5-day Salkantay Trek: The Classic Route to Machu Picchu

The team collects you at your hotel in Cusco around 6 AM for a 2-hour drive across the highlands to the village of Mollepata. There is a short stop for a bathroom break or breakfast (not included), then another hour of road up to Challacancha, where the classic Salkantay trek officially begins.

A gentle walk of about 1h30 leads to Soraypampa, at 3,900 m. From there, climb for an hour to Humantay Lake, a turquoise pool at the foot of the Humantay glaciers—which local people regard as sacred—then walk back down for lunch at the cabanas.

The afternoon is free to rest and adjust to the altitude. After dinner, the clear sky over Soraypampa fills with stars. This is the coldest night of the trek, often below 0°C.

Meals included: Lunch / Dinner

The day starts with a cup of coca tea. A steady climb then takes you from Soraypampa to the Salkantay Pass, the roof of the route, with the ice of Salkantay Mountain filling the sky right above you.

On the far side, the trail drops for hours through wide high valleys. Bare alpine ground turns into grassy Andean meadows and then into cloud forest, with streams and birdsong. In a single day, the trail transitions from glacial landscapes to the lush cloud forest—a defining feature of this route.

At 22 km and 9 to 10 hours, this is the hardest day of the 5-day Salkantay trek. It ends at a mountain hut near Chaullay, at 2,950 m, with beds, hot showers, and a hot dinner. If the climb gets too hard, an emergency horse is available on the steepest sections.

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

The trail follows the Santa Teresa River downhill through warm, humid forest. Waterfalls run off mossy rock into green pools, orchids grow along the path, and banana, passion fruit, and avocado trees line the way.

After lunch at the camp in Lucmabamba, a local farming family shows you their coffee from start to finish. Pick the ripe red cherries, learn how the beans are processed and dried, roast them on a wood fire, and make a cup to drink on the spot.

The night is spent in a wooden geodesic dome in the forest at Lucmabamba, with a queen-size bed, a private hot shower, towels, and Wi-Fi. If time allows, you can visit the Santa Teresa hot springs nearby (paid locally).

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

After an early breakfast, climb for about 3h30 on an original Inca path through the forest to Llactapata, at 2,800 m. As your guide walks you through the ruins, the citadel of Machu Picchu and the soaring peak of Huayna Picchu emerge across the valley for your very first view.

The descent takes about 2h30 to a lunch stop near the Hidroeléctrica station. The train leaves around 2:50 PM and reaches Aguas Calientes, the town at the foot of Machu Picchu, in about 40 minutes.

Check in to your hotel and finish the trail with a celebration dinner at a restaurant in town. Rest well—the bus to the citadel leaves early.

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

After breakfast at the hotel, an early bus climbs the switchbacks to Machu Picchu, while the morning light is still soft and the crowds are thin. Your guide leads you through the terraces, temples, plazas, and houses of the citadel and explains how the Incas built and used it. Visits follow a set circuit inside the site and last about 2.5 hours.

With a Huayna Picchu permit (booked ahead at extra cost), you can also climb the steep peak behind the ruins for a view over the whole site and the Urubamba River.

Return to Aguas Calientes by bus and board the Expedition train along the Urubamba to Ollantaytambo. A private transfer takes you back to your hotel in Cusco, arriving around 8 PM, where your 5-day Salkantay trek comes to an end.

Meals included: Breakfast