5 Day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu
Salkantay or Salcantay is actually an Andes Mountain, the highest peak of the Cordillera Vilcabamba (north side of Cuzco). The Vilcabamba Mountain range is a part of the Peruvian Andes in South America. Salcantay is within Cuzco Region, “southern Peru.” This peak is 64 kilometers / 40 miles Northwest of Cuzco city.
Book the 5-day Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu for a unique experience in Peru!
Salcantay or Salkantay trek is the second most popular trek in Cuzco, Peru. Many people choose this trek nowadays because you will pass through more scenic places in this trek with many bio ecosystems and microclines of the Andes, Peru. This one is a bit more challenging too, and a terrain trail. Acclimatization is essential here as you must pass through 4650 m / 15,250 ft. Some people around the World like it very much because it is not overcrowded like the classic Inca trail. The famous Salkantay Trek (or Salcantay Trek),
named among the 25 best Treks in the World by National Geographic Adventure Travel Magazine, it is a trek open to everybody, with no limitation on spaces or permits (at least for now). Connecting the city of Mollepata, Cusco, with Machu Picchu, the Salkantay Trek is an ancient and remote footpath in the same region as the Inca Trail, massive snowcapped mountains collide with lush tropical rain forests. This trek is better suited for more adventurous trekkers who can a bit higher the classic Inca trail altitude and distance. The Andes journey takes you up and along Salkantay valleys and mountains. “Salcantay is the second largest mountain in the Cuzco region, 6280 meters / 20,603 feet higher above sea level”.
PASSIONS: Andes camping, Inca history, and trekking & hiking
Itinerary
DAY 1: SALKANTAY TREK / Cusco: Soraypampa to Suyroccocha
Early in the morning, we have to pick you up from your hotel in Cuzco city and transfer you by Kondor private transport to Mollepata village; during the journey, we will be passing some traditional villages and towns like Poroy, Izcuchaca, Compone Ancahuasi, Limatambo, and Mollepata village, all of them are located on highlands plateaus of the Andes with more likable landscapes, and views of the Salcantay and Humantay snow-capped mountains that belong to the cordillera of Vilcabamba. Already at Mollepata, we stop for just 30 minutes to take a cup of coffee by own selves and time to stretch our legs (three hours to get there), then we have to carry on following the dirt road to Soraypampa (two hours more), here it is the start of the trek; the trail climbs a little up from Soraypampa passing through the green or yellow pastures (depends on the season you are coming), also has beautiful valley trekking just below the majestic snow-capped mountain named Salkantay; the last part section trek becomes steep zigzagging to Suyroccocha camp. On the first night of camp, hikers will sleep not too far away from the snow-capped peak, “chili night but only one day, every day it is different.”
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
DAY 2: SALKANTAY TREK / Suyroccocha to Challway
You will have more down than up hike trail on the second day. While you work a bit harder to get to the summit, the views at the top are even more astonishing than we can see. Then it is a pure downhill trek with total stones, descending into a more reach tropical jungle area on the far side of the Salkantay mountain.
Today after a delicious wake calls with a glass of hot Coca tea into your tents to alleviate the cold morning. We prepare all our equipment to start this beautiful day trek towards Salcantay pass and experience the cloud forest and subtropical jungle day trek.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 3: SALKANTAY TREK / Challway to La Playa
Lovely morning mountain scenery; today is a green and reach nature trail to La Playa, with some rivers tributaries of the main River of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, “Urubamba River.” Most of the time, we will be close to the white river of Salcantay, finding in our hike a lot of wild strawberries “on both sides of the path; of course, if it is the season,” plenty of flowers, wildflowers, Orchids, some birds, passions fruit plantation, avocados, coffee plantation, bananas, pineapples, etc. The hike will last approximately 5 hours; the campsite is at La Playa settlement.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 4: SALKANTAY TREK / Lucmabamba, Llactapata pass – to Machu Picchu Pueblo
Leaving La Playa very early in the morning to avoid the sweltering sun hitting for trekking freshly towards our last pass of the whole trip. Today we follow the original Inca road of Lucmabamba to Llactapata Pass, across the Santa Teresa Valley with a wider variety of landscapes (green nature and a tranquil Inca trail). Arriving at the Patallacta ruins, we have the first glimpse of Machu Picchu and all the Andes Mountains of the area, which are incredibly amazing views. We also explore the Llactapata Incan site. Then we descend through lush bamboo and coffee forests (Aobamba Valley) along a switchback path to Hydro (two hours of the extreme downhill path to the river bank). From the Aobamba River, the way to Hydro is easy walking to Aguas Calientes village. “We follow the train track for the last two hours and a half.”
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Machupicchu Purblo Overnight
DAY 5: Machu Picchu Guided Tour, Return to Cusco
Early breakfast and pickup to go by shared tourist bus to Machu Picchu; the trip takes about 30 minutes. During the journey, we will have a fantastic view of the landscapes of the Sacred Valley of Urubamba and the Amazon rainforest, providing a slight hint of how much Peru has to offer. Upon arrival to Machu Picchu, the “Lost City of the Incas,” you have an excellent guided tour for visiting the Main Plaza, the Circular Tower, the Sacred Sun Dial “Intiwatana,” the Royal Quarters, the Temple of the Three Windows, and various burial grounds. You have some free time to explore the zone on your own and experience the energy and force contained therein; at the right time, you will go down to the town of Aguas Calientes village to take the train that will return you to Ollantaytambo village and then by transport to the City of Cuzco. Reception at the train station and transfer to your accommodation.
Meals: Breakfast
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