Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu
Why Salkantay Trek?
Machu Picchu, a legendary tourist magnet, lured us to Peru, and of course, we wanted to hike to the famous ruins. It was a hiking holiday after all. Inca Trail is arguably one of the most popular trails in the world, terminating in Machu Picchu. How cool is that? Very cool.
What is less cool is that you need to obtain a permit to hike the trail as only 500 people are allowed on the trail per day. The permits are released in January and work on a first-come-first-served basis. So when I started planning our October Machu Picchu trip in July, only the sound of crickets greeted me on the permit website.
That’s when I came across Salkantay trek – a great alternative to Inca Trail that does not require permits. Some people argue that the landscape is even more spectacular and varied on Salkantay than on Inca Trail. I can only concur that within this trip we went from crossing a mountain pass in a hail storm (not part of the itinerary) to grinding coffee in a tropical jungle. However, as I haven’t done Inca Trail, I cannot objectively compare the two. I just know that the Salkantay trek is awesome, so let’s dive into it
How long does it take? If you only want to see Machu Picchu, you don’t have to trek to it, you can visit the ruins as a day trip. There are different trekking options based on the time you have, varying between 2 to 6 days. Salkantay trek is usually a 5-day trek where the last day is reserved for Machu Picchu.
Difficulty: There are a few steep sections, which will fire up your heart rate. For physically active people, who have hiked in the mountains, this hike would be considered moderate. If you are not used to hiking in the mountains, you might find this hike challenging. It is definitely doable if you train before the trip and just take your time, especially on steep sections.
What can make this trek very difficult is the altitude. You will be sleeping and hiking in high altitudes, so acclimatization is essential. We had people in our group who suffered from a mild altitude sickness. On the first day, while climbing to the pass they had to use emergency horses as they had no energy. Make sure to spend a few days before the hike in Cusco to enjoy the trip afterwards.
Itinerary
Before the trip: why we opted for an organized tour
You can do this trek on your own or you can go with a trekking company that will organize everything for you. Back when we did the trip in 2018, we were far from confidently independent hikers. We didn’t feel comfortable with the challenge of organizing a multi-day trip on our own in a country where we don’t speak the language and English is not popular either. Thus, we opted for an organized group trek with a company.
For those of you who are in doubt, I wrote a blog post comparing hiking trips with a tour company versus independent trips as by now I have tried both ways.
There are many companies offering trips to Machu Picchu. As they differ in price, they also differ in quality. I’ve spent quite some time researching and reading reviews from fellow travelers. In the end, we chose a 5D/5N trip with Alpaca Expeditions as the company had great reviews and offered a lot in their package.
It was on the more expensive side (595$ per person in 2018) and I’m sure you can find something cheaper, especially if you simply go “trip shopping” in Cusco. In our case, we wanted to maximize our time in Peru while making sure we do the trips on our bucket list, so we booked everything online before going there. Besides, Alpaca Expeditions just seemed like a reliable company with good guides and gear, so we agreed to pay a bit more for a better quality trip.
Itinerary
The itinerary hasn’t changed since 2018, so you can find it on Alpaca Expeditions website. While it says that the trip is 5 days and 5 nights, it actually is 5.5 days as you’re taken from your hotel in the afternoon a day before the start of the hike.
After ~4 hour drive you’ll arrive at the campsite, where you’ll spend the night and only start hiking in the early morning the next day. This was an attractive part of the deal as many other operators offer to pick you up in the middle of the night and start hiking right after a sleepless night drive. Besides getting a good night’s rest we could also beat the crowds in the morning as we were already there.
The hike itself is 4 days as the last day is a trip from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu. Instead of taking a bus, you can hike up the mountain to reach the ruins. As the bus ticket was already in the trip price, we chose the lazy option and took a bus, so no hiking for us on the last day. The duration is a rough approximation of time it took us with all the breaks. We had extensive lunch breaks (more like feasts than breaks) and the pace was defined by the slowest hiker.
| Day | Start | Finish | Duration (h:mm) | Distance | Elevation gain/loss | Accommodation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Cusco | Soraypampa | – | – | – | Glass Cabanas |
| 1 | Soraypampa | Wayracmachay | 8:00 | 18km | 1200m/1260m | Camping at Wayracmachay |
| 2 | Wayracmachay | La Loreta | 8:30 | 18km | 390m/1990m | Camping at La Loreta |
| 3 | La Loreta | Llactapata | 7:00 | 12km | 970m/590m | Camping at Llactapata |
| 4 | Llactapata | Aguas Calientes | 7:30 | 15km | 960m/1470m | Killa Inn Hotel in Aguas Calientes |
| 5 | Aguas Calientes | Cusco | – | – | – |
Accommodation
As we went for an organized trip, the accommodation was predefined, we could only choose how fancy of a hotel we wanted in Aguas Calientes (we went for the cheapest option, of course). Let me share a short review of each accommodation:
Day 1: Glass Cabanas in Soraypampa
Every hiking couple or individual got their own little house. The houses are basically a room with a bed, side tables, and lots of warm blankets, while toilets and showers are in a separate building. The best part of those houses is a massive window that trails from the wall all the way to the roof, so you can see the stars while lying in bed. Stargazers, this is the place to be.
Day 2: Camping at Wayracmachay
This camping is set in a fantastic location, surrounded by tall white-capped mountains. On a clear night (as we had) the views are just breathtaking with all the stats are mountains looming above us. Our tents were fit into triangular shelters made out of straw, which is a great extra protective layer in rain. We had warm sleeping bags and extra blankets for the night, which are very much appreciated as the temperatures at high altitudes tend to drop below zero.
Day 3: Camping at La Loreta
At the time of our trip, there were quite some constructions at La Loreta and we camped next to the pool area. Did I say pool? Yes, there was a hot jacuzzi which is the best place to end a day’s hike. At La Loreta, we could also take a proper shower and even shop for snacks. Very relaxed place with friendly staff. I’ve seen that now instead of camping you would stay in hobbit houses, that are built on the slope on a hill facing Salkantay river. A great upgrade, I’d say.
Day 4: Camping at Llactapata
Every location was great, but this one was by far the most magical. We camped with a view of Machu Picchu. The hill of Llactapata faces the mountain chain on which the ancient city is sitting, thus giving us the first glimpse of what to expect from tomorrow’s trip. According to Alpaca Expeditions, they have exclusive rights to camp in this place. The nights are chilly, so extra blankets were welcome again.
Day 5: Killa Inn Hotel in Aguas Calientes
We’re back to the civilization in busy Aguas Calientes, which is the major hub for Machu Picchu visitors. We had a nice clean room with a bathroom. The hotel was very close to the bus stop for Machu Picchu, with plenty of places around to eat out. They serve breakfast quite early to accommodate early birds leaving for the first buses to Machu Picchu (so around 5:30 in the morning).
Gear
The company provides a very clear and comprehensive packing list, which covers everything you will need for the trek. They also have an introduction session before the trip to make sure you have everything. We missed the session due to another hike, which explains the following paragraph.
One thing we forgot was a pair of shorts, we only had trekking pants. It was a bit hot while hiking through the tropical jungle, so shorts might have been a nice addition. Well, at least we did not get bitten by mosquitos. They are ferocious out there!
We also did not take hiking poles, while the rest of the group did. Back in 2018, we were the “cool” kids who do not use hiking sticks. I’d say we didn’t need them that much as we had light day packs and very reasonable distance and elevation to cover. Only in the jungle hiking sticks would have been handy when descending on a muddy path. A few sections were pretty sketchy. We did not fall, but sticks might have provided the extra support in case of a slip.
Daily journal
So how was it? I wrote my experiences and adventures in the daily journal below. For each day you’ll find not only my stories, but also more pictures and practical tips for that particular stage. If you still miss any information, feel free to post your question(s) in the comment section (at the bottom of each daily journal) or contact me via a contact form.
Day 1: Let it rain
The Salkantay trip does not keep the best views for the end, already on day 1 we’ve scaled the highest peak of the hike – the Salkantay pass at whooping 4630m.
Day 2: Peruvian flat
We are descending from the tall mountains and progressing further on a ridge of Salkantay river. The terrain is changing from rocky and harsh mountains to green and humid jungles.
Day 3: Peruvian Starbucks & distant Machu Picchu
Today is a day full of experiences: we made our own coffee, saw the beautiful Santa Teresa valley, even hiked for a bit on the Inca trail, and then slept with the views of Machu Picchu. Yes, THE Machu Picchu.
Day 4: Back to civilization
This is our last hiking day. Today we’re heading to Aguas Calientes, the town from which all Machu Picchu trips start. Salkantay trek does not lead you directly to Machu Picchu.
Day 5: Machu Picchu, I’m speechless
Good morning! Or good night?… It’s 5:00 am and we’re up and running. Well, slowly walking to be more exact. After a super early breakfast, we’ve met with the rest of the group and headed towards the busses.
Photos
