The Classic Salkantay 5 Days

We will pick you up from your hotel at 4:00 am to travel in the direction of Mollepata where we will have our optional breakfast at a local restaurant (not included), here we will purchase our entrance ticket to the Salkantay trail (Included) and then continue our journey towards Challacancha where our hike begins.

From here we will walk about 2 hours to Soraypampa by an Inca canal with impressive views of the snowy Salkantay, upon arrival we will have lunch in Soroypampa followed by a short break.

Then we will start our 1 hour hike uphill to the Humantay Lagoon at 4230m / 13,878ft. Once here our guide will explain the reason for the turquoise colors and you will have free time to explore and take pictures.

We will then return to Soraypampa at 3930m / 12,849ft for our tea time followed by dinner before heading to our tents to sleep.

Today is the most difficult day of the entire route, 20 km, our staff will wake you up at 4:40am with a cup of coca tea in their tents, at 5am will be our breakfast and then begin our hike up to the Salkantay pass at 4630 m above sea level. This first stretch will take us 3 to 4 hours to reach the pass.

Once at the highest point our guide will explain the importance of the mountains for the Andean communities, and we will have free time to celebrate our conquest with a small Andean ritual based on coca leaves. Then we will start our way down for about 2 hours to WayraqPunku for lunch.

After lunch we continue our trek downhill for about 3 hours more to the village of Chaullay at 2900 m, here we will have our tea time, dinner and will be our camp. In this place you can take a hot bath for 10 soles.

Today we will wake up at 5:00 am again with a cup of hot tea, followed by our delicious breakfast. Around 6:00am, our 5 hour hike begins, passing through plantations of coffee, bananas, avocados, coca and more.

In Sahuayaco we will have our lunch and then visit a local coffee plantation where we will be instructed on the varieties of coffee grown in this town. Afterwards we will continue our trip by local van to the thermal baths of CocalMayo, where we will spend some time in the pools before returning to our campsite.

Finally we will have our dinner and then go to rest in our tents, we will also organize a group campfire, if you wish tonight you can share some drinks moderately before going to bed.

After breakfast we will travel for 45 minutes by local car to the village of Llucmabamba, where we will start our hike uphill for 3 hours until we reach Llactapata from where we will have the first views of Machu Picchu in the distance and also our guide will explain the importance of the archaeological center of Llactapata.

Continuing we will begin to descend for about 2 hours to the village located next to the hydroelectric plant, here we will have our lunch. Finally, our hike continues for about 3 hours more along the train tracks towards the town of Aguas Calientes, where we will settle in a hotel in shared rooms followed by dinner at a local restaurant.

The big day has arrived, we will visit the archaeological park of Machu Picchu built by the Incas, you will wake up at 4:00 am so you can have breakfast at your hotel and then go by bus (included) for about 30 minutes to the park of Machu Picchu.

We will enter Machu Picchu to start the guided tour for about two hours to Machu Picchu, our guide will give you history lessons, will give you to know the functions of each place visited in the archaeological park, we will visit the most important places of Machu Picchu always following the new regulations of the Government.

After the guided tour, if you book an extra ticket for the Huayna Picchu mountain, you will start your additional hike.
At the recommended time you will return to the town of Aguas Calientes by bus (included) for lunch at a local restaurant (not included), then you will have free time to explore the town of Aguas Calientes before departing by train to the town of Ollantaytambo.

The train is the Expeditions service and leaves at 18:20, this trip lasts one hour and thirty by the Vilcanota river valley to Ollantaytambo, where our driver will be waiting to transfer you to the city of Cusco to your hotel, arriving at about 21:30 pm.

We do not offer return by bus, as the bus ride is a risky stretch.