5-Day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu

Your journey begins with an early hotel pickup in Cusco and a drive through the Andean countryside via Mollepata to Challacancha. Meet your trekking team, prepare your daypack and begin walking toward Soraypampa, with the Humantay and Salkantay mountains forming the backdrop to your first day on the trail.

From the Soraypampa area, hike to Humantay Lake at approximately 13,780 ft (4,200 m). The ascent is demanding at altitude, so your guide coordinates the pace and breaks. Take time to recover, enjoy the turquoise water and photograph the glacial landscape before descending to the valley. Lunch is included, with the stop coordinated around the day’s progress.

Continue beyond Soraypampa to Salkantaypampa for your first camping night beneath the Salkantay massif. Your team prepares camp while you settle in. Afternoon tea and a freshly cooked dinner bring the group together before a cold mountain night. Your sleeping bag, mat and pillow are provided, ready for the next morning’s ascent.

Wake to a warm cup of tea at your tent, followed by breakfast before the climb toward Salkantay Pass. Your guide sets the departure time according to weather, trail conditions and the group’s pace. From Salkantaypampa, follow the increasingly rocky trail toward the highest point of the journey: approximately 15,190 ft (4,630 m).

At the pass, pause to recover and take in the mountain landscape. When weather and safety allow, your guide explains the significance of Apu Salkantay in Andean traditions and leads a respectful gratitude ceremony. This is a moment for cultural understanding, reflection and photographs; the length of the stop depends on conditions and how the group is feeling.

Begin the descent toward Wayracmachay, where the team prepares lunch. As you continue downhill, the exposed alpine surroundings gradually give way to greener slopes and the upper cloud forest. Reach Chaullay for your second camp. Enjoy afternoon tea, dinner and time to rest after the trek’s most demanding mountain crossing.

After breakfast, continue through the warmer landscapes of the Salkantay Valley toward La Playa and Lucmabamba. The scenery changes from the high mountains of the previous day to riverside vegetation, fruit trees and small farms. Your guide introduces the agricultural landscape along the route, with plants and wildlife sightings varying by season. Lunch is included during the day.

In Lucmabamba, meet a local coffee host and discover how coffee moves from the plant to your cup. Learn about cultivation and the stages of pulping, fermentation, washing and drying. Join the roasting, grinding and brewing activities, then enjoy the coffee you helped prepare. During harvest season, you may also have the opportunity to pick ripe coffee cherries; harvesting depends on the season and farm conditions.

Settle into your third campsite, surrounded by Lucmabamba’s greener valley scenery. Enjoy afternoon tea and a freshly prepared dinner with your group before resting for tomorrow’s climb toward Llactapata. This evening completes the camping part of your journey, after nights in both mountain and cloud-forest landscapes.

After breakfast in Lucmabamba, begin the climb toward Llactapata. The trail takes you through forest and opens onto views of the Santa Teresa Valley and surrounding mountains. Your guide coordinates the pace and breaks as you gain elevation, with the archaeological area of Llactapata as your morning destination.

When visibility allows, look across the valley for your first distant view of Machu Picchu. After days of walking through mountain and forest landscapes, this is a special opportunity to see the destination you have been approaching. Your guide explains Llactapata’s archaeological importance and its relationship with the wider Inca landscape before you begin the descent.

Continue toward Hidroeléctrica for lunch and your farewell to the trekking crew. Then walk along the railway corridor through subtropical scenery beside the Urubamba River toward Aguas Calientes. Check into your three-star hotel, with accommodation based on double occupancy. Enjoy a shower and settle in after three camping nights. Dinner is included, and your guide reviews the next day’s arrangements, including your assigned Machu Picchu entry time.

After breakfast at your hotel, take the included bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu for your assigned entry time. Your guide leads an approximately two-hour visit through the areas permitted by your ticket, explaining the site’s history and its mountain setting. We prioritize Circuit 2 when available; your circuit and entry time depend on official ticket availability and are explained before you confirm your booking.

After the visit, take the included return bus to Aguas Calientes and follow the arrangements for your train departure. Lunch and dinner today are not included, so plan these around your confirmed schedule. Optional mountain hikes require separate tickets and must be discussed in advance rather than assumed to be part of the visit.

Board PeruRail Vistadome or Inca Rail 360° for your panoramic return journey, according to availability and the assigned schedule. At Ollantaytambo station, Inkayni’s road transfer completes your return to Cusco, bringing your five-day mountain, camping and coffee experience to a close.