Two years ago, I walked 45 miles through the most beautiful mountain ranges in Peru to eventually arrive at Machu Picchu. The historic ruins were absolutely amazing, but the five-day trek to get there will live in my memory forever.
What is the Salkantay Trek?
The Salkantay Trek is one of the most beautiful multi-day treks in the world. You can access it near Cusco, Peru. The path winds through the Andes mountains from the town of Soraypampa ending at the famous ruins of Machu Picchu. It spans 45 miles, reaches the elevation of 4630 meters, and takes about five days to hike. On this trek, you’ll cross over snow-covered passes, walk through a rainforest, hear roaring rivers, explore ancient Incan ruins, and see insane views the entire time. Unlike the Inca Trail, this trek passes through towns, so no camping is required. I highly recommend using this route to arrive at one of the 7 Wonders of the World.
This is a complete guide to hiking the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu. It will include the following:
- The best time of year to go
- How to hike the trail
- The full hiking route
- 6-day itinerary
- Tips & tricks
- For a complete packing list, check out my blog post The Ultimate Minimalist Packing List for Adventure in Peru
- If you are interested in completing this without a tour guide, check out my detailed Hiking the Salkantay Trek Unguided Handbook
When is the best time to go?
The best time to go is during the summer and shoulder seasons. Dry season is April – October, but May–August is ideal with clear skies and dry trails. Avoid November–March (wet season), the Salkantay Pass can be dangerous in heavy snow or rain and trails turn to mud. But regardless of when you embark on this adventure, it will rain, it may hail, and the weather will go from hot to freezing throughout the trek
How to Hike this Trail
The Salkantay Trek can be completed with a tour group or self-guided. If you are interested in hiking this trek without a guide, refer to my Hiking the Salkantay Trek Unguided Handbook for in-depth details and must-have information. I hiked this trail self-guided and had an absolute blast, but there was a lot of information to learn and lots of moving pieces to put together.
Many companies have amazing tours that you can book for this trek. The tour covers accommodation, luggage transport, food, snacks, a tour guide, and all the small details of the trek. The treks are generally between $400 – $800 USD depending on the level of luxury accommodation that you decide to book. Some tours use glamping sites and other tours use hotels or hostels. The best tour companies to book with are Alpaca Expeditions and Salkantay Trekking. Both of these companies are experts at the trek and provide a fantastic experience.
The Full Hiking Route
This trek spans 45 miles from Chollaconcha to Agua Calientes. You will hike through six different towns on the journey.
I used AllTrails to map out my exact journey and track each day of hiking. I won’t sugarcoat this, it is a tough trail. Make sure you are fit for long days of hiking. Most of these days are between 6-13 miles with steep uphill sections. But you will be rewarded by insane views if you push forward.
The 6-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Leave Cusco to start trekking
The bus ride is about 3 hours to the start of the trail. Here you will begin your walk for a relatively flat two hours before reaching the first town. After arriving in town, make sure to hike up to Humantay Lake. It is breathtaking. I was astounded by the colors of the lake.
Day 2: Summiting the pass
This is the longest and steepest day of the trek. It takes about three hours to hike up out of town and onto the top of the Salkantay Pass. At the top, you are surrounded by giant snowy mountain peaks. Take a photo and breathe in mountain air at 4,700 meters! After this, the trail winds down the mountain and into the rainforest
Day 3: Hot springs & coffee
The third day brings walking through remote and warm rainforests filled with fruits and birds. The trail winds through coffee and banana plantations and there is generally an option to get a tour of the whole coffee works. This area also is home to a few hot springs – we visited the Santa Theresa hot springs. It was amazing to soak our tired legs in the hot water.
Day 4: Arriving at Machu Picchu town
By this day, our legs were tired and we had seen so many beautiful sights and met so many lovely people. Expect to walk past the lovely ruins of Llactapata and then descend to the railroad tracks in the valley. The trail follows the railroad tracks for a few hours to the town of Agua Calientes. You have reached the base of Machu Picchu! This is the part of the trek where you can rest your weary legs and enjoying exploring town for the evening. Agua Calientes is a bustling tourist town but it also has sprawling markets full of food, clothes, and jewelry.. We loved winding through the stalls and buying trinkets to take home.
Day 5: Machu Picchu
Finally you have finished the journey and made it to the destination – the incredible ruins of Machu Picchu. Enjoy exploring the ruins, learning the history, and awing over the immense skill and design. You have made it to one of the 7 Wonders of the World! Enjoy wandering through this historic site for 2-3 hours. It is best understood and appreciated with a guide.
Tips & Tricks
- Acclimate in Cusco before beginning the trek for at least 2 days – one week
- Bring along altitude sickness medication and motion sickness medication (the buses go fast and the roads are windy)
- Buy coca leaves in the Cusco markets to help with altitude adjusting
- Buy or rent hiking poles, they will save your knees on the steep downhills
- Please wear-in your hiking boots before setting out on the trail!
- Have so much fun on the adventure of a lifetime!!
