Overview
One of the most incredible ways to visit Machu Picchu is through the Salkantay trek. These 9 days and 8 nights trekking route crosses the imposing Salkantay snow-capped mountain and then arrives at the Wonder of the World.The Salkantay trek was named after the Salkantay mountain, also known as Salcantay or Sallqantay, in Quechua. It is the highest peak in the Vilcabamba mountain range and is called the wild mountain. This is because the word Sallqantay means something like wild or invincible. It has glacial mountains, lagoons and crosses the Amazon jungle, which makes it one of the most beautiful and interesting hikes in all of Peru.
Summary
ARRIVAL IN THE IMPERIAL CITY
Welcome to Cusco! Rest well, eat light, and take your time to acclimate as we prepare for an unforgettable journey together.
OCUTUAN TOWN
Today, we will pick you up at approximately 8:00 a.m. to head to the Kintu community of Coca Ocutuan.
HUMANTAY LAGOON
We begin this adventure with pickup from your hotel at 5 a.m. We’ll take approximately two hours to reach the community of Mollepata, where we’ll have our first breakfast.
SALKANTAY PASS
This day, you’ll wake up early, ready and prepared for this beautiful experience. Then, you’ll enjoy breakfast and begin the trek to the Salkantay Pass.
HIDROELÉCTRICA
After a challenging day, we will wake up early in the morning to have a delicious breakfast.
MACHU PICCHU
Witness the sunrise at the Sun Gate and unlock the mysteries of Machu Picchu before a scenic train journey back to the heart of Cusco.
FREE DAY IN CUSCO
Wander through Cusco’s ancient streets, explore vibrant artisan markets, and soak in the city’s history at your own pace. A day to rest and discover.
VININCUNCA
Conquer the vibrant heights of Rainbow Mountain, guided by the snowy peaks of Ausangate, for a breathtaking reward at five thousand meters above sea level.
DEPARTURE
As your Andean journey ends, we’ll ensure a smooth transfer to the airport for your flight home. Carry the spirit of Cusco with you always.
Itinerary
DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN THE IMPERIAL CITY
We’ll be ready for your arrival in Cusco. We’ll be waiting here to take you to your hotel so you can rest after a long journey.
It’s recommended to eat lightly on your first day in Cusco to facilitate acclimatization.
DAY 2: OCUTUAN TOWN
Today, we will pick you up at approximately 8:00 a.m. to head to the Kintu community of Coca Ocutuan, made up of 30 Quechua women and men living in the high Andean community of the same name, in Chinchero.
Located more than 3,780 meters above sea level, near Lake Piuray in the Peruvian Andes, we will be welcomed with typical local dances. We will have a short workshop on tubers and our Andean potato. There, we will enjoy a traditional lunch provided by the community and a weaving demonstration, one of the most important traditions of the Andes.
This day will conclude with return to your hotel.
DAY 3: HUMANTAY LAGOON
We begin this adventure with pickup from your hotel at 5 a.m. We’ll take approximately two hours to reach the community of Mollepata, where we’ll have our first breakfast. After breakfast, we continue by transport to Challacancha, the starting point of the trek. Here we’ll meet with the chef and muleteers to check our luggage, pack the horses, and begin the ascent to our campsite. For approximately three and a half hours, you’ll walk along the original Inca Trail Canal. The experience is unique; you’ll be immersed in nature and see the Salkantay snow-capped mountain in the distance, which is impressive at first glance. After this, we’ll arrive at our campsite where we’ll be waiting for you. You’ll receive your accommodations and lunch. You’ll have free time until we begin our trek to Humantay Lagoon, which takes approximately two hours to hike there and one hour to return. You’ll enjoy the beauty of Lake Humantay, located at the foot of the Humantay mountain. As you can imagine, it’s quite cold. Back at our camp, you’ll change into your clothes and enjoy a delicious dinner. After dinner, our guide will explain the next day’s itinerary, which can range from moderate to challenging.
DAY 4: SALKANTAY PASS
This day, you’ll wake up early, ready and prepared for this beautiful experience. Then, you’ll enjoy breakfast and begin the trek to the Salkantay Pass. You’ll pass through the Salkantay Plain and continue climbing to the summit. We’ll take a few breaks along the way to enjoy nature, take photos, receive a proper explanation, and, of course, recover some energy. Once you reach the pass, you’ll reach 4,630 m / 15,228 ft. You can now take beautiful photos of the snow-capped Salkantay Mountain. Then, we’ll continue our trek to Wayracmachay. The landscape will change slightly on the way down, and you’ll notice that once there, you’ll have a delicious lunch. We continue all the way down, and you’ll find that the temperature will improve considerably due to the low altitude. Our campsite is located at 2,900 m / 9,514 ft, so it’s quite pleasant compared to the first base camp.
DAY 5: HIDROELÉCTRICA
After a challenging day, we will wake up early in the morning to have a delicious breakfast. This day will be for relaxing, the trail is beautiful and the vegetation is very dense and we will see a variety of orchids and impressive waterfalls approximately 80 meters high. We will hike all the way down through the Santa Teresa Valley to Lucmabamba where we will have lunch and board the transportation to Hifroelectrica. In the afternoon, we continue walking towards Aguas Calientes for 2 hours (12 kilometers) where we will spend the night in a proper hotel. The dinner is Included and your tour guide will give you the important information for the next day. The main reason for this program is Machupicchu.
DAY 6: MACHU PICCHU
We wake up early in the morning (depending on the time of our admission). Some of you will want to hike to the entrance to Machupicchu which can take one hour and a half some of You will want to take the first bus (5:30am) from Aguas Calientes to the Machupicchu Citadel, usually 30 minutes by bus. Our guide will thoroughly guide you through the Machupicchu archeological site for about 2 hours, then time to come back to Aguas Calientes town where You can get lunch (not included in the program) and in the afternoon we will take the train to Ollantaytambo, you need to be at the Aguas Calientes train station 30mn in advance. A representative of our company will meet you at the train station in Ollantaytambo town then We will take You back to Cusco in proper tourist transportation. We will leave you at your hotel.
DAY 7: FREE DAY IN CUSCO
This day you will have the day off, from the morning you will have time to get to know the city of Cusco from its mysterious and ancient streets, its squares with history to its viewpoints which tell us many stories, you will also have time to visit the most famous craft markets of Cusco such as the San Blas market and the San Pedro market, this day will be a free day so you can rest or visit our city.
DAY 8: VININCUNCA
Our adventure begins with pickup from your hotel at approximately 4:30 a.m., heading to the village of Cusipata for breakfast. Afterward, our transportation will take us to the starting point of our hike at over 4,000 meters above sea level.
It’s important to note that the climb to Rainbow Mountain is somewhat arduous, as we will ascend from 4,000 meters above sea level to 5,036 meters above sea level. Along the way, we will be able to admire the snow-capped Ausangate, a guardian apostle of the city of Cusco. Upon reaching the summit, we will admire the landscape of Rainbow Mountain, receive a briefing from our guide, and take some classic photos. We will then return to the Cusipata district for lunch. We will conclude this excursion with transfer back to your hotel.
DAY 9: DEPARTURE
This day we will be waiting at the door of your hotel according to your flight schedule, in order to take you to the Cusco airport, where you will have to present yourself along with your flight check-in in order to go to your destination city, which will be Lima, and then to your country.
Details
What Trip Includes
What Trip Excludes
Packing List
What to bring?
Additional articles
Frequently Asked Questions
Route Map
Contact Us
Destinations
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