- Duration:04 Days / 03 Nights
- Season:April to Octuber
- Difficulty:Moderate
The impressive Sacred Inca city of Machupicchu is visited on the last day of the program. This tour is an interesting alternative for those not having found spaces on the Inca Trail trek to Machu Picchu. The Salkantay Trek (or Salcantay Trek),was recently named among the 25 best Treks in the World, by National Geographic Adventure Travel Magazine.
Itinerary
Day 01: CUSCO – MOLLEPATA – SALLAYPATA – SORAYPAMPA (About 7 hrs – 22 Km) (B), (L), (D)
At about 5:00a.m. your guide will pick you up from your hotel and at this time you will meet the rest of your group. A three-hour ride will take you through beautiful landscape until you arrive at the Andean town of Mollepata, about 9180 feet above sea level, where you will enjoy breakfast. After receiving a snack, you will start your trek, observing the Salkantay Nevado. Once in Mollepata, you will enjoy of a nutritious breakfast. After three hours you will be able to take a long rest and buy water, sodas, and candies at the small resting point called Cruzpata. Another hour and a half of hiking will take you to your lunch camp, Sallaypata, about 11152 feet above sea level. After an hour, you will leave Sallaypata to continue your hike. When you continue your hike, you will need to wear a good jacket because it will start getting windy and cold. After about three hours, you will arrive at your camp, Soraypampa, at 12464 feet above sea level, from which you will get a spectacular view of the snowy peaks of the Salkantay. After tea and dinner you will be able to observe a sky completely full of stars. This will be the coldest night with temperatures as low as 15 degrees Fahrenheit during dry season.
Meals provided
[ B ] Breakfast, [ L ] Lunch [ D ] Dinner
Walking – 12kms or 8 miles/ Minimum Altitude – 2,700ms, 8990 feet./ Maximum Altitude – 4,100ms, 13530 feet Altitude of camp – 4,100m , 13530 feet./ Approx night temperature: Around -5 oC.
Day 02: SORAYPAMPA – CHALLWAY (About 8:00 hrs – 28 km) (B), (L), (D)
After breakfast at about 6:30a.m. you will start the longest day of the trek. A four hour and a half hour hike will take you to the highest point, Abra Salkantay, about 14760 feet above sea level. It will be cold and windy, and the landscape will take you to a surreal world. Another hour and a half trek will take you to your lunch camp located at about 12530 feet above sea level. During the hike after lunch you will have one grand view after another of the majestic mountains, the towering forests, and the creeks that are the origin of the White River. After two and a half hours of hiking you will arrive at your camp, Challway, at about 9512 feet above sea level. (Insect repellant will be needed here.) Tea will be served upon your arrival and dinner will be served at about 7:30p.m.
Day 03:CHALLWAY – LA PLAYA – HYDROELECTRIC – AGUAS CALIENTES (About 4:30hrs – 22Km) (B), (L), (D)
From base camp, the route takes a moraine ridge and crosses rock slabs across the edge of the glacier to reach an area of tent platforms. On the afternoon we check our climbing equipments for the next day. We spend the night at 4 600masl. Walk about 4 hours.
Day 04:AGUAS CALIENTES – MACHU PICCHU – AGUAS CALIENTES – CUSCO (B)
Today you will tour Machu Picchu (7875 feet above sea level ), either hiking there beginning at 4:30a.m. or taking a bus at about 6:30a.m. Your guided tour of Machu Picchu will last about two hours. After that you will have time to hike the Huayna Picchu Mountain ( Maximun per day 400 persons can climb this Mount- quickly can get full spaces)or just wander around. In the afternoon, one or two hours before your train departure, you should take the bus down to Aguas Calientes, where you will take the Backpacker train to Ollantaytambo. Upon arrival, you will be driven to your hotel in Cusco.
Services included in the prices:
- Pre trek briefing
- Collection from your hotel in the morning of trek departure.
- Transport from Cusco to the trailhead at the beginning of the trek in private car
- Entry fee to Machu Picchu including Huayna Picchu, and Salkantay trek (if charged)
- English/Quechua/Spanish speaking professional guide (you will have an assistant guide for groups over 6 people).
- Tents – 2 people in a 4 person tent which allows for greater comfort, and also storage of backpacks.
- –Salkantay – Machupicchu 3Basic foam mattress. If you require greater comfort during the trek we can hire you an inflatable mattress (eg. Thermarest) .
- Cook and Cooking equipment (Assistants are provided for larger groups)
- Toilet tent
- Meals as indicated in the itinerary (optional vegetarian food). Our professional cooks prepare meals that incorporate elements of the western diet and also traditional Peruvian delicacies. (Please communicate with your guide/cook during the trek if you have a preference for certain types of dishes). Salads, if served, are washed in boiled water.
- Horses (for equipment and personal items) including horsemen. They carry camping equipment, food and kitchen utensils. We provide duffel bags at your briefing for your personal items (up to 7 kg/15lbs per person).
- 1 emergency horse which can be ridden if you are feeling ill or if are a little slower
- Dining tent with camp tables and chairs & Kitchen tent for the cook to prepare meals
- Tents for our staff to sleep in
- First aid kit including emergency oxygen bottle
- Bus up and down from Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu
- Train or equivalent luggage from Hydroelectric station to Aguas Calientes
- Train ticket (Expedition service) from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo
- Private transport from Ollantaytambo to Cusco.
- Celebratory dinner in Aguas Calientes
- Lunch on the last day is included in this itinerary.
- 1 night accommodation in Aguas Calientes in a basic hotel. This will be a nice, clean and safe hostel with breakfast included and private bathroom. If you wish to upgrade from this hotel, please check out the options listed on our Aguas Calientes accommodation page.
Not Included:
- Breakfast on the first morning.
- Entrance to the thermal springs.
- Sleeping bags – If you haven’t got a sleeping bag or you don’t want the hassle of bringing one all the way to Peru with you, then we have sleeping bags for hire.
- Tips for the guide, cook and porters.
- Extra activities
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