Salkantay trek with Machu Picchu and Colored Mountains
The Salkantay Trek begins in Cusco, the imperial and cultural capital of the Inca Empire. The city of Cusco sits above the Sacred Valley which is filled with villages, hiking trails, natural beauty, and history of the Incas. During your trek you will learn about the Incan civilization, explore some of the most iconic Incan sites, and immerse yourself in Peruvian culture.
The Salkantay trek is designed to take advantage of the unforgettable views of Humantay Lake and the Salkantay mountains. You will:
Follow a unique trekking route with stops to see the incredible turquoise color of Humantay Lake and the impressive peak of Salkantay Mountain
Camp at private Andean campsites or stay in hostels
Visit the fascinating Llactapata ruins, where you will get your first view of Machu Picchu
After the Salkantay trek, you will have a private guide to explore Machu Picchu, officially named one of the New 7 Wonders of the World in 2007, and hike through the amazing Colored Mountains.
Transfers to/from Cusco and Sacred Valley and trek start; and for Machu Picchu tour and Colored Mountain day trip
Hotels in larger cities and inns in small towns; tent camping or hostels for 3 nights
We use several local guides during this trip, all are professional and licensed, English speaking
Most hotels and inns include a free breakfast. Special diet accommodation at no extra charge (vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, lactose free...just ask!) All meals included while on the Salkantay trek.
All mandatory fees and taxes for Sacred Valley, Salkantay trek, Machu Picchu and Colored Mountains
What does not go on the trek will be safe and secure when you return at the Cusco hotel
First Aid kit on the trek including emergency oxygen bottle
Mules and horses for personal items and equipment, up to 7kg/15lb
If tent camping, for the 3 nights of tent camping (2 people in a 4 person tent)
Provided during the trek for safe drinking
Included in the price and available if a trekker needs a ride to make the next campground
Please fly into Cusco (Alejandro Velasco Astete Int. Airport (CUZ))
You'll use a taxi for transfer to your hotel in Cusco for early arrivals; everybody will use a taxi from the last hotel in Cusco to Cusco airport due to the varied departure times ($15-20 each way)
Breakfast is normally included at hotels and inns but this may vary by current lodging policy, estimated out of pocket expense for other meals $250-$300
You will be sharing a hotel room/tent with your travel companion, or, if traveling solo, with a same-sex traveler. Single room is available for an extra charge calculated close to the trip start date
Tips for hired guides
All trekkers should consider travel insurance
On your departure day hotel checkout is 11am. If you wish to have an extended checkout it's available for an extra charge.
Sleeping bag, pillow, air mattress (if desired), tent for solo traveler
After your connection in Lima at sea level (usually overnight), by early morning you'll soon reach Cusco at 11,400 ft. But don't worry about altitude, a driver will be waiting for you to whisk you down to Pisca, at 9,500 feet in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Today you can relax and enjoy the peaceful village, visit a medicinal plant shop, browse the Inca Market to see and buy locally made crafts, clothes, art and more. Grab lunch in one of the restaurants around the plaza, and then wander the narrow streets and get acclimatized to the altitude.
After breakfast at the hotel, we'll ride up the twisting roads to the entrance of the Pisca Inca site at 11,300 feet. But don't worry, we're not climbing today. We'll first get a guided tour of the beginning of the site, then we'll continue through the vast complex and make our way back to the village, about 5 miles, mostly down hill. We'll stop many times to take photos of the spectacular scenery unfolding before us. We'll creep down "andines", terraces hillsides tamed by the Incas for farming (from which the Andes get their name) and we'll be back for a late lunch. Use the afternoon and evening to revisit the Inca Market and other parts of the town you may have missed.
Soraypampa – Humantay Lake – Soyrococha.
This spectacular Andean mountain adventure begins when we pick you up at your hotel and drive to the trailhead at Soraypampa. Pass through two picturesque indigenous villages called Iscuchaca and Limatambo, have amazing views of stunning valleys and the snow-capped, famous Salkantay Mountain.
Once we reach the trailhead in Soraypampa, have breakfast while admiring the breathtaking views of the mountain glaciers of Humantay (19,356 feet) and Salkantay (20,396 feet). Take a 2.5 hour round-trip hike to the turquoise Humantay Lake. Next, take one and a half hour hike to Salkantay Pampa, where you can look forward to a great lunch in front of the majestic glacier.
Next, we make our way to our first campsite or hostel near Soyrococha, situated at the foot of the towering Salkantay Mountain. At camp, we will have afternoon tea to warm you up and appetizers waiting for us. The tents will be set up and you can settle in before dinner.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Tea and Dinner
Accommodation: Camping or hostel facilities
Hiking time: Around seven hours
Distance: 9.6 km / 6 miles
Trekking difficulty level: Moderate
Soyroccocha – Salkantay Pass – Colpapampa
The guide will wake you with a hot mug of tea or coffee before you get up for breakfast. After a hearty and delicious breakfast, we continue our Salkantay journey with a climb for about an hour to the trek’s highest point, salkantay pass at 4,650m / 15,367ft. At the pass, take a well-deserved rest and photos while being amazed at the massive snow-capped mountains of Huayanay, Humantay and Salkantay towering above us and at the lakes and rivers below.
As a side trip, we take 30 minutes to enjoy the exquisite and panoramic, turquoise Salkantay Lake. Next, we continue down to Rayanniyoc for lunch. Then, we trek for a couple of hours to our final stop for the day at our camp near the tiny village of Colpapampa. Hot drinks and appetizers will once again be waiting for you when you arrive.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Tea and Dinner
Accommodation: Camping facilities
Hiking time: Approximately eight hoursDistance: 16km / 10 Miles
Trekking difficulty level: Challenging
Colpapampa – the Hot Springs – Lucmabamba
This day marks our midway point. We start by walking to our next destination, Lucmabamba. On the walk this morning, you’ll see a variety of wonders, including birds, fruit plantations with their flowering orchards, cacao and coffee trees. We’ll reach our destination for lunch with plenty of time to relax.
After lunch, we’ll tour a coffee plantation close to the campsite. Here we take a relaxing tour, where we get to learn about the source of Peruvian coffee, which is
increasingly popular around the world. We begin by browsing the fields, learning about the different types of beans as well picking our own. Then, we roast and grind
them into coffee. Finally, we get to brew and drink our own coffee! It is a truly unique experience.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Afternoon Tea & Dinner
Accommodation: camping/hostel facilities
Hiking Time: Around five to six hours
Distance: 14km / 8.7 Miles
Trekking difficulty level: Moderate
Lucmabamba – Llactapata Inca ruins – Aguas Calientes
We resume our journey by travelling along the remote and ancient Inca Trail for three hours to the Puncuyoc Pass. During this journey, you’ll see the spectacular scenes of the fruit plantations and distinct valleys. Our next destination is the Inca Ruins in Llactapata. Enjoy seeing the Citadel of Machu Picchu from across the valley, along with the Aobamba Canyon and the neighboring mountains: Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu.
Next is a two-hour trek down to the hydroelectric plant. This serves as Cusco’s primary power source, a renewable and ecologically produced electricity. Nearby we have lunch, where we enjoy another hearty and delicious meal.
The last leg of your memorable Salkantay adventure involves a short trek to Aguas Calientes via the National Park of Machu Picchu. Appreciate the lush sub-tropical jungle, full of orchids and epiphytes growing on the trees. Excitement builds as you travel closer to the town of Aguas Calientes. You aill have time to check into the hotel before dinner together at a restaurant in town.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: hotel
Hiking time: Approximately nine hours
Distance: 14.5km / 9 Miles
Trekking difficulty level: moderate
Machu Picchu: Today we’ll have breakfast at our hotel and then get on a shuttle bus taking us up 25 minutes to the archaeological complex of Machu Picchu.
Once in Machu Picchu, our guide will show us the most important attractions of this antique Incan site such as its main square, the Sun Temple, Intiwatana (Sun Clock), the Royal Rooms, the Temple of the Three Windows and the Royal Incas Cemetery. This tour takes about 3 and half an hours and then you are given time off to explore around the complex and to take some amazing panoramic photos of Machu Picchu.
We'll take a shuttle bus back to Aguas Calientes where we can have lunch.
In the afternoon, we take a trainback to Ollantaytambo where our driver expects us in front of the train station to transfer us to Cusco, where we'll spend the night.
Colored Mountains
A guide will pick us up at our hotel in Cusco and drive us 3.5 hours to the base of Colored Mountains. From there it’s a short walk but high walk at 16,000 feet (that's higher than any point in USA's lower 48 states) to a unique mountain landscape, only discovered recently after glaciers melted to reveal the stunning colors. This is an amazing place for photos! On the return drive we can stop at an authentic restaurant and try some grilled guinea pig.
Today we’ll explore Inca ruins in Cusco, if you have time in the morning. Most flights depart in the evening, when you'll catch a flight home. Take some more time to continue exploring Cusco before a taxi takes you on the 20 minute trip to the airport for you flight to Lima and home.
