Salkantay - Machupicchu Trekking

This beautiful Andean adventure begins at 4:30 am with hotel pickup and transfer in private transport for 3 hours to the Sorayapampa trailhead. Travel by road through the Andes enjoying views of the villages of Iscuchaca and Limatambo, valleys full of Andean plants, and the famous snow-capped Salkantay mountain. At the Sorayapampa trailhead, enjoy a delicious and hearty breakfast while observing spectacular views of the Humantay mountain glaciers (5900 m/19,356 ft) and Salkantay mountain (6217 m/20,396 ft). A 2.5-hour round-trip hike is made to visit Humantay Lake and enjoy the beauty of the crystal-clear blue water. Here, let yourself be captivated by the beauty of such an incredible natural creation and walk back to the starting point to continue your hike towards Salkantay Pampa, where you will enjoy an exquisite lunch. Then, we head to our first camp, Sorayapampa (3950.00 m), located at the foot of the imposing Humantay mountain. At the camp, we will have afternoon tea to warm up and snacks waiting for us. Ready to settle into our shelters before dinner.

The guide will wake you up with a cup of hot coca tea to enjoy in the tent before breakfast. Then we continue the trekking for 3 hours to the Salkantay Pass (4,650 m / 15,367 ft). From here, you will be truly impressed by the spectacular views of these three imposing snow-capped mountains: Salkantay, Humantay, and Huayanay. These peaks are considered sacred by the Andean people, and the guide will tell you how important these Apus are in traditional Andean beliefs that are still preserved. After the pass, we continue the walk for 2 more hours to Huayracmachay, a strategic place for lunch. Later, we descend for 3 hours to the rural community of Chaullay, where we will camp. We cross from the dry highlands of the Andes into the warm and humid Amazon. Then we will take local transport to Lucmabamba where we will camp and spend the night.

We enjoy our last breakfast prepared by our chef to begin the hike following the Inca trail along the ancient and remote Inca Road for 3 hours to the Puncuyoc Pass (2,700 m/8,858 ft). Along the way, we find incredible views of the deep valleys that vanish in the distance with their fruit plantations. Finally, we reach Sawayaco La Playa where we will have lunch and take the local bus towards the hydroelectric plant, the main power source for Cusco. Nearby, we will have lunch before taking the train to Aguas Calientes, where we will have time for dinner and head to the hotel.

It is the most anticipated day of your trip. Very early we have breakfast at the hotel to take one of the first buses that leaves for Machu Picchu to enter the truly extraordinary site, something you won't want to miss. The guide will accompany you for approximately 2 hours, visiting most of the important parts of the Machu Picchu citadel, including its agricultural, residential, and religious divisions. After enjoying this beautiful Inca city of Machu Picchu, we return by bus to Aguas Calientes for lunch (not included). Immediately after, we head to the Expedition train station that will take us back to Ollantaytambo at 14:55 or 06:20, following the spectacular Urubamba River. Near Aguas Calientes, the canyon is narrow and the river has many beautiful white water sections. Wiñay Wayna can also be observed from the train. Back in Ollantaytambo, transport awaits us here for the transfer to the hotel in the city of Cusco.