SALKANTAY TOUR - THE INCA TRAIL
7 Days / 6 Nights

Your Inca Trail or Salkantay Tour starts with your Salkantay Trek Tour Guide, Chef, and Porters picking you up from your hotel (Must be located in Cusco) at 4:30 a.m., and you will drive two and a half hours to the trailhead, Marccoccasa (3,300 meters). You will meet your horseman and horses, and have some time to prepare for the day and enjoy your breakfast. You will experience views of the Andes, lush green valleys, and beautiful waterfalls. Today will be moderate in difficulty, but one of the longer days of hiking. There will be a gradual uphill climb lasting about three and a half hours until lunch. After lunch, the hike will be less of an incline and more relaxed walk.

The views along the Salkantay vs Inca Trail change drastically as you go. The trailhead is all green, lush valleys, but in the afternoon, you will be right at the foot of the Humantay snow-capped mountain. You will also experience a temperature drop from warm to cold. Be sure to have your warm jacket, and gloves in your daypack for the cold afternoon. After arriving at the Soraypampa campsite (3,800 meters), your team will welcome you and provided warm drinks and dinner.

You will be woken up with hot drinks and breakfast to prepare for the Salkantay Tour. After you prepare for the day, we will show you the alpines micro-climate, and amazing views of the high glacier peaks. They are considered to be the highest peaks around Cusco and the father of the other mountains by many Andean people (Apus means God). You will begin a two-hour climb to the most beautiful blue lake, located at the bottom of Humantay glacier mountain. It’s believed that the Incas used to hold celebration ceremonies for the God of water and the Apus, that surround this peaceful place.

You will then begin your return to the main trail and continue towards your lunch spot at Salkantay Pampa. It will be time to depart from the Humantay peak and enjoy the views of a higher mountain, Salkantay Mountain (6,215 m). You will arrive here around 1 p.m.and enjoy lunch. After lunch, we will have a two hour, steep climb to our second campsite, at Ichupata or Pampa Japonesa (4,200 m). Today will be a cold day of hiking, so be sure to have your jacket, warm hat, sunglasses, and gloves in your day pack. At the campsite, you will be welcomed by your porters to enjoy hot drinks and dinner. Tonight is the perfect night to spot the constellations and the views of Salkantay peak. This site is the closest camp to Salkantay, so it may be possible to hear some avalanches. However, do not let this scare you since they are not close to us. This campsite is the highest, so it should be a cold night, close to zero degrees Celsius.

After tea and breakfast, it will be time to embark on the most challenging, yet rewarding hike, to date. Your guide will lead you up the Inca Chiriasca pass (5,000 meters high), at a steady pace to see the marvelous views of the glacier mountains. Once you have reached the top, there will be hot coca tea, view of the valley and lakes, and even birds like condors and falcons.

Following, you will start descending, or you may take an optional hike to a glacier, which only takes 30 minutes. Afterward, we will continue trekking to your lunch spot, where your porters will be waiting with the traditional hot tea and delicious lunch. For the rest of the day, you will walk downhill, through lush green valleys and winding streams, before reaching your campsite, in a little village of 10 families.

This day will give you a rare glimpse into the past as you wander through hillside paths, used by traditional Peruvian farmers, living the same way since the time of the Incas. Then, you will arrive at the famous Inca ruins, where your tour guide will provide you with some background on the Incas. After the ruins, your tour guide will point out new and different vegetation, as you move into the high, jungle micro-climate.

Finally, you will reach the classic Inca Trail, where your porters will serve you lunch. The afternoon’s hike will be all uphill until we reach our campsite. Be sure you have your camera ready, with fully charged batteries, as you never want to miss this opportunity to capture the magnificent views of the mountains and enchanting natural waterfalls in the cloud forest.

Today will be the longest but most breathtaking day of the Salkantay Tour, with it including the Inca ruins and the cloud forest. After an early breakfast, we will start with a two-hour climb uphill in the Puna area. The Andean Ichu is a dry place with little vegetation, but you can see llamas here. When we reach the peak of Dead Women´s Pass (4,200 meters high), you will have some time to rest and enjoy the glacier peaks and spectacular mountains, nearby. Afterward, we will start descending on the rock-paved trail towards our lunch spot. Along the way, you will be able to observe Orchids and other flowers.

Please try to walk slow and be cautious of nature. This section is a perfect spot to watch hummingbirds. After lunch, we will begin climbing uphill for two hours to reach the second peak. Halfway through your journey, you will visit the Inca ruins, called Runcu Raccay.

This place has been said to function as a watchtower from its oval shape and position overlooking the valley. After crossing over the second peak (4,000 meters high), we will start descending for one hour to the lake called Yanaccoha, where the Incas organized ceremonies for the Goodness of the water. Then, you will arrive at the famous cloud forest and also one of the most beautiful Incan ruins called Sayacmarca. Sayacmarca is where you can observe the original Inca houses, water fountains, water channels, and the most spectacular views of the valley.

After the ruins, it will take you about 30 more minutes to reach our campsite, called Chaquicocha. Once again, you will have an opportunity to see different types of flora and fauna since you will be in the high jungle.

Today is the most relaxed day of the Salkantay tour. In the morning, you will have views of the surrounding Andes Mountains, and the Pumassillo mountain glacier peaks. There will only be about five hours hiking, including the three Inca ruins on the way to our campsite. The first ruins are called Phuyupatamarca (cloud level-town) and are two hours from the campsite. It is impressive to observe the lovely platform and houses where the Incan nobles studied astronomy. The second set of ruins are on the hillside among terraces. It was perhaps an Incan agricultural experiment station.

You will also have views of the sacred valley, and the river of Urubamba. Finally, you will reach the last campsite, called Wiñay Wayna (2,600 meters), where you will leave your day packs and walk for five minutes to reach the most beautiful Incan ruins, along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. This place is close to a village where you can enjoy the beauty of the water channels, terraces, and temples, and learn about the religious ceremonies that used to occur here.

After lunch, you will have an opportunity to take a cold showers, followed by a free afternoon to explore the most beautiful Inca site, Wiñay Wayna. Later in the afternoon will be your last happy hour and dinner, topped with a small presentation from your porters to say a final goodbye. They will head back to Cusco the next day, while you continue your journey to Machu Picchu.

Today marks the most important day of your journey: the long-awaited visit to the citadel of Machu Picchu, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
We will wake up very early at 3:00 a.m. at the Wiñaywayna campsite. Breakfast will be served at 3:30 a.m., and at 4:00 a.m., we will begin a short walk to the park ranger checkpoint, where we will wait in line until the gate opens at 5:30 a.m.
Why so early? Our porters must walk approximately 1 hour from Wiñaywayna to the railway at Kilometer 107 to catch the only daily train that passes at 5:30 a.m. If they miss it, they would have to walk all the way to Km 82 or wait until the next day. Out of respect for their effort, all groups wake up early so the porters can make it on time. Your duffle bags will be transported by the porters to Aguas Calientes and left at a restaurant where you’ll later have lunch.

The checkpoint at Wiñaywayna opens at 5:30 a.m. because this section of the Inca Trail leading to the Sun Gate is narrow and, for safety reasons, park rangers do not allow tourists to hike it in the dark.
The hike from the checkpoint to the Sun Gate (Intipunku) takes about 1 hour, during which you’ll enjoy lush flora such as orchids and cloud forests. Just before arriving, you’ll encounter the steep “Gringo Killer” stairs, a section of about 20 Inca steps.

Upon reaching Intipunku, you’ll enjoy your first panoramic view of Machu Picchu in all its glory. This gate served as the main entrance to the citadel during Incan times and also as a solar observation point during the spring solstice, when sunlight passed through the gate and illuminated the Sun Temple window.
We will spend 15 to 30 minutes at the Sun Gate, depending on the weather, and then continue for another hour of gentle downhill hiking to reach Machu Picchu. Along the way, you’ll see spectacular views of the citadel, Huayna Picchu, the Urubamba River, and the surrounding valleys.

At approximately 7:30 to 8:00 a.m., we’ll arrive at the main lookout point of Machu Picchu, the iconic spot where postcard photos are taken. You’ll have about 30 minutes to enjoy the view and take photos with help from your guide. For many, this is the moment when the dream of “surviving the Inca Trail” comes true.

After taking pictures, we’ll briefly exit the citadel to use the restrooms (S/2), and anyone with large backpacks can leave them in the storage area (US$5).
We will then re-enter to begin a guided tour along Circuit 3, which covers the most iconic areas of Machu Picchu: temples, palaces, religious houses, water fountains, and astronomical observatories. Your guide will explain every detail, and you’ll also have time to take photos.

After the tour:

Those with a ticket for Huayna Picchu will head to the entry checkpoint and hike up independently, as guided tours are not allowed on that trail.
The rest of the group will continue the tour through other sectors such as the Temple of the Condor, followed by about 30 more minutes to explore and take pictures.
At the end of the visit, everyone will head to the exit to take the bus to Aguas Calientes and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.

After lunch:

At 2:55 p.m., you will board the tourist train to Ollantaytambo (approx. 1 hour 45 minutes), with comfortable seats and impressive views of the river and mountains.
Upon arrival in Ollantaytambo, a private Alpaca Expeditions bus will take you back to Cusco (approx. 2 hours).
You are expected to arrive in Cusco around 8:30 p.m., where your stored luggage will be returned to you and you’ll be dropped off at your hotel.

Walking Distance: 5 km /3 miles

Note: Before the government enforced the new legislation about protecting the Inca Trail, horses were the main transport to carry equipment from the trail head to Wayllabamba. Since they banned the horses, we have replaced them with out porters (on the Classic Inca Trail). You will have the same tour guide and cook throughout your tour. All meals are prepared on site, so that you will always have fresh food.