- Salkantay Trek 5d/4n -
Itinerary:
Day 1 – Soraypampa – Humantay lake – Quiswarniyoc private camp site
After picking everyone up from their hotels we depart from Cusco around 5:45 am and start our 2-hour drive to the town of Mollepata. Once there we will stop to have breakfast and pay the entrance fee of 20 soles to the local government (this is not included in the tour price since it’s a personal payment). We will continue by car for an extra hour to Soraypampa where we will meet with the porters and horses who will carry our equipment, food, and a +- 5 kilos per person during the trek. From there, we’ll start the uphill hike to Humantay Lake, reaching it after about 1.5 hours. When you arrive at the lake you will have a couple of hours to explore, take photos, and listen to our guide’s explanation about the significance of this beautiful place. After all this, we will walk downhill for 2 hours and have lunch at our exclusive camp, Quiswarniyoc. After lunch, you’ll have free time to explore the beautiful area or to do an optional hike to the Mirador of Salkantay for panoramic views of the entire area. If you are tired, you can just rest in the Mountain Sky Huts or the glass igloos (extra cost of US $ 10) equipped with glass doors, pillows, and sleeping pads.
Day 2 – Salkantay pass – Wayracmachay - Chaullay
The second day of the trek is the most demanding since it’s a 20 kilometers trek and takes you to the highest point (4630 meters above sea level). Our cooks will wake us up around 5:00 am with a cup of hot coca tea as we take our time to repack and get ready for the nutritious breakfast that will be served around 5:45 am. After breakfast, it is time to start hiking up to the pass between snow peaks! This will take 3 to 4 hours of uphill hiking at a regular to slow pace. Once we get to the highest point, we will have time to enjoy the mountains, take pictures, learn about the mountain gods, and take part in a small traditional Andean ritual for the mountain Apus. We will continue hiking down for 2 hours before we make a lunch stop a continue for 3 more hours of downhill hiking to the second camp, Chaullay, which is located at 2,900 meters above sea level and marks the beginning of the Peruvian Amazon. At Camp Chaullay, where Local Link representatives will provide you with your camping equipment, hot tea, and dinner. There we can also have an optional hot shower offered by locals for 10 soles. Here you can also buy some beer, sodas, water, and snacks, perfect to celebrate that you made it this far!
Day 3 – Playa Sahuayaco – Santa Teresa – Hot Springs
On the third day, we will wake up in the beautiful high jungle. We’ll wake you up around 6:00 am with a cup of coca tea as the cooks prepare our delicious breakfast. Around 7:00 am, we’ll begin our hike along the Santa Teresa Valley which is formed by the Salkantay River. After 5 hours of hiking, we arrive at La Playa Sahuayaco. Along the trail, we’ll see plantations for coffee, bananas, avocados, coca, passion fruit, and more. Once we arrive at La Playa Sahuayaco, we will take local transportation to the third campsite, Santa Teresa, which is about a one-hour drive. At camp, we’ll share a delicious lunch before heading out to the hot springs of Colcampayo (optional). Colcampayo is about a 15-minute car ride from our campsite. We’ll spend a couple of hours relaxing in the natural, clean water of the hot springs before heading back to camp for tea time and some rewarding dinner. All of these activities are optional, so if you’d rather lay back and relax at camp—you are certainly welcome to!
Day 4 – Lucmabamba – Llactapata – Hidroeléctrica – Aguas Calientes
Llactapata is an archeological site located along the Salkantay trail, which we will have the chance to visit on this day. From Llactapata, we will have an amazing view of Machu Picchu from a unique angle. For this beautiful trek, we’ll start with an early breakfast, around 5:30 am, before taking local transportation for 45 minutes to Lucmabamba. Upon arrival, we’ll start the 3-hour uphill hike along the original Inca trail until we arrive at the Inca archeological site of Llactapata. There we will have plenty of time in Llactapata to enjoy the views of Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu Mountain, and if the weather is good, we’ll get one more glimpse of Salkantay Mountain. Afterward, we start the downhill walk for 2 hours, arriving at Hidroelectrical for a nutritious lunch and much-earned rest. The final part of the hike is a 3-hour walk along the train tracks to Aguas Calientes. Once we arrive in the small town, we’ll head to our hotel where we can shower and rest before our final meal at 7:00 pm in a local restaurant. After dinner, we’ll head to bed, grateful for our final day and ready for our ultimate reward: Machu Picchu.
Day 5 – Machu Picchu – Cusco
Finally, we get to see the impressive Machu Picchu archeological site! We’ll wake around 4:00 am to get ready for the hike to Machu Picchu’s main entrance. We will receive a packed breakfast and we will start the 30-minute walk to the Puente Ruinas checkpoint where you will have to show your Passport and Machu Picchu ticket. After passing the first checkpoint, we will climb stairs for about one hour to reach Machu Picchu’s main gate at 6:00 am. Once everybody meets at the gate, we enter Machu Picchu and begin our 2.5-hour guided tour of the famous Inca site, where we will learn everything about The Lost City of The Incas. After the guided tour, we’ll have free time to explore Machu Picchu on our own. The time that we will spend in Machu Picchu will depend on how you are going back to Cusco (train or car) and whether you want to climb the Montaña Machu Picchu or Huayna Picchu Mountain, which must be booked in advance with the entrance tickets.
- If you booked the extra ticket for HUAYNAPICCHU you will need 2.5 hours for hiking up and down
- If you booked the extra ticket for MACHU PICCHU MONATAÑA you will need 3.5 hours for hiking up and down.
What is included?
- Salkantay trek briefing a day before of the departure day.
- A duffle bag to pack aprox. 5 kilos of your belonging that will be carried by horses during the trek.
- English/Spanish speaking professional tour guides.
- Professional chef and cooking equipment.
- Horses for carrying +- 5 Kilos of personal luggage and other required equipment.
- Pick up from your hotel in Cusco.
- Private transportation to the beggining of the Salkantay trail.
- 5 breakfasts.
- 4 lunches.
- 4 dinners.
- 3 nights of camping.
- 1 night hotel in Aguas Calientes.
- Mountain Sky Huts with Thick Mattresses, glass door, Night Lighting and Panoramic views for the first and second night.
- Personal pad (double foam – 2.5 inches thick).
- Pillows at the first and second camp.
- Transportation from La Playa to Santa Teresa.
- Transportation from Santa Teresa to Lucmabamba to do the Llactapata trek.
- Entrance ticket to Machu Picchu.
- Guided visit to Machu Picchu.
- Return journey from Aguas Calientes to Cusco BY TRAIN or BY CAR depending on your choice.
- Vegetarian/Vegan options available on request with no additional charges.
- First-Aid equipment and oxygen bottle for emergencies.
- Support over messages and/or calls vía your Tour Organizer.
What is not included?
- Entrance to Humantay lake charged by the local government of Mollepata = 20 soles.
- Sleeping Bags – If you do not have one you can rent from us for $10 USD for the whole trek.
- The entrance fee and transportation to the hot springs of Santa Teresa (20 to 25 soles).
- Travel insurance.
- Extra expenses.
- Tips
- Glass igloos (extra US $10).
We suggest you pack:
- A backpack to carry water, some snacks, a camera, sunscreen, valuable things, a jacket, rain gear, etc. We recommend bringing a backpack of 25 – 30 liters, but if you like to can bring a daypack or any size of the backpack as long as you feel comfortable with it.
- Sleeping bag at least minus 5 cº. If you don’t have one, you can rent one from us.
- Trekking Poles – If you do NOT have one, you can rent a pair of trekking poles from us.
- Passport.
- Wool hat or beanie.
- Sun hat.
- Scarf and gloves if you have them.
- 3 – 4 T-shirts, if you have long sleeves, better.
- Layers (sweater, fleece).
- 2 pair of long pants if you have leggings bring them.
- Hiking shoes.
- 2 – 3 pairs of socks.
- Rain gear (Pants, jacket, if you do not have you can buy a rain poncho) is crucial, especially for the rainy season.
- A small headlamp if you have one.
- A small towel.
- Sunglasses.
- Toothbrush and other personal toiletries.
- Toilet paper.
- Sun cream.
- Insect repellent.
- Sandals / Flip flops.
- Waterbottle.
- Swimwear.
- If you have thermal clothing you can take them which is not that important, you will use them at least for the first night which is at 4000m.
- Some snacks such as chocolate, cereal bars, candies, nuts, energy bars, etc.
- Extra Cash in Soles.
IMPORTANT: Remember that we will provide you with a duffle bag on the briefing day which you can useto pack 7 kilos of your personal belongings that you will take to the trek which are going be carried by horse during the entire trek. It means that you will do the trek carrying your small backpack with things you need for the day hike and you will have access to the duffle bag at each camping place.
