Trip introduction
In the Cusco region and part of the Andes, the highest mountains are considered as protective Gods by their inhabitants, Salkantay is no exception, being the second highest mountain in the region, its inhabitants still respect it to this day.
This hike aims to reach the ancient lost city of the Incas "Machu Picchu" considered one of the 7 wonders of the modern world for which for 5 days we will enjoy Andean landscapes, lagoons of incomparable colors at the foot of the snow-capped mountains and changes of ecosystems that will make our experience unique, it is not in vain that the road to Salkantay is considered among the 20 best in the world by National Geographic, thus becoming an excellent alternative for all those who are looking for a path less traveled compared to the Inca trail but that offers us the alternative of knowing Machu Picchu.
Responsible Travel.
By booking this trip, you will be helping provide a special Christmas breakfast for low income children in Cusco.
Overview
In the next 5 days, we will cross part of the high Andean mountains of the Cusco region to enter the semitropical zone of the region where Machu Picchu is located, we will be able to see the famous Humantay lagoon and be captivated by its turquoise colors during sunny days. We will arrive at 4,400 meters above sea level to the highest point of our walk to be able to see the imposing snow-capped Salkantay with a better panorama and then descend through the valley and feel the change in the typical ecosystem of this area for the rest of the days to appreciate the fruit plantations such as passion fruit, avocado, coffee, cocoa, and if you like, perhaps try one of these products. Something different in our itinerary is to escape from the tumult of other operators for that reason our camps are different trying to make the trip much more intimate and in contact with nature and if we will also have the option of knowing the archaeological site of Llactapata where we can have the first view of Machu Picchu to finally visit and explore the wonder of the world on the last day.
Day 1: CUSCO – SORAYPAMPA – HUMANTAY LAGOON - SALKANTAYPAMPA
Our tour begins quite early with the pick up of our travelers at their hotels starting at 4 in the morning to leave Cusco in the direction of the town of Mollepata where we will take advantage of the place to have breakfast and then continue the trip for another hour until we arrive. to Soraypampa that will be the beginning of our walk.
Our guide will give us an informative talk about the entire journey that we will make and the precautions that we must take into account, in the same way we will meet our team of muleteers who will accompany us the rest of the trip transporting part of our equipment to the next camps.
The first place to visit will be the famous Humantay lagoon that is located at 4400 meters above sea level. To get to this place we will ascend for approximately an hour and a half bordering the river bank until we reach this wonderful natural place where our guide will guide us. will provide all the details of the reason why it is so famous, after some time to rest and take photos, we will descend towards Soraypampa again to have lunch since in the afternoon we will continue the rest of the walk until we arrive after 2 hours at the camp Salkantay Pampa located at 4400 meters above sea level, this camp is one of the closest to the snowcapped peak, therefore we will be one of the few groups that spend the night in this place observing the sunset and at night we will always enjoy a completely starry sky and when weather conditions do not allow them.
Day 2: SALKANTAYPAMPA – SALKANTAY PASS – COLLPAPAMPA
Our second day starts quite early with coca tea served in our tents and then we will have a buffet breakfast, and at 6 in the morning we will leave the camp starting the ascent to the Salkantay pass which is located at 4600 meters above sea level.
The first part of the ascent to the Soyrococha sector is through a steep path for approximately 2 hours, already in Soyrococha we will enjoy how the sun's rays are projected on the summit of the snow and after a brief rest we will continue for 2 more hours until we arrive to the pass itself where our guide will give a comprehensive explanation of the place, we will have time for the photos since from here the descent begins to the place of lunch through a 2-hour walk and then continue the descent for 4 additional hours until reaching the Collpapampa camp where we will spend the night.
Day 3: COLLPAPAMPA – COCALMAYO (HOT SPRINGS) – LUCMABAMBA
After an energetic breakfast at 6 in the morning, we will leave our camp to carry out the third section of our walk. Compared to the rest of the previous days, this section is considered the easiest since the walk is on flat terrain for the most part and we will cross many cultivated fields such as coffee, passion fruit, cocoa among others. The climatic conditions in this part
will be much more favorable since there is no higher altitude, the main characteristic being a humid and quite tropical climate.
We will have many stops to be able to get off and hydrate ourselves. In this part, the use of mosquito repellent will be very useful since it is a semitropical climate and the presence of mosquitoes is constant.At approximately 1 in the afternoon we will arrive at our camp in Lucmabamba where we will have a buffet lunch and later we will prepare our things to go to the Cocalmayo thermal baths that are located an hour away by car, and in the thermal baths we will be able to enjoy from the place and relax the muscles and then return to our camp for dinner and rest since the longest day in terms of kilometers traveled will be the 4th day.
Day 4: LUCMABAMBA – LLACTAPATA - AGUAS CALIENTES
24 kilometers of walking await us, for this reason we will leave our camp at 5 in the morning to start an ascent of approximately 3 hours to the archaeological site of Llactapata, which is located at 2800 meters above sea level, already in this place. We will be one of the few who can have the view of Machu Picchu and how it is located on top of the mountains in front.
After enjoying the view we will descend to the sector known as hydroelectric, the descent will be very intense therefore our guide will provide you with the necessary care that you must take as a precaution, in hydroelectric we can take the opportunity to have lunch and take a short rest.
Our last journey will be the hydroelectric following the railway until we reach the town of Aguas Calientes, this journey is flat but it will take us approximately 3 hours, and in Aguas Calientes we will settle in the hotel to have dinner and rest.
Day 5: AGUAS CALIENTES – MACHU PICCHU – CUSCO
At 7 in the morning after our breakfast, our guide will pick you up from the hotel to go to the bus station that will take us through a 30-minute road to the entrance to the Inca city of Machu Picchu, and in the place we will spend what checkpoints to go up to the guardian's house where we can take advantage and take classic photos of the place, the next 3 hours will be to enjoy the place and explore with our guide who will show us every detail of the place, visiting temples, squares and important houses .
Once our visit is over, we will board the bus down to Aguas Calientes where you can have lunch and finally take the return train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo where our driver will be waiting for us to return to Cusco and finish the service at the hotel.
WHAT IS INCLUDED FOR THIS TREK?
- Pick up from your hotel to start the walk
- Briefing at your hotel the night before the departure of the trip
- Transfer to the start of the walk / Soraypampa
- Professional Spanish / English guide
- DOITE andina tents / 3 seasons / professional line
- Inflatable thermal insulation / sea to Summit
- Cheff during the expedition
- Team of muleteers
- Horses for transporting equipment
- Duffel bag so you can leave 4 kilos of your personal equipment
- Meals during the walk (4 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 4 dinners) vegetarian option upon request at no cost
- Train ticket Aguas Calientes / Ollantaytambo
- Bus tickets Aguas Calientes / Machu Picchu
- Return transportation Ollantaytambo / Cusco
- Dining tent with tables and chairs
- Hotel in Aguas Calientes
- First aid kit
- Entrance ticket to Machu Picchu
- Entrance ticket to Salkantay
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED FOR THIS TREK?
- Sleeping bag(you can rent it from us)
- Ticket to Huayna Picchu –$75 USD
- Walking poles
- First breakfast and last lunch
- VistaDome Train - $67 USD
- Drinks
- Tips for your guide
EXTRAS
- Walking Poles – +$15 USD per pair per trek
- Sleeping bag - +$25 USD per trek
- Personal tent - +$30 USD
**Huayna Picchu is an optional walk inside the Citadel of Machu Picchu that does not include a guide. The ascent is usually done on your own after your tour of the Citadel of Machu Picchu. If you would like the additional walk to be guided, please request it in advance. There is an additional cost for this additional guided tour.
BENEFITS OF TRAVELING WITH TERRA PERU AVENTURAS
- Assistance 24/7 a week in English.
- Qualified professionals on all tours
- Professional Guides in English on all tours
- Free transfer from the airport to the hotel
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Please read the following information carefully. This will help you resolve your doubts and/or questions about our services
ARRIVAL IN CUSCO
All our services start at the airport of the city of Cusco where our driver will be waiting for the arrival of your flight to be able to drive you to the hotel of your choice, this service has no additional cost.
For which it is necessary that you provide us with your flight details and confirmation 1 or 2 days before your arrival in the city, our staff will be waiting with the Terra Peru Aventuras sign which you have to locate.
THE BRIEFING
The briefing is the information that is provided to our clients prior to a trip, this will be done one night before the selected activity at the hotel of their stay. In general, the schedule will depend on the other activities that you have planned to carry out, but many times it usually takes place between 6 and 7 at night.
HOW CAN I BOOK THE SALKANTAY TREK TO MACHU PICCHU 5 DAYS PREMIUM TOUR?
To start a reservation, the first thing we request is your personal data along with the details of the date you would like to do the walk, then we will request an advance payment of 40% of the total value of the walk in order to generate the purchase of the necessary tickets for the tour.
After the deposit, our reservation staff will send you the confirmation of the reservation of the Tour which will include the DATE, NAME OF THE TOUR, PERSONAL DATA OF THE CLIENT, AMOUNT DEPOSITED AND AMOUNT PENDING PAYABLE UPON ARRIVAL IN THE CITY.
Terra Peru Aventuras offers you different payment methods depending on your needs, from bank deposits, transfers via Wester Union, as well as PayPal (consider +8% to the deposit to be made for reasons of bank commissions)
WHEN DO I MAKE THE FINAL PAYMENT OF THE TOUR?
In general, the total payment must be made upon arrival, we recommend making the payment in cash, due to commission issues from international banks that may be unfavorable to you in case you want to make a payment with your credit card. Our staff gives you more details about it.
CAN I CHANGE THE DEPARTURE DATE AFTER I HAVE PURCHASED THE TICKETS?
For all our tours with the exception of Machu Picchu, Inca Trail, Salkantay, yes! is possible to modify the date without any cost, this must be communicated to our staff as soon as possible in order to carry out the procedures for the modification with a new date.
WHAT HAPPENS WITH ALTITUDE SICKNESS?
Any good experience will depend on a good physical condition, if you practice any physical activity regularly you should not worry about a possible altitude sickness, however as an additional recommendation we suggest acclimatizing, in this sense you should consider spending at least 3 days to do some walk and 1 day to be able to carry out some activity or cultural tour.
There are medications that could achieve better acclimatization, but since we are not doctors, we suggest you drink plenty of water and coca infusions to achieve better acclimatization.
WHEN THE TOUR ENDS, DO YOU TAKE US TO THE HOTEL?
Everything will depend on the style of travel that you chose. Our clients who travel in a private service have the option of ending the tours at their hotel. However, those who opt for a group tour, our tour ends in the Plaza Regocijo or close to it so that you can walk without any worries to your hotel.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO BRING?
- Original passport
- Small backpack
- Water storage: 2-3 litre reusable bottles
- Hiking shoes
- Headlamp
- Toilet paper
- 3 t-shirts
- 2 hiking pants at least
- 3 sets of undergarments
- 3 sets of hiking socks
- Bathing suit for the thermal waters
- Fleece/ Thermals
- Warm clothes, down jacket — 2nd campsite its the higher and temperture drop to 2 Celius
- Rain jacket
- Waterproof gloves
- Quickdry towel
- Small bottle of soap: we provide warm water each day to wash
- Battery Charger: No electricity along the trek
- Hand sanitizer
- Wet wipes
- Toothbrush and paste
- Personal medications
- First aid kit: band aids, moleskin, etc
- Water: Please supply your own water until the first lunch spot, then we will provide you with cold
- Boiled water at every meal time. Please bring your canteens
- Sun hat ; Sunscreen
- Wool hat
- Snacks like chocolate bars, cereal bars or any dry fruits
- Rain plastic poncho
- Extra money for souvenirs, drinks & tips