Salkantay Trekking 4D & 3N
The Experience
The Salkantay Trekking is often seen as an alternative to the classic Inca Trail Peru when it is fully booked, for example. That does not do this trek enough justice. The Salkantay Trekking may not be as famous as the Inca Trail, but it is at least as beautiful. The views along the way of the surrounding mountain ranges such as the Salkantay are phenomenal. An advantage of the Salkantay Trekking compared to the Inca Trail is that this trek can start every day and can never be fully booked. Another advantage is that this trek is generally less crowded. The city of Cusco is the starting point of the Salkantay Trekking.
With the Salkantay Trekking you spend two nights in tents and one night in a hotel in the town of Aguas Calientes, near Machu Picchu. The trek will already take place with a minimum of two hikers.
During the Salkantay Trekking you carry your own sleeping bag, mat and personal belongings. For an additional fee we can arrange an extra donkey for you.
NB: In addition to being in good physical condition, it is important that you take the time to acclimatize sufficiently to the altitude.
What's Included
- Pick-up and drop-off at your hotel in Cusco
- Bus transport to Mollepata / Marqoqasa
- English-speaking professional trekking guide
- Donkey driver + pack animals (until day 3)
- All meals during the trek (3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners)
- Camping equipment (tents, kitchen tent, etc.)
- Overnight in hostel in Aguas Calientes
- Entry ticket to Machu Picchu
- Guided tour of Machu Picchu
- Return train ticket from Aguas Calientes to Cusco region
- Bus transport from Ollantaytambo or Poroy back to Cusco
What's Not Included
- Sleeping bag (can usually be rented)
- Entrance ticket for Huayna Picchu (optional, limited availability)
- Train from Hydroelectrica to Aguas Calientes (optional)
- Tips for guide and crew
- Travel insurance
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Early in the morning, you will be picked up from your hotel in Cusco and taken to the bus station. From here, together with your guide, you will take the bus to the village of Mollepata at an altitude of 2,800 meters. You will travel through a stunning landscape, through the Apurimac Valley, to Limatambo. After a bus journey of approximately two and a half hours, you will arrive in Mollepata. If you have not yet had breakfast, you will have some time here to have breakfast and possibly do some last-minute shopping. Afterwards, you will take another bus for another half hour to the village of Marqoqasa. In this village, you will meet the donkey driver with his donkeys. Once the large luggage has been loaded onto the donkeys, you will depart. You will walk through the villages of Cruzpata and Challacancha, among others. Time seems to have stood still in these villages.
After a walk of 6 to 7 hours, you arrive in Soraypampa. Here you can visit the Soray Lagoon, and it is another one-hour walk to the first campsite, 'Salkantaypampa'. Upon arrival at the campsite, your guide will offer you a cup of hot tea, and the mule driver will have already set up the tent used for the kitchen. Under a starry sky with countless stars, you will be served dinner, and then it is time to go to sleep.
Walking time: approximately 7 hours
After an early breakfast, the hike to Chaullay begins. This day can be tough, as you hike to the Salkantay Pass in about 5 hours, at an altitude of nearly 4,600 meters. As a reward for this effort, you will be served lunch with a magnificent view of Mount Salkantay and its glaciers. After lunch, you descend to Huayramachay in about 3 hours, at an altitude of just under 3,600 meters. From there, it is another hour's walk to Chaullay, where you arrive in the late afternoon. The campsite is situated by a beautiful stream where you can enjoy a stunning view of the Salkantay mountain range.
Hiking time: approximately 9 hours
During the morning walk on day 3 of the Salkantay Trekking, you still have a beautiful view of the snow-capped peaks of Mount Salkantay along the way. You walk through a small valley, past coffee and fruit plantations. You follow the Santa Teresa River and encounter many species of orchids and waterfalls of varying sizes. You descend in altitude and walk through cloud forest to the village of Playa Sahuayaco. Here, you will be offered lunch. The climate here is warm and humid.
After lunch, you say goodbye to the mule driver and are taken by bus to 'hydro electrica', the power plant of Machu Picchu. From here, you can either take the train (1 hour, optional and only possible if the train is actually running) or walk along the tracks for two and a half hours to Aguas Calientes, the town at the foot of Machu Picchu. You will spend the night here in a hostel. In the evening, you will be offered dinner at one of the restaurants in the town.
Walking time: approximately 7 hours
You get up early and travel by bus to Machu Picchu in about half an hour. In the morning, your guide will give you an archaeological tour of the complex. Afterwards, you will have some time to wander around the complex on your own. True enthusiasts can also climb Mount Huayna Picchu to view the ruins of Machu Picchu from the other side.
In the afternoon, you depart again by bus to the village of Aguas Calientes. In this town, there are many restaurants where you can have lunch, and there is also the possibility to visit the hot springs of Aguas Calientes. In Aguas Calientes, at the end of the afternoon, you take the train towards Cusco. Your guide will tell you whether you need to get off in Ollantaytambo and be taken from this village to the city of Cusco by private bus, or whether you travel directly by train from Aguas Calientes to the town of Poroy, near Cusco. Afterwards, you will be taken back to your hotel in Cusco, and your Salkantay Trekking ends.