CLASSIC SALKANTAY TREK

DAY BY DAY CLASSIC SALKANTAY TREK 5 DAYS/4 NIGHTS

Day 1|Cusco-Mollepata-Challacancha-Soraypampa Humantay Lake-Soraypampa

Today you will have an early start and will be picked up from your hotel around 4:00 a.m. You will travel in our comfortable transportation with blankets in case you wish to sleep a little longer during the trip. After two hours, we will make a brief stop in Mollepata to enjoy a delicious breakfast. Then, we will continue to Challacancha, the starting point of the trek.

Before starting our adventure, you will meet the cooks and the muleteers; you will also check your luggage for the last time, and then we will head out on the trail. You will begin with a moderate three-hour hike to Soraypampa (3,900 m / 12,795 ft), where we will spend our first night. The beginning of the section is relatively flat with a slight ascent through a deep glacier valley. You will notice that much of the trail follows a restored Inca water channel, which local farmers still use today. This trail is 7 km / 4.35 miles in total.

Once in Soraypampa, you will settle into our exclusive Sky Camp for the night. You will have some time to rest after enjoying your first lunch around the mountains. After recharging your energy, we will start hiking up to the beautiful Humantay Lake (4,200 m/13,780 ft).

This round trip takes three hours and covers a distance of 3 km / 1.86 miles. It’s not far, but take it easy at this altitude. Once you reach the lagoon, you will have time to enjoy the fantastic scenery. There are not many places in the Andes as impressive as the turquoise waters glistening against the Humantay glacier. You will truly feel like you are in a fairy tale.

Upon returning to camp, you will enjoy a delicious and well-deserved dinner in the company of a beautiful sunset. There is no way to describe the energy here, you will feel the tranquility once you arrive. Afterwards, you can rest in your igloo at Sky Camp. From the glass roof, you will enjoy a night under the stars, constellations, and comets. In the morning, you will wake up and see the Apu Salkantay in front of you.

Day 2|Soraypampa-Salkantay Pass-Huayracmachay-Chaullay.

Today you will wake up with the light of the first rays of the day and an energizing coca tea to give you energy. Enjoy a nutritious breakfast before setting out on the impressive two-hour horseback ride to the highest point, the Abra Salkantay (4,630 m / 15,190 ft). It is a challenging ascent, but riding on horseback along the “path of the 7 snakes” helps to make it less demanding.

Once at the top, you will appreciate the most magnificent view over the surrounding valleys, as well as the Salkantay mountain next to you (6,271 m / 20,574 ft), which is the secondhighest mountain in the Cusco region, considered Apus (Inca Gods). You will also be able to observe the mountains: Humantay, Tucarhuay, and Pumasillo. After enjoying the views and rest, you will start descending (7 km / 4.35 miles) to the point of our lunch at Huayracmachay (3,850 m / 12,631 ft), from where you can enjoy fantastic views. This section of the trail is rocky, steep, and has wonderful views of the valley. After a revitalizing lunch, you will enter the edge of the rainforest, also known as the “cloud forest”. This hike has a distance of 9.7 km / 5.97 miles and lasts approximately three hours. Along the way, you will enjoy a magical rainforest and witness how the environment changes rapidly and drastically from the Andes to the Amazon. You will observe colorful landscapes, unique wildlife, native plants and feel the climate become much warmer.

At the end of this incredible day, you will arrive at Collpapampa to spend the night. Finally, you will be served a hearty meal before resting in our exclusive Mountain Sky View Campsite.

Day 3|Chaullay-Collpapampa-Loreta-La Playa-Lucmabamba-Cocalmayo-Jungle Domes

Today we will start the day around 6:00 a.m. for hot tea and breakfast before leaving the camp. Then, we will walk through the Santa Teresa valley until we reach our first destination, La Playa. During the tour, we will take a more leisurely walk, with more downhills than uphills, as we immerse ourselves in the lush landscape of rivers, waterfalls, orchids and various plantations: banana, coffee, and avocado. In addition, you may be lucky enough to see Peru’s national bird, the “Gallito de las Rocas”.

At La Playa, we will enjoy lunch before heading for an hour to Lucmabamba (2,000 m / 6,562 ft), where our campsite is located. In the afternoon, you will have free time to explore the tropical surroundings and visit an organic coffee farm, perfect for those who are coffee lovers. Even if you are not a fan of a cup of coffee, the smell in the air is delicious. This is the main agricultural industry in the jungle that exports products to the United States, Asia, and all of Europe. You will also visit avocado and orange plantations.

After this incredible experience, you will go to the hot springs of Cocalmayo to take a comforting bath and relax after several days of hiking. You will take a break and feel the tranquility of the surroundings. Later, you will return to Lucmabamba to spend the night in our Jungle Domes. While resting, you can listen to the different sounds of nature and feel in harmony with mother earth.

Day 4|Lucmabamba-Llactapata-Hidroelectrica-Aguas Calientes

After a hearty breakfast, you will hike a bit of the original and world-famous Inca Trail. After climbing for two hours and enjoying fascinating views over the Santa Teresa valley, you will arrive at Llactapata (2,700 m / 8,858 ft), an Inca archaeological site located in front of Machu Picchu. Llactapata is the first Inca complex you will see on the hike, and you will learn all about the mysteries of the ancient culture and the extraordinary site. Even from here, you will get a first glimpse of Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu. Our guide will explain the history of the Incas while you take as many pictures as you want as a souvenir to share your fantastic experiences with your Afterwards, you will descend for an hour and a half and have the opportunity to see along the way the Inca citadel, Machu Picchu, which will encourage your anticipation to make tomorrow more exciting. We will stop in Aobamba for lunch before continuing for half an hour to Hidroeléctrica (1,800 m / 5,906 ft). One of the most impressive sights on this stretch is the 250-meter-high artificial waterfall that generates electricity for the entire city of Cusco.

Once in Hidroeléctrica, you will hike to the train track that will take you to Aguas Calientes, appreciating the best scenery along the way. Once in the small town, you will enjoy dinner at an exclusive restaurant and spend the night in a comfortable hotel.

Note: During the rainy season, hiking the Llactapata trail is not 100% guaranteed for safety reasons. When there are frequent heavy rains, this trail can become very dangerous.

Day 5|Aguas Calientes-Machu Picchu-Ollantaytambo-Cusco

Today is the day you have been waiting for since you started your trek. You will finally visit one of the new seven wonders of the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Machu Picchu. You will have to get up early to make sure you avoid the crowds and enjoy the serenity of the place in the morning light.

After going up to the Inca citadel by bus, you’ll enjoy a guided tour of approximately two hours to this incredible ancient site to see temples, houses, palaces, cultivated fields, among others. You’ll be impressed by the intelligence of the Incas in terms of engineering work, which was far ahead of its time and remains a mystery in many respects. The Incas did not have the tools we use today, but they were still able to build and organize their community on the side of a mountain and even create a water system with aqueducts and canals.

Bonus fact: When a Peruvian guide showed this site to Hiram Bingham, it was almost unrecognizable, covered in thick vegetation and in a state of disrepair. Since then, it has been cleaned and restored; today, it is protected and treasured by people from all corners of the world.

After your guided tour, you can choose to climb Huayna Picchu Mountain (2,720 m /8,924 ft) or Machu Picchu Mountain (3,000 m / 9,843 ft) if you booked your tickets in advance. These treks will take you an hour and a half and three hours up and down, respectively.

Later, we will return to Aguas Calientes for lunch before boarding the Vistadome train that will take you to Ollantaytambo with the best panoramic views along the way. Upon arrival in Ollantaytambo, our private transportation will pick you up and take you back to your hotel in Cusco.

Finally, you will take a well-deserved rest; however, your heart will continue to beat to the rhythm of the Andes for many weeks, months and years to come.