4 Days / 3 Nights
Humantay Lake, Salkantay Mountain, Machu Picchu
The Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu 4 Days and 3 nights is one of the most spectacular treks that can be done in Cuzco. In it you will enjoy such beautiful landscapes as snowy mountains, Andean landscapes, tropical forests and even dense jungle. If you are thinking of doing a hiking route to Machu Picchu and you want to be away from everything, close to the Andean communities and appreciate the diverse nature of Peru, Salkantay Trek is the ideal route.
On this Salkantay Trek 4 Days you will be able to appreciate mountains of lush vegetation, streams, rivers and hot springs that will help you relax your body after the physical effort of the walk.
You will also be able to feel the changes in temperature during the ascents and descents of the great mountains throughout the Salkantay Walking tour. You can also enjoy some snow at one of the highest points on the road, 4,650 meters above sea level. Finally, on the last day we will enjoy the guided visit to Machu Picchu.
The Short Salkantay Trek lasts 4 days, the first 3 days are walks and you camp for 2 nights. On the third day, the journey is completed with a bus trip and then the salkantay trek takes place until reaching the town of Aguas Calientes. Finally, on the fourth day, we visit the Inca citadel Machu Picchu and in the afternoon we return by train to Ollantaytambo and then by bus to Cusco.
We will pick you up from your Hotel at 04:30 hrs. – 05:00 hrs. With the transport of the agency we will travel for approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, on the route we will observe beautiful views of the mountains that surround the Cusco valley and even the Salkantay mountain, several high Andean towns and extensive areas of potato and corn cultivation. We will arrive at the town of Mollepata (2,900 meters above sea level) in this town we will have the option of having breakfast, if you have not already done so and also doing last minute purchases (ponchos, batteries, sunscreen, etc.).
Then we will continue with our trip for one hour to Challacancha (3,600 meters above sea level). During this short tour, you will observe the impressive valleys of Mollepata. In Challacancha we will meet our entire Salkantay team (cook, muleteers, mules or pack horses). They will give us a warm welcome, and then prepare us for our adventure in the mountains, a brief explanation will be given before the hike. We will walk for 3 hours during, we will observe the Nevado de Humantay (5,917 masl) the place to walk is Andean flat to better acclimatize for the rest of the way.
Arriving at our base camp of Soraypampa (3,910 masl) we will observe the impressive mountain of Salkantay, in the camp our equipment will be waiting for us and then we will taste our Andean lunch, after a 30 minute break. Then we start our walk to the beautiful Humantay lagoon for 1 hour and a half. We will have time to enjoy the beautiful landscape of the lagoon and the glaciers on the mountain, after descending to our camp, we will arrive at tea time where we can talk with the group. Afterwards we will enjoy dinner and finally rest.
- Distance traveled: 16 kilometers from Challacancha to Soraypampa.
- Initial altitude: 3,600 – 3,700 meters above sea level. (Challacancha – Inka Channel)
- Altitude camp: 3,910 masl. (Soraypampa)
- Maximum altitude: 4,200 meters above sea level. (Humantay Lagoon)
- Activities: Hike from Challacancha – Canal Inka – Soraypampa and in the afternoon visit to the Humantay Lagoon.
The day starts early at 05:00 a.m., after a good breakfast we will prepare to undertake the most difficult walk of the way, we will put our luggage in order and we begin our walk for 1 hour and 30 minutes to the site called Salkantaypampa (4,100 masl ), here we will have a short rest and continue walking upwards for 1 hour to the place of Soyrococha (4,400 masl), the ideal moment to rest, rehydrate and enjoy the snack.
The path continues for 1 more hour to the highest point of the trek, Abra Salkantay (4,650 masl) located between the two imposing snow-capped mountains of Humantay (5,917 masl) and Salkantay (6,271 masl) – “The Wild Mountain” in the native language from Quechua, in this site we will observe the snow-capped mountains, the Salkantay glaciers, the magnificent view of the entire chain of mountains and we will observe an original Inca Trail, which over the years was collapsing.
Then, we will descend for 1 hour and 30 minutes to Wayracpampa where our team will be waiting for us with lunch. Then we will begin the descent to the cloud forest and we will observe the change of climate and vegetation, we will go down to Chaullay where our camp will be, here we will have tea time and dinner. And so ends the longest and hardest day of the trek approximately 8 hours of walking.
- Distance traveled: 22 kilometers from Soraypampa to Chaullay.
- Initial altitude: 3,910 meters above sea level. (Soraypampa)
- Maximum altitude: 4,650 masl (Salkantay Pass)
- Camp altitude: 2,800 meters above sea level. (Chaullay)
- Activities: Hike and connection with the nature of the Andes, Nevado del Salkantay, a truly unique challenge!
We will have our breakfast at 06.00 am, then we will walk through time 05.30 hours all through our jungle eyebrow with flat ascents and descents, on this journey we will appreciate coffee plantations, orchids, begoneas, bromeliads and many natural plants used for natural medicine , arriving at our lunch point Playa Sahuayaco where we will have lunch, then we will take a transport to the hydroelectric plant and then walk for 3 hours to hot waters, where we will spend the night and have the last dinner in a restaurant.
- Optional: Train Service, Hydroelectric to Aguas Calientes.
- Distance traveled: 26 kilometers from Chaullay to Playa Sahuayaco and from Hidroeléctrica to Aguas Calientes.
- Food: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
- Minimum altitude: 1,800 meters above sea level. (Santa Teresa)
- Maximum altitude: 2,040 meters above sea level. (Aguas Calientes)
- Distance traveled: 16 km approx.
This is the most important day of the tour, the day we will arrive at one of the 7 wonders of the world, our last day of the tour begins very early to be able to appreciate the sunrise in the Inca citadel of Machupicchu, we will begin the ascent on foot to Machupicchu . Then we will have a tour with our guide for two hours through the most important constructions and temples in this city, then you will have time to explore Machupicchu on your own and perhaps climb the Huaynapicchu or Machupicchu mountain (not included in the package) and other places of interest. Later I walk to the town of Aguas Calientes, free time. Finally tourist train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo and then take the transport to the city of Cusco.
- Food: Breakfast.
- Minimum altitude: 2,040 meters above sea level. (Aguas Calientes)
- Maximum altitude: 2,430 meters above sea level. (Macchu Picchu)
- Activity: Visit to Machu Picchu and return to Cusco.
Send us your travel dates and group size: a local specialist will reply within 24 hours with availability and a personalized quote.
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