Salkantay and Short Inca Trail Trek - 6 Days

Hiking Time: 8-9 hours approx.
Hiking Distance: 16 Km / 9.94 miles.
Lowest Point: 4100 m / 13,451 ft.
Highest Point: 4,620 m / 15,157 ft.

Waking at 6: 30 a.m., we’ll have a hearty breakfast before setting off. Today, much of our trekking takes us through a region of jungle known as the “ceja de selva” or eyebrow of the jungle: the swathe of jungle that lies between the Andes and the Amazon rainforest.
Next, we’ll cross the Lluskamayo River on the Salkantay to Machu Picchu route, to find ourselves in a world of waterfalls, tropical fruits, and colorful birds. If we’re lucky, we might even see a cock of the rock, Peru’s national bird. The temperature will be much warmer here, and the various waterfalls and creeks provide plenty of opportunities to cool down with a refreshing splash in their crystalline waters.

We’ll stop for lunch and then continue trekking for three more hours, until we reach our last campsite at the village of La Playa, at 2,060 m (6,759 ft). At La Playa, you’ll have plenty of free time to relax and enjoy the nearby hot springs: the perfect way to soothe those aching muscles! Later we’ll have dinner and then turn in for the night, relaxed and ready for our final day of the Salkantay Trek section of this trekking adventure.

Hiking Time: 6-7 hours approx.
Hiking Distance: 15 Km / 9.32 miles
Lowest Point: 2,060 m / 6,759 ft.
Highest Point: 2,770 m / 9,087 ft.

On this day of trekking, we’ll have breakfast at 6:30 a.m. before setting off towards Llactapata. It will be a steady three-hour climb, and as we ascend we’ll have wonderful views of the Santa Teresa Valley below us. Eventually, we will reach Llactapata, Inca ruins near Salkantay, which may have served as an important rest stop and roadside shrine on the journey to Machu Picchu, which is connected via the Inca Trail. From here we get our very first glimpse of our final destination: Machu Picchu in the distance, an inspiring sight indeed!

After a rest and time to take photos, we will continue along a downhill trail for about two hours, passing plantations where coca, bananas, and other crops are grown. Eventually, we’ll reach the Hydroelectric Station, a well-known point along the Salkanatay trek to Machu Picchu, where we’ll have lunch. Then we will walk for a couple more hours until we reach Aguas Calientes, the lively town that sits below Machu Picchu.

After checking in to your hotel you’ll have some free time, so you can explore the town and, if you like, visit the nearby hot springs. We’ll have dinner (included) in one of the many great restaurants in Aguas Calientes, and then you can return to your hotel for an early night before our epic Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu! 

Hiking Time: 8-9 hours approx.
Hiking Distance: 18 Km / 11.19 miles.
Lowest Point: 2, 060 m / 6,759 ft.
Highest Point: 2,800 m / 9,186 ft.

Our day begins with a walk up the train tracks to Kilometer 104 (1,5-2  hours approx.). This is where we enter our short Inca Trail trek. We will pass through Chachabamba, a lesser-visited archaeological site. From here, we have a hike of about four hours up to the Inca site of Wiñay Wayna ('Forever Young'), at about 2,680 meters (8,792 feet) above sea level. Wiñay Wayna is an impressive Inca ruin built into a steep hillside overlooking the Urubamba River. It consists of an upper and lower section of housing or storage, connected by an Inca staircase and a cascade of water channels and fountains. Almost the entire hillside above and below the structures is covered by beautiful Inca agricultural terraces. As well as being an agricultural center, Wiñay Wayna was also a religious or ceremonial site.
After exploring Wiñay Wayna, we’ll continue our trek all the way to Inti Punku (the Sun Gate). From the Sun Gate, you’ll have your first, dramatic view of Machu Picchu. It is believed that Inti Punku was once the main entrance to Machu Picchu. The site was dedicated to Inti, the Inca sun god, and was positioned on a ridge near Machu Picchu at just the right location to allow the rising sun to pass through the gate each year on the summer solstice.

We’ll continue our trek down towards Machu Picchu, moving tantalizingly close to the famous citadel. But before we reach Machu Picchu, we’ll take a side path off the trail and head down by bus to Aguas Calientes, leaving our exploration of Machu for the following day, when we’ll have more time to explore. Aguas Calientes is the town below Machu Picchu, and this is where we’ll have dinner and take you to your hotel. You’ll probably want to have an early night, as we wake up early the next day for our exploration of Machu Picchu.

Total trekking distance: 11 km / 7 - 8 hours approx.
Highest altitude: 2,720 m (8,923 ft).
Lowest Altitude: 2,100 m (6,889 ft).

TTo best appreciate Machu Picchu, we’ll wake up early in the morning so we can get to the citadel in good time. You’ll have time for breakfast first, and then your guide will pick you up from the hotel at around 5:40 a.m. Then we will walk to the starting point of the bus, a trip of approximately 45 minutes in the direction of the citadel of Machu Picchu.

We’ll then pass through the gates to the Machu Picchu archaeological site. Here you’ll begin your guided walking tour with an experienced and highly knowledgeable guide. Our tour of Machu Picchu will last about two hours and will take you to all the most famous and spectacular parts of the extensive archaeological complex. These include the House of the Guardian, Intihuatana, Temple of the Sun, Sacred Plaza, and other key locations. (It will depend on the circuit that the Ministry of Culture determines).
And as we walk around, we’ll have spectacular views across the agricultural terraces of Machu Picchu and across to the surrounding mountains and plunging gorges.
Once we’ve finished our tour of Machu Picchu, we’ll take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes where you can relax and have lunch (not included) before we board the train back to Poroy and Cusco. Upon arrival at the station, our staff will be waiting for you to take you back to your hotel in Cusco, a quick trip of approximately 25 minutes, where you can remember your incredible tour of one of the most famous and impressive attractions in the world.