Start training 6–8 weeks before your trip. The Salkantay trek covers 70–74 km (43–46 miles) and crosses a pass at 4,630 m (15,190 ft), so your preparation needs three things: cardiovascular endurance, leg and core strength, and practice hiking with a loaded daypack. Altitude is the variable no training routine fully solves — that comes down to acclimatization in Cusco before you start, not fitness level.
You don’t need to be an athlete. You do need a real base: the ability to walk 15–20 km (9–12 miles) on uneven terrain without stopping every ten minutes. If that sounds like a stretch right now, you have time to get there before you go — but you need to start now, not the week you land in Cusco.
How Physically Demanding Is the Salkantay Trek?
Difficulty is moderate to challenging, and it comes from three factors stacked together, not any one of them alone.
Altitude: The Salkantay Pass sits at 4,630 m (15,190 ft). Soraypampa, your first camp, is already at 3,900 m (12,795 ft) — higher than most people have ever slept.
Distance: 70–74 km (43–46 miles) total, depending on your itinerary (see our comparison of the 4-day and 5-day Salkantay itineraries if you haven’t picked one yet — the daily distances differ meaningfully between the two).
Terrain: Rocky, uneven, with steep sustained climbs and descents. The drop from the pass alone loses over 1,000 vertical meters (3,280 ft) in an afternoon, which is harder on your knees than the climb was on your lungs.
None of these factors is extreme on its own. Together, at altitude, on tired legs, they add up faster than people expect.
Your 8-Week Training Timeline
Weeks 8–6: Build your base
Three to four cardio sessions a week, starting moderate and building. Incline hiking, stair climbing, slow-paced running, or cycling all work — the point is to get your cardiovascular system working consistently, not to peak yet. Add two strength sessions focused on legs (squats, lunges, light deadlifts) and core (planks, basic stability work). This is also when to start one longer hike a week, building toward 10–15 km (6–9 miles).
Weeks 5–3: Add load and intensity
Keep the cardio frequency, but increase intensity — faster pace, steeper terrain, longer stair sessions. Start carrying a loaded daypack (3–6 kg / 7–13 lb) on your longer weekend hikes to get your body used to walking under weight, since that’s exactly what you’ll be doing on the trail. Strength work shifts toward heavier resistance on the same leg and core movements, plus back work (rows, resistance bands) to help with posture under a pack.
Weeks 2–1: Taper, don’t peak
This is where people make their biggest mistake — cramming a huge final hike in the last week and showing up tired instead of ready. Reduce volume, keep intensity moderate, and prioritize sleep. Your last long training hike should happen at least 7–10 days before you fly, not the weekend before.
Training by Fitness Level
Beginner (you don’t exercise regularly): Start with 30–45 minute walks, three times a week, and add basic strength work twice a week. Increase distance and pace gradually rather than jumping straight to hills. Realistically, this level needs the full 8 weeks — don’t compress it.
Intermediate (you exercise occasionally): Move straight into 40–60 minute cardio sessions, add weekend hikes on real terrain rather than flat ground, and increase resistance in your strength sessions week over week.
Advanced (you train consistently): Prioritize long hikes with a loaded pack and interval training to sharpen your aerobic capacity. Aim to complete at least two hikes of 15–20 km (9–12 miles) with elevation gain before you travel — this is the closest simulation you can get at sea level.
Altitude: The Variable Training Can’t Fully Fix
Here’s the part most training guides skip: fitness reduces how hard the altitude hits you, but it doesn’t prevent altitude sickness. People who run marathons at sea level still get headaches and nausea at 4,000+ m (13,000+ ft) if they skip acclimatization. The two aren’t the same problem.
Plan for 2–3 full days in Cusco at 3,400 m (11,150 ft) before you start the trek. Walk around the city at a normal pace, stay hydrated, and don’t schedule a demanding day tour the day before you leave for Salkantay. If you have any pre-existing heart, lung, or blood pressure conditions, talk to a travel clinic before your trip — this is medical territory, not something a training plan can substitute for.
The Mistakes We See Most Often
The single biggest mistake is treating cardio as the whole preparation and skipping strength and backpack training entirely. Trekkers who can run 10 km (6 miles) flat often still struggle on Salkantay, because running fitness doesn’t translate directly to hours of uneven, loaded descent — that’s a different kind of muscular endurance, mostly in the knees and stabilizing muscles.
Without a doubt, the most common mistake our guides see on the trails is trekkers wearing brand-new, unbroken-in hiking boots. Every season, we see clients arrive with pristine, expensive boots straight out of the box.
By day two, especially during the long, steep descent from the Salkantay Pass into the cloud forest, they are struggling with severe blisters that make every step agonizing. It does not matter how premium the footwear brand is; if you have not logged at least 30 to 40 miles in them back home, they will hurt you.
Our guides carry robust first-aid kits and blister tape for this exact scenario, but it completely alters the trekker’s enjoyment. My strongest recommendation is to break your boots in for months, or frankly, hike in your trusted, worn-in trail running shoes instead of untested heavy boots.
The second most common issue is new gear. Trekking boots that haven’t been broken in cause blisters that can derail an otherwise well-prepared hiker by day two. Test everything — boots, socks, backpack — on your training hikes, not for the first time in Peru.
The third is skipping acclimatization to “save a day” of the trip. Fitness and acclimatization are separate problems, and no amount of training compensates for arriving in Cusco the night before you start walking.
FAQs
Do I need to be a runner to do the Salkantay trek? No. Steady hiking endurance matters more than running speed. Incline walking and stair climbing translate better to the trail than flat running does.
How much should I be able to hike before I go? By the end of your training, you should be comfortable with a 15–20 km (9–12 mile) hike on uneven terrain, ideally with some elevation gain and a loaded pack.
Is altitude sickness a fitness problem or something else? Something else. It’s about acclimatization, not cardiovascular fitness — see the altitude section above. Fit people still get it if they skip acclimatization days in Cusco.
What do people ask you most before booking? The most frequent question our operations team receives on WhatsApp is: “Am I fit enough to survive the high pass, and what happens if I get altitude sickness?” Trekkers are understandably intimidated by the 4,600-meter altitudes on Salkantay or Ausangate.
We always give a completely honest answer: physical fitness is important, but proper acclimatization matters significantly more. We frequently see marathon runners struggle because they flew in from sea level just 24 hours prior, while average weekend hikers who spent three full days acclimatizing in Cusco (3,400m) cross the pass without any issues.
We reassure clients by explaining our deliberate pacing strategy and confirming that every lead guide carries emergency oxygen cylinders and first aid kits. We always advise them to prioritize their arrival schedule in Cusco over stressing about their gym routines.
Can I train for Salkantay if I have a knee or joint issue? Talk to a physical therapist or your doctor before starting a training plan, especially given the descent’s impact on knees. This isn’t something we can advise on safely in a blog post.
Next Step
Once your training plan is in place, the next decision is which itinerary fits your fitness and schedule. Our comparison of the 4-day and 5-day Salkantay itineraries breaks down which version matches which fitness level, and our guide to the best time to do the Salkantay trek covers seasonal conditions that affect trail difficulty too. For the complete route breakdown, start with our Salkantay Trek: The Complete Guide, and when you’re ready to book, our 4-day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu page has current departure dates.
