Name: SALKANTAY TREK 5D - 4N to MACHU PICCHU
Start: 2021-01-01T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2031-01-01T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Cusco, Peru

Machu Picchu Reservations

Email address verified

549 reviews

Duration: 5 days

Group size: 1 - 9999

SALKANTAY TREK 5D - 4N to MACHU PICCHU

Cusco, Peru

Select

Download Brochure

Machu Picchu Reservations

Email address verified

549 reviews

Duration: 5 days

Group size: 1 - 9999

Salkantay trek 5 days.

Salkantay trek is one of the most scenic trails in Peru that we have to reach Machu Picchu. It has glacier mountains, picturesque lakes such as Humantay and Salcantay Lake, Amazon area make this trek beautiful to hike through it, all the way to Machu Picchu. We take you through the different type of landscape and attraction to enjoy the beauty of the Peruvian Andes. In this Salkantay trekking tour, You will enjoy the best service from Machu Picchu Reservations team. We offer you the best places to camp, and the trips are led by professional guides and the best itinerary to enjoy spectacular locations such as the Humantay lake, Salkantay mountain and the pass which is 4630m about sea level. On the second day, you reach the highest point of the whole trek to start descending into the Amazon area with rivers, waterfalls, hot springs. Santa Teresa area has Inca trails that go to the ruins of Llactapata from where you will have a fantastic view of Machu Picchu from a different angle, a day before you get there and finally you will make to the lost city of the Incas. If you have enough time in Cusco, we recommended to the five days options because you will not miss anything on this tour to Machu Picchu. Salkantay trek is one of National Geographic 25 “World’s Best treks.” Choose the right company to be with you on your trip on the Salkantay to Machu Picchu. Get support by a professional team, experts on treks.

STARTING POINT: Pick up from 5:00 to 5:25 am from the hotel in Cusco, If you are close to the office in Cusco you may walk there to meet at 5:30 am.
ENDING POINT: Drop off in Cusco at the main square around 10:30 pm, If you tell us, in advance, we can drop you at your hotel.
DEPARTURE: Daily.
TOTAL, TREKKING DISTANCE: 75 km / 46 ml
MAXIMUM ALTITUDE: 4630 m / 15228 ft
ACCOMMODATIONS: 2 nights in the mountain sky huts, 01 camp + 1-night hotel
MEALS: Five breakfast, four lunch, four dinners, three tea times + wake up teas
MACHU PICCHU: Entrance ticket included

Enjoy the scenic views of Salkantay mountain and visit the Humantay and Salkantay Lake along the Trail.
Make a small ritual for the Andean gods and learn about Inca religion.
Enjoy our friendly customer service and delicious Peruvian cuisine.
Hike through the different type of landscape such as cloud forests, highlands, grassy hills, and Andean valleys and reach 15000 feet in elevation or 4600 masl on the Salkantay pass.
Explore Machu Picchu and the surrounding with expert and knowledgeable tour guides.
Visit the Inca ruins of Llactapata and hike on the original Inca trail.
Hike one of National Geographic 25 “World’s Best treks.”
Sleep under the authentic Mountain sky huts the private campsites.

We offer you two options to go back to Cusco after visiting Machu Picchu.

TRAIN OPTION:

You can visit Machu Picchu for a longer time and have enough time if you are planning to do HUAYNAPICCHU or MACHU PICCHU MOUNTAIN, which require a minimum of 3 hours approximately. After visiting the area of Machu Picchu for 7 to 8 hours, you have to return to the town of Aguas Calientes to take a train at 18:20 to Ollantambo for 1.5 hours then by car to Cusco for 2 hours more to arrive in Cusco around 10:30 pm

CAR OPTION:

You arrive at Machu Picchu around 6:00 am for the guided tour for 2.5 hours then you have free time to explore the site on your own. If you take this option, and you are thinking to do HUAYNAPICCHU, or MACHU PICCHU MOUNTAIN is possible but will be too very tight and rush because you need to leave Machu Picchu at 11:30 to walk back to Hydroelectric for 3 hours in order to be in Hidrolectrica at 2:30 pm to take a car for 6 hours back Cusco. If you are considering doing this option and doing one of the mountains, we recommend you stay one more night in Aguas Calientes and return the 6th day to Cusco by car.

WE RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT POINTS:

What you need to pack for the Salkantay trek:

Passport
Backpack to carry water, some snacks, a camera, sunscreen, valuable things, Jacket etc.
Sleeping bag at least minus 5 cº. If you do NOT have one, you can rent from us for 10 dollars for the whole trek.
Trekking Poles - We recommend for people with problems of knees, ankle, or you are used to using hiking poles. If you do NOT have one, you can rent a pair of trekking poles for 10 dollars from us.
Wool hat or beanie
Sun hat
Scarf
Gloves
3 - 4 t-shirt, if you have long sleeve better
layers (sweater, fleece)
2 - 3 pair of long pants if you have leggings, you can do on leggings
Hiking shoes
2 – 3 pairs of wool socks
A jacket Rain gear (Pants, jacket, if you do not have you can buy rain poncho) it is crucial, especially for the wet season.
A small towel.
Shorts.
Sunglasses.
A small headlamp.
Waterbottle.
Toothbrush and other personal toiletries.
Toilet paper.
Sun cream.
Insect repellent.
Sandals / Flip flops.
Swimwear.
If you have thermal clothing you can take them which not that important, you will use them at least for the first night which is at 4000 m
Some snacks such as chocolate, cereal bars, candies, nuts, energy bars, etc.
Extra Cash in Soles

Remember that we provide you with a duffel bag so you can pack 7 kilos of luggage which will be transported by horses. You get the duffle bags night before of the trek, at the briefing day.

DOCUMENTS TO CARRY WITH YOU

Original Passports
If you confirm your reservation as a student. Do not forget to take your student ID in physical to the trip. It will be so important to be able to prove that you are a student, at the checkpoint of Machu Picchu

Ticket
Entrance Ticket to Machu Picchu
Briefing
Pre-departure Salkantay trek briefing, presented by the tour guides at 7:00 pm at the office a day before
Bag
Duffle bag to get ready 7 kilos of your belonging carried by horses.
Guide
English/Spanish speaker professional guide.
Guided visit
Guided visit to Machu Picchu.
Transportation
Transportation to head of Salkantay trail.
Camping
3-night camping
Hostel
1-night hostel in Aguas Calientes
Meals
5 breakfast, 4 lunch and 4 dinner
Transport from la playa
Mountain sky Huts + Thin
Personal pad
(double foam - 2.5 inches thick).
Pillows
at the first camp
Cooks
Cooking equipment.
Car or train
according to option chosen. BY TRAIN at 18:20 - BY CAR 3:00 pm. From Hidroelectrica
Veggie option
Vegetarian food is available on request with no extra charge.
First Aid equipment
Oxygen bottle for emergencies.
Horses for carrying
7 Kilos of each hiker.

Day 1
Day 1
Cusco – Soraypampa – Humantay lake – Quiswarniyoc Private camp
After picking up everyone from their respective places or hotel, we left Cusco around 5:45 am to the town of Mollepata by car for 2 hours. Once in Mollepata, we stop to have a delicious breakfast and also pay an entrance fee of 10 soles to the local municipality. Then we continue by car 1 hour more to Soraypampa where we will meet with the muleteers and horse who will take all the luggage, food and the 7 kilos of personal belongings of each hiker which is going give to them in the duffle bags. We start the uphill hike to Humantay lake for 2 hours, When you arrive at the lagoon you will have enough time to explore, photograph the place and the guide will explain all the meaning of the Humantay lagoon. After a couple of hours in the lake, we start going down to Quiswarniyoc exclusive camp for 2 hours to have a healthful lunch. After lunch, you have free time to explore the beautiful area and also if you like more hiking you can go up to Mirador of Salkantay for the panoramic view of the entire region. If you are tired, you can rest in the MOUNTAIN SKY HUST which are the cabins with glass door, inside there is pillows, sleeping pad and the illumination for the night.
QUISWARNIYOC PRIVATE CAMP: It is an exclusive camp located at 4000 m, it is a unique camp that has places for short hiking, overlooking the mountains and has waterfalls. You will have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful views of the mountains.
Read more
Day 2
Day 2
Quiswarniyuc - Salkantay Pass - Huayracmachay - Chaullay Camp.
The second day of the trek is the most difficult because it takes you up to 4630 m and 20 km of trekking. The cooks will wake you up around 5:00 am with a cup of hot coca tea then you have time to repack and get ready for the nutritious breakfast which serves around 5:45 am. After is time to start hiking up to the highest point of the Salkantay trail which 4630 m that takes from 3 to 4 hours all uphill hike with a regular and slow pace. Once you are at the highest point, you have time to enjoy the mountains, to take pictures and the guide will teach you about the mountain gods also you will be part of the small Andean ritual for the Apus the mountain gods. Then you start hiking down for 2 hours to the lunch place to rest and enjoy a delicious lunch. After you continue hiking down for three more hours to the second camp which is Chaullay, where we provide you with the camping equipment tea time and dinner also if you like for ten soles you can rent hot shower from the locals also you can buy some drinks.
The camp is called Chaullay is located al 2900m right at the beginning of the Peruvian Amazon area.
Read more
Day 3
Day 3
Chaullay - La playa Sahuayaco – Santa Teresa – Hot Springs.
The third day is beautiful but warm. You will already be in the jungle area. We wake you up around 6:00 am with a cup of coca tea, then we provide you with a delicious breakfast, after breakfast around 7:00 am you start the hike to la playa Sahuayaco for 5 hours approximately along the Santa Teresa Valley which is formed by the Salkantay River Along the valley you have the chance to see plantation such a coffee, bananas, avocados, Coca, passion fruit, and much more after 5 hours of hiking, you will arrive at La Playa Sahuayaco, from where you will take local transportation for one hour to Santa Teresa, which is the third campsite.

Once in the camp, you will have a delicious lunch then there is enough time to get ready for those who want to go to the beautiful hot springs of Colcampayo, which located 15 minutes car ride from the camp. At the hot springs, you may spend a couple hours or whatever you like or what the group may decide. The hot springs are outdoor, natural and clean water which makes a great place for relaxing then you go back to the campsite where you will have the tea time and a warm dinner then if you like you may be part of the small celebrations with a bonfire.
Read more
Day 4
Day 4
Santa Teresa - Lucmabamba - Llactapata - Hidrolectrica - Aguas Calient
Llactapata is the only Inca ruins along the Salkantay trail that you have the chance to visit on the fourth day, and from Llactapata you can see Machu Picchu, there is a beautiful view of Machu Picchu from a different angle. For this beautiful trek, you start very early in Santa Teresa with the breakfast around 5:30 am then you take local transportation for 45 minutes to Lucmabamba to start the uphill hike for 3 hours on the original Inca trail that takes you to the Inca ruins of Llactapata. You will have enough time to enjoy the views of Machu Picchu, Huayna Picchu mountain and you can see one more time the Salkantay mountain if you are lucky with the weather. Afterward, you start hiking downhill to Hidroelsctirca for 2 hours to have a nutritious lunch and resting for a while. Then you start the last part of the hike to Aguas Calientes for 3 hours more along the train track. Once you arrive in the small town, we take you to the hostel where you have time to rest showering. Around 7:00 pm the guide will organize the last supper in the restaurant in Aguas Calientes after we go to sleep because the next day you need to start very early to go to Machu Picchu.
Read more
Day 5
Day 5
Machu Picchu - Cusco
The last day of the tour you are going visit Machu Picchu. You need to wake up around 4:00 am to get ready for the hike to Machu Picchu main entrance. After you grab your pack breakfast you start walking to Puente Ruinas checkpoint for 30 minutes which is open at 5:00 am where you have to show your passport and your Machu Picchu tickets. After you pass the first checkpoint, you will hike all upstairs for one hour to Machu Picchu main gate to be there around 6:00 am. Once everybody meets at the gate, you go into Machu Picchu for the guided tour for 2.5 hours to learn everything about The lost city of the Incas. After the guided tour you have free time to explore on your own the Inca city of Machu Picchu. The time that you will spend in Machu Picchu will depend on how you like to go back to Cusco and also will depend if you want to climb the Machu Picchu montaña or Huayna Picchu mountain which must book it in advance.
Read more

Day 1

Cusco – Soraypampa – Humantay lake – Quiswarniyoc Private camp

After picking up everyone from their respective places or hotel, we left Cusco around 5:45 am to the town of Mollepata by car for 2 hours. Once in Mollepata, we stop to have a delicious breakfast and also pay an entrance fee of 10 soles to the local municipality. Then we continue by car 1 hour more to Soraypampa where we will meet with the muleteers and horse who will take all the luggage, food and the 7 kilos of personal belongings of each hiker which is going give to them in the duffle bags. We start the uphill hike to Humantay lake for 2 hours, When you arrive at the lagoon you will have enough time to explore, photograph the place and the guide will explain all the meaning of the Humantay lagoon. After a couple of hours in the lake, we start going down to Quiswarniyoc exclusive camp for 2 hours to have a healthful lunch. After lunch, you have free time to explore the beautiful area and also if you like more hiking you can go up to Mirador of Salkantay for the panoramic view of the entire region. If you are tired, you can rest in the MOUNTAIN SKY HUST which are the cabins with glass door, inside there is pillows, sleeping pad and the illumination for the night.
QUISWARNIYOC PRIVATE CAMP: It is an exclusive camp located at 4000 m, it is a unique camp that has places for short hiking, overlooking the mountains and has waterfalls. You will have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful views of the mountains.

Machu Picchu Reservations

549 reviews

Machu Picchu Reservations is a professional company based in Cusco that offers different tours at the best prices such as Salkantay Trek, Inca Trail, Rainbow mountain, Sacred Valley of the Incas, Machu Picchu, Choquequirao Trek, Laguna Humantay and much more. We are a responsible company with vast experience in the tourism industry, we have the best professional team to make your, journey unforgettable. We are direct operators of all the tours we offer, you will have the best technical support in any tour you do with us. For this 2019 w

Was an amazing experience! I had the best guide. The passion of Luis is admirable and contagious. I was eager to learn more about Peruvian history and the ancient civilization throughout the whole trail. It was a demanding activity but totally worthy!💚

By Agostina Magali A for INCA TRAIL 2 DAYS TREK TO MACHU PICCHU on Apr 19, 2024

Great tour, lovely guide and fantastic views. Only wish we had a bit longer for the hike as it is quite a long drive.

By Bryony W for PALCOYO RAINBOW MOUNTAIN TOUR on Apr 19, 2024

An unforgettable 5 days. Physically challenging and difficult but very rewarding and breathtaking views of many different environments. Our tour guide Carlos was fantastic, super helpful and really hard working and good fun and the food throughout was fantastic. Couldn’t recommend more!

By Jamie L for SALKANTAY TREK 5D - 4N to MACHU PICCHU on Apr 18, 2024

We had an unforgettable 4 day trip with Vicente and our group! It was truly an amazing adventure. The trek itself is physically demanding since you're hiking between 10-15 miles a day up and down mountains and jungles, but it is well worth it. The altitude was the hardest part since it made me winded fast. However, the views are majestic and our group bonded through the hardship! Pack coca leaves and plenty of water. Our guide Vicente was cool, calm, and collected during our entire hike and we felt very safe in his hands! He also shared a lot of fascinating history and cultural information throughout our 4 days together. The meals provided are plentiful (be sure to eat a lot during meal times) but I would recommend packing extra snacks for extra energy since you're hiking for hours and hours (although there are plenty of small stores along the way to purchase drinks/snacks as well). Highly recommend doing the hike during the dry season if you're afraid of crossing landslides/mudslides as we went during a shoulder month and didn't realize how frequent mudslides were in the area (our fault). But it was all part of the adventure! Finally arriving at Machu Picchu on the last day was very rewarding and the whole experience was made more meaningful because of all the effort we put in! Highly recommend this tour and Vicente if you're able to have him as your guide!

By Beatrice Domingo I for SALKANTAY TREK 4D - 3N to MACHU PICCHU on Apr 17, 2024

This tour was so much fun! Both Vicente and Antony were amazing guides. I would recommend this tour to everyone!

By Simone M for INCA JUNGLE TRAIL 4 DAYS TO MACHU PICCHU on Apr 17, 2024

Show More Reviews

My girlfriend and I did the 4 days Salkantay trek. It was an amazing experience and was even better than our expectations. Our guide Alex H. always had a positive vibe and knew a lot about nature and culture. The accomodations are really beautiful and the food is absolutely delicious. Every time you arrive at a new spot, the chefs were already preparing a lot of healthy and delicous food. Your stuff is carried by horses and walking the trek is doable if you're medium fit. There is always an option to go by horse or train. Defenitely recomending!

By Puck D on 24 Aug, 2023

Recently came back from an amazing trip of 4 days! Beautifull scenery, good food and nice people (especially our guide Alex H!).

By David M on 30 Jul, 2023

Went on a 5 days Salkantay Trek with MP Réservations. Alex Human was an excellent guide, very energetic, professional and cultured. He was very interesting to listen to and made the toughest moments feel easier with his sense of humor. The food was prepared by a team of 4 cooks and was absolutely delicious! Definitely recommend the experience.

By Guillaume L on 01 Jul, 2023

Show More References

More Photos