Salcantay or Salkantay, Sallqantay in Quechua is the tallest summit of the Willcapampa mountain range, part of the Peruvian Andes. It is situated in the Cuzco district, about 60km northwest of the city, in south central Peru by the Cordillera Vilcabamba. The famous Salkanta Trek Peru is named among the 25 best treks in the world by National Geographic Adventure Travel Magazine is a hike accessible to everyone with no constraints on available spaces (at the moment). Joining the city of Mollepata, Cusco with Machu Picchu, the Salkantay Trek is an old and out-of-the-way pathway situated in the same area as the Inca Trail where colossal glacialtopped mountains meet with abundant tropical rain forests.
Salkantay Mountain reaches to 6271 meters above sea level (20574 ft). Mt Salkantay is a striking snow-topped peak, honored for thousands of years by native Indians. The name "Salkantay" means savage mountain in Quechua.
Our classic Salkantay Trek is a customized alternative to the usual Inca Trail. Not on the usual tourist path, this is an innovating experience for adventure travelers seeking a little solitude and credibility.
Day 01: Cusco - Soraypampa - Salkantay Mountain - Los Andenes
Day 02: Andenes - Playa
Day 03: Playa - Llactapata - Aguas Calientes
Day 04: Hike to Machu Picchu
Salkantay Trek Peru all camping equipment included such as the double tent, inflatable sleeping mat, inflatable pillow camping, wool blanket, pillow and down sleeping bag, please click here
Some travel companies promote themselves as being responsible, however, they have built hotels and igloos along the Salkantay route destroying nature and landscape in this way. We at Inca Trail Machu do not use either igloos or hotels along the route. We focus on using only tents which can be collapsed and taken away after camping. We are a responsible travel company so we leave only footprints behind us on the Salkantay Trek 4 day.
Please be aware of using responsible companies when traveling, do not support spoiling nature.
Please note! We DO NOT permit exploitation of horses/mules!! Our horses/mules can carry only an amount given by the Peruvian law!!
Early in the morning, we pick you up from your hotel and take you by private transport for a 3-hour ride from Cusco (3,400 m) to Mollepata (2,803 m), where we have breakfast. Then, we continue our ride for one and a half hours until we reach Soraypampa (3,850 m), the starting point of the Salkantay trek. We start a gentle hike along an Andean route, crossing the Humantay River and other small rivers that originate from the Salkantay mountain.
Continuing the trek, we begin a steep uphill climb followed by a series of zigzags. After a 4-hour climb, we reach Soroycocha, where we have lunch. After lunch, we continue the hike up to the highest point of the trek - Salkantay and Huamantay Pass (4,550 m). There, we have the opportunity to observe breathtaking scenery of the sacred mountains Humantay (5,917 m) and Salkantay (6,271 m)! These views greatly compensate for the effort of reaching the top, marked by a pile of stones growing daily as each traveler adds his/her pebble to thank the "Apus" (a god of Salkantay Mountain) for a safe trip and good luck. To catch our breath after that, we gently descend towards the campsite called Wayracmachay (3,600 m). We spend the night in tents, and you can observe the stars near the mountain at night.
Estimated trekking time: 7 - 8 hours
Trekking distance: 14 km
Max. elevation: 4,400 m
Min. elevation: 3,800 m
Difficulty: Challenging
This day starts cold in the morning. Enjoy wake-up tea in the tent, followed by breakfast. After we begin our hike down to the warm and lush cloud forest below. We recommend using insect repellent. Along the way, we'll see a variety of wildlife, from small finches at higher altitudes to hummingbirds and other birds. There is also a chance to see Andean foxes, white-tailed deer, and viscachas (rabbit-like chinchillas). During the hike, you can take pictures of the subtropical zone.
We arrive at the Colpapampa campsite (2,900 m / 9,514 ft) for lunch. After that, we start descending for about 3 hours to Granadilla point through lush bamboo groves, orchards, and coffee plantations, which provide us with excellent bird-watching opportunities and views of the Colpapampa River, one of two small rivers, Salkantay and Yanama. In Granadilla, we take a local bus to Lucmabamba, where we have our campsite. We are served dinner there, and then we enjoy a well-deserved sleep.
Estimated trekking time: 10 hours
Trekking distance: 18 Km
Max. elevation: 5,100 m
Min. elevation: 3,300 m
Difficulty: Strenuous
Llacatapata Ruins: The route up to Llactapata is on a part of an aged Inca Trail. Firstly it goes through some old villages of coffee and coca plantations, citrus tree orchids before extending to some exquisite high altitude meadows and then entering into an ancient forest close to the top. The scenery on the way up is the most varied and gorgeous than on the entire Salkantay Trek.
Close to the top, the trail changes to seemingly never ending stone steps as tall as park benches! Which you might find strange as the Incas were not known for being tall! The reason behind this was that the Incas were a very forward thinking population and aimed to build constructions that would not fall apart and that people could not destroy! We reach the top in a little over two hours.
The weather is cold and wet in the forest and then we walk down to the Llactapata ruins. In under 10 minutes we arrive at the ruins, the sight will leave you amazed! Beyond the valley you are rewqarded with the majestic sight of Machu Picchu!
After this we descend to the Hydroelectric plant, it's 913 meters (2995 ft)in one hour. From her the hike to Aguas Calientes is mostly level. En route you will hear a roaring sound which is a powerful waterfallthat cools us down with its spray as we pass by. It is man made and shoots out of a long tunnel in the mountain from the hydroelectric plant, a fascinating and useful. Once there we have our lunch break.
The Hydroelectric plant is also the end of the railway line from Cusco to Machu Picchu. Hydro is actually farther than Machu Picchu Town on the train. It is mostly used by locals. The hike to Aguas Calientes is down the railway tracks, 12 kilometers (7.5 miles). Its a fun trek, along the tracks, with a wide path and is sheltered by jungle vegetation, trees and flowers. This is ideal after a tough 4 day Inca Trail.
Its hard to explain the great happiness when we finally reach the town of Aguas Calientes, you will notice for the first time in days people that look clean with fresh clothing..Day trippers!
We finally arrive to our hotel! Then we have dinner at a restaurant and plan the next day. Overnight in a hostal!
If you chose the Santa Teresa option, we have breakfast and after a short bus trip (1hour) we hike for about 2 hours past the Urubamba River and onward to the Hydro Electric Station, where we have lunch nearby.
Estimated trekking time: 7 - 8 hours
Trekking distance: 15 Km
Max. elevation: 2,700 m
Min. elevation: 2,000 m
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
After an early morning breakfast, we take the bus up to the mysterious city of Machu Picchu, where we have a guided tour that shows us around the Incan city and explains its history and purposes. After the guided tour, we can enjoy hiking Machu Picchu Mountain or Huayna Picchu (additional cost). These peaks above Machu Picchu offer opportunities to take panoramic pictures of the Incan city! According to the new regulations, the Machu Picchu ticket is one-way, meaning you can't return to the initial point, so we recommend you take the best pictures possible. The ticket to Machu Picchu is included in the 4-day Salkantay trek. Once you book, our sales department will confirm the circuits to explore the citadel.
In the afternoon, we return by train to Ollantaytambo, from where we are taken by van back to Cusco.
Meals budget: Allow USD 20-30 for meals not included
Solo Travel: If you are travelling solo and require a single tent there is an extra USD 30
