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Salkantay Trek 4 Days
The hike that will take you to the Inca City of Machu Picchu
The Salkantay Trek 4 days is one of the most spectacular treks you can do in Peru.
If you are thinking of trekking to Machu Picchu and want to be away from it all, close to the Andean communities, and appreciate the diverse nature of Peru, this is your ideal route. A 4-day guided trek, with which you will enjoy unique and diverse landscapes such as snow-capped mountains, Andean villages, tropical forests, and a dense jungle.
Do you want to know the complete itinerary? Here we tell you all the details 👇:
Tour details
Included
- Informative briefing the day before at 07:00 P.M.
- Duffle bag to carry up to 5 kilos on horses during the trekking
- Professional Spanish/English speaking guide
- Professional chef and cooking equipment
- Horses to transport luggage
- Pick up at the lodge
- Private transportation
- 3 breakfasts
- 3 lunches
- 3 dinners
- 2 nights camping
- 1 night hotel accommodation in Aguas Calientes
- Machu Picchu Ticket
- 2-hour guided tour in Machu Picchu
- First aid kit and oxygen bottle
- Return trip to Cusco by train or by car
Not included
- Entrance fee to the Humantay lagoon (20 soles)
- Travel insurance
- Breakfast DAY 1
- Lunch DAY 4
- Dinner DAY 4
Important information
To guarantee the conservation of Machu Picchu, 4 different itineraries have been designed within the citadel. When you make your reservation, you will be assigned the best itinerary and schedule available.
⛰️In case of including the extra to visit an additional area (Huayna Picchu, Huchuy Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain), in addition to the general entrance fee, an additional entrance fee will be included in your reservation (subject to availability).❌ It is not possible to visit two of the additional zones on the same day due to lack of time.
⚡ The availability of tickets to Machu Picchu is very limited and booking two to three months in advance is recommended. Especially if you are traveling in high season.
💡 To learn more about tickets and circuits available in Machu Picchu please contact us.
Cancellation policy
If you cancel more than 72 hours before the start of the tour you will receive a refund of the total amount of the reservation except 55 USD per person (cost of the entrance to Machu Picchu). The entrance tickets to Machu Picchu are nominative and non-transferable. After this time, or in case of no-show for the tour, you will not be entitled to a refund.
Extras: Entrance Machu Picchu + Huayna Picchu / Entrance Machu Picchu + Huchuy Picchu / Entrance Machu Picchu + Machu Picchu Mountain are non-refundable.
Tour itinerary
PREVIOUS DAY
Briefing - Cuzco Location: Your lodging in Cuzco
The day before the departure of the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu tour, the coordinator will visit you at your accommodation or the place you indicate for the briefing. A small meeting in which he will explain all the details and tell you the time and pick up point.
DAY 1 🚐 Cuzco → Mollepata → Marqoq'asa 👣 Marqoq'asa → Soraypampa → Laguna Humantay
Walking distance: 14 km (8.7 mi) + 7 km (4.35 mi)
Duration: 4 hours + 2 hours
Maximum elevation: 4200 m. (13780 feet)
Lodging: Soraypampa Camp
Pick up in Cusco
The guide will pick us up at our accommodation in Cusco from 4:30 in the morning. When the whole group is gathered, we will start a several hours drive, where we will enjoy the spectacular snowy landscapes of the Salkantay or Humantay mountains.
Mollepata
We will stop in Mollepata to have breakfast and regain strength. We will continue our journey by car for another hour until we reach Marqoq'asa: starting point of our hike.
💡 To keep in mind.
At the Mollepata stop, we will pay for the access to the Humantay Lagoon. This ticket costs 20 soles for Peruvian travelers and 20 soles for international travelers and is not included in the tour. Remember to bring cash to make the payment. The guide will help you to buy the ticket.
Marqoq'asa → Soraypampa
Around 9:30 in the morning, we will be ready to start trekking from Marqoq'asa to Soraypampa. This first part of the trail will take us through some deep valleys. After 14 km (8.7 mi) of trekking, we will arrive at the lunch and camping point of Soraypampa.
Humantay Lagoon
After the rest, we will begin the ascent and visit the Humantay Lagoon, located at 4220 meters (13845 feet) above sea level. This will be the highest point of the route on the first day. We will make the ascent in 1 hour and 20 minutes approximately, and the descent to the camp in about 40 minutes.
Soraypampa Camp
Around 18:00 we will be back at the camp, where we will have tea together. Afterward, the cook will serve dinner at 19:30 and we will be able to retire to our cabins where we will have a well-deserved rest.
💬 Howlanders Tip
Remember to carry your personal hygiene products in your backpack. Soraypampa camp does not have showers and it will come in handy to have wet wipes with you. As adventurous mountaineers, we confirm that they are very useful in this kind of trek 😊.
DAY 2 👣 Soraypampa → Abra Salkantay → Colpapampa
Walking distance: 22 km (13.67 mi)
Duration: 10 hours
Maximum elevation: 4630 m. (15190 feet)
Lodging: Colpapampa Camp
Salkantay Pass
On the second day of the trek, we will wake up early, drink coca tea, and start the trek. Today we will reach the highest point of the trail: the Abra Salkantay, at 4,630 meters (15190 feet) of altitude. From there we will enjoy spectacular views of the valleys and the imposing snow-capped peaks of the Humantay, Tucarhuay, and Pumasillo mountains. You won't know which way to look!
Huayracmachay → Colpapampa
We will start walking downhill for 2 hours until we reach Huayracmachay where we will have lunch. Later, we will continue hiking for 3 more hours until we reach Colpapampa where we will have a coca tea and dinner. We will also have the opportunity to rent a hot shower from the locals for 10 soles. It is time to relax and recharge our batteries for the next day.
DAY 3 👣 Colpapampa → Sahuayaco 🚐 Hidroeléctrica → Aguas Calientes
Maximum elevation: 2800 m. (9185 feet)
Lodging: Hostel in Aguas Calientes
La Playa Sahuayaco
We go deep into the jungle! The third day of our trek starts early in the morning for breakfast. Then we will start the hike to the small village of La Playa Sahuayaco through the Santa Teresa Valley. We will be in full contact with nature, we will see rivers, waterfalls, wild orchids, and coffee and banana plantations.
Hydroelectrica - Aguas Calientes
After lunch a private bus will take us to Santa Teresa. Once there, we will take a shuttle to Hidroeléctrica, and from there we will continue on foot for about 3 hours. Following the path left by the train line, we will finally reach the town of Aguas Calientes.
Aguas Calientes
Once in Aguas Calientes you will have free time to rest or walk around the town before dinner.
On the third night of the Salkantay Trek, we will stay in a hostel with a private room and bathroom. It will be time to go to bed early and recharge your batteries, because the next day one of the most special moments of our trek awaits us, the imposing fortress of Machu Picchu!
DAY 4 👣 Aguas Calientes → Machu Picchu → Cuzco
Hiking distance: 6 km (3.7 mi)
Highest elevation: 2400 m (7875 feet)
Aguas Calientes
Last day! We will get up at 4 am to enter Machu Picchu early and appreciate the magnificent sunrise. We will prepare breakfast and head to the Ruins Bridge for 30 minutes. You can decide whether to walk up to Machu Picchu or take the bus for $12 USD.
Machu Picchu
After showing the documentation, we will start walking for an hour to the main gate of Machu Picchu. In the citadel, we will have a guided tour of 2.5 hours in which we will discover the fascinating history of the place.
In addition, by booking in advance, you can include in your reservation the extra Huayna Picchu or Huchuy Picchu and visit one of these two additional areas. These accesses are available as extras if you choose to return to Cusco by train, and only one is allowed per visit, as there is not enough time to visit both areas.
RETURN TO CUSCO BY TRAIN + BUS 🚆🚐 (RECOMMENDED✅)
If you select the option to return by train + bus, at the end of the visit to Machu Picchu, you can decide whether to go down to Aguas Calientes walking or by bus (for $12 USD). Once there, take the opportunity to stroll around the city and have lunch in one of its restaurants.
In the afternoon, you will take the train that will take you from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo in a journey of about an hour and a half. The trip runs along the banks of the Urubamba River through the Sacred Valley and is considered one of the most beautiful train rides.
At the Ollantaytambo train station, private transport will be waiting to take you back to the center of Cuzco. You will arrive approximately at 10:00. PM.
RETURN TO CUSCO BY BUS 🚐
If you select the option to return by bus, you will have less time to explore Machu Picchu, and you will not be able to add the visit to Huayna Picchu or Huchuy Picchu to your reservation.
Your visit to Machu Picchu will end at 12:00. From there, you will have to walk to Hidroelectrica (approximately 3 hours), where the bus will be waiting for you to leave for Cusco at 3:00 PM.
This option is the longest of all and has a total duration of 6 hours. You will be back in Cusco around 9:00 PM.
🚀Howlanders Tip
If you are thinking of returning to Cusco by bus at the end of the tour, we recommend that you stay one more night in Aguas Calientes, and return to Cusco by bus on the sixth day. This way, you will be able to fully enjoy the experience.
What to bring to Salkantay Trek 4 Days
- Passport and migration card
- Sleeping bag (-15°C)
- Walking sticks
- Medium trekking backpack (20 litres)
- Long sleeved shirts
- Waterproof pants
- Thermal clothing
- Waterproof jacket
- Warm jacket
- Hat or cap
- Hiking boots (waterproof if possible)
- Poncho for the rain
- Sneakers or sport shoes
- Sandals / flip flops
- Flashlight and batteries
- Refillable water botle
- Personal hygiene products and medication
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Insect repellent
- Snacks
- Camera and charger
- Pocket money in soles or USD
Where does the tour Salkantay Trek 4 Days start
The tour includes pick up from your accommodation in Cusco. If your starting point to get to Cusco is Lima, you can arrive by bus (24 hours of travel) or take a plane that has a journey time of one hour.
If you arrive from Arequipa, the bus ride takes ten hours. You can also choose to make the trip by plane, in this case the only airline that offers direct flights is LATAM Airlines.
If you arrive from Puno the best option is to do it by bus, a journey of six and a half hours. We also offer the possibility of making this journey in a tourist bus that makes stops at the most important places along the way. Departure is at 7:00 in the morning and arrival in Cuzco at 17:30.
Finally, LATAM Airlines operates a direct route Iquitos - Cusco. This route is not available on a daily basis, so we recommend you check the dates on which it is available to plan your trip.
