Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu – Salkantay Trekking

We will be picking you up from your hotel and will be driving you to the trailhead Here we will start hiking at Challa Cancha following a wide path. We will gently make our way up the side of the valley covering a distance of about 16 km / 9.9 miles.

The landscapes throughout the day are amazing, along the walk you get to see a wide variety of native plants, birds and towards the end of the day, we will see the snow-capped peaks of Humantay and Salkantay (The Savage) looming high above us. 

The base campsite for tonight is at Soraypampa (4000 m / 12750 ft.), the night can get pretty chilly, it’s the coldest night

The longest, highest and hardest day of the trek. Therefore, the most beautiful day, the scenery throughout the day goes from one extreme to another. We will be starting from the high Puna covered in Andean grass, then hike up to  Salkantay pass.

Everything here is rocky. After descending the far side to the warm and lush cloud forest below, along the walk you will see a variety of wildlife.Campsite for the night will be at Collpapampa (2900 m / 9514 ft). It is recommended you put on mosquito repellent here. 

Duration: 12 hours

After breakfast, you will have the shortest day of the hike to the village La Playa. It is 12 km down the valley from Collpapampa campsite. The trail takes you along the Lluskamayo River through an area that is teeming with green life and has various coffee plants and native fruit plantations.

The campsite of tonight will be at the village of La Playa (2400m / 7874 ft.) that is populated, in this village you can try some of the locally grown coffee. If you are interested, you can go to the hot springs that are close by. 

Just let your guide know in advance so that you can organise this for you. Or you can just stay at the village of La Playa and spend the afternoon relaxing.

Duration: 12 hours

We will be waking you up early in the morning. After breakfast, we will hike the final stretch of the trek to Aguas Calientes town which is at the base of Machu Picchu Citadel. 

The main goal of today is a visit to the Inca site of Llactapata. Follow the original Inca Trail to Llactapata by early to mid morning and can enjoy the fantastic views of Machu Picchu that we enjoy from here.

After the tour of Llactapata, we will head back down the mountainside through Santa Teresa to Hydroelectric Station. Here we will be serving you lunch. In order to alleviate fatigue and recover energy, you can drink some coca leaf tea with your lunch.

Then we will hike along the railway tracks for three hours to Machu Picchu Pueblo. We will be accommodating you in an ensuite hotel room here.

Duration: 12 hours

Early in the morning, we will be taking a bus to Machu Picchu citadel. It will be a 30 minutes drive up the hill. Our guide will assist you in clearing the security control and entering the citadel. 

Once inside the citadel, you will be rewarded with a spectacular sight of the citadel while the clouds clearing by and the golden rays of the sun shimmering on the walls of Machu Picchu. 

We will be giving you a two hours guided tour. After the tour, you will have some free time to explore the citadel on your own. If you have booked to hike Huayna Picchu or hike to Machu Picchu mountains, our guide will be directing you to the trail head. 

Alternatively, you can hike to Sun gate or Intipunku. This is the entrance to the citadel for those on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. 

After exploring Machu Picchu, you will be taking a bus back to Aguas Calientes. Here we will be serving lunch at a local restaurant. At around 04:00 PM, we will be taking a train back to Ollantaytambo. 

Our representative will be meeting you on arrival and will be transferring you back to your hotel in Cusco. This is roughly a three hours drive through the Sacred Valley of Incas. We will be returning to Cusco by 09:30 PM.