Salkantay 4 days trek to Machu Picchu: An alternative adventure to the Inca Trail

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Embark on the Salkantay 4-day trek to Machu Picchu, an alternative adventure to the Inca Trail. Discover history, adventure, and the ancient Inca way of life. No permits required!

Duration: 4 days

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

cusco - mollepata - soraypampa

Mollepata - We start to pick you up from 04:30 to 05:00 am at your hotel then we will drive from Cusco to Mollepata , where we stop for breakfast ( not included) then We will take a bus from Mollepata to CHALLACANCHA ( 3380 meters/11,090 ) , which takes about 1 hour. afterwards we will walk for about two hours, arriving at SORAYPAMPA ( 3900 meters /12,800 feet ) about 1:30 pm, there we will have our first lunch and set up our first camping spots. after lunch we will hike to HUMANTAY LAKE (4220 meters/13845 feet) which takes 1 hour – 20 minutes uphill and 45 minutes downhill. once we arrive to the impressive turquoise lake and snow caped mountain of humantay, where we will enjoy and takes many pictures while the guide will expalin us…. then we will go back to the camping spot where we will have tea time, dinner and finally sleep in our huts

soray pampa - abra salkantay - chaullay

Humantay Lake - today we will start this long day of trekking, after breakfast with the help of the sun god we will see the impressive snow mountain of Salkantay smiling down at you (or laughing depending how you feel at it ) little by little we will climb higher until arriving soyrococha where we take a short rest and try to catch our breath. then we keep walking up until reaching to the highest point of Salcantay mountain at an altitude (4600 meters/ 15,090 feet) here , the guide explain a little bit about the history of Salcantay mountain and the history of the Incas civilization , good excuse to break and to eat some snacks . after taking a break at highest point of the trek it is time to leave the altitude and we will begin walking down for about 2:00 hours until we see small house in order to enjoy our delicious lunch and some tea or coffee the day is not over yet and we will continue hiking down to lower land and altitudes until we reach the second camping spot, chaullay

chaullay - hidrolectrica - aguas calientes

Aguas Calientes - this day is much easier day, walking mostly downhill for about 4 hours until reaching to LA PLAYA SAYHUAYACO where we will stop for having lunch also we will notice the climate is becoming much warmer because we are in the high jungle known as (ceja de selva) in this part, there are many small plantations such as coffee beans, coca, bananas if we are lucky we can see ” gallito de las rocas ” ( cock of the rocks) which is Peru’s national bird after lunch we will take a local bus ride for about 2 hours to HIDROLECTRICA, from where we start walking for about 3 hours by taking the railroad to AGUAS CALIENTES. arriving to our hostel 5 to 6 pm aprox.

aguas calientes - machu picchu - cusco

Machu Picchu - This is the day you’ve been waiting for !!!!! Early after a good breakfast re-live the history and the mysterious world of the Incas, we will walk for about 1 hour and 30 minutes or take a bus up (bus takes 30 minutes ) to MACHU PICCHU CITADEL. once we arrive; Guided Tour of MACHU PICCHU. This enigmatic city is explored for Approx 2 hours and their mysteries and archaeological information will be explained by your expert guide, you will also learn how MACHU PICCHU is divided into three sectors: agricultural, residential and religious.

after your tour, those who have booked in advance for an extra hike up HUAYNA PICCHU or MACHU PICCHU mountain will have enough time to take pleasure in having outstanding views on their own. afterwards you will return to aguas calientes, where you will wait for return train to ollantaytambo and then bus back to cusco OR walk back to HIDROLECTRICA to take the bus back to cusco it takes 7 hours aprox.

What's Included

Professional guide
3 nights accommodation
All meals included (3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners)
Hotel pickup and drop-off
All activities covered
Transport by private vehicle
Entrance fee to Machu Picchu included

What's Not Included

Breakfast on the first morning
lunch on the last day after machu picchu
Hotel drop-off

Additional Information

Trek to salkantay is one of the second alternative trek that ends in MACU PICCHU and it does not require permits like inca trail making it more ideal for travelers .also if you like the adventure and not have much time you must do this trek to SALKANTAY which takes 4 days and 3 nights where you can learn history, adventure and how the Inca’s lived years…

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.8

(11 Ratings)

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1 star

Philip

Jul 9, 2023

Unforgettable experiences on the salkantaytrek - We did the salkantay trek with Machu Picchu as a 4 day tour. Our group consisted of nine people. We were accompanied by a guide, a cook and a human for the horses. It was all top organized and adapted to the needs. Our companion was the best. The chef has always conjured up a great meal and also had a vegetarian version ready. Our guide always looked for good solutions for all of us and also spontaneously made things possible. He inspired us very much for the Inca culture and explained everyone very well and interestingly. We were traveling with our four children aged 7-18. Physical fitness is absolutely necessary. For my two little ones we used a horse for the long climb to the pass at 4600m. Overall, our guide has managed to create an unforgettable experience for all of us with his lovable nature. Thank you!