Salkantay Trek To Machu Picchu 5D-4N

DAY 1: CUSCO – SORAYPAMPA – HUMANTAY LAKE – QUISWARNIYOC PRIVATE CAMP

After picking up everyone from their respective places or hotel, we’ll leave Cusco around 5:45 am and start our 2-hour drive to the town of Mollepata. Once in Mollepata, we’ll stop to have a delicious breakfast and pay the entrance fee of 20 soles to the local municipality (this is not included in the tour price).

Once finished, we’ll continue by car for another hour to Soraypampa where we will meet with the muleteers and horses who will carry our equipment, food, and 7 kilos of each hikers personal belongings during the trek. From there, we’ll start the uphill hike to Humantay lake, reaching it after about 2 hours.

When you arrive at the lagoon, you will have a couple of hours to explore, take photos, and listen to our guide to explain the significance of Humantay Lagoon.

After, we’ll hike downhill for 2 hours and have lunch at our exclusive camp, Quiswarniyoc. After lunch, you’ll have free time to explore the beautiful area and for an optional hike to the Mirador of Salkantay for panoramic views of the entire area. If you are tired, you can just rest in the Mountain Sky Huts or in the glass igloos, that come equipped with glass doors, pillows, a sleeping pad, and the illumination of the night sky.
Quiswarniyoc is an exclusive, private camp located at 4,000 meters. It is a unique area that offers additional, short hikes, fantastic mountains viewpoints, and waterfalls.

DAY 2: QUISWARNIYOC – SALKANTAY PASS – WAYRACMACHAY – CHAULLAY PRIVATE CAMP

The second day of the trek is the most difficult, as it consists of 20 kilometers of trekking and takes you to the highest point of the whole trek, 4630 meters above sea level. The cooks will wake you up around 5:00 am with a cup of hot coca tea as you take your time to repack and get ready for the nutritious breakfast that will be served around 5:45 am. After breakfast, it is time to start hiking up to the highest point of the trek 4630 m. This will take 3 to 4 hours of uphill hiking at a regular to slow pace.

Once you are at the highest point, you will have time to enjoy the mountains, take pictures, learn about the mountain gods, and take part in a small traditional Andean ritual for the Apus mountain god. You’ll then start hiking down for 2 hours before we rest with a delicious lunch and continue for 3 more hours of downhill hiking to the second camp, Chaullay, which is located at 2,900 meters and marks the beginning of the Peruvian Amazon. At camp Chaullay, we will provide you with your camping equipment, hot tea, and dinner.

There is also an optional hot shower offered by locals that can be used for 10 soles. You can also buy some drinks sush as beer, soda, water.

DAY 3: CHAULLAY – LA PLAYA SAHUAYACO – SANTA TERESA – HOT SPRINGS

On the third day, we will wake up in the beautiful (but warm) jungle. We’ll wake you up around 6:00 am with a cup of coca tea as the cooks are preparing the delicious breakfast.

Around 7:00 am, we’ll begin our 5-hour hike along the Santa Teresa Valley which is formed by the Salkantay River, after 5 hours hiking we arrive to La Playa Sahuayaco. 

Along the trail you’ll see plantations for coffee, bananas, avocados, coca, passion fruit, and more. Once we arrive at La Playa Sahuayaco, we will take local transportation to the third campsite, Santa Teresa, which is about a one-hour drive.

At camp, we’ll share a delicious lunch before heading out to the hot springs of Colcampayo (optional). Colcampayo is about a 15-minute car ride from camp. We’ll spend a couple of hours relaxing in the natural, clean water of the hot springs before heading back to camp for tea time, a warm dinner, and a group bonfire. All of these activities are optional, so if you’d rather lay back and relax at camp—you are certainly welcomed to!

DAY 4:: SANTA TERESA – LUCMABAMBA – LLACTAPATA – HIDROELECTRICA – AGUAS CALIENTES

Llactapata is an Inca ruin located along the Salkantay trail, which you will have the chance to visit on the fourth day. From Llactapata, you will enjoy a beautiful view of Machu Picchu from a unique angle. For this beautiful trek, we’ll start with an early breakfast, around 5:30 am, before taking local transportation for 45 minutes to Lucmabamba.

Upon arrival, we’ll start the 3-hour uphill hike along the original Inca trail until we arrive in the Inca ruins of Llactapata once at the inca site you will have plenty of time in Llactapata to enjoy the views of Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu Mountain, and if the weather is good, you’ll get one more glimpse of Salkantay Mountain.

Afterward, we’ll hike downhill for 2 hours, arriving in Hidroelectrical for a nutritious lunch and much-earned rest. The final part of the hike is a 3-hour hike along the train tracks to Aguas Calientes. Once you arrive in the small town, we’ll take you to your hotel where you can shower and rest before our final supper at 7:00 pm in a local restaurant. After dinner, we’ll head to bed, anxious for our final day and ultimate reward: Machu Picchu

DAY 5:: MACHU PICCHU – CUSCO

Finally, we go to see the impressive Machu Picchu. You’ll wake around 4:00 am to get ready for the hike to Machu Picchu main entrance. Each person will be given a packed breakfast and we will start the 30-minute walk to Puente Ruinas checkpoint where you will have to show your passport, Machu Picchu ticket, and student ID if applicable. After passing the first checkpoint, we will climb stairs for about one hour to reach Machu Picchu’s main gate by 6:00 am.

Once everybody meets at the gate, we enter Machu Picchu and begin our 2.5-hour guided tour in the famous Inca site, where you will learn everything about The Lost City of The Incas.

After the guided tour, you’ll have free time to explore Machu Picchu on your own. The time that you will spend in Machu Picchu will depend on how you are going back to Cusco (train or car) and whether you want to climb the Montaña Machu Picchu or Huayna Picchu Mountain, which must be booked in advance the entrance tickets.

• If you booked the extra ticket for HUAYNAPICCHU you will need 2.5 hour for hiking up and down
• If you booked the extra ticket for MACHU PICCHU MONATAÑA you will need 3.5 hour for hiking up and down

After visiting Machu Picchu and its surrounding area is time to return to Cusco.

WE OFFER YOU TWO OPTIONS FOR RETURNING TO CUSCO AFTER VISITING MACHU PICCHU

SALKANTAY TREK 5 DAYS RETURN BY TRAIN:

The train is a beautiful way to return to Cusco and allows you more time (about 7-8 hours) to visit Machu Picchu. If you are planning to hike Huaynapicchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, we strongly advise you to take the train, as these hikes require a minimum of 3 hours to complete. You will need to return to Aguas Calientes in time for your train at 6:20 pm. You may want to give yourself extra time, as some people like to explore the town. You’ll ride the train for about 1.5 hours to Ollantaytambo from Aguas Calientes town, where you will then switch to a car and finish the final 2 hours of the trip, arriving in Cusco around 10:00 pm.

SALKANTAY TREK 5 DAYS RETURN BY CAR:

Returning to Cusco by car is a more affordable option for those on a tight budget. However, please be aware that with this option, you’ll have less time to explore Machu Picchu, and if you are planning to hike Huaynapicchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, you will be very tight on time.

The return to Cusco by car is a longer trip (a 6-hour drive in total), as there are no roads leading to Aguas Calientes and the driver must take a longer route back. If you are taking a car back, you will need to leave Machu Picchu by 12:00 am and take the 3-hour walk back to Hidroelectrica, where you will meet the car at 3:00 pm.

If you are considering this option and planning to hike Huaynapicchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, we recommend you stay one more night in Aguas Calientes and return to Cusco by car on the 6th day so that you can fully enjoy the experience.