Our Experience On The Salkantay Trek To Machu Picchu
In March 2024, we did the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu. We opted for the four day trek with Salkantay Trekking and had the most amazing experience! From the mountains to the jungle, the views are non-stop. This blog post touches on things we thought were important for you to know, and our overall experience on a daily basis during this trek. We will preface this by saying, it’s not for everyone (not everyone wants to go on vacation and go trekking), but the views and rewards during this hike, the people you meet, the culture you get to experience along the route, is SO worth it in our opinion!
Overview
The four day Salkantay Trek with Salkantay Trekking consists of three big days of hiking, and the final day is the adventure to Machu Picchu. This blog post will go over each day for use including the hiking distances, our favourite pictures from each day, where we stayed, and an overview of our experience!
Costs: This costed us 520$ (USD) per person, with additional costs for renting a sleeping bag and trekking poles, your return bus ticket from Machu Picchu back to the town (approx. 12$ USD), and of course extra cash for tipping and your final lunch (this is not included).
What’s Included: All accommodations are included (2 x sky dome type accommodations and 1 x hotel), all meals besides the final lunch (4 x breakfasts, 3 x lunch, 3 x dinner, and snacks), your entrance ticket to Machu Picchu, your bus ticket to Machu Picchu on the final day, return transportation to/from Cusco (including a train and van transportations), some transportation during the hike, and a few random activities (coffee tour and fruit tasting). Ofcourse, the guide and chef costs are all included in this that make the experience as great as it is!
What’s Not Included: Additional rentals (sleeping bags and trekking poles if you aren’t bringing them), final meal (lunch), tips for staff (porter, chef and assistant chef, and guide), additional snacks to purchase at certain spots on the way, additional change for washroom stops along the way, purchase of souvenirs, bus ticket to return to town after Machu Picchu (before you take the train back to the transportation location), and additional add-ons (you can choose to hike more in Machu Picchu, upgrade your train ticket, take a mule instead of hiking to the Salkantay pass, additional transportation add-ons, etc).
Pre-Departure Briefing: The day before the trek you will have a pre-departure briefing which is mandatory and we honestly suggest going to either way to meet the people you’ll be spending the next few days with and get some insight as every trek will be slightly different. They will talk about the next four days, pick up times, confirm information (sleeping arrangements, hotel pick-ups), answer questions, and give you some gear. The company provides you with a duffle bag to put your stuff into (everything you won’t need during the day) – it is not waterproof so make sure you grab some heavy duty garbage bags to put your stuff into to ensure it doesn’t get wet. The company will also give you a day pack cover, a free t-shirt, toilet paper, snack bag for the snacks they give you, and your rented equipment (trekking poles, sleeping bag and liner) either on this day, or on day one of the trek.
Salkantay Trek Day One
We woke up at 330am and we were being picked up first around 4am that morning. We left our extra luggage at the hotel we were staying at (as we were staying there when we returned to Cusco), and hopped into the van to go pick the others up and start our journey. We had about a two hour drive (with blankets!) to our breakfast location (with washrooms) where we fuelled up on pancakes, fruits, vegetables, fruit juices, coffee/tea. We then drove another hour to where we would gear up to start our hike and use the washrooms (bring extra change to use the washrooms – they cost 1-2 soles). Today’s overview is about 10km, and 5-6 hours of hiking (depending on your pace / the group).
We kicked off at about 9am for approximately 7km of hiking this morning. Here we had a bit of a steep start for the first 30-45 minutes (reality check for what was to come!), but it flattened out and was a relatively easy walk for the remainder of the journey. The views of the valley below with the rivers flowing are so beautiful! Day one is referred to as the warm-up for day two, which we would agree with. We stopped many times along the route, where the guide would point out local flora/fauna, and explain to us the importance of different plants and what they are used for! This happened throughout the entire trek, along with the significance of different aspects of his culture (the Inca’s), which added such a good learning aspect to the trek that was interesting.
We arrived at the lunch spot (your accommodations for the night) at around 130pm, where we got settled in to our accommodations, sat down for a delicious lunch. For the lunch and dinner meals, they had an assortment of vegetarian options (you need to let them know in advance if your vegetarian or have dietary restrictions), soups, meats/fishes (chicken, trout, beef, etc), carbs (fries, pasta, rice), vegetables, and even something sweet at dinner. Plus there’s always tea options (and usually coffee too). At breakfast there is usually toast, pancakes, eggs, and a few side options. We found the meals to always have an option for everyone and there is PLENTY of food so you won’t go hungry – the chefs do a really good job.
In the afternoon, we started our “test” hike up to Humantay Lake – a STUNNING blue emerald alpine lake with the background of the mountains. It’s not a long hike distance wise, but the elevation is HIGH (you go up to 4,200m) so you will be challenged and it will take some time! We started around 2-230pm, got to the top around 330pm (and hung out here with the views for a bit!), and then returned to camp about 430-5pm (30-45 minutes approximately to get back down depending on how fast you go). This is a test hike, as they guide can see your hiking pace, abilities, and how your body adjusts to the rapid elevation change. It’s definitely important to be self-aware here to avoid any issues on the next day.
We learned on this day that our group was AMAZING and more than willing to match each others speed for the most part to make it a consistent and comfortable journey for everyone. Our guide was super patient with everyone and we felt no pressure or need for people to speed up/slow down as our group was pretty relaxed and went with the flow.
After a tea time, dinner, and another hot tea, we headed to bed around 8pm this night and you think you’ll have more time to do things, but honestly, you’re going to pack for the next day and head to bed right away (today was exhausting!). Make sure to wear your thermals and bundle up as the dome you stay in is STUNNING but is really cold, if you are lucky, you will have some insane views of the mountains and stars. There is no wifi or shower on this night, but there are fully functioning washrooms / water.
Salkantay Trek Day Two
We were woken up with a knock at the door and a cup of coca tea nice and early on day two. The nerves were HIGH for this day, as it was going to be the hardest day and a big challenge with hiking 22km, over 10-12 hours on our feet, with a high elevation at the Salkantay Pass of 4630m. It’s a mix of alpine and cloud forest terrain, so it’s important to have layers so you can adjust your temperature accordingly.
There is also the option to take a mule to the Salkantay Pass and then hike down from there, which costs additional (I believe somewhere in the 40-50 USD range, but they will confirm with you before you leave for the trek), which is a great option especially if your body isn’t adjusting to the elevation well and a lot of people opt for this option! After an early breakfast, we filled up our bottles with the provided boiled water (cooled & ready to drink! They provide you this at every meal) and headed off to start our hiking journey around 6-630am – they want to get an early start on this day to ensure you reach your next accommodations before it starts getting dark.
This was the day you definitely see the most people as there are quite a few groups doing this section at the same time and all trying to get a head start. It wasn’t overwhelmingly busy, but there was definitely a crowd. This day was my absolute favourite in terms of views – the mountains and scenery are something else, especially so early in the morning with the perfect lighting! Throughout the entire day you are continuously surrounded by new views, so the day will be challenging but 100% rewarding.
After about 4-5 hours of hiking, you will finally reach the Salkantay Pass! In our tour, they gave us a sandwich (which TBH I thoroughly enjoyed along with many other snacks) and Coca Tea at the top to enjoy with the views. It was definitely a challenge but everyone that decided to do this part of the trek in our group was successful, it was all about finding the right pace. We were all SO happy we decided to hike up. In terms of altitude sickness, there were some headaches and sensitivity to light, but nothing that couldn’t be handled for the one day period that we were at that high of an elevation.
After the pass, you have to hike another 2-3 hours to your lunch spot. We got to the lunch spot around 1pm (after MANY breaks and I will highlight our group was pretty slow, we were there to enjoy and have a good time and didn’t feel the need to push through to be speedy and we were all SO happy about it – thought maybe not our guide but he pretended!). The lunch here is in a tent set up, with a mix of altitude sickness wearing off, tired faces of people hiking all morning, and hungry people.
After lunch, you still have the afternoon full of hiking, but as the path is pretty straight forward, your guide just sets meet up points along the way so the group can split off into their own paces. We left around 2pm and got to our accommodations around 5pm – the way down is more technical in terms of lots of loose rocks and need to be careful about foot placement, but feels like a BREEZE compared to the uphill. Arriving to the accommodations, you’ll get the wifi, your room, a stunning view, and most importantly… a hot shower (if it’s working). You’ll settle in before meeting for tea, dinner, and then prepping for the next day again. At the end of every day, the guide will recap what to expect for the next day (wake up times, breakfast times, leaving times, hiking information, what type of clothes to wear, etc) which is SUPER helpful. These accommodations were really comfortable and cozy – nowhere near as cold as the night before!
Salkantay Trek Day Three
Day 3 you are on a HIGH because you have completed the hardest day, and you know tomorrow is the big day you’ve been waiting for (plus, you’ll be staying in a hotel tonight). Today you will be walking through jungle, and depending on the weather, could be a hot day (we were wearing shorts and a tank top!). You may come across some rivers to cross, but for the most part it’s a super easy walk along flat terrain with amazing views of the surrounding mountains. Day 3 is usually about 27km in hiking over 8-9 hours, but for us they had to alter some of the transportation because of some local issues with damaged areas from storms/landslides, so we actually only ended up hiking about 22km (which we were more than okay with). You decrease in elevation and the path is mostly flat for the hike, so it’s not a hard day!
After being woken up a LITTLE later (5am), we had some breakfast, packed up, and were hitting the road by 630am. The morning air and stunning scenery had us in such a good mood. Today is a bit more of a light hearted day, with of course lots of hiking, but they throw in a tasting of a local fruit (and the option to buy some fresh juice), and a coffee tasting! It even includes some transportation in between some of the locations which means more time to enjoy the activities. Note that on this day, is when you’ll say goodbye and thank you to the porter who ensures all your stuff makes it safely to the destination (in the morning), and the chefs (after lunch) – and where you’ll tip if you’d like to!
After a morning of easy walks, river crossings, tastings, and lunch, the afternoon is where it got a bit longer for us – we were totally ready to just be in our hotel room. We finished up at this location between 12-1pm, and were transported to the furthest point they could until we had to hop out and start hiking the rest of the afternoon again. Because there was no way for the transportation to get through some of the areas due to a landslide, we were required to take what we needed in our duffle bags for the night and the next day (until we returned home basically) in our day packs which made them a bit heavier and PACKED. We made our way down a complicated long path (you have to make your way through the train area and around a construction area, but our guide gave us directions and there are so many other tour groups heading in the exact same direction so it’s really hard to get lost), where we walked beside train tracks for the majority of our afternoon walk. Through the jungle, besides train tracks, and with a little bit of rain, eventually between 430-5pm we made it to our hotel! The hotel is in Aguas Calientes (a town right beside Machu Picchu where most people travel to in order to access Machu Picchu) and is covered in the cost when you purchase the trek. The hotel was super clean, nice, modern and really was a great choice to stay in (not that we had a say… but we liked it!).
A fresh shower, comfy beds, and one wifi connection, gave us all the energy we needed to hop out of bed and head to dinner. They take you to a restaurant where your dinner is covered from a set menu, you just pay for tips and any beverages you’d like to purchase. You can also roam around town / check out the souvenir stands / buy some snacks / get a massage before or after dinner if you feel inclined! We ate up and headed straight back to the hotel room because we had a super early morning coming up. The guide gave us our timings, instructions, and we were ready to sleep.
Salkantay Trek Day Four
This is THE day that you come for on the trek. Honestly, this whole trek was more like a three day trek, and then a one day excursion to Machu Picchu from the town, but we really enjoyed the whole experience! I think trekking up to Machu Picchu itself could also be a really cool experience (as we took the bus up to the top), but after three days of trekking, we were just excited to see it the easiest way possible. We woke up super early (around 430am) to ensure all of our stuff was packed away as we decided to take a small bag with some items (water, camera, snacks, raincoats, etc), and keep the other bag of stuff at the hotel.
After breakfast, we hopped on the 530am bus to get up to Machu Picchu for around 6-630am (this bus ride is included, if you don’t plan on walking back down, you do have to pay for your bus ride back down which was 12 USD). There are NO bathrooms inside Machu Picchu, so we avoided all water in the morning and during the first part of our tour as once you leave, you can’t get back in (it’s a one way route with no re-entry), and used the bathroom before heading in. We started our journey in where we scanned our tickets and started walking up lots of stairs to reach the viewing area.
It didn’t take us very long to reach the first major viewpoint (20-30 minutes), but it DID take us long to get a view. We stood at that viewpoint for over two hours with barely any views, just waiting for it to pass. In the meantime, our guide took time to go over lots of history, ask many questions, and was super interactive with us whilst we waited. Eventually the clouds begin to mostly pass (there was still many clouds, but you definitely got some of the view!), and we began to make our way down to see the actual ruins and learn about the history of this world wonder. You get really amazing views from the viewing platform pictured here, all the way down on the walk towards the physical site so if you start your making your way over there, keep your camera ready (walk & snap shots!).
Taking pictures, walking through the site, learning from the guide, and really experiencing what we worked so hard to see all came to an end around 11am. Throughout the tour, our guide took the time to show us examples, explain different specific sites, go through some of the construction details, and so much more. Afterwards, this is when the guide told us our options for returning, and where to meet at what time! We headed back to the bus stop, purchased tickets, and got in line to head back. They have buses on a super regular schedule, so you don’t wait for long. There is a super small gift shop (honestly more worth your time to get your souvenirs in the town instead), a fancy restaurant, a hotel, and a snack restaurant on site.
After a super exciting day, we went for one last lunch as a team (this is optional, as you are paying for this lunch yourself, it’s not included), grabbed some snacks, and headed to the train station. You take the train from the station in Aguas Calientes where it will likely be PACKED with people, and will hop onto your assigned seat (this is included in your reservation). We took the bus for about 2 hrs, where we transferred over to a bus for the remaining 1.5-2 hrs of the journey. We were of course wondering what to do with the duffle bags, but they give you heavy duty plastic bags to transfer your stuff from the assigned duffle bag over to this plastic bag, so you can give them back their bag and easily transport your stuff into your hotel with you. We ended up back at our hotel around 7pm, where we were able to pack up, get some rest, and get ready for our next adventure in Peru!
& That’s A Wrap
Four days FLEW by and we met some amazing people and had overall a great experience that we would recommend to anyone that wants a challenge with rewarding views in Peru. Our personal favourite parts of this trek were Day 2 when you finally hit reach the Salkantay pass (& the views on the way up), the morning of Day 3 (feeling refreshed in the crisp morning air), and of course Machu Picchu.
See You On The Salkantay!
This was just a quick look into one of the most amazing experiences we have had, and we hope it encourages you to book the Salkantay Trek or gets you excited for it! Stay tuned for more posts such as everything we packed, an in-depth cost breakdown, our approach to acclimatizing, and more about our whole Peru trip. For now, check out our guide to our Peru trip here, and find where we booked the Salkantay Trip here!
