Salkantay Trek 5D/4N

We will pick you up from your hotels at 5:00 a.m., and then we will drive northwest for about 3 hours in the direction of the Apurimac Valley, until we reach the small town of Mollepata, located 2,800 meters above sea level.

During the journey, visitors will have the opportunity to see the sunrise over the Nevado Salkantay (6,271 m), an impressive sight that they will never forget. Once we have reached the Mollepata area, the hikers will have breakfast and then prepare to start this unique journey to the lost city of Machu Picchu. From this point we will begin to ascend through winding valleys full of bushy vegetation, where hummingbirds are frequently seen. At this point the expedition will be supported by a group of horsemen and horses. After approximately 5 hours we will arrive at the Soraypampa area (3850 m), where we will set up our tents, have lunch and dinner and spend the night. This will be the coldest place on the route, so we strongly suggest bringing warm clothes for the first night.

Shortly after breakfast, we leave the Soraypampa camp and continue our trek. On this day we will walk uphill for a few hours, seeing on the way the impressive snow-capped Umantay and a beautiful lagoon called Yanacocha. Finally we will reach the highest pass on the road, at 4,600 meters above sea level, located between the Salkantay and Tukarhuay mountains. From this point we will be able to see the Cordillera de los Andes, with a series of glaciers around it. Then we will descend, stopping along the way for lunch, and later we will continue descending towards Chaullay, a tropical climate zone, located at 2850 meters above sea level. At this point we will set up our tents again, and then we will have dinner. We will spend the night in Chaullay.

Early in the morning our porters will wake you up and then you will have breakfast. Later we will continue our walk towards Lluscamayu. The landscape in this section of the road offers exuberant vegetation, passing through native communities, beautiful waterfalls, agricultural fields of coffee and some fruits, typical of these regions. Then at the place called La Playa, where visitors will have free time to cool off on the river bank. Later we will take a bus that will take us from La Playa to Santa Teresa. We will spend the night in the Santa Teresa camp.

After breakfast, we will start with a short walk of approximately one hour to the area called La Oroya, where we will cross the Urubamba River. On the other side of the river there will be a truck waiting for our group, this truck will take to the hydroelectric station of Machu Picchu modern town, also called Aguas Calientes (town located below the old Machu Picchu Sanctuary). In this tropical place our group will have lunch, and then they will go to the railway to wait for the train that will take us to Aguas Calientes. This is a popular resting place for those who do the Salkantay Trek, here you can recover in the lodge provided by our Agency, or go up to relax in the hot springs (hence its name Aguas Calientes) located at the top of the city. Aguas Calientes has developed quite well in recent years, so today you can find here internet access, plenty of restaurants and pubs, ATMs and souvenir shops everywhere. Spend the night at the designated lodge in Aguas Calientes.

Around 5:30 am, shortly after breakfast, we will take the local bus that will take us to the Machu Picchu Sanctuary. In a matter of 20 minutes we will have arrived at Machu Picchu. (It is a good idea to come to the ruins early, since there are not many people, just a few groups, the ruins get very busy around 11:00 am, when the local train arrives with more visitors).

Once here, our guide will show us the most important sectors of this great Inca City, such as the Intiwatana (Solar Clock), the Temple of the Sun, the urban sector, the agricultural sector, among others.

For a long time Machu Picchu was thought to be legendary. Then, in 1911, the explorer Hiram Bingham stumbled upon its remains. But, although the walls and chambers have been extensively studied in the years since, the purpose of this ancient site remains unclear.

Machu Picchu stands at 2,430 m above sea level, in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, in an environment of extraordinary beauty. It was probably the most amazing urban creation of the Inca Empire at its height; its gigantic walls, terraces and ramps seem to have been cut naturally into the continuous rock escarpments. The natural environment, on the eastern slopes of the Andes, encompasses the upper Amazon basin with its rich diversity of flora and fauna.

The guided tour of Machu Picchu will last about 2 hours, and after that you will have free time to explore the ruins on your own and, if you wish, you can climb the Huayna Picchu mountain, the huge mountain that appears in the background in all the classic photos of Machu Picchu. Macchu Picchu. It takes about an hour to reach the top, following some very steep stairs, although it is a bit tough, at the top you will be rewarded with one of the most amazing views of your life. Later, we will take the bus to go down to Aguas Calientes, where we will have lunch and also where we will take the train back to Cusco. In Aguas Calientes, if you wish, you can go to relax in the thermal baths. The hot springs are located in the upper part of the town; visitors can ask their local guide how to get there. Finally, around 4:00 pm, we take the train to Ollantaytambo and then transportation to the city of Cusco at the designated hotel in Cusco. End of the tour.