Short Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu

Day by Day Itinerary

• Day 1 Cusco | Mollepata - Challacancha - Soraypampa - Humantay Lake - Sky Camp

  Today you will get an early start on this adventure. We’ll pick you up from your accommodation in Cusco at 4:00 a.m. and travel for approximately two hours to have a quick breakfast in Mollepata. Our transportation includes cozy blankets in case you need to sleep for a few more minutes. After feeding and resting a bit, we’ll drive for another hour to the starting point of the trek in Challacancha.

  Before we start our trek, you will meet the muleteers and cooks who are part of the team and do a final check of your luggage. Then, we will begin our relatively easy three-hour hike to Soraypampa (3,900 m / 12,795 ft), where our first camp is located. Along the way, you will enjoy beautiful glaciers and a deep valley. Also, you will see that an Inca water channel follows us most of the way and is still used by farmers in the area to this day. This stretch has a length of 7 km / 4.35 miles.

  Once in Soraypampa, you’ll have some time to get settled into your cozy igloo in our Sky Camp and enjoy your first lunch cooked by our talented chefs. There’s no doubt you’ll be amazed by their talents in the middle of the mountains. Once you’re full of energy, we’ll begin our afternoon trek up to Humantay Lake (4,200 m / 13,780 ft), often called the jewel or gem in the mountains, and you’ll see why once you reach the top.

  The round trip is around 2:30 hours long and covers 3 km / 1.86 miles. The distance may seem short, but you may get tired due to its high altitude. You need to go slowly. When you reach the stunning lagoon, you'll have plenty of time to catch your breath, enjoy the fantastic scenery and contemplate its turquoise waters in contrast to the snowy backdrop. The views here are truly like something out of dreamland.

  Once we return to camp, you will have time to enjoy a delicious dinner while watching the sunset behind the mountains. It's hard to describe the energy of this place, but the inner peace is as close as it gets. Then it's time to head back to your Sly Camp for a good night's sleep and contemplate the constellations.

  

  

  

  • Meals

    Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

  • Accommodation

    Sky Camp

  • Difficulty

    Moderate to Challenging

  • Walking Distance

    10 km / 6.21 mi

  • Walking Time

    5-6 hours

  • Maximum Altitude

    4,200 m / 13,780 ft

• Day 2 Soraypampa | Salkantay Pass - Huayracmachay - Chaullay - Collpapampa (Mountain Sky View)

  In the morning, you will wake up with the day's first rays and see the Apu Salkantay while enjoying an energizing coca tea. Afterward, you will have a nutritious breakfast before embarking on the 7 km trek for approximately three hours to the highest point of the route, the Salkantay Pass (4,630 m / 15,190 ft). It is a difficult ascent along the "path of the 7 snakes" because of its winding path.

  Once at the top, you will appreciate the most magnificent view over the surrounding valleys and the Salkantay mountain right in front of you (6,271 m / 20,574 ft). It boasts the second-highest mountain in the Cusco region, and it’s considered an Apu (Inca God). You will also be able to observe the mountains: Humantay, Tucarhuay, and Pumasillo. After enjoying the views and rest, you will start descending (7 km / 4.35 mi) to our lunch point at Huayracmachay (3,850 m / 12,631 ft). This section is rocky and steep but has impressive views of the surrounding valley.

  After a revitalizing lunch, you will enter the edge of the rainforest, also known as the "cloud forest." This section has a distance of 9.5 km / 5.9 mi and lasts approximately three and a half hours. Along the way, you will enjoy the verdant rainforest and witness how the scenery changes rapidly and drastically from the Andes to the Amazon. You will observe colorful landscapes, unique fauna, and native plants and feel the warmer climate.

  After a long day of hiking, you will be glad to arrive at Collpapampa for the night. Finally, we will serve you a hearty meal before resting at our exclusive Mountain Sky View Campsite.

  

  

  

  • Meal

    Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

  • Accommodation

    Mountain Sky View Campsite

  • Difficulty

    Challenging

  • Walking Distance

    23.5 km / 14.6 mi

  • Walking Time

    10-11 hours

  • Maximum Altitude

    4,630 m / 15,190 ft

• Day 3 Collpapampa | La Playa - Hidroelectrica - Aguas Calientes

  We’ll wake you up at 6:00 am today for a quick breakfast before beginning our hike to La Playa through the stunning Santa Teresa valley. This morning, you can enjoy soaking up the new lush landscape over a 5-hour trek. You’ll be able to spot rivers, wild orchids, and lots of plantations, including coffee, banana, and avocado. You’ll also get to savor the granadilla and passion fruit on the route.

  We will continue our hike and then keep going to the bottom of the mountains to cross to the other side of the valley. In this tropical section, we’ll be accompanied by waterfalls, birds, fruit trees, flora, and fauna.

  When we reach La Playa, it’ll be time to enjoy our last lunch prepared by our incredible chefs as we relax and watch a show all about coffee. After we’ve had some time to rest a little more, we’ll board the private transport that’ll take us to Hidroelectrica train station. From there, we’ll hike alongside the tracks surrounded by lots of vegetation and joined by the Urubamba River. However, if you feel exhausted, you can take the train to Aguas Calientes for an extra US$ 37.00.

  Among the tropical paradise, you’ll see more plantations and beautiful plants as well as a huge variety of birds, including the national bird of Peru, the cock of the rocks (El Gallito de las Rocas).

  After three hours of hiking, we will arrive in Aguas Calientes; from here, we will take you to your hotel to relax in your comfortable room with a private bathroom, hot shower, WiFi, breakfast in the morning, and luggage storage that will allow you to leave your things while you go on a visit to the town's hot springs. In the evening, we will meet for dinner at a prestigious restaurant before returning to the hotel to rest. Tomorrow you will have to get up before sunrise and start our last adventure to the majestic Machu Picchu.

  

  

  

  • Meal

    Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

  • Accommodation

    Hotel

  • Difficulty

    Challenging

  • Walking Distance

    26 km / 16.16 mi

  • Walking Time

    8-9 hours

  • Maximum Altitude

    2,950 m / 9,678 ft

• Day 4 Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Ollantaytambo - Cusco*

  Today’s the day you’ve longed since you set foot on the trail. You will visit one of the Seven Wonders of the World and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Machu Picchu! We’ll wake up while it’s still dark after enjoying a restful night’s sleep in our hostel. We like to begin this final day early to beat the large crowds at Machu Picchu and enjoy the soft morning light hitting the massive rocks. The entrance opens at 6:00 am, and we want to be one of the first inside.

  From Aguas Calientes, we’ll take a bus up to the Inca citadel before entering and gazing in awe at the incredible construction. Once in the complex, you’ll enjoy a tour of approximately two hours with your guide and visit the most essential parts: houses, temples, terraces, and cultivation fields, among others. You’ll truly be amazed by the Incas' ingenuity, which remains a mystery to this day.

  The ancient culture didn’t have modern tools or even iron or steel to work with. Those who constructed the city were geniuses in organizing this community sustainably and beautifully on the side of a mountain, even bringing water in canals and aqueducts through its streets for the people to use. When a Peruvian guide showed this site to Hiram Bingham, it was almost unrecognizable, covered in thick vegetation and disrepair. It has since been cleaned and restored and is now protected and treasured by the world.

  After your incredible guided tour of the citadel, you’ll have the chance to enjoy one of the additional hikes up Huayna Picchu Mountain (2,720 m / 8,924 ft) or Machu Picchu Mountain (3,000 m / 9,843 ft); these tickets must be booked in advance. You’ll be able to contemplate an incredible view over the citadel of Machu Picchu, one of the best panoramas in the world.

  You need to ensure you come back down to Aguas Calientes to enjoy some lunch before you catch the train back to Ollantaytambo. Your train time will depend on availability. In Ollantaytambo, our private transport will await you to transport you back to your accommodation in Cusco. You’ll now be able to enjoy a well-deserved rest, although your heart will be soaring high in the Andes like a condor for years to come.

  

  • Meal

    Breakfast

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Maximum Altitude

    2,430 m / 7,972 ft