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This shorter alternative to the Salkantay Premium is sure to ‘peak’ your interest as you walk between the towering peaks of Humantay and Salkantay mountain as you make your way to Machu Picchu. This is truly the experience of a lifetime! Did you know that the Salkantay Trek is listed as one of the 25 best treks in the world by National Geographic Adventure Travel Magazine? Join us, and discover what it means to walk the sacred paths of the Inca.
The Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu is one of the most famous treks in Cusco and it is undoubtedly the best alternative route to experience the original Inca paths. This trek takes you through many different types of landscapes. You will have the best opportunity to see the typical Andean landscape up to the snowcapped mountains, down to the tropical forests and finally even venture into the dense jungle. If you are thinking to do a hiking trip to Machu Picchu and you want to be off the beaten path, close to the Andean communities and appreciate the beautiful and diverse nature of Peru, the Salkantay Trek is highly recommended.
We start the day by picking you up from your hotel at approx 04:00 AM. We will drive for around 4 hours, crossing Anta and Mollepata and ending up at Challancha. Through the windows of the bus you can clearly see the white, snowcapped mountains of Apus Salkantay and Humantay: two colossal gods of the Incas. You will also see spectacular scenery of high peaks and low valleys in a colorful and contrasting panorama filling every direction you turn your eyes! After the first two hours of driving, we will stop quickly in Mollepata to take advantage of the toilet facilities, souvenir shops, and an optional, short breakfast. We will then continue to Challacancha, the starting point for our trek.
We will meet our support staff, and they will organize all of the equipment and cargo mules. Around 09:30 AM, we will begin trekking to Soraypampa (3850 MASL – 12631 FASL), the first campsite on our journey. The first section of the path takes us over a few deep valleys along the side of a mountain. At some parts of the trail, an old aqueduct can still be seen which still supplies water to farmers in the lower valleys. We will travel 7 km (4.35 miles) in 3 hours to Soraypampa where we will have our lunch at the base camp of Salkantay.
After lunch and a short rest, we hike up to the unforgettable Humantay Lake (4200 MASL – 13779 ft). This is a 5 km (3.1miles) round-trip which we will walk in a total of 3 hours. This place one of the most beautiful sights in all the Andes with unbelievable blue-green water reflecting the mountain glaciers of Apu Humantay. It seems like something out of a dream or fairy tale! Back at our camp, the background of the valley at sunset creates the most peaceful scene with an energy that can only be felt and not described! Because Soraypampa (our camp) is located in the middle of the glacier valleys, the sky is so immensely clear at night that you can truly appreciate the stars, constellations, and even comets shooting across the pitch blackness, uninterrupted by the hustle, bustle, or lights of the city. Take a moment this night to re-center your spirit and consider all the deep things of life in the profound silence and tranquility of Soraypampa!
After a hearty lunch at La Playa, we will take local transportation to the Hidroelectrica train station.Here you will have two options:
1) If you are exhausted, you may take the train to Aguas Calientes ($34.00 extra).
2) If you are still eager to hike, you may walk from Hidroelectrica to Aguas Calientes for about 3 hours along the train track. There is a nice path next to the tracks through the warm paradise of the cloud forest. This is the same trail used by the American professor Hiram Bingham who rediscovered Machu Picchu after centuries of it being lost to the outside world!
Once in Aguas Calientes, you can rest a bit before dinner or walk around this alluring place that has the feel of a California Gold Rush town. There are no cars in Aguas Calientes, so it is an especially peaceful place to be. At 7:00 PM, we will have dinner at a local restaurant. All the expenses in Aguas Calientes are covered by the company, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and the overnight stay at our hostel. In your luxury room, you will have a private bathroom, hot shower, wifi, breakfast in the morning, and luggage storage while you visit Machu Picchu.
Today’s the day you’ve been longing for since you set foot on the trail. You’re going to be visiting one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Machu Picchu! We’ll wake up while it’s still dark out after enjoying a restful night’s sleep in our hostel. We like to begin this final day early to beat the large crowds at Machu Picchu and enjoy the soft morning light hitting the massive rocks. The entrance opens at 6:00 am, and we want to be one of the first inside.
From Aguas Calientes, we’ll take a bus up to the Inca citadel before entering and gazing in awe at the incredible construction. Once in the complex, you’ll enjoy a tour of approximately two hours with your guide and visit the most important parts: houses, temples, terraces, cultivation fields, among others. You’ll truly be amazed by the ingenuity of the Incas, which to this day remains a mystery.
The ancient culture didn’t have modern tools or even iron or steel to work with. Those who constructed the city were geniuses in organizing this community sustainably and beautifully on the side of a mountain, even bringing water in canals and aqueducts through its streets for the people to use. When a Peruvian guide showed this site to Hiram Bingham, it was almost unrecognizable, covered in thick vegetation and a state of disrepair. It has since been cleaned and restored and is now protected and treasured by the world at large.
After your incredible guided tour of the citadel, you’ll have the chance to enjoy one of the additional hikes up Huayna Picchu Mountain (2,720 m / 8,924 ft) or Machu Picchu Mountain (3,000 m / 9,843 ft); these tickets must be booked in advance. You’ll be able to contemplate an incredible view over the citadel of Machu Picchu, one of the best panoramas in the world.
You need to ensure you come back down to Aguas Calientes to enjoy some lunch before you catch the train back to Ollantaytambo. Your train time will depend on availability. In Ollantaytambo, our private transport will be awaiting you to transport you back to your accommodation in Cusco. You’ll now be able to enjoy a well-deserved rest, although your heart will be soaring high in the Andes like a condor for years to come.
We want to make your trip to Peru as memorable and as easy as possible. In this section, you will find speedy answers to all those questions you had about Salkantay Trek 4 Days in one place. Please read the following information carefully – it will help you with any questions about our services.
Has another question that we haven’t answered here? Drop us a line, and we will get back to you asap!
All information meetings are held in your hotel at 6:00 p.m., one night before the tour begins. If you cannot attend, you must coordinate another time at the Peru Hike offices. These meetings last approximately 30 to 45 minutes and there you will be given a small duffel bag, in which you’ll put all the belongings you intend to bring on the trek that won’t be in your day pack.
ou’ll receive a canvas case or duffel bag during your briefing. The porters will take them on the way and will deliver them to you when you get to each camp. They measure 66 cm / 2 ft. Long x 36 cm / 1 ft. Wide.
A maximum of 5 kg is allowed for each duffel bag that includes the weight of your sleeping bag, mat, clothes and other personal items.
The trek has to be paid for in full by at least 7.30 pm two days before departure. For example, if your tour departs on a Wednesday, then you must come to our office before 7.30 pm on Monday.
It would be much appreciated if you pay the trek balance in cash US dollars or local currency. You can withdraw some money from several ATMs along Avenida Sol (either in US dollars or local Peruvian Soles). You can pay by credit card or PAYPAL online, but you will have to pay an 8% service charge, charged by VISA and PAYPAL. We do not accept bank checks or payment of the balance by traveler’s checks.
Of course! During the travel, your main luggage can be stored at our office(you can organize briefing day or by email) or at your hotel, both free of charge.
Any equipment that you are not going to need on the trek can be stored safely in your hotel. Nearly every hotel will provide this service. Don’t leave items of value with your bags, put them in the hotel safe and obtain an itemized receipt (In the unlikely case of theft many insurance companies require that you have a copy of the receipt itemizing all the items). Best put items such as credit cards inside a sealed, signed envelope for extra peace of mind.
Peru Hike can pick you up from your hotel, as long as it’s in the Historic Center of Cusco. The pickup time will be coordinated with your guide in the briefing. The pickup time may vary between 30 and 45 minutes due to traffic. Cusco is a very old city, therefore, it has many narrow cobbled streets. Some hotels and Airbnbs may be located on streets without access to cars or on long, steep slopes, making it difficult to transport luggage. We strongly recommend that you book accommodation with good access.
Returning from Machu Picchu requires quite a bit of logistics, but don’t worry. Everything is included in your tour!
Group tours are made up of different types of people. Physical conditions and ages can vary. By agreeing to be part of a group tour, you also accept that some people may be faster or slower than you. Therefore, each person can go at their own pace on the route. It may be the case that a group wishes to modify the tour; however, it will be the guide who decides, after consulting with all the participants, if said modifications can be made.
Strikes and demonstrations are usually frequent in Peru and this may interrupt some of our tours. Roads can be blocked and train tracks can be taken over. However, we will try to keep your excursion as planned, even if it means leaving the night before the scheduled date. Under these circumstances, tours may also be cancelled. In case of changes or cancellations, all situations will be coordinated with you by our operations department. Your safety is our highest priority and our decisions will be made to protect it.
You’re responsible for your objects during the tour. Please pay attention to where you leave your things and remember to take everything once you leave our trucks, tents, or restaurants.
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The 4D/3N Salkantay Trek absolutely exceeded all my expectations!! Wayna and Freddie were so knowledgeable and supportive throughout our journey, and by the end we were all great friends. The trek is challenging, but doable and SO worth it!!!! The food, the accommodation, the guides, the views, the experience, every part of it was so worth it. Could not recommend this tour enough, do it!!!
I did the Salkantay Trek 4D/3N to Macchu Picchu. This was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I had never done a multi day hike/trek before this and I felt like this was the perfect introduction – not too hard and very enjoyable. Our guides Fredi Zapata and Carlitos made the experience all the more special – they shared so much of their Quechuan culture with us (not just general information but experiences and stories personal to them too) throughout. I highly recommend doing the trek with this company and if you can ask for Fredi and Alexander to be your guides!
I never write reviews because usually my experience is as promoted and that’s it. I’ve done a lot of trips around the world and this one was by far the most inspiring and spiritual trek I’ve ever done. Not only does the company answer your questions from day 1, they are well organized, have comfortable véhicules and all the accommodations were way better than I could have imagined. The food was perfect and balanced for the hard hikes and the magic morning hours. I just can’t recommend PERU HIKE enough.. Do it, don’t hesitate you’ll love it.
But the face of the company was my guide Luilo.. What a champion.. Well spoken, insanely knowledgeable and just a fun guy to be around. He knows the mountains, he knows how to adapt to everyone in the group. Always thinking ahead to make sure everyone is happy and comfortable.. This isn’t a fast grab kind of trek, this is a professional and well thought out company and Luilo made it complète magic.
I honestly can’t thank Luilo and the team enough, you made my mid life, bucket list dream a reality and much more. This one is for the books..
In particular we liked the enthusiasm of the guides and the way they made us feel as a family during the 4 days. They were able to share a ton of their knowledge of the nature, mountains and Inca culture, (beyond of what I have experienced in other tours). In addition the food on the trek was way above our expectations, and the accommodations as well.
Definitely recommend Peru hike company and Royli and Carlitos for those interested in this tre
We did the four day trek Machupicchu. The experience was amazing!! Our guide Franz did an excellent job, supporting us, teaching us about all the different places as well as the different plants and flowers around. It’s not an easy hike but well worth it!! I struggled with a little altitude sickness near the top but Franz was very patient and helped me get to the top.