Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu - 8 Days

After breakfast, enjoy a free day to explore Cusco at your ease. This is vital for acclimatization for your Salkantay trekking package and preparing for your Salkantay Trek.

The capital city of the Inca Empire is now the undisputed archaeological capital of the Americas, as well as the continent’s oldest continuously inhabited city. You may visit the local archaeological sites of Saqsaywaman, Tambomachay and Qenqo or you can take part in a Peruvian cooking class or chocolate-making class, depending on how you want to spend your free day. We can help arrange and suggest all activities available in this incredible imperial City.

Please remember that at 7pm you will meet your guide (your guide will confirm the place) for your pre-trek briefing to go over the details of the Salkantay to Machu Picchu hike, such as the packing list for the Salkantay trek, safety on the Salkantay trek, and Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu FAQs.

Your guide will go through Salkantay Trek hydration and health tips, explain about the historic Inca sites along the Salkantay route, and eco-friendly Salkantay Trek practices, as well as the Salkantay Trek culinary experiences with our expert chef who will accompany you. Remember to tell us if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies!

Our Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu begins when we pick you up from your hotel in Cusco around 5 a.m. We will travel in our private car to Soraypampa, which takes approximately four hours. It’s a lengthy trip, but it’s necessary to arrive at this relatively remote region. Along the way, you will be able to enjoy the wonderful scenery, including views of the Izcuchaca and Limatambo mountain ranges.

Eventually, we’ll arrive at the colorful Andean village of Mollepata, where we will make a short stop to make some purchases such as water, rain poncho, and snacks for your trip. Then we will continue in our private bus for 1 hour more where we will meet our mules,  muleteers, and cooks.

Here our chefs will prepare our breakfast before starting our Salkantay Trek. After enjoying our breakfast and receiving our snacks, we will walk approximately 4 hours, including a visit to the Humantay lagoon, until we reach our Salkantaypampa campsite. This is where our chef awaits us with a delightful dinner prepared with local ingredients. We’ll set up camp and later have dinner, surrounded by mesmerizing scenery.

Hiking Time: 4-5 hours approx.

Hiking Distance: 8 Km / 5 miles

Lowest Point: 2.803 m / 9,196 ft

Highest Point: 4,220 m / 13,845 ft

Salkantay trek and Inca Trail comparison - The Hardest Day?

Today we will wake early on our Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu and have breakfast around 5:30 a.m. We have a long day of trekking ahead of us on our Salkantay trekking package, through some of the most incredible scenery in Peru. This will be our most challenging day, as we ascend to the highest point on the trail; The Salkantay Pass.

We first make the climb to the Salkantay mountain pass at 4,650 m (15,200 ft) – the highest location on the trek. From here, we’ll have sublime views of two huge snow-capped mountains: Salkantay on the right and Tucarhuay on the left. This is where all of your High-altitude training for the Salkantay Trek will become of use!

After a rest and time to enjoy the views, we will continue our Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu, through a dramatic cloud forest towards Huayracpunku, also known as Huayracmachay, where we will have lunch.

After a well-earned lunch, we’ll set off again, trekking for about three hours through jungle-like scenery until we reach our second campsite, Colcapampa, found at 3,000 m (9,800 ft). If our group has made good progress along the Salkantay Trail, we might have time to push on to alternative campsites at Challway or Andenes further along the Salkantya to Machu Picchu trekking route.

Wherever we decide to camp, we’ll set up the tents and prepare a hearty meal and yet another Salkantay Trek culinary experience .....a well-deserved reward after a hard day of trekking on your Salkantay guided mountain trek.

Hiking Time: 8 hours approx.
Hiking Distance: 16 Km / 10 miles
Lowest Point: 3,000 m / 9,800 ft
Highest Point: 4,650 m / 15,200 ft

Salkantay Trek and Coffee Farm Visits, among Other Activities

Waking at 6: 30 a.m., we’ll have a hearty breakfast before setting off on today´s Salkantay to Machu Picchu trek. 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. This is an excellent opportunity for Salkantay trek cultural experiences as we pass through the coffee-growing regions of the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu.

We’ll cross the Lluskamayo River and find ourselves in a world of waterfalls, tropical exotic 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. Today is the best day for eco-friendly Salkantay Trek tours.

We’ll stop for lunch and then continue trekking for three more hours along The Salkantay Trail until we reach our last campsite at the village of La Playa, at 2,500 m (8,202 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! Yet another opportunity for eco-friendly Salkantay Trek practices.

Later we’ll have dinner and then turn in for the night, relaxed and ready for our final day of trekking along The Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu.

Hiking Time: 6 hours approx.
Hiking Distance: 15 Km / 9.32 miles
Lowest Point: 2,500 m / 8,202 ft
Highest Point: 3,000 m / 9,800 ft

Historic Inca Sites along the Salkantay Route.

On our final day of trekking on this Salkantay Trekking Package, we’ll have breakfast at 6:30 a.m. before setting off towards Llactapata. A historic Inca site along the Salkantay route.  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’ll reach Llactapata, an impressive Inca ruin that may have served as an important resting place and roadside shrine on the journey along The Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu, which is connected to Machu Picchu 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! and a highlight of Salkantay to Machu Picchu photography hikes.

After a rest and time to take photos, we will continue along a downhill trail for about two hours, passing plantations where coffee cocoa, bananas, and other native crops are grown, and perfect for Salkantay Trek and coffee farm visits.

Eventually, we’ll reach the Hydroelectric Station, a well-known point along The Salkanty Trek to Machu Picchu, where we’ll have lunch. Then we will walk for a couple more hours along the train tracks 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 to explore Aguas Calientes and, if you like, visit the nearby hot springs. We’ll have dinner in one of the many great, local restaurants in Aguas Calientes, and then you can return to your hotel for an early night before our final day of the Salkantay trekking package, and our tour of the magnificent Machu Picchu.

Today marks the end of the trekking section of our guided Salkantay mountain trek.

Hiking Time: 6 hours approx.
Hiking Distance: 12 Km / 7.45 miles
Lowest Point: 2, 040 m / 6,692 ft
Highest Point: 2,400 m / 7,874 ft

Photography Tips for Salkantay Trek - Machu Picchu! (Ask your Guide!)

To best appreciate Machu Picchu, we’ll wake up early in the morning so we can get to the Machu Picchu 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. Your Salkantay Trail permits and fees and Machu Picchu entrance tickets have all been taken care of and now the day has arrived; Machu Picchu!

We’ll then walk to the bus departure point for the short but zigzagging ascent up the road to Machu Picchu. Then we will pass through the gates into the Machu Picchu archaeological site. Here, you’ll begin your guided walking tour of the archaeological site with your 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 the most spectacular parts of the extensive archaeological complex. These include the House of the Guardian, the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, the Sacred Plaza, and other key locations. As we walk around, we’ll have spectacular views of the agricultural terraces of Machu Picchu and across to the surrounding mountains and plunging gorges.

Once we’ve finished our tour of Machu Picchu as part of our Slakantay Trekking Package, 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/Ollantaytambo. Upon arrival at the station, we’ll be waiting to take you back to your hotel in Cusco, where you’ll end your incredible Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu.

as one of the best Salkantay and Machu Picchu tour operators, Valencia Travel hopes you have enjoyed an excellent Salkantay hiking itinerary and wishes you a pleasant rest in Cusco for your final evening of the Salkantay trekking package.

After breakfast, enjoy your last day in Cusco at leisure before your transfer to the airport for your return flight home, via Lima. This marks the end of your adventure along The Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu Tour Package!

Hasta Luego!