Itinerary
Day 1: Cusco – Soraypampa – Humantay Lake - Salkantaypampa (13km – 6hrs)
Stop At: Humantay Lake, 08645, Peru
Pick you up from your hotel at 4:30 am and drive you to Soraypampa (3800 m/ 12467ft) – arriving approximately at 8:30 am. After a delicious breakfast, we will start your Salkantay TreXperience! It’s a 2-hour walk up to Humantay Lake (4200 m / 13780 ft) after enjoying the beautiful views of this spectacular turquoise water lake, we will continue to our lunch place where the chef will be waiting to serve you lunch using organic products from the area. Along the way, you will see a variety of flora and fauna such as the Andean goose (the love birds), deer, and vizcachas (which look a lot like a rabbit). After lunch, we will continue climbing for two more hours to reach Salkantay Pampa (3900 m/12795 ft). Once at the campsite we will have the tents ready, get ready for your bed, have tea time, dinner, and after we can stargaze before going to sleep.
Highest altitude: (4200 m / 13780 ft)
Distance: 13 km / 8 miles
Duration: 6 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Duration: 6 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Camping
Day 2: SALKANTAYPAMPA – WAYRAMPUNKU – COLLPAPAMPA
Stop At: Salkantay Trail, Peru
We will wake you up bright and early with a hot cup of coffee or coca tea, while you enjoy the breathtaking views of the highest mountains in Peru. After breakfast, we will start ascending to the highest point of our trek, the Salkantay pass (4630 m /15190 ft), at the summit we will take the time to explore the fantastic landscapes including a beautiful lake at the base of this majestic mountain. From the top, it will be another 3 hour downhill hike to the lunch place at Wayracmachay (3800 m/ 12467 ft). After lunch, we will start descending from the highlands into the cloud forest, experiencing one of the fastest changes in temperature and weather. Along the way, we will see different types of flowers, hummingbirds, and orchids until we arrive at Colpapampa (2770 m / 9087ft). This night we will stay next to a small village.
Campsite Altitude: 2770 m / 9087ft
Highest altitude: 4630 m /15190 ft
Distance: 16 km/ 9.91 miles
Duration: 8 hours
Difficulty: Moderate - Challenging
Duration: 8 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Camping
Day 3: COLLPAPAMPA – LLUCMABAMBA – LLACTAPATA
Stop At: Llaqtapata, Machu Picchu Peru
Day 3 is arguably the most beautiful of your Salkantay TreXperience! After enjoying a delicious breakfast, we will make our way to Lucmabamba (2000 m / 6600 ft), where we have a special PACHAMANCA lunch, this is an ancient way of cooking underground, you will participate actively in the preparation and also visit a local coffee farm and prepare your organic coffee. After lunch, hike up for 3 hours along an ancient Inca trail to reach Llaqtapata; another extraordinary Inca ruins located right in front of Machu Picchu. Here we will take some time to explore, learn about the history of the Incas, and enjoy the beauty of the site. We will reach the campsite at approximately 4:00 pm to watch the spectacular sunset over Machu Picchu. At the campsite, we will have tea and dinner and a special surprise!
Campsite Altitude: 2,000 m / 6560 ft
Highest altitude: 2600 m / 8528 ft
Distance: 18 km / 11 miles
Duration: 9 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Duration: 6 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Camping
Day 4: LLACTAPATA – HYDROELECTRIC – AGUAS CALIENTES
Stop At: Hot Springs (Aguas Calientes), Avenida Hermanos Aya, Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu 08681 Peru
Llactapata is a very unique and isolated site that overlooks Machu Picchu. Here it's worth getting up early, sit, and watch the sunrise over Machu Picchu: After Breakfast, start a 2 hour downhill to the hydroelectric satiation where we have a brunch and re-energize for the last stretch of our TreXperience. It is then a 3-hour walk along the railway to Aguas Calientes. This section of the trek is steeped in history as it was used by the American professor, Hiram Bingham, to discoverer Machu Picchu in 1911. It is also gorgeous and is home to a variety of endemic birds such us the Rupicola Peruviana (locally known as the cock-of-the-rock), parrots, toucans, hummingbirds, and orchids. Once in Aguas Calientes, your tour guide will take you to your hotel where you will have some time to rest and freshen up. In the evening we will enjoy a final dinner together.
Aguas Calientes: 2,000 m/ 6560 ft
Distance: 14 km / 8.6 miles
Duration: 6 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Duration: 6 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: 3- star Hotel
Day 5: MACHU PICCHU (LOST CITY OF THE INCAS)
Stop At: Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, 08680, Peru
On our final day, we have to get up very early to prepare for the highlight of your TreXperience; visiting Machu Picchu – the Lost City of the Incas. We will go straight to the line to wait for the first buses going up to Machu Picchu at 5:30 am to beat the crowds. Your guide will take you on a 2 to 3-hour comprehensive tour of the city before leaving you in Machu Picchu to explore on your own or climb either Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain (tickets must be booked as far in advance as possible). Your guide will explain how to take the bus from Machu Picchu back to Aguas Calientes for lunch (not included) and then take the Vistadopme train and bus back to Cusco. The TreXperience Team will meet you off the train and return you safely to your hotel.
Highest altitude: 2400m / 7874ft
Distance: 6km / 3 miles
Duration: 2 – 3 hours
Difficulty: Easy
Duration: 4 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Not Included
See Availability.
Traveler pickup is offered
We also pick up from AirBnB's and any other locations inside Cusco city.
04:30 AM
5 days(approx.)
Infant seats available
Not wheelchair accessible
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
Passport name, number, expiry and country is required at time of booking for all participants
A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
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 16 travelers
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Posted By : T7520NDsandral
Our expectations were totally exceeded! Juan was an amazing guide and explained us a lot about the Inka, the landscape, flora and fauna and peruvian life along the way. Our chef Rolando and his team did an incredible job! We had the best food of our holiday on this trek.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-16
Posted By : 909ariellen
This experience was one I will remember for the rest of my life. The hiking segments were challenging and we were rewarded everyday with delicious food and camping accommodations set up by the wonderful team. The chef, sous chef, and waiter worked so incredibly hard to make sure we were taken care of and our guide was extra patient with me as I took my time along some of the difficult paths. TreX was an amazing team and set up a wonderful 5 days of views and experiences for us.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-11
Posted By : C5921WMtylerm
What an amazing trip! The hiking was challenging both physically and mentally but SO worth it. The scenery was breathtaking. Our guides (Klever and Jilbert) were knowledgeable, friendly, and attentive. The mountain chef was spectacular (I liked his food more than any restaurant in Lima, Cusco, or Aguas Calienties), and our porters/horsemen were hardworking and attentive. I would recommend this trip to anyone who loves hiking and exploring and I would definitely do it again.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-08
Posted By : Jaya_h_c
We just got back from a fantastic 5-day Salkantay trek. First a huge shout out to our guides. Roberto. Our main guide was extremely kind and prioritized our needs. Plenio or Pepe, was his assistant and he followed Roberto’s lead on caring for the group. This was most evident the day after the earthquake when we were going through the fresh, very muddy landslide area.
There were some extra special unexpected touches that made the trip extra special. On the first night, when temperatures went below freezing, we were all pleasantly surprised to find extra blankets and little pillows in our tent. Just as we finished dinner Roberto surprised us by telling us that we would each get a hot water bottle. The dreaded below freezing night no longer seemed so bad. Thank you, Roberto and Plenio.
Food during the trek was very flavorful. Being vegetarian was not a problem on most days. The only exception was the day we had the BBQ when the chefs did not understand why grilling the chicken with the veggies made the veggies not okay for us. However, when I explained the situation to Roberto, he had the cooks make our food separately. We had plenty of food throughout the trek and really did not have to eat too many of the snacks we brought.
Suggesting and pulling off the thermal bath diversion on day 3 was an excellent idea. In addition to allowing everybody to feel clean and refreshed, it also kept us away from the boring roadside hike to Llucambara.
I will definitely recommend our guides and TreXperience to friends planning trips to Machu Pichu.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-05-05
Posted By : allisont1123
I want to highlight that our guide, Gary, was incredibly kind and helpful. He also provided an option for us to go to the hot springs on the 3rd day (which was an extra 50 soles but well worth it). We would not have been able to continue up the mountain on day 3 and the hot springs should be a break included in the pricing and package. They also give you warming pads and extra blankets for the first freezing night which was really amazing and helped. Being greeted with coca tea every morning was fantastic. The porters were also very professional.
Things to consider:
- The ultimate says online it's ~64 Kilometers. We were informed the day before leaving it was 82 kilometers.
- There was intense pressure to stick to the program which meant that most days were spent waking up at 5am and then walking until at least 6pm. We felt we were in military camp and had absolutely 0 downtime to enjoy. I'd have rather woken up earlier to have some resting time in the evening.
- We had only brief rests after shoveling food down our throats before walking again.
- There was clearly a lot of stress that things 'went to the program' regardless of how the trekkers were doing.
- My friend was injured on the 4th day and we were informed there was no way she could get to Aguas Caliente other than walking 10K more on her injured knee, which seems rather unsafe.
- Most tours did not complete the final mountain hike on day 4 because of the amount of rain and mud making it a risky trek. We were told initially that probably the guides just didn't want to do it. As we started down the mountain we had over 1.5 hours of slick mud to trek through. i fell twice and my friend once. It was scary and unenjoyable. We should have been given the option to skip that hike and take a bus, I would have happily paid more.
Because of the injuries sustained on day 4 we were unable to complete our additional hike at Machu Picchu, which meant losing 75 dollars and the hike that I actually wanted to do. I was very disappointed.
The company should build in options for hikers if they are going to extend it by 20k more kilometers than advertised.
The food was fine. Day 1 it was fantastic but not nearly enough protein the rest of the week, especially for the hikes we were doing. However, there was a lot of food at all times and it all tasted good. The chef did great.
I want to thank Gary for doing all he could to keep us optimistic through the hike. It was clear he wanted to do well for us. He should be given more resources to make adjustments to the program based on safety and how the tour group is doing so that injuries could be minimized.
We noted at the end that all other groups seemed happy and to be laughing. Our entire group was broken and exhausted. The one benefit is that we bonded and will remain friends. After speaking with friends who completed with Salkantay Treks and other companies, the key difference is where we were walking longs blocks of road (of which I can only assume are the extra 20k not on the program) they had been taking busses (even though they were also doing the 5 day 4 nights). All in all, I'm glad I did it but I would only choose this trek if you want to spend your time being pushed to your limits versus enjoying the landscape.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-04-29
Posted By : RTGlo
Excellent trek with Roger. Well organised - and great food from Alejandro. The day timings worked very well for the conditions and we had so much fun.
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Posted On : 2024-04-24
Posted By : Guide52820222369
Me and my sister are super happy about choosing TreXperience! The food was awesome, the camp locations were amazing, the equipment great and the staff always took care of us. Especially our guides Gilbert and Gary were so nice! They had so much knowledge about everything, worked perfect as a team, were so funny and always made us laugh! Our favourite part of the tour, besides the amazing views, was talking to them and spending a fun time together.
The prices are a bit higher that what you will find at other companies but it was definitely worth it knowing that the salary of the staff is way better than at other places. We also had a free cooking class included which was super fun and we got to take the vista dome train back to Cusco!
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-04-23
Posted By : Navigate38076915849
The Salkantay trek was such a great experience, the hike was epic and the Trexperience crew made it extra special with delicious food, incredible porters and an extremely helpful guide.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-04-22
Posted By : TBoneHODL
The TreXperience team did a fantastic job at making us feel comfortable during the Trek. Our guide was knowledgeable throughout and fluent in English and Spanish.
The chefs cooked amazing food and we never went hungry.
There were lots of little 1-percenters that made the experience memorable.
Throughout the trek, the contrasting landscapes and sceneries provided us with an abundance of photo opportunities.
Would definitely recommend to anyone looking to explore the area, and discover some of the history, stories and myths of the Incas, the Spanish and the Peruvians.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-04-18
Posted By : Roving28224681249
The day before our departure, we learned our Salkantay Trek was unwalkable due to heavy rains and landslides. We were offered an alternative route: Ancascocha trek with one day on the Inca Trail.
The Ancascocha trek reaches over 15,000ft and is very challenging - this is not a hike for beginners. But wow it was beautiful, and we did not see another group the entire time. My favorite part…being away from the crowds! I believe if we did the Salkantay trek it would have been much more packed (everyone in Cusco is advertising for it).
We had the most amazing guide, Leo. He is such a positive, funny, kind and amazingly athletic person. He made the experience very special. He looked after us (8 people in our group), kept spirits up, and treated his team of porters and horsemen very well.
The rest of the team was also amazing:
Eulogio Gallegos
Rosalio Churata
Mauro
Donato
Paulino
12 horses that packed our belongings
On the last hiking day we walked “backwards” on the Inca trail. By walking backwards we passed so many porters who were packing in the Inca tour groups items. Horses are not allowed on the Inca trail, so the porters pack everything on their backs. Very amazing, hard job that most definitely does not get paid enough. It was insane and made me sad.
On the last day we arrived at Machu Picchu. It was of course amazing but was my least favorite part of the entire trek. There were so many people/tourists.
Overall, I had a great experience on the Ancasocha trek. Very glad I did not do the Inca trail or Salkantay trek. The team was amazing and I met some wonderful people.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-04-16
