Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu 4 Days
Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu 4 days or Salkantay trek 4 days through Machu Picchu offers an amazing scenery and a great ecological biodiversity.
OverView
About the Salkantay Trek To Machu Picchu 4 days 3 nights.
The name Salkantay Mountain comes from the Quechua meaning “Wild Mountain” located in the Cordillera del Vilcanota is the second-highest mountain in Cusco and of great spiritual value for its inhabitants. This hike is the perfect alternative to visiting Machu Picchu and has a similar level of difficulty to the 4-day Classic Inca Trail.
On the Salkantay trek, you will have the opportunity to enjoy a change in temperature from cold to warm. This hike is considered by National Geographic as one of the most pleasant in the world, where you can enjoy the beautiful scenery and a rich variety of flora and fauna.
Overview
- DAY 1: CUSCO – MOLLEPATA – SORAYPAMPA
- DAY 2: SORAYPAMPA – CHAULLAY
- DAY 3: CHAULLAY – SAHUAYACO – HIDROELECTRICA – AGUAS CALIENTES
- DAY 4: AGUAS CALIENTES – MACHUPICCHU – CUSCO
Trip Details
- From Salkantay trek, 4 days is a short trail that takes you to Machu Picchu.
- Tour Type: Camping, Culture, Trekking
- Activity Level: 5/8 Challenging
- Group Size: Small Group 8 persons max
- Cost: 340.00 US Dollar
Highlights
On this hike you will enjoy spectacular Salkantay scenery, where you will be in real contact with nature and the bravery of the mountains, which will challenge you at every moment, the route is composed of snow-capped mountains, glaciers, turquoise lakes, Andean plateaus, waterfalls, and a high jungle.
You can even hike part of the original Inca trail to a small Inca ruin and a unique Machu Picchu, before reaching the famous city. This hike has a distance of only 60 km and ascends to 4,600 m. It is the second most popular hike in the Cusco region (after the Inca Trail), so many travelers seek to hike it.
Itinerary
CUSCO – MOLLEPATA – SORAYPAMPA
We will depart to Mollepata where we will arrive around 8.00 am. In Mollepata we will have breakfast and prepare our backpacks that will be given to the horseman.
From Mollepata we will take a bus to Challacancha for about 45 minutes, from here we start our hike for 3 hours to Soraypampa.
After Lunch in Soraypampa, you can hike up to the Humantay Lake (optional) located at 4220 m/13,850 ft the hike to the Humantay lake will take approximately 1 hour and a half. Returning for approximately 45 minutes
In the evening we will enjoy some hot drinks, at 7:00 pm we will have dinner and finally we will head to our campsites.
Hiking time: 11 km / 7 mi / 5 hours.
SORAYPAMPA – CHALLHUAY
Very early at 4:30 am, we will wake up, so we can enjoy a warm breakfast for the cold of the area.
This day will be the most difficult day of the trek through dangerous trails that lead to Salkantaypampa, a rest area at 4 100 meters above sea level. (1 hour hike).
We will descend to Soyrococha (4400 m.a.s.l.), another resting place, and finish at Abra Salkantay, at an altitude of 4632 m.a.s.l. between the Humantay and Salkantay snow-capped peaks (2 hours trekking).
We will make a descent for 1 hour and a half to reach “Wayracmachay” here we can enjoy a traditional lunch and a well-deserved rest.
We will hike through the forests until we reach “Challhuay” where we will set up our second camp at 2920 masl, here we will have dinner and rest until the next day.
CHALLHUAY - SAHUAYACO – HIDROELECTRICA – AGUAS CALIENTES:
The day begins with a good breakfast.
We will hike for approximately 40 minutes until we reach the area of “Collpa” at 2,850 meters above sea level.
We will continue hiking for 2 hours passing by waterfalls and fruit forests, “Wiñaypoco”, then we will arrive at “Sahuayaco” at 2,200 meters above sea level, a place known as “La Playa”. From here we will board the private transportation that will take us to Hidroeléctrica (2160 masl), here we can enjoy a traditional lunch.
Here we will have time to rest and then we will hike for 3 hours until we arrive to Machu Picchu town.
We will spend the night in this picturesque town, waiting for the next exciting day.
AGUAS CALIENTES – MACHU PICCHU – CUSCO
Our day begins at 4:00 a.m., with breakfast at the hotel, we will begin the 2-hour hike to the archaeological park of Machu Picchu, the tour will have a time of 2 hours and a half inside the city of the Incas Machu Picchu.
When we have finished the tour we will return to Machu Picchu, where you will have free time for additional activities such as; the Museum of Machu Picchu, the popular butterfly farm, visit the hot springs where we will have time to relax and the waterfall of Machu Picchu, visit the market, all of this.
We will return to Ollantaytambo in 1 hour and 40 minutes. When you get off the train our private transportation will be waiting to take you back to the city.
At the end of the trip, we will drop you off at your hotel.
Photo Gallery: Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu 4 Days
Inclusions
Included
- Roundtrip Cusco to Mollepata
- Professional tour Guide (English)
- Professional Chef
- Horses and Porters (only carry camping equipment)
- Meals: 3 breakfasts / 3 lunches / 3 dinners
- Snacks
- Hotel in Aguas Calientes (Posada de Olger – Dennys house)
- Entrance tickets to Machu Picchu
- Mattress
- Tents and camping equipment
- First aid kit
- Train by Machu Picchu Pueblo To Ollantaytambo
- Transportation Ollantaytambo – Cusco
- Oxygen balloon
No Included
- The first breakfast (first day).
- The last lunch (second day).
- Huaynapicchu or Machupicchu-Mountain Entrance.
- Sleeping bag
- Entrance ticket to Salkantay (S/10.00)
- Aguas Calientes CONSETTUR Bus Tickets – Machu Picchu – Aguas Calientes.
- Food not mentioned in the program.
- Expenses not mentioned in the itinerary.
Recomendations
- Carry a small backpack for the trip to the Salkantay trek – Machu Picchu
- Flashlight for the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu
- Thermal clothing, waterproof, sunscreen.
- Mosquito repellent, lipstick.
- Water bottle
- Jacket or Poncho
- Photo camera, external battery, photo memory
Your Travel Guide at a glance
Salkantay Trek Information
The Salkantay trek is located in the department of Cusco, at an altitude of 6,271 meters above sea level, this tour combines a majestic natural scenery of great beauty with the attraction of the most famous pre-Hispanic remains in the world: Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail. The route begins by traveling the old Inca trail carved into the rock that leads to the citadel of Machu Picchu and crosses a mountain pass between the snowy Salkantay and Humantay (5,917 meters above sea level), to continue along the ravine of the Aobamba River to reach the archaeological site.
The Salkantay route to the Inca Sanctuary of Machu Picchu is another alternative for tourists. During the hike you have impressive scenery of different snow-capped peaks and ending in the cloud forest of the Amazon jungle.
Confort Level Aremika Travel Expeditions
Frequently Asked Questions
HOW TO GET TO SALKANTAY?
To get to Salkantay you will necessarily have to get to the city of Cusco, where it will be necessary to go with a guide to direct the way to make your adventure tours of Salkantay treks.
WHERE IS THE SNOW-CAPPED MOUNTAIN OF SALKANTAY?
Salkantay or Sallqantay (in Quechua) is the highest mountain in the Vilcabamba range. It is located in the Cusco Region, about 60 km northwest of the city of Cusco. The proximity of Salkantay to Machu Picchu makes trekking around it an alternative to the Inca Trail.
WHAT THINGS CAN I BRING TO SALKANTAY TREK?
Before starting the tour to Machu Picchu by the sacred snowy peak of Salkantay you must have a series of accessories for the way, as primordial a backpack that will be your companion during the five days of the tour. We will detail the things that your backpack should contain:
- Light and warm clothes (jacket, T-shirts or polo shirts, hiking pants, underwear).
- Hiking shoes.
- Wide-brimmed hat.
- Plastic poncho.
- Swimming suit. On the route, you can optionally enter the thermal baths.
- Towel.
- Water bottle.
- Gloves for the cold.
- Trekking poles.
- Flashlight.
- Binoculars.
- Personal toiletries
- Camera (extra battery and memory card).
- Original identity card
- In the case of being a student, the ISIC card.
- Important: do not forget your passport and identity card in the Salkantay Trek.
- Insect repellent and sunblock
- Hand sanitizer.
- Toilet paper.
- Disposable tissues.
- Cash.
- Personal medications. If you are undergoing treatment, do not forget to take all your medications with you.
- Snacks. Small healthy snacks such as energy bars, granola, yogurt, among others.
HOW CAN I BOOK THE SALKANTAY TREK TOUR?
Ask for general information through our inquiry form, contact us we are experts in Solo Adventures, we are tour operators of the four Inca trails that reach Machupicchu, ask for security, ask for a guarantee in your online payments, with our website account pay securely.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO RENT AN EXTRA HORSE IN SALKANTAY TREK?
You can rent horses, which is usually taken on the second day, to be able to turn the most difficult step, so you can avoid the fatigue to get to Machu Picchu, is several cost between 70 to 100 dollars for the three days, consult the muleteers and your guide in any case if you are on tour, the horses also always leave accompanied with a muleteer to avoid any accident during the trip, keep in mind these aspects.
CAN I DO SALKANTAY WITHOUT A GUIDE?
Yes, you can do it without problems, since it is not yet regulated by the Peruvian government. If you are encouraged to do this adventure without a guide, keep in mind to respect the regulations of how to use the road, to preserve the environment and that the government does not put rules, to charge the entrance, as it happens with the classic road.
HOW MUCH IS THE ENTRANCE FEE TO MACHU PICCHU BY SALKANTAY?
Like the Inca Trail, the entrance to Machu Picchu mountain hasta cost s/.200 soles $70 dollars as an adult and students have a discount with the only ISIC card up to 24 years of age, so you must ask an authorized operator to process your income as students and you are hiring a package to ask for a discount as a student, for them to send the updated student card.
HOW MUCH DOES THE PRIVATE SALKANTAY TOUR COST?
A private tour for two people is an average of 600 dollars per person, which you receive personalized attention with good food, good personal guide of muleteers and trained cooks, which is not the same to say that you will receive a luxury service, since the trekking is an adventure tour, for them you should look for a tour operator of your choice.
