Salkantay Trek Guided Tour to Machu Picchu

Welcome to Cusco, Peru! Transportation from the airport to your hotel will be arranged for you, and once there you will meet your guide for an overview of your tour. Depending on what time you arrive, you should have time to explore the city. Cusco is set high in the Andes and it was the capital of the ancient Incan Empire. There are many remains left from this time and you can also see Spanish mansions and churches. Cusco also offers a vibrant nightlife and wonderful Peruvian restaurants.

To help you acclimatize before your Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu adventure, spend a day exploring the wonderful city of Cusco. There is much to see, do, and learn here in South America’s oldest, continuously inhabited city. What was once the Inca’s capital city has now become the archaeological capital of South America.

This tour includes a choice of optional guided daytrips, and you can choose between the Sacred Valley Tour and the Maras Moray Tour.

The Sacred Valley Tour is a full day of experiences. You’ll visit an Indian market in Pisac to experience this colourful tradition. You can barter with the local craftsmen to purchase unique, handmade souvenirs. You’ll then travel to the town of Ollantaytambo, a town of narrow streets and canals that are largely unchanged since the time the Incas inhabited it. Finally, visit the Chinchero market. This market is more authentic and less geared toward tourists. According to legend, Chinchero is the birthplace of the rainbow. When you are finished in Chinchero, return to Cusco. Note you will need to pay for admissions fees on this tour.

The Maras Moray tour begins with a drive from your hotel to Moray (approx. 1.5 hours). Moray is known as the “Inca agricultural greenhouse or laboratory.” Here, the Incas carved amphitheatre-like terraces in a bowl shape. It is thought that these were used to test and determine optimal growing conditions for different crops. After exploring Moray, continue another two miles to visit the Maras salt mines. In this area, you can see a series of tiny channels carved so that the highly salty water coming from a natural spring would run into terraced ponds. Exposed to the sun, the water dries and leaves the salt behind. It is believed that salt was harvested in this way in this place since a time before even the Incas. After exploring the Maras salt mines, return to Cusco. Note you will need to pay for admissions fees on this tour.

On this first day of the Salkantay Trek Guided Tour to Machu Picchu, meet your guide at the hotel at 5:00 AM for a bus ride to Mollepata (2,900 m / 9,515 ft). Begin your hike here, with a 3-hour trek to Cruzpata. The views here are breathtaking as you see the snow-capped peaks of Salkantay (6,271 m / 20,575 ft) and Humantay (4,120 m / 13,500 ft). Eat lunch at this viewpoint, then continue hiking through the spectacular landscape. Your first campsite is also the coldest and highest elevation campsite of this tour, at Soraypampa (3,886 m / 12,750 ft).

Begin your hike today by climbing to the highest pass on this trek, at 4,650 m (15,200 ft). Two majestic mountains tower over you as the pass crosses between Salkantay Mountain on your right side and Tucarhuay (5,910 m / 19,390 ft) to the left. There is a possibility of snow at this pass, but it’s a great place to rest and take in the awe-inspiring view. As you continue your hike, descend through an impressive cloud forest, and stop for lunch at Huayracpunku, which is sometimes called Huayracmachay. Another 3 hours of hiking after lunch will bring you to your second campsite at Colcapampa (3,000 m / 9,800 ft). Depending on the pace of your group, it is possible to continue to campsites at Challway or Andenes instead.

Start your day with another wonderful breakfast, then begin today’s trek around 6:30 AM. The trek begins through the upper part of the jungle and crosses the Lluskamayo River via a few small creeks and brooks. As you pass through the valleys, you’ll be greeted by beautiful waterfalls and a stunning variety of tropical fruit and plant life. Enjoy the warmer climate of La Playa (2,500 m / 8,202 ft), where you’ll set camp for the night. There are hot springs nearby, and after a few days on the trail you may find a soak in these waters to be wonderfully soothing.

Finish the Salkantay Trek today. Begin with a hearty breakfast at 6:30 AM, then hike to Llactapata (2,700 m / 8,858 ft). It will take about 3 hours of steadily climbing, but your efforts will be rewarded when you reach this amazing Incan fort and take in the incredible view of Machu Picchu. This is a wonderful place to rest and take photos. From here, the trail descends for about 2 hours through cocoa and banana plantations until you reach your lunch stop at the hydroelectric dam. Another 2 hours of hiking will bring you to Aguas Calientes (2,000 m / 6,561 ft), where you will enjoy a comfortable night in a beautiful hotel. If you want to, there are hot springs in the town of Aguas Calientes that you can enjoy for an additional fee (10 soles).

Rise and shine early today, eat breakfast and be ready to leave the hotel by 5:40 AM. A short bus ride from Aguas Calientes brings you to Machu Picchu in time to watch the sunrise. Then enter the Citadel for a 2-hour guided walking tour of the complex, after which you’ll have time to freely explore this mysterious ancient city.

If you are interested in climbing Wayna (Huayna) Picchu, the mountain behind Machu Picchu, this can be arranged for an additional fee. The Wayna Picchu hike allows you to see Machu Picchu from a new perspective, as well as view steps that the Incas cut into the rocks. It is a wonderful view of Machu Picchu.

Return to Aguas Calientes by bus for lunch, then take the train back Poroy, where you will be picked up and transported back to your hotel in Cusco.

Sadly, your Salkantay Trek has reached its end. After breakfast, depending on your flight times, you are free to explore the Cusco, and possibly enjoy extra optional activities until it is time for your transfer to the airport. Have a pleasant journey!