Cusco and Salkantay Trek 7-Day Tour

This is an alternative Inca Trail that takes us to the Inca city of Machu Picchu, home to a wealth of ecological biodiversity, as well as the glaciers that are still fully preserved. It is undoubtedly one of the busiest sections after the Inca Trail Tour, but it is also one of Cusco’s tourist attractions.

Salkantay Trail to Machu Picchu

Itinerary of the Salkantay Trail to Machu Picchu

Day 1: City Tour in Cusco

Pickup from the Cusco airport to your chosen hotel. Free morning to rest and acclimatize.

At 1:30 pm, you will be picked up from your hotel for the 4-hour CITY TOUR. Guided visit to the Santo Domingo Convent. Later, we will travel to the rest of the archaeological sites located on the outskirts of Cusco. These sites are Sacsayhuaman, Q’enqo, Pucapucara, and Tambomachay. We will return to the city to spend the night at your Cusco hotel.

Day 2: Sacred Valley of the Incas

After breakfast, we will pick you up from your hotel at 8:30 a.m. for a guided tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, where we will visit the town of Pisaq and its traditional artisan market and plaza.

We will continue the journey along the Vilcanota River to Urubamba, where we will have an exquisite buffet lunch. We will then continue the excursion to the tourist center of Ollantaytambo, where we will see important archaeological remains. We will return to Cusco via Chinchero, another tourist center of the colonial city. There we will visit the church and plaza. We will then return to Cusco at night.

Day 3: Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu

We pick you up from your hotel at 4:30 am, then head by bus to Mollepata. As soon as we meet in Mollepata, we have breakfast, then begin our hike. The first 3 hours will be uphill to reach Cruzpata, where we will have lunch. We will enjoy panoramic views of the beautiful snow-capped mountains of Humantay and Salkantay. We will begin our hike to Soraypampa. When we arrive, the tents will be ready for you to camp and have dinner.

Day 4: Soraypampa – Chaullay or Collpampa

We start our hike around 5:30 am. Today, the nature will change drastically from dry landscapes to peaks, snow-capped mountains, and tropical zones. This day will be the longest day, with the first 4 hours of uphill to reach the highest point of the trail, located halfway between the two great mountains: Salkantay on the right and Tucarhuay on the left. From the pass, the views of two snow-capped mountains are incredible. Lunch. We then head through the jungle to reach our second campsite, Chaullay or Colcapampa.

Day 5: Chaullay – La Playa – Santa Teresa (cloud forest)

After breakfast, at 6:30 a.m., we begin our hike through the upper jungle, crossing the Lluskamayo River and a variety of small streams to reach La Playa. We walk for about 6 hours. Today, we will pass through valleys with wonderful views of waterfalls, tropical fruits, and plants. As soon as we reach the beach, the horses will return to Mollepata. We will take a local bus for the hour-long drive to Santa Teresa, where we will camp in warm weather. After a rest, we will go to the hot springs and enjoy the hot springs.

Day 6: Santa Teresa – Hidroelectrica – Aguas Calientes

We will have breakfast and leave our Santa Teresa campsite. We will cross the Santa Teresa bridge and continue upriver. We continue walking, passing a variety of coca and banana plantations, until we reach the hydroelectric plant. After lunch, we continue walking for about two and a half hours along the train route to the town of Aguas Calientes, where we will spend the night in a hotel in Aguas Calientes.

Day 7: Machu Picchu Tour

Very early breakfast. We begin the one-hour hike to Machu Picchu (bus optional). The guide will wait for us at the entrance to Machu Picchu to appreciate the impressive sunrise. We will continue with the two-hour guided tour of this magical place. After the guided tour, there will be free time to explore the site in more detail.

To climb Huayna Picchu, you can choose one of two groups at 7:00 am or 10:00 am. We will hike to Huayna Picchu, which will take about an hour, but it is truly worth it; the view is breathtaking and the experience will be unforgettable. Enjoy it and recharge your batteries.

According to the scheduled train time, we will return to Aguas Calientes in the afternoon. Lunch will be served, followed by a return trip to Cusco. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 8 End of tour

Breakfast at the hotel.

At the scheduled time, transfer to the terminal or airport.

The Salkantay Trek includes:

• Airport-Hotel-Airport transfer
• City Tour
• Sacred Valley
• Entrance ticket to all attractions
• Tourist transportation from Cusco to Mollepata
• Admission to Machu Picchu
• 4 breakfasts / 4 lunches / 4 dinners
• Snacks during the trip
• Professional Guide (English – Spanish)
• Cook
• 1 night in a hotel in Aguas Calientes
• Bus ticket (Machu Picchu / Aguas Calientes)
• Mattresses or sleeping mats
• 2-person tents and camping equipment
• Horses
• First aid kit
• Return ticket for the tourist expedition train to Ollantaytambo
• First aid kit
• Oxygen cylinder

Not included in the service

• Sleeping bag
• Breakfast on the first day, lunch and dinner on the 5th day

In order to send you all the information regarding how to book, Costs and others, please send us an email to: book@peru-tours.org and we will respond as soon as possible by sending you all the necessary information and / or answering your questions.