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Ultimate Salkantay Trek
Duration: 5 days
Trails: T2 trails
Distance: 15 - 20 km per day
Ascent per day: 500 - 1000 m ascent per day
> Explore the Humantay Lake & Salkantay Mountain
> Prepare a Pachamanca Barbecue & visit coffee farms
> Authentic camping experience with comfortable tents
> Camp in Llaqtapata, a mountain in front of Machu Picchu
> Return on the panoramic Vistadome trains
The Salkantay Trek is the second most popular route to Machu Picchu – after the Inca Trail – and its not difficult to see why. This route is one of the most varied and most beautiful. We make our way through breathtaking snowcapped mountains and picturesque valleys, passed beautiful lakes and waterfalls. We have created the Ultimate Salkantay trek to give you more time to enjoy these amazing places. The Salcantay Mountain is one of the most beautiful in Peru and is considered sacred by local villagers. We take five unforgettable days to hike alongside the majestic mountains, taking time to enjoy each magical location and feel the energy through meditation, yoga and exercise. As a final treat we will join the Inca Trail for a short section before arriving to Machu Picchu via the stunning Llaqtapata.
Itinerary
Day
1
Cusco – Soraypampa – Laguna Humantay – Salkantaypampa
Duration: 06:00 h
Distance: 12 km
Highest Point: 4200 m
Start your Salkantay Trekking with an early pick-up from your hotel’s door at 4:30 am and drive for 3 hours to the trailhead – arriving approximately at 7:30 am. You will enjoy the first breakfast prepared by your chef, then meet the team of porters and horsemen to start the Salkantay TreXperience later!
The first part starts with a 3-hour gentle hike to Soraypampa (3,800 m / 12,467 ft) following an ancient aqueduct used since the Incas. Lunch is served at Soraypampa, where our chef will prepare delicious meals using fresh local products.
After lunch, you will continue with a 2-hour hike up until you reach the stunning glacial lake of Humantay (4,200 m / 13,779 ft). Once at the lake, you can explore and relax, enjoying this spectacular turquoise lake’s beautiful views. Then continue for 2 more hours to the first campsite at the base of Salkantay Mountain. Along the way, you will see various flora and fauna, such as the Andean goose (the love bird), deer, and vizcachas (which look much like rabbits).
The campsite is at Salkantay Pampa (4,150 m / 13,615 ft). This basecamp offers an unobstructed view of Salkantay Mountain and the sky at night. Get ready for dinner, stargaze, and sleep under a million stars.
Salkantay Pampa campsite
Day
2
Salkantaypampa – Wayracmachay– Collpapampa
Duration: 09:00 h
Distance: 18 km
Highest Point: 4630 m
Wake up bright and early with a hot cup of coffee or coca tea in your tent, admiring the spectacular views of the snowcapped mountains. After breakfast, you will start the ascent for 2 hours to the Salkantay Trek’s highest point at 4,630 m (15,190 ft). Once on top, you will take some time to explore and enjoy the area and even visit a beautiful lake at the base of Salkantay Mountain. Next, it’s another 3-hour downhill hike to the lunch place at Wayracmachay (3,800 m / 12,467 ft). You might also see Vizcachas (Lagidium Peruanum), a Chinchilla only found in Peru.
After a well-earned lunch, you will get ready for the day’s final stretch, 3-more hours of downhill from the highland, where the air is dry and cold, into the lush cloud forest, where the weather is warm and humid. For sure, this is one of the fastest changes in temperature and landscape that you will experience. The campsite is next to the village of Collpapampa.
Collpapampa campsite
Day
3
Collpapampa – Llucmabamba – Llactapata
Duration: 06:00 h
Distance: 16 km
Enjoy a leisurely time in the village while admiring the view of the mountains you left behind. After breakfast, you will prepare for the most beautiful day of the TreXperience to the legendary citadel of Machu Picchu, hiking along narrow paths, following the river, passing wooden bridges, waterfalls, granadilla, and banana plantations, until you arrive at Lucmabamba (2,000 m / 6,561 ft) for lunch.
Today’s lunch is unique and a highlight of the Salkantay Trek. After hiking for about 3 hours and taking a van for the last part, you will prepare to participate in a Pachamanca Barbecue, an old traditional underground stone barbecue. After burying the food, you visit the organic coffee farms and prepare your cup. The cooking takes about 45 minutes; then, you sit down to enjoy the different delicacies like the cuy (Guinea pig) and different types of potatoes, fruits, and vegetables prepared like a local.
Once fed and re-energized, get ready for a 3-hour climb along the ancient Inca Trail to Llaqtapata, a small Inca citadel located on a mountaintop at 2,750m (9,022 ft), where you will catch the first glimpse of Machu Picchu from a distance. This place was discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911 and lost again until recently. You will be camping right in front of Machu Picchu; when you open your tent, you can see the sunrise and sunset over Machu Picchu if the weather allows.
Llactapata campsite
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Zulema del Pozo Moral
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