The Salkantay to Machu Picchu tour is one of the most popular trekking routes in the Cusco region of Peru. This 4-day, 3-night trek takes adventurers through beautiful Andean landscapes, passing imposing mountains, green valleys and crystal clear rivers. The highlight of the trek is the arrival at Machu Picchu, one of the wonders of the modern world and one of the most visited tourist destinations in South America. During the trek, travelers will have the opportunity to experience the local culture and meet the inhabitants of the Andean communities.
Day 01
Cusco - Challacancha - Soraypampa
We pick you up from your hotel and travel by bus for approx. 2 hours to Mollepata, where we will have breakfast, this first breakfast must be ordered at a local restaurant in Mollepata. After that, we take again the private transportation to Challacancha for about 40 minutes more of travel, where our trek is going to start.
The 3 hour hike will take us to Soraypampa where we will have lunch with panoramic views of the beautiful Humantay (4,120m. / 13,500 ft.) and Salkantay (6,271m. / 20575 ft.) we will start our hike to Soraypampa, our first campsite (3,800m. / 11,750 ft., the highest and coldest camp of the trek) admiring the beautiful scenery on the way as an optional visit we will go to the Humantay lagoon which is located 1:30 minutes walk from Soraypampa, of course, we will spend a night in our tents, we also offer comfortable mattresses.
Day 02
Soraypampa - Chaullay - La Playa
We will have breakfast around 5:30 am. and start our hike to the highest pass of this trek (4,650m. / 15,200 ft.) located halfway between 2 huge mountains, Salkantay on the right and Tucarhuay on the left. From this pass, the views of the 2 snow-capped mountains are incredible, there is a possibility of seeing snow here.
After a rest, we will continue our hike (downhill) through a spectacular cloud forest to Huayraqpunku, where we will have lunch. Then we hike again after lunch towards the beginning of the jungle until we reach Chaullay or Collpapampa (3,000m. / 9,800ft.), where we will take a shuttle to the camp at Playa, where we will spend the night.
Day 03
La Playa - Llaqtapata - Aguas Calientes
After breakfast, at 6.30 am, we will try to arrive as early as possible to Llactapata, walk along a part of the original Inca trail and get some experience from the natives who live here in the area. Have the opportunity to harvest several fruits and have one of the best views of the Urubamba valley.
See the Salkantay mountain in the background and have your first glimpse of Machu Picchu, after arriving at Hydroelectric where we will have lunch, then continue walking, passing a variety of crop plantations, coca, banana we will be walking approx. 2:30 minutes along the train track until we reach the town of Aguas Calientes where we will spend the night in a hostel in Aguas Calientes, you can take advantage of the hot springs of the town (entrance 10 soles) a real treat after finishing the hike.
Day 04
Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Cusco
We get up early in the morning around 4 am. to have breakfast and leave for Machu Picchu which takes 1:30 minutes walking, but there is another option to take the first bus that leaves at 5:30 am. to Machu Picchu (takes 25 minutes) to appreciate the magnificent city as the sun rises.
Your guide will give you a 2-hour tour and then you can explore the mysterious city on your own. If you still have energy, you can also climb Huayna Picchu (2,720m. / 8,890 ft.) It takes 1:45 minutes to reach the top (optional and check availability). We will descend to Puente Ruinas and from there we will walk to Hydroelectric for 2 hours to take our bus back to Cusco for 6 hours.
