The 5-day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu takes you hiking close to magnificent glaciers and passing beneath the imposing Apu Salkantay Mountain (6240m / 20,472 ft), before descending into the tropical cloud forest of Santa Teresa on your way to Machu Picchu. The Salkantay Trek is one of the most popular ways to get to Machu Picchu. Less famous than the iconic Inca Trail, yet passing through the same terrains, many say the Salkantay is just as beautiful as the Inca Trail! For these reasons, many people looking for a multi-day Machu Picchu trek, choose the Salkantay Trek. Salkantay Trek presents a unique combination of culture and the mystical, which is proudly preserved by the Peruvian people, and is an amazing adventure and extraordinary natural beauty. Salkantay trekking is set at the highest peaks of Humantay Mountain, where the cold ice of the mountains meets the steamy heat of the Andes.
The Salkantay trek Machu Picchu, is an incredibly diverse and rich geographical hike, brimming with Andean culture and history. The Vilcanota Mountain range contains two of the twenty highest mountains in the Americas. The hike along this route offers an amazing diversity of attractions and adventure opportunities found nowhere else on earth. Imagine a walk with a breath-taking view of the most beautiful mountains in the world or a dip in the hot springs of Cocalmayo in the forest, all within a distance of only 50 kilometers. Many travelers hiking along this route are filled with the promise of adventure, and are equally pleased with the friendliness and openness of the Peruvian people. The Inca’s land is an incredibly diverse country that offers something unique for everyone, making it one of the best Peru adventure tours available. Here is some more useful information about the 5 -day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu!
Why Hike The Salkantay Trek?
Many travellers rave about the variety of ecosystems on the Inca Trail. The Salkantay Trek offers even more. Starting on the relatively dry side of the mountains, you visit the glacial lakes of Humantay, and camp beneath the gleaming snows of Salkantay, before climbing over the glacial moraine to the high pass at 4600m/ 15000ft (higher than any point in the Inca Trail. The Salkantay Trek route descends through beautiful high mountain scenery to reach warmer, greener climes and the hot, humid “Ceja de selva”, or high jungle. Here you walk through plantations of coffee, granadilla, bananas, and avocados eventually reaching the lowest point of the trek at Hydroelectric, 1870m/6135ft. A great reason for choosing the Salkantay as you’re your Peru adventure trek is the huge variety of ecosystems that you will encounter as you hike. Peru is famous for its diversity, and the Salkantay trek demonstrates that perfectly!
What to Expect
The Salkantay trekking route offers a greater opportunity for solitude on this busy trail, especially when you book the private service, before connecting with Aguas Calientes and a visit to the magnificent Machu Picchu. This Salkantay trekking route really has it all and is an excellent Peru adventure trek. From impressive mountain vistas to tropical vegetation a variety of wildlife species, and fascinating Inca ruins. We offer this trekking experience in a private or group service which means that the trek is always available. The Salkantay Trek is the second most popular trek in the Cusco region, and is one of the best Machu Picchu hiking tours available. You will admire snow-capped mountains, a spectacular turquoise lake called the Humantay Lagoon, and pass through the cloud forest and the Peruvian jungle, making this one of the most beautiful and interesting treks in all of Peru, making it the perfect option for your trip to Peru.
The Salkantay Trail holds historical significance, and like the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, was a route the Incas once took to get to Machu Picchu citadel. The main difference is that the Salkantay Trek is through the mountains reaching nearly 5,000m above sea level, whereas the Inca Trail is walking on ruins much of the way. It is said that the Salkantay Trek was the route that religious leaders took to get to Machu Picchu because of the high elevations that brought them “closer to god.” The Salkantay Trek is named after the mountain that the trail passes, Salkantay Mountain. It isn’t just this mountain you’ll see on the hike though as the trail offers varying landscapes including glaciers and tropical Andean forests.
Difficulty Level
The Salkantay Trek is best suited for those who enjoy hiking. Day 2 is the most challenging day that takes most people around 9 hours. It climbs 600 meters in elevation and then descends 1,780 m over 22 kilometers. This is a full day of hiking which is as rewarding as it is beautiful.
5-Day Salkantay Trek Difficulty
Day 1: ★★★ MODERATE – 8.8km (5.5 mi) | 5-6h | 300m elevation gain/loss
Day 2: ★★★ ½ MODERATE + – 17.6km (9.9 mi) | 8-9h | 400m elevation gain; 1730m loss
Day 3: ★★★ MODERATE – 11.5km (7.1 mi) | 4.5-5h | 820m elevation loss
Day 4: ★★★ MODERATE – 15.5km (9.6 mi) | 5-6h | 775m elevation gain; 975 loss
Day 5: ★ EASY – Tour of Machu Picchu
Extra Activities on The Salkantay Trek
–The hot springs at Santa Teresa.
Here, you can soak your sore muscles for a couple of hours for only a couple of extra dollars. Perfect after a hard day´s trekking along the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu!
– Ziplining
You can also enjoy ziplining and Santa Teresa has some excellent ziplining lines over the tree canopies of the cloud forest, ´perfect for your Peru travel adventure.
– Llactapata
The Salkantay trek also includes a visit to the Llactapata Ruins. In the Quechua language, Llaqta means “the place”, referring to a village, town, city, country, or nation, and pata” means elevated place, above a river bank. Llactapata is located in the Cusco Region and Santa Teresa District, high on a ridge between the Ahobamba and Santa Teresa basins. It appears to be the site originally reported by Hiram Bingham with the same name. Although the site was little explored by Bingham, it was more extensively explored and mapped by the Thomson and Ziegler expedition of 2003.
Advantages of Hiking The Salkantay Trek
- The Salkantay Trek allows you not only to walk at your own pace, but you can stop whenever you want to rest or take photos, and the guide will judge which campsites to stay at. There are always departures for your preferred date, as there are no permits required for The Salkantay Trek and you can take part in the zipline or the hot springs along the way, for the time you like!
- This is the perfect alternative when there are no Inca Trail permits available. You will trek through similar terrain and arguably more impressive natural scenery!
- The 4th night is in a hotel in Aguas Calientes. So you can enjoy a well-earned shower and be bright and breezy for those all-important Machu Picchu photos.
- Your gear is carried by mules, which are allowed on this Peru adventure trek.
- You can come into contact with local communities including working coffee farms, Alpaca farmers, and remote Andean communities who live along The Salkantay route.
So, what are you waiting for? Book your Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu here!