SALKANTAY PRIVATE 5 DAYS / 4 NIGHTS
DAY 1: CUSCO – MOLLEPATA – SORAYPAMPA
We start the day picking you up from your hotel at 4:30 am. Then we will travel in a tour bus, passing through the towns of Izcuchaca and Limatambo and arriving at Mollepata (2900 meters/ 9500 feet) around 7:30 am. Here we will have our first breakfast and we can leave our 7 kilos for our riders. After, we will take a 1 hour shuttle ride to Challacancha (3380 meters/ 11,090 feet). From this point, we will begin our 3 hour hike, arriving at Soraypampa (3900 meters /12,800 feet) around 1:30 pm. There we will eat our first lunch and set up our first campsite. After lunch, we will go to the beautiful Lake Humantay.
LAKE HUMANTAY: After a 1 and ½ hour ascent, we will arrive at the impressive Lake Humantay (4220 meters/13,850 feet) where we can enjoy the turquoise color of the lake and the snowy Humantay Mountain peak. Then we will make our 40 minute descent to our campsite in Soraypampa for tea time, which is at approximately 6:00 pm and after we will eat a delicious dinner prepared for us by our chef. Finally, we will spend the night in our tents.
- (12 km/ 7.5 miles) – 5 hours
DAY 2: SORAYPAMPA – SALKANTAY – CHAULLAY
At 5:00 am we will get ready to eat a nutritious breakfast so that later we can continue our hike. We leave from Soraypampa at 5:30 am and we will hike for 3 hours to the highest point at Abra Salkantay, where we can enjoy views of the snow capped mountains of Salkantay, Humantay, Tucarhuay, and Pumasillo (4650 meters/ 15,250 feet). As we pass thorugh Salktanaypampa and Soyrococha, we stop to see a small lake, then we will begin the descent towards Huarachmachhay (3 hours) (3800 meters/ 12,470 feet). Here we will eat lunch and then we will continue the hike, taking note of the drastic change in landscape. This hike is quite amazing! After, we continue our descent towards Chaullay (3 hours) (2900 meters/ 9500 feet) where our second campsite will be.
- (22 km/ 13.7 miles) – 10 hours
DAY 3: CHAULLAY – PLAYA SAHUAYACO
We will eat breakfast at 6:00 am, then immediately we will begin our 5 ½ hour trek along the edge of the jungle through ascents and descents. In this route we will enjoy views of plantations of coffee, orchids, begonias, bromelias, and many other plants used for medicinal purposes. Then, we will arrive at our lunch spot in Playa Sahuayaco where we will have a buffet style lunch. After, we will have a locally guided tour of coffee preparation and finally we will enjoy a delicious dinner prepared for us by our chef.
- (14 km/ 8.5 miles) – 5 hours
DAY 4: LUCMABAMBA-LLACTAPATA-HIDROELECTRICA-AGUAS CALIENTES
Today’s sunrise will take place in a tropical area full of history and nature, and here our breakfast will be waiting for us to enjoy before continuing our journey. After breakfast we will head to Lucmabamba by car, then we will start to walk towards Llactapata for a 3-hour ascent along the Inca Trail where we can enjoy the beautiful views of the Santa Teresa Valley. In Llactapata we will see our first view of Machu Picchu Mountain and Huayna Picchu Mountain. This will be the first archeological site where we see the Lost City of the Incas! This is a very important place where we will have time to learn about the history of this land.
After we will continue descending for 2 hours, and in this part of the walk you will be able to observe Machu Picchu until we arrive to the station of Hidroeléctrica to eat lunch in a local restaurant.
You have two options:
- If you are very tired, you can take the train from Hidroeléctrica to Aguas Calientes ($32.00 extra)
- If you still want to continue walking from Hidroeléctrica to Aguas Calientes, you can walk for approximately 3 hours along the train tracks where you’ll have a majestic view of a warm forest.
- (18 km/ 11 miles) – 7 hours
DAY 5: AGUAS CALIENTES – MACHUPICCHU – CUSCO
The grand finale! We will wake up very early this morning for our visit to Machu Picchu, where we will have a guided tour of the citadel to see and learn about temples, terraces, and all of the incredible stone structures that make Machu Picchu a Wonder of the World. After the guided tour you will have free time for more photos and to continue exploring on your own. For those who have previously selected to climb *Huayna Picchu Mountain or *Machu Picchu Mountain, you will do so at your designated time (1st group: 6am to 8am, 2nd group: 9am to 11am)
After your tour in the park you will return to Aguas Calientes where you will wait for your return train to Ollantaytambo at 6:20pm. From Ollantaytambo we will take our final return bus back to Cusco.
*Note: ask in advance for availability. 20 USD per person
WHAT IS INCLUDED?
TRANSPORTATION
The following transportation services are included within the tour:
- Tourist Transport Cusco: Mollepata trip, approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes
- Mollepata- Challacancha Transport, approximately 45 minutes
- Playa Sahuayaco- Santa Teresa Transport
- 1 consetour bus (Aguas Calientes- Machu Picchu)
- Tourist Transport from Ollantaytambo station to Cusco (Plaza Regocijo)
ENTRANCE TICKET
Entrance ticket to Machupicchu
TRAIN TICKETS
The return train hour – the hour that we work with is the TRAIN EXPEDITION AT 6:20 PM
CAMPING EQUIPMENT
We include all of the camping equipment necessary to ensure the confort of our customers:
- 1 tent for every 2 people: the tents that we offer to our customers are spacious, with intial capacity for 4 people, but we only use them for 2 people
- 7 extra kilos for the backpacks on horse (personal items)
- Sleeping mats with a thickness of 5 centimeters
- Trekking poles
- Sleeping bag
CAMPSITE INFRASTRUCTURE
We have camps set up in every designated CAMPING SITE, which include:
- Soraypampa: the tents are set up under a shelter to prevent our customers from being cold
- Chaullay and Santa Teresa: the camping sites are spacious so that travelers can enjoy the open views to the fullest during their limited stay in each place
ACCOMODATIONS
The accommodation that is included in the PRESIDENTE HOTEL in the town of Aguas Calientes.
- All of the rooms come with a private bath and shower
- Hot water
- WI-FI
- Take- Away breakfast (juice box, cheese sandwich, crackers and one fruit)
SUPPORT STAFF
- Official Tourism Guide- our guides are certified by DIRECTUR with a minimum experience of 3 years. Groups bigger than 14 people will be
- accompanied by a SECOND GUIDE (with a maximum group size of 18 people)
- Cook specialized in high mountain cuisine- comes with special stainless steel kitchen equipment
- Muleteers and horses to carry all of the camping and cooking equipment
- 7 kilos for extra personal items each passenger (within the luggage of each passenger the weight of the sleeping bag will also be included)
FOOD
- All the food required during the tour is included.All of the food we offer is BUFFET SERVICE (except for the fourth lunch and fourth dinner, which are in tourist restaurants).
- 5 Breakfasts
- 4 Lunches
- 3 Snacks (Soraypampa, Chaullay y Santa Teresa – includes chocolate, mate, café, leche, tea, popcorn, crackers)
- 4 Dinners
- Coca Tea to wake you up EVERY MORNING in the campsites
- Oxygen (Oxishot)
- First Aid Kit (Only the generic, it’s necessary that the passanger still comes with their own personal medication)
- Radios
NOT INCLUDED
- Lunch on the last day
- Entrance Fee to Huaynapicchu Mountainoio and/or Machu Picchu Mountain
- Hidroeléctrica Train
- Service and extra expenses
RECOMMENDATIONS :
- Passport (Note: required for entrance to Machu Picchu)
- Backpack
- Warm clothes
- Rain jacket
- Flashlight
- Hat
- Various shirts
- Insect Repellent
- Rain poncho
- Water purificaiton tablets
- Personal medication
- Water bottle
- Original student ID card (isic) if you have one
- Extra money
- Walking Sticks
IN CASE THE PASSANGER FEELS SICK AND WISHES TO RETURN TO CUSCO FROM THE FIRST CAMPSITE AT SORAYPAMPA, THE COMPANY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY REFUND AND/OR EXTRA EXPENSES FOR YOUR RETURN TO CUSCO, GIVING THEM THE OPTION TO REACH THE GROUP AT AGUAS CALIENTES (passanger is responsible for these expenses)
NOTE: If you wish to reserve your own hotel or work with a specifc hotel, let us know in advance so that we are able to coordinate the details.
The Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu is one of the best alternatives to the Inca Trail and is a great option for the adventurers who want to experience the drastic changes in landscape from mountain to jungle, as well as for those who are able to handle the high altitude and long distances. Ascending the Salkantay Pass of 4650 m (approx. 15,300 ft) is challenging, but with the right preparation we know you’ll find this trek to be incredibly rewarding too. Read through our Frequently Asked Questions before your trek to make sure you feel as prepared as possible before your departure.
During the rainy, warmer season temperatures average around 15°C / 60°F during the day and 5°C / 40°F at night. However, with a high chance of rain and wind at the Salkantay Pass, these temperatures may feel colder to you.
During the dry season the weather is sunny and clear and on average 20° C / 70 °F during the day but much colder at night, around -3 °C / 26 °F.
Also, after the second day, as we descend into the Peruvian Amazon basin, the weather changes to a more humid and warmer climate and these humid temperatures are consistent throughout the year.
The Salkantay 5D/3N Trek includes 4 breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 4 dinners.
The only meals not included are breakfast on the first day and lunch/dinner on the last day after Machu Picchu.
In Aguas Calientes you will sleep in a hostel.
Note: In January 2019 we will be upgrading to comfortable sleeping cabins in Soraypampa and Chaullay, with two beds per cabin and new dining facilities too. Stay tuned!
Other additional expenses include:
- Hot shower at the Chaullay campsite (10 soles)
- Cocalmayo hot springs in Santa Teresa (25 soles)
- Zipline on day 4 of the Salkantay 5D/4N Trek (20 USD in our office, 30 USD to book at the campsite)
- Optional bus that runs between Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu entrance (12 USD one way, 24 USD there and back)
- Food/souvenirs in Aguas Calientes. Note: Aguas Calientes is an expensive town, expect to pay ~30 soles per meal.
- Tips for guide, horsemen, and cooks.
After lunch on the 3rd day in Playa Sahuayaco, the 4-Day Salkantay trekkers take a bus from the lunch spot to Hidroeléctrica. In Hidroeléctrica they will walk three hours to Aguas Calientes where they will spend the night in a hostel.
Also, the Salkantay 4D/3N trek covers a total distance of 60 km/ 37 mi and the Salkantay 5D/4N trek covers 72 km/ 45 mi.
