The Salkantay is a mountain of Peru 6271 meters high. It is the highest peak of Cordillera Vilcabamba, about 60 km northwest of Cusco. This beautiful trek will take you to the slopes of this glacier to end with the lost citadel of Machu Picchu. A truly unforgettable tour for mountain lovers, walks and breathtaking landscapes.
Group tours> departures every day of the year
Altitude: 1950 – 4600 m.
Difficulty level: moderate / difficult (3.5 out of 5)
We will leave Cusco at 5:30am and head towards Marcoccasa (3400m/11154f), passing the village of Mollepata (3000m/9843f). In Marcoccasa we will meet the horsemen and the rest of the group and start our trek. We start hiking in the high part of the magnificent Soraypampa valley, surrounded by the most important snow-capped mountains such as Humantay (5217m/17116f) and Salkantay (6264m/20551f). In the afternoon we hike to “Laguna de Humantay” (a beautiful lake at the foothill of Humatay snowy peak). The walk to Humantay lasts about 3 hours (return). Our campsite will be in Soraypampa (3900m/12795f).
Climate: cold
Transport time: 3hrs 30 hours
Hiking time: 6 hours
After breakfast we will set off towards the Salkantay Pass (4600m/15092f) that offers an exceptional view of the snow-capped mountain (6264m). Thereafter we descend in the Wayraqmachay Valley and enjoy the increasing vegetation of the ecosystem. Our campsite will be in Challway (3000m/9842ft), amidst high tropical forest.
Climate: warm with mosquitoes
Hiking time: 8-9 hours
After breakfast by car we head from Challway to Lucmabamba (200m). Here we follow an Inca path up to Archaeological complex of Llactapata (2650m). From here we can observe Montaña Machu Picchu and Vilcanota Canyon. We continue our descent till Hidroelectrica train station where we take the train to Aguas Calientes.
Climate: warm with Mosquitoes
Transport time: 1 hour
Hiking time: 6 hours
We will leave our hotel after breakfast at 5:30am and head for Machu Picchu (2400m/7874f) by tourist bus. We arrive at the citadel around 6:00am. After a guided tour around the archaeological site, including information about life and culture of the Incas, we have enough time to enjoy Machu Picchu. For the more adventurous there is also the possibility to climb to the top of Huayna Picchu or visit the Machu Picchu Mountain or the Huchuy Picchu. After our free time, we will get back to leave Aguas Calientes and leave to Ollantaytambo by train. From Ollantaytambo we continue to Cusco by train.
Climate: warm with mosquitoes
Peruetico does not organize this trek, we work with a serious and professional local agency that respects workers’ salary conditions and is environmental friendly.
A briefing with the guide is scheduled the evening before the start of the trek at 6pm.
Campsites during the trek are subject to change due to weather conditions and / or at the discretion of the guide.
Group tour with guide in English/Spanish.
Remember to bring your original passport
This trek is considered level 3,5 (on a scale of 1 to 5); Suitable for fit people.
The train departs from Aguas Calientes at 4.43pm and your arrival time in Cusco is around 8.30pm. It is possible to take an earlier train (2.55 pm, with arrival time in Cusco around 6.30 pm). It has an additional cost of 25 USD per person.
