Ultimate Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu 5-days

 Start the Salkantay trek with a pick up from the door of your hotel around 4:30 am (depending on your location) and drive for 3.5 hours to the trailhead at Soraypampa (3900 m / 12794 ft) – arriving approximately at 8:30 am, in Soraypampa surrounded by mountains, you’ll enjoy the first perfect breakfast prepared by your chef, then meet the team of porters, horsemen, chef, led by the tour guide to later start the Salkantay TreXperience!

The first part starts with a 2-hour walk up until you reach the stunning glacial lake of  Humantay (4200 m / 13779 ft), once at the lake, you’ll have time to explore the surroundings and relax enjoying the beautiful vistas of this spectacular turquoise water lake, then continue down to lunch place for 2 more hours where the chef is waiting to serve you a delicious meal prepared using organic local products from the area. Along the way, you’ll see a variety of flora and fauna such as the Andean goose (the love birds), deer, and vizcachas (which look a lot like a rabbit).

After lunch, you’ll continue for two more hours along a beautiful valley with meandering streams until reaching Salkantay Pampa (4000 m/13123 ft), this basecamp offers you an unobstructed view of Salkantay Mountain and the sky at night. Get ready for dinner, stargaze, and sleep under a million stars.

• Campsite Altitude: 4100 m/13451 ft


• Highest altitude: 4200 m / 13779 ft


• Distance: 12 km / 7.4 miles


• Duration: 6 hours


• Meals: Breakfast, snacks, lunch, tea & dinner


• Accommodation: Camping under million stars


• Considered: Moderate

 Wake you bright and early with a hot cup of coffee or coca tea admiring the spectacular views of the snowcapped mountains. After breakfast, you’ll start the ascent for 2 hours to the highest point of the Salkantay Trek at 4630 m (15190 ft), once on top, you’ll take some time to explore and enjoy the area and even visit a beautiful lake at the base of Salkantay Mounatin. It’s then another 3-hour downhill hike to the lunch place at Wayracmachay (3900 m/ 12795 ft). On the way is possible to see Vizcachas (Lagidium Peruanum), a unique type of Chinchilla endemic to Peru.

After a well-earned lunch, you’ll get ready for the final stretch of the day, 3-more hours of downhill from the highland where the air is dry and cold, into the lush cloud forest where weather is warm and humid. This is for sure one of the fastest changes in temperature and landscape that you will experience. The campsite is located next to the village of Collpapampa at 2770m (9087ft).

• Campsite Altitude: 2770 mt  / 9087 ft


• Highest altitude: 4630 m /15190 ft


• Distance: 18 km/ 11.1 miles


• Duration: 9 hours


• Meals: Breakfast, snacks, lunch, tea, and dinner


• Accommodation: Camping next to a village


• Considered: Challenging

 Enjoy a leisurely time at the village while admiring the view of the mountains you left behind. After breakfast you’ll prepare for the most beautiful day of this expedition to the legendary citadel of Machu Picchu, hiking along narrow paths, following the river, passing wooden bridges, waterfalls, granadilla & banana plantations,  until you arrive at Lucmabamba (2000 m / 6600 ft) for lunch.

Today’s lunch is special and a highlight of the Salkantay trek, after hiking for about 3 hours, taking a van the last part, you’ll get ready to participate in a Pachamanca, an ancient traditional underground stone barbecue, after burying the food, you will visit the organic coffee farms and prepared you own cup. The cooking takes about 45 minutes then you sit down to enjoy the different delicacies like the Cuy (Guinea pig), different types of potatoes, fruits, vegetables prepared like locals.

Once fed and re-energized, get ready for a final 3-hour climb along an ancient Inca Trail to Llaqtapata, a small citadel located in a mountain top at 2750m (9022ft) where you’ll catch the first glimpse of Machu Picchu from the distance, this place was discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911 and lost again until recently. You’ll be camping right in front of Machu Picchu, when you open your tent, you will be able to see the sunrise and sunset over Machu Picchu if the weather allows.

• Campsite Altitude: 2,750 m / 9022ft


• Distance: 16 km / 9.9 miles


• Duration of hike:  6 hours


• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner


• Accommodation: Camping in front of Machu Picchu


• Difficulty: Moderate

 Open your tent and the first you see is Machu Picchu in another mountain in front of you while your trekking team offers you a cup of coffee or coca tea. After breakfast, it’s an easy 2-hour down-hill to the hydroelectric station where you’ll have the last brunch offered by the trekking chef, say goodbye to them, and hike the final last stretch of the Salkantay TreXperience to Aguas Calientes.

The last part it’s a 3-hour hike along the railway, following the Urubamba river upstream, This section of the trek is steeped in history as you’ll stop at Mandor Botanical gardens, visited by Hiram Bingham, who found a farmer named Arteaga living in the area, he will be the first to take the American to Machu Picchu in 1911. You’ll visit Arteaga’s farm that is home to a variety of endemic birds such us the Rupicola Peruviana (locally known as the cock-of-the-rock), parrots, toucans, hummingbirds, and orchids. Once in Aguas Calientes, your guide will take you to your hotel, shower, visit the city, hot springs. In the evening you’ll have dinner in a local restaurant as you plan the next and most important day of the Salkantay trek.

• Aguas Calientes: 2,000 m/ 6561 ft


• Distance: 14 km / 8.6 miles


• Duration: 6 hours


• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner


• Accommodation: 3-star hotel


• Difficulty: Moderate

 Today is the most important day of the Salkantay trek, visiting one of the new seven wonders of the world, a city that was abandoned for unknown reasons during the 16th century by the great Inca Empire. Wake up early, have breakfast in the hotel, and take the first buses to catch the sunrise in Machu Picchu. Your tour guide will take you on a tour to the most important temples, palaces, plazas, explain the mysteries that hide this spectacular Inca city perched in this impossible mountain peak. The guided tour takes about  3 hours and then you will have time to explore by yourself the magical or either climb Huayna Picchu or Montaña (Machu Picchu Mountain).

After finishing with the citadel, you need to take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes, have lunch, collect your belongings from the hotel, and take the Exclusive Panoramic trains back to Ollantaytambo and our private van back to Cusco. The TreXperience Team will drive back to your around 7:30 PM

• Duration of the tour: 3 – 4 hours


• Meals: Breakfast (hotel)


• Difficulty: Easy