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Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu SAT1

Views at Salkantay Pass on the Salkantay Trek
Admiring the views of Machu Picchu on the Salktantay Trek
Views of Machu Picchu
Hiking along an Inca Canal to Machu Picchu
Horses on the Salkantay Trek
Overview

Highlights

  • GO trek to one of the world's most famous archaeological sites
  • GO experience the grandeur of the Andes Mountains, tackling a pass at 4,625 m. (15,174 ft.) with the impressive Nevado Salkantay Mountain towering above at 6,271 m. (20,574 ft.)
  • GO experience Peru authentically by staying with local families along the route, including a family that runs their own coffee plantation

The Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu is quickly gaining international notoriety and offers a more challenging and dramatic approach than the Inca Trail to the iconic Inca ruins. Stunning mountain views on the first couple days at high altitude in the Andes will leave hikers breathless for more than one reason. This serves as a marvelous prelude for the mystifying Amazon cloud forest and the highlight visit to Machu Picchu. This tour offers an authentic Peruvian experience, thanks to our partnership with local families along the trek. These families provide accommodation, delicious meals, transportation and transfer luggage (luggage transfer is available for most of the trek, but not all). This is a great ethical alternative to the commercially guided tours that are increasingly present along the route.​

This trek travels up to an altitude of 4,625 m. (15,174 ft.) and the first night is spent in a hut is at 3,867 m. (12,687 ft.). Hiking at this altitude is strenuous and is not to be underestimated. Good fitness is required and acclimatization is necessary. The families who will host along the trek speak very little, if any, English. While speaking Spanish is helpful, only a sense of adventure and a good translator app on your smartphone are necessary.


Length        5 days

Season        March to November

Airport       Cusco, Peru

Physical Condition

Technical Difficulty

Read more about difficulty ratings

Responsible Travel Score:
7/15 Fair Traveler
(detailed summary available in Tour Documents)

Itinerary
Map
Skills Required
Tour Documents
Pricing
Add-ons
Accommodation and Meals
Season and Timing

We accept bookings up to 21 days prior to the start date of the tour

Only 30% payment due at the time of booking!

Current Availability

Updated May 27th, 2025

 

We are currently accepting bookings for 2025 tours. We recommend providing us with a flexible date range to work with.

 

You can book the tour online by following the green button, “GO Book the Tour.”

 

Useful Links

Booking Process

  1. Initiate the booking process by selecting the green button labeled, GO Book the Tour
  2. Complete the fields in the booking process and continue on to process the deposit (usually 20%, sometimes 30%) via Paypal (Paypal account not needed)
  3. We'll start checking availability and working on your bookings. As long as there is availability, we will book the accommodations and send you your eGuidebook within 21 days of the booking (this may take longer for custom tours and last-minute tours). This will include GPS waypoints of the accommodations and will be in a format that can be saved on your smartphone for convenient use on the tour. If any changes need to be made during the tour, there will be a phone number available to you during the tour, although additional charges may apply

If there are any issues with availability, we will contact you and work with you to find an alternative solution. If we are unable to find one, we will refund the deposit in full.

The remaining balance for the tour is due 30 days prior to the first date of the tour.

Group Discount

Only one discount will be applied per tour participant. Discounts are only applicable to tours. Discounts are not applicable to fees or additional services, such as Airport to Airport Packages or bicycle rentals.

Groups of 6 or more: 15% discount for all participants & customize an existing tour without Customization Fees

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