at the base of the Salkantay Mountain.
9 hours • Admission ticket not included
Day 3
Challway to the "Playa" camp
1 stop
3
Salkantay Trail
In the morning, we will enjoy a beautiful mountainous landscape as we continue along a lush green trail toward La Playa. Along the way, we will encounter several rivers that are tributaries of the main river of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the Urubamba River. For much of the route, we will walk alongside the white waters flowing from the Salkantay Mountain. During the hike, we may find wild strawberries along both sides of the trail (depending on the season), as well as a great variety of flora and fauna, including wildflowers, orchids, birds, passion fruits, avocados, coffee plantations, bananas, pineapples, and more. The hike will last approximately 5 hours, and our campsite will be located in the settlement of La Playa.
6 hours • Admission ticket not included
Day 4
Llactapata - Aguas Calientes (Machu picchu)
1 stop
4
Hot Springs (Aguas Calientes)
We depart from La Playa very early in the morning to avoid the intense humidity and heat, beginning a short trek toward the final pass of our journey. Today, we follow part of the original Inca Trail from Lucmabamba to Llactapata Pass, crossing the Santa Teresa Valley and enjoying a variety of landscapes, including lush green scenery and a peaceful Inca trail. Upon reaching the Llactapata ruins, we will have our first distant view of Machu Picchu, along with breathtaking panoramas of the surrounding Andes Mountains. We will also explore the Llactapata archaeological site. Afterward, we descend through dense forests of bamboo and coffee in the Aobamba Valley, following a trail down to Hydroelectric (approximately two hours of steep descent to the riverbank). From the Aobamba River, the route to Hydroelectric becomes easier, continuing on foot toward the town of Aguas Calientes. During the final two and a half hours, we will follow the train tracks.
6 hours • Admission ticket not included
Day 5
Machu Picchu
1 stop
5
Machu Picchu
Very early in the morning, we will take the bus up to Machu Picchu. Upon arrival, we will present the entrance tickets and begin a guided tour of the citadel, which will last approximately 2 hours. After the tour, we will return to the town of Aguas Calientes for lunch. Finally, we will head to the train station to board the train to Ollantaytambo, followed by a bus transfer back to your hotel in Cusco. Important: Machu Picchu tickets are subject to availability. Please note that the only entity authorized to sell these tickets is the Ministry of Culture of Peru. Tickets will be purchased according to availability, corresponding to Circuits 1 and 2. Other circuits may be offered with an additional charge based on ticket price differences. In the event that no tickets are available for Machu Picchu, a full refund of the tour package will be provided.
7 hours • Admission ticket not included

Additional info

• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

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