Salkantay Trek 5 Days

The day before the departure of the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu,you will meet with the guide and the rest of your fellow adventurers to prepare for the tour. You will be given the indications you need and any questions will be answered so that you can enjoy the experience to the fullest. In addition, you will be given the bag in which you will store the luggage that the porters will carry each day (maximum 5 kg, including the sleeping bag).

Now yes, let's start!

Pick up in Cuzco

The guide will pick us up at our accommodation in Cuzco between 4:00 and 4:30 in the morning. When the whole group is together, we will start a several hours drive, where we will enjoy the spectacular snowy landscapes of the Salkantay or Humantay mountains while our guide tells us all his knowledge about the history of this magical place.

After two and a half hours of trekking, we will stop in Mollepata to have breakfast and recharge our batteries. We will continue our journey by minibus for another hour until we reach the starting point of our hike.

Start of the Salkantay trek

Around 9:30 in the morning we will be ready to start the trek to Soraypampa. This first part of the trail will take us through some deep valleys. After 2 hours of hiking, we will arrive at the incredible Humantay Lagoon, its blue-green waters make it one of the most impressive places in the Andes. We will have time to explore and the guide will explain its significance.

Soraypampa Camp

After visiting the lagoon, we will begin to descend for 2 hours to Soraypampa Camp. Once we arrive, we will enjoy a delicious lunch prepared by the cooks and we can rest in our cabins. In the afternoon, we will hike to the Salkantay viewpoint where we will appreciate the sunset. We will return to the camp, have tea and dinner.

💬 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, in our experience they are very useful on these routes. 😊

Salkantay Pass

On the second day of the trek, we will wake up at 5:00 a.m., have breakfast, be offered tea and start trekking. Today we will reach the highest point of the trail: the Abra Salkantay, at 4,630 meters 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 where to look!

Huayracmachay - Colpapampa

From this point we leave behind the heights of the Andes and begin to descend to new landscapes.

We will walk for 3 hours until we reach Huayracmachay, where we will have lunch. Later, we will continue walking for 3 more hours until we reach Colpapampa, the campsite where we will have dinner and spend the night in our comfortable domes.

💬 Howlanders Council

In this place, you will be able to take a hot shower at the home of locals in the area for 10 soles.

Lucmabamba

The third day of our trek starts early in the morning for breakfast. Then we will start the 5 and a half hour hike through the Peruvian jungle and many ascents and descents. This part of the trek takes us through the cloud forest, where we will discover several coffee plantations, orchids and many natural plants used for medicinal purposes. We will stop for lunch, rest for a while and then a bus will pick us up to take us to Lucmabamba, where we will spend the night.

Near our camp are the thermal baths of Cocalmayo, Santa Teresa where we can bathe in a unique environment (payable directly there). We will return to our camp at 18:00, have dinner and spend the night.

Lucmabamba - Llactapata

Today, we will wake up in a lush landscape of rivers, waterfalls, orchids and many plantations, including banana, avocado and coffee. After breakfast, we will begina 3-hour hike along an Inca trail and enjoy the views of the Santa Teresa valley until we reach the archaeological site of Llactapata where our guide will tell us fascinating stories. In addition, we will have the opportunity to see the Machu Pichu mountain.

Hidroelectrica - Aguas Calientes

We will descend for lunch and then walk for 3 hours until we reach Hidroeléctrica, where we will rest for a while before continuing walking for another 3 hours following the path left by the train line.

Finally, we will arrive in the town of Aguas Calientes and settle into our lodging.

During this journey you will have to carry all your luggage, as horses are not allowed to travel in this area.

Upon arrival, we will enjoy a delicious dinner at a local restaurant in the village at the foot of the magnificent Wonder of the World.

Aguas Calientes

Last day! We will have breakfast with fruit, juice and a snack that will fill us with energy for the last stage of this adventure. At the time indicated by the guide (according to the assigned entrance time to Machu Picchu), we will head to the citadel. You will be able to decide whether to climb up to Machu Picchu walking the almost 2 hours uphill route, or take the bus that will take you to the access in just 30 minutes.

For those of you who have chosen to walk up, you will do it according to the assigned schedule (from 6:00 to 7:00 in the morning).

Please note that the bus between Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu Picchu is not included but you can buy the tickets there directly.

Machu Picchu

We will access Machu Picchu and for 2 and a half hours we will discover the fascinating history of this Andean paradise. Afterwards, we will give you some more time to continue discovering it on your own.

RETURN TO CUSCO

Finally, you will walk back to Aguas Calientes. Take the opportunity to stroll around the city and have lunch in one of its restaurants (lunch not included).

In the afternoon, you will take the train at 14:55 from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo for a one and a half hour ride. The trip runs along the banks of the Vilcanota River and is considered one of the most beautiful short train rides.

Upon arrival at Ollantaytambo a transport will be waiting to take you back to the center of Cuzco.

We hope you enjoyed the beautiful Peru!