Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu - 5 Days

For the begin of this adventure, our Andean View Travel guide pick you up early from your hotel 05:00 am – 5:30 am and we head towards Marcoccasa (3400m/11154f) for approximately 3 hours, passing by the towns such as Izcuchaca, Limatambo and Mollepata (3000m/9843f).
In Marcoccasa, we will meet with our muleteers, horses and the rest of trek team to begin the hike. We will begin a detour toward Humantay Lake, a marvelous lake in the mountains. After 3 hours of walking, we will have a panoramic view of the majestic Salkantay mountain and other mountains covered with snow. We’ll see majestic snow-capped mountains such as Humantay (5217m/17116f) and Salkantay (6264m/20551f). Our campsite is at Soraypampa (3900m/12795f).

• Transportation time: 3 hours approximately
• Hiking time: 6 hours
• Climate: Cold
• Included: Lunch and dinner

For Today, nature will change from dry surroundings to snowy mountains and tropical areas. After our breakfast around 8:00 am, the guide of Andean View Travel lead and show you for the most difficult part of the hike (21 Km approx.), we will ascend until to reach the highest point Salkantay Pass (4600 masl) which offers an exceptional view of snow-capped Salkantay (6264m / 20551f) which is known as the second-highest point of the region and the Cordillera of Vilcanota, then we will descend and enjoy the lush vegetation of the changing ecosystem. On our way down, we will visit the amazing Salkantay Lake, around 1:00 p.m., we will have our lunch, in Huayracmachay., after 3 hours trek, we will arrive at our camp in Challway (2900 masl) amidst a tropical forest, and around 7:00 p.m., we will have our dinner.

• Hiking time: 8 hours
• Climate: cold and warm with mosquitoes
• Included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

At 7:00 a.m., we will begin our trek. We will walk for about 5 hours toward Sahuayaco, on the route, our Andean View Travel guide will show the region’s flora and coffee, cacao and fruit plantations. You’ll descend into a forest, enjoying the diversity of orchids, bromeliads and other plants, also we will go through Collpabamba, also called the “Forest Cloudy Brow” where we can view waterfalls, fruit-bearing trees, varied flora, and birds. If we are lucky, we will be observing the famous bird called the “Cock of the Rocks”.
Arrive at Sahuayaco around midday, here we have lunch, this afternoon we will visit with a local rural family and learn about the cultivation and processing of coffee, we learn about the complete process from the tree to the cup of coffee. We continue our tour by local transport until reaching our camping site, very close to Santa Teresa town. (Who wishes can go to the Cocalmayo hot springs to take a relaxing bath, You need to coordinate this visit with our tour guide).
Around 7:00 p.m., we will have dinner and camping.

• Hiking time: 6 hours
• Climate: Warm during the day with mosquitoes.
• Included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

After an early breakfast, we will take the Inca trail to the ruins of Llactapata (2,650 masl) in the midst of capricious vegetation, we visit this Inca archaeological site, we also enjoy the exceptional view over Machu Picchu mountain and Vilcanota Canyon. Then we continue to down a path, which will take you to the Hydroelectric station (1,950 masl), here you will have time to rest and enjoy the scenery and lunch at a local restaurant. We continue our journey taking approximately 3 hours (10 km), first to the community of Mandor; where we will arrive after 1:30 hours approximately and the last part of the route to reach Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu town) we will do it in an hour and a half more. (Optional we can take the train to enter the town of Aguas Calientes town (2050m/6726f) no included).
Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel, around 7:30pm we will share the farewell dinner with the guide at a local restaurant at which time we will inform you about the plans for the next day.

• Hiking time: 6 hours
• Climate: Warm during the day with mosquitoes.
• Included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

The most important day of our trip, getting to discover one of the 7 wonders of the world, The Citadel of Machu Picchu (2,400 masl), for that after breakfast, We will pick you up from the hotel to take the tourist bus to Machu Picchu, this is a short trip lasts 30 minutes. Then we can visit the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu for two hours approximately accompanied by our Andean View Travel specialist guide who will explain to us, about the historical legacy of the citadel of Machu Picchu, and the full description of this great and imposing attraction and after that. After the excursion, you will have free time to explore the citadel and take pictures or if you have the ticket, you can ascend to Huayna Picchu Mountain or Machu Picchu Mountain (with advanced reservation) on your own.
After all of this, you must descend from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes town by bus, you can then have relaxed and have lunch in one of the many restaurants before you board the return train to Ollantaytambo (2 hours of travel by train) where our transport to the city of

• Cusco awaits (2 hours trip by car).
• Climate: Warm with mosquitoes.
• Included: Breakfast.

End of services!