Salkantay Trek 5 Days to Machu Picchu

From snowcapped peaks to the jungle, with Machu Picchu at the end

Duration: 5 days / 4 nights
Difficulty: Challenging
Max altitude: 4,630 m
Distance: 72 km
Group: Max 12 people
Activity: Trekking
Lodging: Camping and hotel
Start: Hotel pick-up in Cusco

The Salkantay trek is the classic alternative to the Inca Trail. Over five days you go from Humantay Lake and the Salkantay Pass down to the coffee farms of the high jungle, finishing with a guided tour of Machu Picchu.

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Itinerary

1
Day 1: Cusco – Soraypampa – Humantay Lake
- Distance: 7 km
- Duration: 4 h
- Max altitude: 4,200 m
- 🍽 Lunch and dinner
- Lodging: Camping
Transfer to Soraypampa and an acclimatization hike to Humantay Lake.
2
Day 2: Soraypampa – Salkantay Pass – Chaullay
- Distance: 22 km
- Duration: 9 h
- Max altitude: 4,630 m
- 🍽 Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Lodging: Camping
Climb to the Salkantay Pass beside the snowcapped peak, then a long descent into the valley.
3
Day 3: Chaullay – La Playa
- Distance: 16 km
- Duration: 6 h
- Max altitude: 2,900 m
- 🍽 Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Lodging: Camping
A hike through the high jungle, among coffee plantations and fruit orchards.
4
Day 4: La Playa – Hidroeléctrica – Aguas Calientes
- Distance: 11 km
- Duration: 3 h
- Max altitude: 2,100 m
- 🍽 Breakfast and lunch
- Lodging: Hotel in Aguas Calientes
Transfer to Hidroeléctrica and a hike alongside the railroad tracks to Aguas Calientes.
5
Day 5: Machu Picchu – Cusco
- 🍽 Breakfast
Guided tour of Machu Picchu and return to Cusco by train and bus.

Included

Transfers
Professional guide and cook
Muleteers and mules for the gear
Tents and sleeping pads
Meals as listed
One hotel night in Aguas Calientes
Machu Picchu ticket and return train

Not included

Sleeping bag
Hot springs admission
Tips

Prices

Payment & cancellation

Book with a deposit and pay the balance in Cusco before the tour starts. Cancellations and changes follow the conditions of the tickets and trains; we send them to you in writing when you book.