DAY 1: START SALKANTAY TREK

Early in the morning, you will be taken from your hotel on a journey of approximately 4 hours through beautiful Andean landscapes to the town of Mollepata where you will enjoy a hearty breakfast. After breakfast you will continue for another hour in your transport until you reach Marqocasa, the starting point of your trek.

You will begin a 14 km hike to Soraypampa camp where you will have lunch. After lunch, you will hike up to the famous Humantay Lagoon located at 4220 meters above sea level, in a moderate ascent of 1 hour and 45 minutes. The highlight of this visit is the view of an impressive glacial lake of turquoise waters that shines under the imposing snow-capped Humantay. This first day of trekking will be a preparation for the following days.

Walk distance: 10.87 mi/ 17.5 km

Min altitude: 11.975 ft / 3,650 m

Max altitude: 14,731 ft / 4,490 m

Aprox. Time: 8 – 9 hrs

Diffucult level: Moderate

DAY 2: SORAYPAMPA – SALKANTAY PASS – CHAULLAY

This second day of trekking will be the most demanding of all as you will reach the highest point of the entire trek, the Salkantay Pass located at an altitude of 14,989 ft/4,570m. You will have the opportunity to raise an apacheta, a stone tower, as a sign of respect for the mountain, an ancient Inca custom. The view at the top will allow you to enjoy the beautiful landscapes surrounding the Salkantay mountain. Then, you will begin the descent towards the Humantay Valley to the town of Huayracmachay where you can enjoy a consistent lunch. After lunch and a short rest, you will continue the trek to Chaullay camp where you can spend the night. At this point the Peruvian Amazon begins. 

Walk distance: 14 mi/ 22 km

Min altitude: 9,680 ft / 2,950 m

Max altitude: 15,000 FT / 4,600 m

Aprox. Time: 8 hrs

Difficult level: Challenging

DAY 3: CHAULLAY – SANTA TERESA – HOT SPRINGS

You will wake up to the typical sound of the jungle.  After breakfast you will begin your hike along the banks of the Santa Teresa River that will take you through forests of local trees, fruit and coffee plantations and beautiful tropical views. You will arrive at the village of Playa Sahuayaco where you will enjoy lunch. At the end of lunch, you will be taken in a transport to the Santa Teresa camp where you can relax taking a bath in its transparent hot springs and then spend the night.

Walk distance: 9.6 mi/ 15.5 km

Min altitude: 6,037 ft / 1,840 m

Max altitude: 9,236 ft / 2,815 m

Aprox. Time: 6 hrs

Difficult level: Moderate

DAY 4: LUCMABAMBA – LLAQTAPATA – AGUAS CALIENTES

After breakfast, you will be taken in a transport to Lucmababa, the start of this day’s trek. You will leave the valley to climb a trail that will lead you to the impressive archaeological center of Llaqtapata in a walk of about 3 hours. From this place you will have beautiful views of Machupicchu and the Salkantay mountain. After exploring this place, we will descend for 2 hours until we reach the train station of Hidroelectrica, where lunch will be served. After lunch, you will walk for 3 hours until you reach the town of Aguas Calientes where you can rest in a comfortable hotel. There you will spend the night, but not before exploring this picturesque town.

Walk distance: 7.5 mi/ 12 km

Min altitude: 6,070 ft / 1,850 m

Max altitude: 8,200 ft / 2,500 m

Aprox. Time: 8 hrs

Difficult level: Moderate/challenging

DAY 5: AGUAS CALIENTES – MACHUPICCHU – CUSCO

This day, you will wake up very early to take the bus that will take you to the entrance of Machupicchu. If you choose to bring a breakfast box, you will be able to see the sunrise over the citadel.

Machupicchu is not only impressive for the advanced architecture used in it but also for the beauty of its construction that contrasts with the green peaks of the surrounding mountains.

On this tour of approximately 2 hours you can visit the temple of the 3 windows, the temple of the sun, the royal tomb, the intihuatana or sundial among others. At the end of the tour you will return to Aguas Calientes for lunch and take the train to Ollantaytambo where your transfer will be waiting to take you to your hotel in Cusco.

Note: It is possible to climb the Huayna Picchu mountain by making a reservation well in advance because there are limited spaces per day.