5-Day Salkantay Trek Tour to Machupicch: Mollepata, Aguas Calientes and Llactapata | 11 Meals Included

What you'll experience

Highlights

5 days

Day-by-day itinerary

1. 1

   Day 1 — Salkantay Trek to Soraypampa Camp

   Our Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu begins when we pick you up from your hotel in Cusco at around 5: 00 a.m. We'll then travel in our private bus to Mollepata, which takes about four hours. It's a lengthy trip, but it's needed to get out to this relatively remote region. On the way, you'll be able to enjoy the wonderful scenery, including views of the Izcuchaca and Limatambo mountain ranges.
   
   Eventually we'll arrive at the colorful Andean village of Mollepata, where the trailhead for our Salkantay trek begins. Here we'll met our horsemen, porters and cooks. Setting off, we'll trek for about three hours until we reach Cruzpata, where we will have lunch with panoramic views of the beautiful snow-capped mountains of Humantay and Salkantay, and can visit Humantay Lake. Heading on, we'll trek until we reach our first campsite at Soraypampa, taking in the beautiful landscape along the way. We'll set up camp and later have dinner, surrounded by mesmerizing scenery.

   

   humantary lake

   Meals: B: Excluded, L: Included, D: IncludedStay: Salkantay Trek Camp
2. 2

   Day 2 — Salkantay Trek Through the Mountains

   We will wake early and have breakfast around 5:30 a.m. We have a long day of trekking ahead of us, through some of the most incredible scenery in Peru. This will be our most challenging day, as we ascend to the highest point on the trail.
   
   We first make the climb to a mountain pass at 4,650 m (15,200 ft) – the highest location on the trek. From here, we'll have sublime views of two huge snow-capped mountains: Salkantay on the right and Tucarhuay on the left. After a rest and time to enjoy the views, we will continue our walk downhill through a dramatic cloud forest towards Huayracpunku, also known as Huayracmachay, where we will have lunch. We'll then set off again, trekking for about three hours through jungle-like scenery until we reach our second campsite, Colcapampa, at 3,000 m (9,800 ft). If our group has made good progress, we might have time to push on to alternative campsites at Challway or Andenes. Wherever we decide to stop, we'll set up the camp and prepare a big meal, a well-deserved reward after a hard day of trekking.

   

   Salkantay Trek

   Meals: B: Included, L: Included, D: IncludedStay: Salkantay Trek Camp
3. 3

   Day 3 — Salkantay Trek Through the Cloud Forest

   Walking at 6: 30 a.m., we'll have a hearty breakfast before setting off. Today, much of our trekking takes us through a region of jungle known as the ceja de selva: the swathe of jungle that lies between the Andes and the Amazon rainforest. We'll cross the Lluskamayo River and find ourselves in a world of waterfalls, tropical fruits and colorful birds. If we're lucky, we might even see a cock of the rock, Peru's national bird. The temperature will be much warmer here, and the various waterfalls and creeks provide plenty of opportunities to cool down with a refreshing splash in their crystalline waters.
   
   We'll stop for lunch and then continue trekking for three more hours, until we reach our last campsite at the village of La Playa, at 2,500 m (8,202 ft). At La Playa you'll have plenty of free time to relax and enjoy the nearby hot springs: the perfect way to soothe your aching muscles! Later we'll have dinner and then turn in for the night, relaxed and ready for our final day of trekking.

   

   Salkantay

   Meals: B: Included, L: Included, D: IncludedStay: Salkantay Trek Camp
4. 4

   Day 4 — Salkantay Trek to Llactapata and onto Aguas Calientes

   On our final day of trekking we'll have breakfast at 6:30 a.m. before setting off towards Llactapata. It will be a steady three-hour climb, and as we ascend we'll have wonderful views of the Santa Teresa Valley below us. Eventually we'll reach Llactapata, an impressive Inca ruin that may have served as an important rest stop and roadside shrine on the journey to Machu Picchu, which it is connected to via the Inca Trail. From here we get our very first glimpse of our final destination: Machu Picchu in the distance, an inspiring sight indeed!
   
   After a rest and time to take photos, we will continue along a downhill trail for about two hours, passing plantations where coca, bananas and other crops are grown. Eventually we'll reach the Hydroelectric Station, a well-known point along various routes to Machu Picchu, where we'll have lunch. Then we will walk for a couple more hours until we reach Aguas Calientes, the lively town that sits below Machu Picchu.
   
   After checking in to your hotel you'll have some free time, so you can explore the town and, if you like, visit the nearby hot springs. We'll have dinner in one of the many great restaurants in Aguas Calientes, and then you can return to your hotel for an early night before our final day -- and our tour of the magnificent Machu Picchu.

   

   Machu Picchu

   Meals: B: Included, L: Included, D: IncludedStay: Accommodation is not included
5. 5

   Day 5 — Machu Picchu - Cusco

   To best appreciated Machu Picchu, we'll wake up early in the morning so we can get to the citadel in good time. You'll have time for breakfast first, and then your guide will pick you up from the hotel at around 5:40 a.m.
   
   We'll then walk to the bus departure point for the short but zigzagging ascent up the road to Machu Picchu. We'll then pass through the gates into the Machu Picchu archaeological site. Here you'll begin your guided walking tour with an experienced and highly knowledgeable guide. Our tour of Machu Picchu will last about two hours, and will take you to all the most famous and most spectacular parts of the extensive archaeological complex. These include the House of the Guardian, Intihuatana, Temple of the Sun, Sacred Plaza and other key locations. And as we walk around, we'll have spectacular views across the agriculture terraces of Machu Picchu and across to the surrounding mountains and plunging gorges. After the guided tour you'll have time to explore Machu Picchu as you please, perhaps walking to some less visited parts such as the Inca Bridge.
   
   Once we've finished our tour of Machu Picchu, we'll take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes where you can relax and have lunch (not included) before we board the train back to Poroy and Cusco. Upon arrival at the station, we'll be waiting to take you back to your hotel in Cusco, where you can think back to your incredible tour of one of the world's most famous and most impressive attractions.

   

   The Archeological Site in Machu Picchu

   Meals: B: Excluded, L: Excluded, D: Excluded

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