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Hike to Machu Picchu Alongside the 6.270m High Salkantay Mountain in Peru (5 Days)

Join us for an alternative way to reach Machu Picchu, via the Salkantay mountain region. All along the route you will have spectacular views of the Andes mountain range, the highlight being the Salkantay Mountain itself (6,270 meters). During this impressive trek you will zigzag through various different ecosystems, from the high Andes to the lower forests and their picturesque waterfalls. The last day of your trek is fully dedicated to the ancient, majestic Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu – enjoy!

Tour Salkantay 5Days/ 4Nights

(2 car rides, 1 train ride; 4 days trekking)

Pricing

€ 369,00

Be once in your life at Machu Picchu!

Included Services

  • Food.
  • Accommodation.
  • Transport.
  • English speaking guide.
  • Entrance ticket into Machu Picchu.

DETAILS

Route

Cusco – Mollepata – Huayroqmachay – Puenta Ruinas – Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu and back to Cusco.

Toughness Level

Moderate – some parts can be quite tough in trekking, but your guide will adjust the group´s hiking speed according to your personal level of fitness.

Day by Day

Day 1
You will be picked up at your hotel at 4.30am*. At 5am you will head towards Molepatta (3hrs) where we will begin trekking towards Soraypampa. At around 1pm we will stop for lunch. There you will have a bit of time to walk around and explore the area. In the afternoon, you can enjoy walking through town. Dinner will be served at around 8pm.

You will sleep overnight in double tents (we can also make arrangements for you if you want to cuddle in bigger tents of 3-4 people)**. Don’t worry, you don’t have to try and spend endless time pitching up the tents. Our porters will do the job for you and also give you sleeping pads.

*Only if your hotel is located close to the Plaza de Armas in Cusco. In the case that your hotel is further away please ask for a different meeting point.
** If you do not have your own sleeping bag, you can rent one for the entire tour for just 40 Soles (15USD).

Day 2
Waking up after a relaxing night in the mountains you will be able to take in some fresh air and probably be longing for breakfast which will be ready at 5am. One hour later we will start trekking again, this time towards Huaytac/Salkantay. Our lunch break will be at 1pm. Strengthened by homemade food you will hike for a 6-7 hours through spectacular Peruvian Andean scenery before we will all meet to enjoy dinner at 8pm. Today we will stay overnight in Chaullay.

Day 3
An early bird catches the worm! The bell will ring for breakfast at 5am again. We will be ready to leave our camp at 6am and will continue our hike during the fresh morning hours towards an area called La Playa. Lunch will be ready at 1pm. We will then hike into the late afternoon before we will catch our bus towards Santa Teresa where we will arrive at about 6pm. If you want you can take a relaxing bath in the nearby hot springs and enjoy the comfortable water massage. The springs are about 15-20 minutes walk from where we sleep (entry fee: 10 soles/ about 3 USD).

Dinner will be at around 8pm. Again, we will stay overnight at our campsite in tents.

Day 4
Breakfast is at 5am. We already know that walking during the cooler morning hours simply saves so much energy, so we begin trekking at 6am. We will hike towards the power station Hydroelectrica. At around 2pm we will have lunch. From Hydroelectrica we will walk along the railway following a beautiful river set amongst lush green before we arrive at the foot of Machu Picchu – the town of Aguas Calientes. We will probably get there around 6.30 pm. The tents will stay in the duffle bags tonight. Enjoy a comfortable room, a fresh shower and a bit more space instead!

This time we will share bedrooms of up to 4 people (each room has its own bathroom with a shower; showers are not always hot in Peru, but as you might guess from the name, in Aguas Calientes you can take a bath in some hot springs again if you want. Dinner will be served at around 8pm in one of the local restaurants.

NB: On day 4 you will have to carry your backpacks yourselves, because our horses are not allowed to accompany us on this path.

Day 5
Today is the day we have all been waiting for. Enjoy the full excitement of getting closer and closer to the famous citadel of Machu Picchu. A strong cup of coffee will wake us up, ready to have breakfast at 5am at the hostel. We will then prepare to hike up to Machu Picchu at 6am for about 1 1⁄2 hours (entrance fee to Machu Picchu is included). And what would Machu Picchu be without knowing the details of this ancient Inka town? A guided tour in English and Spanish will take you back in time and explain everything about the Inka’s astounding knowledge of astrology, their stunningly precise architectural skills and the agricultural innovativeness of their irrigation systems which allowed them to live in a self-sustainable environment. Your tour will last for about 2 hours.

Having taken in a bit of history you can now explore the famous UNESCO World Heritage site on your own for the rest of the day (Machu Picchu closes at 5pm). With the wonders of Machu Picchu in our mind we descend to Aguas Calientes again (1 hour) where you can either have lunch or dinner (not included) depending on how long you want to spend at the citadel. Just make sure to be ready to meet us at the local train station at around 9pm. The last train to Ollantaytambo leaves at 9.30pm. You don’t want to miss that one! We will be arriving at Ollantaytambo at around 11.30pm where we will take the bus back to Cusco. You will be back at your accommodation at around midnight.

*You are also welcome to take an earlier train for an additional cost of 25 USD. Simply let us know in advance if you prefer this option.

Traveling Season

The best traveling season for Machu Picchu is April – November. Days are dry and warm and it will be less likely to rain. 

Included Services
  • Bus to Mollepata.
  • Food (4 breakfast, 4 lunch, 4 dinner); Drinks (tea) are only included during meals. There is a vegetarian option at no additional charge, but please inform us ahead of time.
  • Accommodation 1 (camping equipment: tents and pads).
  • Cooker.
  • Horses and horsemen or mules for luggage and camping equipment.
  • First aid kit and oxygen tank.
  • Accommodation 2 (1 night hostel in Aguas Calientes).
  • Entrance ticket for Machu Picchu.
  • Professional English and Spanish speaking tour guide (speaking broken English perfectly).
  • Return train ticket to Ollantaytambo.
  • Bus from Ollantaytambo to Cusco.
Excluded Services
  • Tips (if deemed appropriate) for the guide(s) and/or cook.
  • Sleeping bag.
  • Breakfast on the first morning and dinner on the final evening.
  • Drinks.
  • Additional activities (where applicable all additional activities must be booked in advance in order to make the reservations).
  • An emergency horse can be rented at your own cost if you wish to do so.
Optional Services
  • Sleeping bag for the entire tour: 15 USD.
  • Earlier train from Ollantaytambo to Cusco: 25 USD.
  • Single/private rooms: based on availability and at an additional cost. Please ask us for your desired hostel or hotel category and prices.  
Things to Bring

Trekking/Camping Equipment

  • Small bag and duffel bag (daily backpack for your personal items and luggage backpack, 1 bag of up to 5 kg will be carried by one of the horses).
  • Sticks or poles (not necessary, but good for your knees).
  • Sleeping bag (-10oC).*
  • Inflatable pillow (not necessary, but comfortable for some of us).
  • Linen (optional).
  • Personal first aid kit and medication.
  • Mineral water (optional: water purification tablets in case you run out of water; bottled water can be bought at local stores).

* Can be rented as well (see above)

Clothing:

  • Cap, hat or sunscreen and buff (light scarf against dust).
  • Woolen or fleece hat and gloves.
  • Warm jacket.
  • Rain jacket or plastic ponchos.
  • Long-sleeved clothes and light-weight trekking pants.
  • Thermal pants (for the freezing ones).
  • T-shirts.
  • Shorts.
  • Swim suit or swimming trunks (you don’t want to miss out on the hot springs!).
  • Comfortable waterproof trekking shoes (not everyone is as tough as the revenant).
  • Sandals or flip flops.

Accessories:

  • Passport valid for more than 6 months and stamped with a valid tourist entry visa for at least the length of your stay.
  • Sunblock.
  • Sunglasses.
  • Mosquito net.
  • Insect repellent, at least 20% DEET (let us know if you know of a better option than chemical repellents). 
  • Flash or head light, lantern or torch and spare batteries, or a self-sustaining torch.
  • Towel(s).
  • Toilet paper.
  • Toiletries.
  • Binoculars (optional).
  • Camera with zoom (if you want to catch some precious moments in the mountains).
  • Battery charger (220v 60Hz, American-style flat blade and European-style round pin plugs).
  • Pocket knife (optional).
  • Notebook and pen (being surrounded by the beauty of the Andean nature might be a good time to start writing your memoirs).
  • Spending Money.
  • Humor and music we like to share.
Additional Information

No additional information for this tour. You are all set!

Machu Picchu