We will pick you up at your hotel around 05:00 am for your 5 day Salkantay trek. We will proceed to drive about 3 hours to Anta – Mollepata. During the bus ride, you will be able to observe the white snow-capped mountains of Salkantay and Veronica: the Sacred Gods of the Incas. Also, you will glimpse the spectacular views of the high and low valleys with colorful landscapes. After 3 and a half hours of travel, we will make our first stop in the village of Soraypampa (starting point of our trek), where there are toilets and breakfast prepared by our chef. There we will meet with our support staff, organize all the equipment, horses and mules and have an introductory meeting.

At approximately 9:00 a.m. we will begin our trek to Humantay Lake (4200 m / 13779 ft). The first part of the trail is flat and then uphill to the lake. We will explore it for about 30 minutes and then return to Soraypampa where we will have lunch. After lunch, we will continue hiking up to Salkantaypampa (4150 m / 13615 ft). Salkantaypampa is located in the middle of the glacial valleys where at night it is so dark with no ambient light making it a perfect place to appreciate the constellations in the sky.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Lodging: Camping.
Campsite altitude: 4150 m / 13615 ft.
Distance traveled: 10 km.

Despertamos temprano a las 5:00 am con té de coca traído a su tienda de campaña. Después, empacamos rápidamente, disfrutamos de un desayuno e inmediatamente comenzamos la caminata hasta el punto más alto del sendero Salkantay (4620 msnm – 15.255 pies). La distancia es de 5 km que deberíamos completar en 3 horas. Durante el ascenso a través del valle rocoso, podemos observar el magnífico pico Salkantay (6217 msnm – 20.341 pies) e incluso puede ver chinchillas en el camino (Una vez que lleguemos a la cima del sendero, disfrutaremos de espectaculares vistas de las montañas y los imponentes picos nevados del Salkantay.

El Salkantay es considerado la segunda montaña más alta de la región de Cusco y uno de los principales dioses incas conocido como “Apu Salkantay”. La caminata hasta la cima es la parte más difícil de toda la caminata. Se sentirá muy realizado. Las siguientes 3 horas las pasaremos descendiendo por el sendero de la serpiente a lo largo de un camino de grava y rocas para llegar a Huayracmachay, nuestro lugar de almuerzo. Por la tarde llegaremos a la parte alta de la selva tropical, también llamada “bosque nublado”. Recorreremos 9 km en 3 horas hasta llegar a Ccolpa pampa Village (2900 msnm – 9,514 ft) nuestro campamento base. En la segunda mitad del día durante el descenso, observaremos el espeso bosque que está decorado con coloridas orquídeas y plantas nativas. La mayor parte del año el clima es cálido y agradable.

Comidas: Desayuno, Almuerzo, Cena.
Alojamiento: Camping.
Altitud máxima: 4650 msnm/15.2559 pies.
Altitud Mínima: 2900 msnm/9.5144 pies.
Distancia Recorrida: 21 km/13.0488 millas a Chaullay.

Around 5:30 am wake up call with coca tea!  Next, we have breakfast and afterward start hiking straight to la Playa; walking through the thick jungle and following the riverbank of the Salkantay River on a gradual trail. On the route, we stop at several family hamlets to enjoy the local fruit and vegetables (passion fruit, banana, coffee, avocado, mango, orange, and papaya).  If we are lucky, we will be able to observe the famous bird called “the Cock of the Rocks”.

The trail distance is 16 km and the hiking time is 7 hours until we reach Lucmabamba, our base camp. Lucmabamba is a small town surrounded by coffee trees and can provide the basic facilities (toilet, electricity, shopping, and souvenirs) and serves as our lunch point.   In the afternoon you will go to harvest the coffee then peel them.  In the evening, you will grap coffee to roast then grind them and at the end you will prepare your own coffee expreso.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
• Accommodation: Camping.
• Maximum Altitude: 2900 masl/9.5144 feet.
• Minimum Altitude: 2100 masl/6.8898 feet.
• Distance Travelled: Approx 16 km/9.9419 mile.

Today we have an early start to avoid the midday heat. As we hike, we will pass through coffee plantations and an artisan coffee mill on our way to Llactapata. Here we will follow a wide, well-preserved and original Inca trail.

Following the trail up the side of the ridge, we can see a multitude of butterflies, citronella, orchids, rocky streams and impressive views of the Santa Teresa valley. From the pass, we can see Machu Picchu just as fabulous as from Intipunku, the famous Sungate. From the pass, it is a short hike to Llactapata. Still covered in vines, jungle vegetation and trees, we will explore the site before descending to the Aobamba River and the Hidroelectrica, where we will have our last lunch with our amazing cook. From there, we will take a train to Aguas Calientes. Once in town, we will check into our hotel, go out for dinner and spend the night.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Lodging: Hotel.
Maximum Altitude: 2040 masl / 6,6929 ft.
Minimum Altitude: 2900 masl / 9,5144 ft.
Distance Traveled: 24 km/14.9129 miles approx.

The fourth day is the most magical: Machu Picchu. We will wake up at 3:30, very early, to take the first bus to Machu Picchu and see the sunrise over the ruins.

Your guide will spend about 2 hours explaining the highlights of Machu Picchu. Afterwards, you will have time to explore the ruins on your own and climb Huayna Picchu if you have booked this option (This is a separate entrance fee costing $65 per person). Finally, you will return to Aguas Calientes and take a train back to Ollantaytambo, and then the bus back to Cusco. Once in Cusco, we will transfer you back to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast.
Tour: Visit to Machu Picchu.