Useful Information | |||||
Locations Visited: Salkantay Mountain, Llactapata, Hot Spring and Machu Picchu |
Starting Altitude: 3850 masl = 12631 Feet |
Highest Point: 4630 masl = 15190 Feet |
Group: Up to 16 Pax Maximum |
Physical Grading: 3/5 |
The trek from Salkantay to Machu Picchu 5 days, is the best alternative option to the Inca Trail, the famous Salkantay Trek (or Salkantay Trek), was named among the 25 best Treks in the world, by National Geographic Adventure Travel Magazine. It is a walk open to all, without limitations of spaces or permits (at least for now). An ancient and remote path located in the same region as the Inca Trail with snowy mountains and lush tropical forests, located northwest of the city of Cusco by the Vilcabamba Mountain Range and rising to 6271 masl. Salkantay is an outstanding mountain covered by snow turning it into a glacier and is adored for thousands of years by local people, Salkantay is a Quechua word that means (wild mountain). Local Trekkers Peru, offers you the best staff (guides, cooks and porters), and the best camping equipment that will make this experience an unforgettable memory.
We are going to pick you up from your hotel from 4:30 to 5:00 am in the morning and then we will be travelling in our private transport for about 3 hours aprox. The first breakfast is not included in the price so you can order this breakfast in a local restaurant in Mollepata so in that way you can support loca bussinesses, after that we take again the private transport for 20 minuts more until Challacancha where is going to start our trek. Is in this place where we are going to meet our horseman and his horses, who will be in charge of transporting our food and camping equipment. Then we have to walk for about 4 hours until to get Soraypampa where we will have lunch with a panoramic views of beautiful snow-capped mountains (Humantay; 4120 masl/13500 feet and Salkantay; 6271 masl /20575 feet) it is also in Soraypampa where it is going to be our first campsite (3800 masl/11750 feet; the highest and coldest campsite of the trek) during the night time the temperatura can drop down until Minus 5 degrees centigrade (Below Zero). Taking in the beautiful landscape along the way we will walk up toward the beautiful Humantay lake by the afternoon which takes 1 hora 30 min. to go and 1 hour To come back to Soraypampa our first Campsite.
NOTE: THIS DAY WE WILL SLEEP IN OUR LUXURY DOMES (see the photo for reference)
We will have breakfast around 5:30 am. To begin our trek to the highest pass of this hike (4630 masl). Located halfway between 2 huge mountains; Salkantay on the right and Tucarhuay on the left in this step, the views of the 2 snowy mountains are incredible. There is the possibility that we have a snow rain here (during the rainy season between the months of November to February only). Approximately 4 hours are needed. uphill to reach Salkantay Pass, where your guide will perform an Andean ceremony to thank the Pachamama (Mother Earth). Then we will have time to take pictures and rest, Then we will continue our walk (downhill) through a dramatic cloud forest towards Huayracmachay, where we will have lunch. Then we will continue walking downhill in the direction of the jungle, where we can see a small stream, waterfalls, parrots, parakeets, hummingbirds and orchids until we reach our second camp, chaullay (2900 masl / 9514 feet).
NOTE: THIS DAY WE WILL SLEEP IN STANDARD DOMES (see the photo for reference)
After breakfast, at 6:00 am, we start trekking down for the day through the upper jungle crossing the Lluskamayo River and a variety of little Brooks. Today we will pass through valleys and have wonderful views of waterfalls also we can enjoy of tropical fruits and plants such as palms and orchids and as so on, untilto reach Playa Sahuayacco walking about 5 to 6 hours, from where we Will take a local transportation to go to Hidroelectrica train station, where we Will have lunch. Then we will continue walking, passing a variety of crop plantations, coca, banana, we will walk approximately two and a half hours along the train rail until we reach the town of Aguas Calientes where we will spend the night in a hotel. In Aguas Calientes we will have dinner at a local restaurant, where you will have an informative meeting with your guide about the visit to Machu Picchu the next morning.
NOTE: THIS DAY WE WILL SLEEP IN LUXURY DOMES (see the photo for reference)
We wake up early morning about 4:00 to 4:30 am to have breakfast and start walking up to Machu Picchu which takes one and half hours up to Machu Picchu but there is another option to catch the first bus which leaves 5:30 am to Machu Picchu (25-minutes long) (this is not included in the price it cost 12 dollars bus up and 12 dollars bus down so in both cases you will arrive at 6 am in the morning to Machu Picchu , Machu Picchu gets open at 6 am so you will get in and you will have the opportunity of experience the Sun Rise in Machu Picchu, a Guided tour (approximately 2 hours and 30 Minutes) is given by your Guide and after this you can explore the mysterious city by yourselves. If you still have energy you can also climb Huayna Picchu (2720 masl/8890 feet). It takes 45 minutes to reach the top. Also if for Huaynapicchu there are not available spaces you can also climb the Mountain Machu Picchu which takes 1h 30 minuts to get to the top (you need to le tus know in advance if you want to clim up one of those Mountains). After experiencing the grandeur of Machu Picchu you need to go back to Aguas Calientes to take lunch (optional) then you need to go to the station train to go back to Ollantaytambo then to Cusco. About the train, we will provide you the touristic class train, the train departure times can be in between 2:55 pm to 9:50 pm. it depends of the availability of the spaces. Once at Ollantaytambo station our driver will be waiting for you with your names on a sheet of paper, this person will take you back to Cusco. Departure times of the trains will be provided according to the availability of spaces. Note: If you have a tight budget, do not worry you can get this trek at a more comfortable price for your pocket, but in this case you will return to Cusco from Hydroelectrica by bus Instead of the train.
To have a student price you have to comply with the following rules of the Peruvian government since we get the discount at the time of buying the Machu Picchu tickets from the Peruvian government. The Peruvian Government has 02 rates for foreigners that are ADULT / STUDENT.
The student card must be an original student ID given from the university in PVC material. It must have been printed on the cardUniversity Information, Student name It must have a valid expiration date / valid only for one year if you visit Machu Picchu in 2022 the expiration date must be 2022 or 2023 If is more of that this is not Valid, Discount for students, not more than 25 years old
ISIC cards are not valid for the discount
If you meet these requirements, send us a photo of your student ID to this email at the time that you are booking the tour to buy tour Machu Picchu tickets as a student: info@localtrekkersperu.com
If you do not meet the requirements, it is better to buy the trek as an adult because if you buy your Machu Picchu tickets with the student rate without meeting the requirements, they will not let you enter the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu for not meeting the requirements. that the Peruvian government requires since Machu Picchu is administered by the Peruvian government.