Itinerary
Day 1: Cusco - Challacancha - Soraypampa - Humantay Lake - Sky Camp
Stop At: Salkantay Trail, Peru
Start with an early pickup and a drive to Mollepata, where you'll get an optional breakfast before continuing to Challacancha, the trek's starting point. The first-morning walk will be about 3 hours and will take you to your first accommodation, the Sky Camp of Soraypampa. After an energizing lunch at the facilities, the afternoon trek goes to the famous Humantay Lake, known as the jewel in the mountains. The 3-hour round trip will allow you, on this first day, to soak in the impressive Andean scenery and the lake reflections before you head down for a tasty dinner and well-earned sleep.
Duration: 6 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at the Soraypampa Sky Camp
Day 2: Soraypampa - Salkantay Pass - Chaullay - Andean Huts
Stop At: Salkantay Trail, Peru
Today is the toughest day, but you’ll be greatly rewarded with fantastic views and the most wonderful scenery. After breakfast, you’ll be heading for 3 hours up to the Salkantay Pass, where you’ll spend some time taking photos of the incredible landscape and recovering your energy. Next, you’ll hike downhill to the lunch spot through the cloud forest before continuing on your way to the edge of the jungle. Amidst exotic scenery, you'll get to Chaullay, where you’ll spend the night in your Andean Hut.
Duration: 10 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at Chaullay Andean Huts
Day 3: Chaullay - Colpapampa - La Playa - Lucmabamba - Jungle Domes
Stop At: Salkantay Trail, Peru
The adventure continues by hiking through the jungle of the Santa Teresa Valley, where you’ll observe a lush landscape of rivers, waterfalls, orchids, and many plantations, including banana, coffee, and avocado. You’ll get to our Jungle Domes camp at lunchtime for a rest before you get to enjoy a free afternoon to explore your surroundings and visit an organic coffee farm. You’ll get a good night’s rest this evening, listening to the sounds of nature all around.
Duration: 6 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at Lucmabamba Jungle Domes
Day 4: Lucmabamba - Llactapata - Hidroelectrica - Aguas Calientes
Stop At: Salkantay Trail, Peru
Today, things get more exciting as you hike along a part of the original Inca Trail. You’ll walk up for 2 hours to the Inca archaeological site of Llactapata and enjoy your first glimpse of Machu Picchu. You’ll also learn about the site’s history before beating the next stretch.
Next, you’ll walk downhill to lunch before making your way to Hidroelectrica. From here, you can continue on foot to Aguas Calientes for about 3 hours or board a train for an extra fee. Tonight, you’ll be dining in a restaurant and sleeping in a hotel before the grand day tomorrow.
Duration: 9 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: 3-star hotel in Aguas Calientes
Day 5: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Ollantaytambo - Cusco
Stop At: Machu Picchu, Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley, Cusco Region
This day is to crown your journey at one of the World's Seven Wonders, Machu Picchu. To beat the crowds, you'll kick off early to the Citadel and get in for the first lookover. You'll enjoy a 2-hour guided tour of the site and learn everything there's to know about it, including a visit to the most important nooks and sectors. If you book any additional hikes to the Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountains, there's plenty more time to explore at your pace. You'll later return to Aguas Calientes for lunch and catch your train to Ollantaytambo. From there, our private transport will take you back to your hotel in Cusco, where you can rest and reflect on this unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Duration: 4 hours
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
See Availability.
Traveler pickup is offered
We recommend booking hotels in the center of Cusco.
The pickup time is between 04.00 and 04:30 am.
04:30 AM
5 days(approx.)
Not wheelchair accessible
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a strong physical fitness level
It's recommended to arrive in Cusco at least 2 days before the trek to adjust to the altitude.
Spots at Machu Picchu sell out quickly. Book this trip at least two months in advance to secure spaces.
A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Posted By : anasophiar43
This was an incredible, unforgettable experience!! Alex, our tour guide, made sure everyone was having the best time and took care of each one of us, being attentive to our needs and even staying behind with me when I was struggling with the altitude. Apolinario and Wilfredo, our chef and assistant chef, prepared the most delicious multiple-course meals every day that left us satisfied and energized for the hike ahead. Fidel, our horseman, made sure all of our belongings got to each destination safely. Everyone on the team that helped us through this trek was SO kind and I appreciate all of the incredible hard work that was put into making this trip as fantastic as it was. I will always carry this team and our trekking group in my heart as well as the gorgeous mountains of Peru and the beautiful culture of the Inca people. Sulpayqui (thank you) to Alex, Apo, Wilfredo, Fidel, and everyone else who made this week possible and especially to Pacha Mama and beautiful Perú for welcoming us into such a gorgeous scenery and giving us the strength to complete this 50+ mile trek that was worth every second.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-18
Posted By : Garciawithatwist
This was better than imagined. Our tour guide Alex thought of everything and you can tell he has been doing this for a long time as every little detail was thought of. The food was delicious, beautiful and healthy and Apo and Wilfredo even made birthday cakes for 2 of us. I would definitely book with these guys again and highly recommend them (ask for Alex the Puma) if you’re planning on a trek. What I loved about Alex was his enthusiasm to teaching us about the culture and making it not only an incredible adventure but what I came away learning about Peru, its people and its history.
Keep in mind this is a DIFFICULT hike, even for fit individuals so be sure to know what you’re signing up for in advance.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-18
Posted By : marclJ6997JQ
Amazing place, great staff, good lodging. I'm 58, and I appeciated the opt-outs that were made available to me. I took a mule up to the pass, and I skipped a later day due to soreness, but I didn't have to leave the tour.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-17
Posted By : annacI4856YY
We had the most amazing time and fredy apaza was the most perfect tour guide! So knowledgeable patient and fun. He always made sure we had everything we needed and got us where we needed to go on time. He made our experience so memorable.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-17
Posted By : Journey33133462685
We had such an amazing time. Fredy was amazing, the food was great and the views were unbelievable. 10/10 I would do it again
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-17
Posted By : JanO1987
What stood out to me (besides the jaw-dropping scenery, delicious food and knowledgeable guides) is how organized the company is. Every detail is accounted for and there's always a Plan B. Our guide, Juvenal, did so much to make this trek a phenomenal experience. He clearly loved to share his culture and the history of the area with us and communicated the day's plans clearly to us. The food was truly amazing. We had two talented chefs who prepared delicious food - they would bring out creatively garnished platter after platter of food for all of the meals until there was no more room left on the table. Artists as well as chefs, they took the time to add drizzles, carved gourds and other creative touches to each platter of food. We even had a tea/snack time with popcorn and other goodies that hit the spot after a hard day of hiking.
Unfortunately, my husband and I came down with some gastrointestinal issues due to buying some bottled water that was bad. Juvenal took the time to make arrangements for us to be driven to certain points in order to stay with our group, brought tea, crackers and soup to our lodging and did a wonderful job of taking care of us. Thankfully, we only missed a day and a half of hiking.
Spectacular scenery, delicious food and an incredible guide made this trip a memorable and beautiful experience for us. A huge thanks to Juvenal for being the best guide ever!
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-17
Posted By : GarciawithaTwist18
An incredible experience all around, the scenery was breathtaking every step of the way. Alex “el puma” the mountain lion, was the most amazing guide we could have had. We were so lucky to have him, he is passionate about his culture and heritage and made sure that everyone of us was well taken care of.
Apolinario and Wilfredo provided the most amazing meals, exploding with flavors and incredible quality and quantity. Fidel, the horseman, took great care of our gear. An amazing experience that words cannot really explain how great it was, you just need to experience it, just make sure to be physically prepared for long hard days of hiking at altitude… and most importantly ask for ALEX as your guide.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-17
Posted By : Meander06916704293
The 5 day trek was at the same time physically and mentally challenging. It was also a unique experience. Our tour guide Juan Carlos was more than excellent and he made this unique experience even better. I strongly recommend to improve one’s fitness level before the trek to have a more enjoyable experience. The accommodations and food was also above expectations.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-17
Posted By : Venture28759764305
It was a really challenging trek but I am glad I did it - absolutely breathtaking views along the way! Amazing accommodation - great chefs that made some fantastic food respecting my diet ! The cherry on the top was our brilliant guide Juan Carlos that made this experience amazing ! He shared with us his wisdom and knowledge and made this hike unforgettable!
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-17
Posted By : laugod87
Salkantay trek was so amazing. The views, company, and organization was unbeatable. Ricardo, our guide, was amazing. He could not have been better, he was kind, fun, knowledgeable, and added fun along the way. He always had a smile and always was there to lend an encouraging word. The accommodations and food were fantastic. I have no complaints with this company or trek at all. You will be lucky to get Ricardo as a guide.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-16
