PERU

THE salkantay trek 4D/3N

4 days: Salkantay Trek and Machu Picchu

trip overview

Hike the route to the most spectacular peak in the Peruvian Andes: Salkantay Trek

After acclimating in the city of Cusco, join a group for the express version of the ultimate trek to Machu Picchu, the 4 days Salkantay Short Trek. This incredible route will take you to the glorious Humantay Lake, the savage Salkantay Mountain, down through the mysterious cloud forest, and to brow of the Peruvian jungle.
Every night, you will enjoy sleeping in th ecomfort of unique accommodation and delight in some of the tastiest dishes imaginable in the middle of the Andes mountain range. Our expert and professional team will accompany you the entire route and share all they know about the region, the culture, and the history. Join us for an exciting journey in comfort and with the best local operator.

** Price showed is for our scheduled group departures. **
MAKE IT PRIVATE: Book this tour as a private departure with all the benefits of a group tour.

Looking for other hiking options? Check our alternative itineraries.

4 days:
CUSCO to cusco

From

US$650

TRIP DETAILS

START:
Cusco, Peru
FINISH:
Cusco, Peru
DESTINATION:
Peru, South America
TRIP STYLE:
Standard
GROUP SIZE:
Min 4, max 12
TRIP TYPE:
Active
ACTIVITIES:
Trekking and Hiking, Sight-seeing, Culture
PHYSICAL RATING:
4 – Demanding
GUIDED ADVENTURE:
Trekking Guide

inclusions & ACTIVITIES

ACOMMODATION:
2 nights in Exclusive Campsites during the trek
1 night in Standard hotel in Aguas Calientes
MEALS:
4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners
During the trek: Water, Wake up Tea, Tea Time, Daily Snacks
TRANSPORT:
Private Vehicle, Hiking, Train, Bus
PERMITS AND ENTRANCE TICKETS:
* Entry Ticket to Humantay Lake and the Salkantay Trek
* Entry Ticket to Machu Picchu Archaeological Site
CAMPSITE FACILITIES:
Camps designed for comfort and convenience:
* Bathrooms: Shared bathrooms are available at SkyCamp, while Mountain Sky View Campsite offers private bathrooms.
* Showers: Enjoy refreshing showers at Mountain Sky View Campsite.
* Dining and Kitchen Areas: Each campsite features spacios dining rooms and fully equipped kitchens, ensuring you can enjoy your meals comfortably and worry-free.
* Mules will transport all fresh cooking supplies.

HIGH QUALITY SERVICE AND SAFETY:
* Pre-departure Briefing
* Experienced Trek Guide
* Duffle Bag (with a maximum weight limit of 5 kg)
* Medical Kit and First AID Kit
* Backpack Cover and Rain Poncho

TRIP ITINERARY

DAY 1: SALKANTAY TREK | Hike to the Gleaming Gem in the Mountains

Today you will get an early start on this adventure. We’ll pick you up from your accommodation in Cusco at 4:00 a.m. and travel for approximately two hours to have a quick breakfast in Mollepata. Our transportation includes cozy blankets in case you need to sleep for a few more minutes. After feeding and resting a bit, we’ll drive for another hour to the starting point of the trek in Challacancha.

Before we start our trek, you will meet the muleteers and cooks who are part of the team and do a final check of your luggage. Then, we will begin our relatively easy three-hour hike to Soraypampa (3,900 m / 12,795 ft), where our first camp is located. Along the way, you will enjoy beautiful glaciers and a deep valley. Also, you will see that an Inca water channel follows us most of the way and is still used by farmers in the area to this day. This stretch has a length of 7 km / 4.35 miles.

Once in Soraypampa, you’ll have some time to get settled into your cozy igloo in our Sky Camp and enjoy your first lunch cooked by our talented chefs.
There’s no doubt you’ll be amazed by their talents in the middle of the mountains. Once you’re full of energy, we’ll begin our afternoon trek up to Humantay Lake (4,200 m / 13,780 ft), often called the jewel or gem in the mountains, and you’ll see why once you reach the top.

The round trip is around 2:30 hours long and covers 3 km / 1.86 miles. The distance may seem short, but you may get tired due to its high altitude. You need to go slowly. When you reach the stunning lagoon, you’ll have plenty of time to catch your breath, enjoy the fantastic scenery and contemplate its turquoise waters in contrast to the snowy backdrop. The views here are truly like something out of dreamland.

Once we return to camp, you will have time to enjoy a delicious dinner while watching the sunset behind the mountains. It’s hard to describe the energy of this place, but the inner peace is as close as it gets. Then it’s time to head back to your Sly Camp for a good night’s sleep and contemplate the constellations.

Day 1: Cusco | Mollepata – Challacancha – Soraypampa – Humantay Lake – Sky Camp
  • Activity level: 3 to 4 – Moderate to Demanding
  • Walking distance: 10 km / 6.21 mi
  • Hiking time: 5 to 6 hours
  • Minimum elevation: 3,800 masl / 12,467 ft
  • Maximum elevation: 4,200 masl / 13,780 ft
  • Basecamp elevation: 3,900 masl / 12,975 ft
Accommodation: Sky Camp at Soraypampa
Meals: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
DAY 2: SALKANTAY TREK | The Stunning Salkantay Pass and Descent to the Amazon Jungle
Salkantay Trek day 2


In the morning, you will wake up with the day’s first rays and see the Apu Salkantay while enjoying an energizing coca tea. Afterward, you will have a nutritious breakfast before embarking on the 7 km trek for approximately three hours to the highest point of the route, the Salkantay Pass (4,630 m / 15,190 ft). It is a difficult ascent along the “path of the 7 snakes” because of its winding path.

Once at the top, you will appreciate the most magnificent view over the surrounding valleys and the Salkantay mountain right in front of you (6,271 m / 20,574 ft). It boasts the second-highest mountain in the Cusco region, and it’s considered an Apu (Inca God). You will also be able to observe the mountains: Humantay, Tucarhuay, and Pumasillo. Afte enjoying the views and rest, you will start descending (7 km / 4.35 mi) to our lunch point at Huayracmachay (3,850 m / 12,631 ft). This section is rocky and steep but has impressive views of the surrounding valley.

After a revitalizing lunch, you will enter the edge of the rainforest, also known as the “cloud forest.” This section has a distance of 9.5 km / 5.9 mi and lasts approximately three and a half hours. Along the way, you will enjoy the verdant rainforest and witness how the scenery changes rapidly and drastically from the Andes to the Amazon. You will observe colorful landscapes, unique fauna, and native plants and feel the warmer climate.

After a long day of hiking, you will be glad to arrive at Collpapampa for the night. Finally, we will serve you a hearty meal before resting at our exclusive Mountain Sky View Campsite.

Day 2: Soraypampa | Salkantay Pass – Huayracmachay – Chaullay – Collpapampa (Mountain Sky View)
  • Activity level: 4 – Demanding
  • Walking distance: 23.5 km / 14.6 mi
  • Hiking time: 10 to 11 hours
  • Minimum elevation: 2,900 masl / 9,514 ft
  • Maximum elevation: 4,630 masl / 15,190 ft
  • Basecamp elevation: 2,950 masl / 9,678 ft
Accommodation: Mountain Sky Viewp at Collcapampa
Meals: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
DAY 3: SALKANTAY TREK | The Final Stretch to Aguas Calientes
Salkantay Trek day 3

We’ll wake you up at 6:00 am today for a quick breakfast before beginning our hike to La Playa through the stunning Santa Teresa valley. This morning, you can enjoy soaking up the new lush landscape over a 5-hour trek. You’ll be able to spot rivers, wild orchids, and lots of plantations, including coffee, banana, and avocado. You’ll also get to savor the granadilla and passion fruit on the route.

We will continue our hike and then keep going to the bottom of the mountains to cross to the other side of the valley. In this tropical section, we’ll be accompanied by waterfalls, birds, fruit trees, flora, and fauna.he night in a nice hotel.

When we reach La Playa, it’ll be time to enjoy our last lunch prepared by our incredible chefs as we relax and watch a show all about coffee. After we’ve had some time to rest a little more, we’ll board the private transport that’ll take us to Hidroelectrica train station. From there, we’ll hike alongside the tracks surrounded by lots of vegetation and joined by the Urubamba River. However, if you feel exhausted, you can take the train to Aguas Calientes for an extra US$ 37.00.

Among the tropical paradise, you’ll see more plantations and beautiful plants as well as a huge variety of birds, including the national bird of Peru, the cock of the rocks (El Gallito de las Rocas).

After three hours of hiking, we will arrive in Aguas Calientes; from here, we will take you to your hotel to relax in your comfortable room with a private bathroom, hot shower, WiFi, breakfast in the morning, and luggage storage that will allow you to leave your things while you go on a visit to the town’s hot springs. In the evening, we will meet for dinner at a prestigious restaurant before returning to the hotel to rest. Tomorrow you will have to get up before sunrise and start our last adventure to the majestic Machu Picchu.

Day 3: Collpapampa | La Playa – Hidroelectrica – Aguas Calientes
  • Activity level: 4 – Demanding
  • Hiking distance: 26 km / 16.16 mi
  • Hiking time: 8 to 9 hours
  • Minimum elevation: 1,800 masl / 5,906 ft
  • Maximum elevation: 2,950 masl / 9,678 ft
  • Accommodation elevation: 2,040 masl / 6,693 ft
Accommodation: Standard Hotel Machu Picchu (or similar)
Meals: Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner
DAY 4: SALKANTAY TREK | Explore the Astounding Inca Fortress: Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu guided tour

Today’s the day you’ve longed since you set foot on the trail. You will visit one of the Seven Wonders of
the World and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Machu Picchu! We’ll wake up while it’s still dark after enjoying a restful night’s sleep in our hostel. We like to begin this final day early to beat the large crowds at Machu Picchu and enjoy the soft morning light hitting the massive rocks. The entrance opens at 6:00 am, and we want to be one of the first inside.


From Aguas Calientes, we’ll take a bus up to the Inca citadel before entering and gazing in awe at the incredible construction. Once in the complex, you’ll enjoy a tour of approximately two hours with your guide and visit the most essential parts: houses, temples, terraces, and cultivation fields, among others. You’ll truly be amazed by the Incas’ ingenuity, which remains a mystery to this day.

After your incredible guided tour of the citadel, you’ll have the chance to enjoy one of the additional hikes up Huayna Picchu Mountain (2,720 m / 8,924 ft) or Machu Picchu Mountain (3,000 m / 9,843 ft); these tickets must be booked in advance. You’ll be able to contemplate an incredible view over the citadel of Machu Picchu, one of the best panoramas in the world.

You need to ensure you come back down to Aguas Calientes to enjoy some lunch before you catch the train back to Ollantaytambo. Your train time will depend on availability. In Ollantaytambo, our private transport will await you to transport you back to
your accommodation in Cusco. You’ll now be able to enjoy a well-deserved rest, although your heart will be soaring high in the Andes like a condor for years to come.

Machu Picchu Guided Tour
Traverse down the last part of the Inca Trail, enjoy a two hour guided tour of the citadel, walk through the sanctuary, learn about the history of Machu Picchu and follow the route with your guide to get those perfect pictures.
  • Activity level: 2 – Light
  • Activity duration: 2 to 3 hours exploring Machu Picchu
  • Machu Picchu elevation: 2,430 masl / 7,972 ft
Accommodation: Not included on this day
Meals: Breakfast

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