Mountain Lodge Luxury: Salkantay to Machu Picchu Trek

7 Day Example itinerary

Cusco Salkantay Trek Machu Picchu

The Salkantay Trek to the lost Incan city of Machu Picchu is one of Peru and South America’s great walks that rivals even the classic Inca Trail for natural beauty and staggering views. Forget camping, what better way to experience the breathtaking trail than by staying at luxurious mountain lodges and enjoying delicious regional cuisine. This 7 day lodge-to-lodge trek traverses jagged Andean peaks, lush cloud-forest and long lost Inca ruins before you reach the glorious citadel of Machu Picchu via the bustling town of Aguas Calientes..

Itinerary Highlights

  • Experience the magnificent Salktantay to Machu Picchu Trek
  • Deliciious regional cuisine on the trek
  • Wonderful mountain lodge accommodation as you hike
  • Explore the lost Incan ruins of Llactapata
  • Marvel at the breathtaking site of Machu Picchu

What’s included

  • Shared small group guided walk
  • Meet & greet airport service
  • Luxury mountain lodge accommodation
  • Expert guides in each destination

flexibility

This is a fixed departure itinerary.Please contact us for dates, departures and availability.

6

Nights

Price Guide

From $5150 pp

Our quotes are bespoke for your customised trip. The prices displayed are indicative only, read more

Start

Cusco

plan line
Day 1

Salkantay – the trek begins!

After an early start, you will be driven to Mollepata via the fascinating Inca moon temple of Quillarumiyoc. Here, you will enjoy lunch at a beautiful local farmhouse in the village before you continue your journey to Challacancha. Disembarking the vehicles, the trek begins with a 3-4 hour walk to Soraypampa lodge at 3800m along the “Camino Real” trail. The scenery is stunning and soon opens up with spectacular views of Mount Salkantay at 6200m. On arrival, you will receive a warm welcome and your first Andean sunset – perhaps from the warmth of the outdoor jacuzzi!

Day 2

Acclimatisation – Lake Humantay

Waking amidst towering mountains, you will have a full day to acclimatise and prepare yourself to the first long day of the trek. There is an optional 4-hour hike to the glacier-fed Lake Humantay high above the lodge at 4200m. From the top, the views are wonderful and you may like participate in a traditional ceremony to honor “Pachamama” (Mother earth) or even take a dip in the icy water! In the afternoon, why not enjoy a massage back at the lodge or a soak in the outdoor hot tub amidst a dramatic Andean mountain-scape.

Day 3

Crossing the Salktantay Pass

Start of the trek proper! You will circle Humantay Peak as you ascend the Rio Blanco Valley and negotiate a series of steep mountain switchbacks to reach the Salkantay Pass, the highest point on the trek (15,213’ / 4,636m). From here, it is all downhill past boulder fields often shrouded in fog before you emerge into lush rolling hills and marsh-like plateaus to reach Wayra Lodge at Wayraccmachay.

Day 4

Into the Cloud-Forest

An easier day as you continue your descent along the Salkantay River. The barren altiplano soon gives way to lush humid cloud-forest teeming with humming birds, orchids and butterflies. You will pass small traditional Andean communities before reaching Colpa Lodge, located on a high promontory at the confluence of 3 rivers with impressive panoramic vistas.

Day 5

Hike into the Santa Teresa River Valley

The descent continues with a long day’s hiking along the verdant Santa Teresa River Valley through banana, granadilla, and coffee plantations to reach Lucma lodge at the foot of the newly restored “Llactapata Inca Trail”. Enjoy lunch at the lodge and an afternoon at leisure to relax or visit the surrounding organic coffee plantations, that produce some of the best organic coffees in the world. Here at Lucmabamba, warmer temperatures and increased humidity are the tell-tale sign that you are drawing ever closer to the edge of the Peruvian Amazon.

Day 6

Llactapata & Machu Picchu

The final day of the trek! After breakfast, you will join the Llactapata trail and climb the Inca steps up to the top of the pass to catch your first tantalizing glimpses of Machu Picchu surrounded by the Vilcabamba Mountains. Enjoy lunch within the recently discovered Inca ruins of Llactapata before you descend a steep trail that zigzags down to the roaring Aobamba River through lush bamboo forests, orchards and coffee plantations. Celebrate as you cross the bridge over the river to reach the Hidroelectrica train station for a scenic one-hour train ride to the town of Aguas Calientes, on the banks of the Urubamba River at the base of Machu Picchu.

Day 7

The end of the road: Machu Picchu & Cusco

Today, you will join your guide and head up to Machu Picchu by shuttle bus for a comprehensive guided tour of the site with plenty of time afterwards to explore the ruins independently and soak up the atmosphere. Explore the Watchtower, the Temple of the Sun and the royal Inca residences set amidst cascading Inca terraces and a breathtaking Andean panorama. For thrill-seekers, you may also like to hike up the giddy peak of Huayna Picchu which forms the backdrop of Machu Picchu – not for the faint-hearted! In the afternoon, you will return to Aguas Calientes and board the train which winds through the Vilacabamba to reach the Sacred Valley where you will continue by road to reach Cusco – the end of the trek.

dot joiner for itins
Day 8

End of arrangements

A note on price

The prices outlined above are a rough guide to give you an idea of costs and enable you to budget for your trip.

Guide prices are generally for private arrangements based on twin share, in well located, good quality accommodation (excluding international flights).

Please note costs are indicative and may vary due to a number of factors such as; travel date, hotel choice, room category, number of people travelling and prevailing exchange rates.

Price Guide from $5150 per person

When to travel

jan feb mar apr may jun jul aug sep oct nov dec

The best time to visit Peru is during the dry season from April to November when there are bright sunny days and an average temperature of around 20° though dropping to just above zero at night due to the altitude. The Amazon is hot and sticky all year round though marginally more oppressive and wet between the months December and March.

Add on’s

Just east of Cusco, Peru’s steamy Amazon would make an ideal spot for winding down after the trail and experiencing a completely different side of Peru. There are several lodges dotted along the Madre de Dios River or you may prefer to head to Iquitos for a classic riverboat cruise into the breathtaking Pacaya Samiria National Park.
Alternatively for pure R&R, you might like to relax at a coastal resort south of Lima or even fly north to Mancora, Peru’s most up-and-coming beach destination.

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