Main Info
OVERVIEW:
The Salkantay trekking to MachuPicchu is the most famous hike after the traditional Inca Trail. On this route you will visit the Humantay Lagoon, it is an amazing natural landscape at the foot of the Humantay snowy.
During the tour we will have our first camp in the Soraypampa area, The next day there is a path where nature will allow us to cross the slopes of the Salkantay snowy, we will reach and pass through the highest point of the route, which is the Salkantay Pass (4,630 meters above sea level/15,200 ft.), throughout the hike we will enjoy the flora and fauna of the area and the change of climate, until arriving at our second camp located in the area of Playa Sahuayaco. On the third day we will do the experiential coffee tour in a local farm where you will learn the entire production process, from harvesting, peeling, drying, grinding, roasting and have the great opportunity to prepare and taste your own coffee; then we hike through the splendid mountain jungle, enjoying its charming landscapes and appreciating its exuberant vegetation, seeing many orchids, bromeliads, begonias among others. Then we will arrive at the Village of Aguas Calientes to spend the night in an exclusive and comfortable hotel. On the fourth day we tour the Sacred City of Machu Picchu, one of the New Seven Wonders of the Modern World.
THE SERVICES INCLUDES:
- Airport pick-up upon arrival
- Airport drop-off upon departure
- Cusco historical walking tour
- Exclusive cultural exchange activity in Chinchero community Project.
- 7 days & 6 nights shared accommodations in boutique hotels and Shelter tents during the hike.
- 6 breakfasts, 4 lunches, & 4 dinners
- Hiking Experience in the Famous Salkantay trek
- Salkantay and MachuPicchu permits
- Shelters and camping equipment set up by professional guides
- Guides, Horsemen, & cooks along the Salkantay trek
- Train from Machu Picchu to Ollantaytambo
- One-way Touristic Transportation from Cusco City to the Challacancha area (Trail Head).
- We will carry up to 5 kg./11 pounds of your luggage. To carry this load, we provide canvas bags (where you will place personal items) which will be given at the information meeting, 1 day before the trek. So you will only carry a small backpack with water.
We can provide vegetarian/Vegan options
DO NOT INCLUDE:
- 01 Breakfast the 1rst day
- 01 Lunch the 1rst day
- 01 lunch The 6st day
- 01 Dinner The 6st day
- Sleeping bag 20.00 USD
- Walking sticks 5.00 USD
- Tips for Porters, chefs and trek guides
- Personal Snacks
- Extra weight 120 USD
- HuaynaPicchu ticket 80 USD
- Internal Flights
WE RECOMMEND TO TAKE :
- Day pack
- Sleeping bag (Available for renting)
- Inflatable Mattress (Available for renting)
- Rain Coat (plastic)
- Thick Jumper
- Coat (parka)
- Cream protector against the sun
- Cap or hat
- Sun Glasses for the sun
- T Shirts
- Wool stockings or sport
- Canteen or bottle of water
- Flashlight
- Camera/extra batteries
- Personal medications suggested by your doctor.
PHISICAL DEMAND: moderate to hard
Itinerary
Before Midday we will transfer you to the hotel we have in Cusco, then we will have a meeting. In the afternoon we will explore the Cusco City and its historical street in a walking tour. At night we will go and enjoy our welcome dinner and taste some local food, one of the best cuisines from the world.
We will pick you up from your hotel early at approximately 8:00 am, this day we will visit an interpretation center of the Andean culture and it is a social company that is located in the district of chinchero, province of Urubamba, where you can learn a little more about the Andean culture and the activities that are carried out, On the route you will be able to observe Andean camelids such as the llama, alpaca. likewise the products that are grown such as potatoes, broad beans, tarwi, etc. In the afternoon we will drive back Cusco and have time for packing our clothing for the following day adventure we have.
- We will pick you up from the hotel at 5.00 am. To start the tour, you will be picked up by the Guide and Cook, then ride on transportation for about 2 hours in our private van, during the trip we can marvel at the spectacular snow-capped peaks and valleys with colorful landscapes until our first stop in the village of Mollepata, to have our first breakfast. After breakfast we board our transportation to continue the trip for about 30 minutes to Challacancha, located at 3,500 meters above sea level -Trail Head-. In Challacancha we will meet our muleteer who is waiting with the horses and mules, then prepare and pack all the equipment on the horses for our trek. Around 9:30 in the morning we will start the march towards Soraypampa. We are going to walk this section of the route on stone ballast, besides, clean and cold water runs along the path in an old water channel that supplies to the people of the area. This first morning we will hike around 10 km. for about 3 hours to Soraypampa (3,900 m.a.s.l./12,800 ft.), area where we will have our first lunch, prepared by the cook. At this point there will be enough time to enjoy and take photos of the impressive views of the canyon that extends into the area. In the afternoon, after a well-deserved rest, we leave the campsite for a short walk up to see the amazing Humantay Lagoon, located at 4,200 meters above sea level/13,800 ft, the hike takes approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes, where you will enjoy the beauty and charm of the place and the best chance to take fantastic pictures. After all this we hike back to our Soraypampa base cabins, to see a beautiful sunset in the middle of the glaciers, then have our delicious dinner. There is the possibility of taking advantage of the clear night to appreciate the constellations in the sky.
- Walking time: approximately 4 hours.
- Distance to travel: 14 km / 8.69 miles.
- Climate: Cool with presence of wind.
- Altitude: From 3,500 m.a.s.l. climbing up to 3,900 m.a.s.l./12,800 ft.
- Accommodation: Soraypampa area.
This day our cook will wake us up with a coca leaves tea at 05:00 a.m., and after a delicious breakfast, we will start our hike in order to reach the highest point of the route, that is 7 km away. We will do this in approximately 3 hours. This second day will be the hardest of the entire trek. We start our walk uphill with a gradual slope for 1 hour along the Salkantay Valley until we reach the area known as Pampa Salkantay, located at 4,200 meters above sea level/13,800 ft, where we take a short rest accompanied by beautiful views. After this break we continue for 2 more hours up the rocky valley to the highest point of the route, called the Salkantay Pass, located at 4,630 m.a.s.l. – 15,190 feet. From there we will have spectacular views of the mountains and imposing snow-capped peaks such as the magnificent Salkantay Mountain (6,271 m.a.s.l. – 20,574 feet) the Humantay Mountain (5,400 m.a.s.l. – 17,716 feet) and other snowies. The Salkantay mountain is the second highest one in the Cusco region. From the Salkantay pass, you will enjoy the back of the mountain, which always has snow on its summit, and a cloud forest in the lower part of the valley. Let’s hope the weather allows you to see the sunset over this magical place and have the opportunity to see condors flying over the peaks. From the heights we will continue our excursion about 9 km downhill, along a zigzag rocky gravel path, until reaching Huayracmachay, to have lunch. In the afternoon, continuing with the descent, we arrive at the High Forest, also called the Cloud Forest, where you can see some wonderful native plants. Weather conditions in this area during the year are warm and temperate, thus reaching the village of Chaullay (2,900 m.a.s.l. – 9,514 feet) around 4 p.m. where our vehicle will be waiting for us to go to our private campsite, located in the Loreta La Playa area, arriving at approximately 5:00 pm. Finally our cook will serve an amazing dinner.
- Total Distance: 10 km (7,376 miles)
- Estimated Walking Time: 6 hours
- Maximum Altitude Point: 4,215 m (13,821 ft)
- Campsite Altitude: 3,600 m (11,811 feet)
This day around 7:00 am we wake up for a coca leaves tea; then we will have breakfast at 8:00 am. After we take a walk through the area and visit the local plantations of bananas, avocados, oranges, passion fruit, papaya, medicinal plants and others. These plantations are the livelihood of local population, especially the coffee plantations, which is why coffee is the main agricultural industry in the area. Here we will have the opportunity to visit a local organic coffee farm, where you can savor the freshly prepared coffee with that exquisite scent of freshly roasted and ground coffee… you will really enjoy this experience. After and around 11:00 am we return to our lodge where you can rest. Then, at noon there is the delicious lunch served in the dining room of our lodge. After enjoying the facilities there, we board our vehicle around 1:00 pm. to take you for 1 hour and 30 min. ride to the Hydroelectric Power Plant, arriving at 2:30 pm. To start with our hike, here the route follows the train tracks and near the banks of the Urubamba River. On the way we will tour the archaeological site known as Intihuatana, that has an ancient sundial from the Inca period, which was carved out of a large natural rock. From there, the Sacred Mountains such as Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu can already be seen. The walk continues and goes through the Cloud Forest with a very exuberant landscape and presents a great variety of plants and a large number of orchids. After 3 hours of walking and around 5:30 pm we will arrive at the village of Aguas Calientes (2,000 meters above sea level/6,600 ft.), to spend the night in a hotel.
- Distance to travel: 11 km./7 miles
- Estimated walking time: 3 hours
- Altitude: 2,000 m.a.s.l. (approx.)/6,600 ft.
- Accommodation: Hotel in Aguas Calientes village
This is the most important day of the excursion. We will start our last and amazing journey very early in order to reach Machu Picchu, before the people who are doing the Inca Trail and even before the hikers who travel on touristic trains, having the chance to enjoy Sunrise in Machu Picchu. After breakfast we will leave our hotel at 6:30 am and walk to the bus station (2,000 m.a.s.l.), from there we ascend by touristic bus for 30 minutes along a zig zag path to reach the Inca Sanctuary of Machu Picchu (2,400 m.a.s.l./7,900 ft). So we will see this incredible place and begin with the guided tour that will last approximately 2 hours, with the Professional Guide, who will explain about the site’s history, visiting magical and interesting places that have made Machu Picchu one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. After the tour you have enough free time to take photos, walk or explore the site by yourself and there is the option of climbing the Huayna Picchu Mountain according to availability. In the afternoon, after enjoying Machu Picchu, we are going to take the tourist bus down for about 25 minutes to Aguas Calientes, where there will be time for lunch in one of the village’s good restaurants. Around 6:00 p.m. we board the return train to the village of Ollantaytambo, arriving at 7:50 p.m. There our staff will be waiting for you, to take the Touristic Bus back to the Cusco City, arriving at 9:30p.m. approximately. Finally we will leave you at the hotel.
After Check out the hotel we will organize and departure transfer to the Airport