Salkantay VIP Trek to Machu Picchu 5 Days / 4 Nights

Day 1: Cusco City – Mollepata – Humantay Lagoon – Soraypampa

After pick up from the hotel (4:00 a.m. approx.), we will ride in our private car towards the town of Mollepata for approximately 2.5 hours. Upon arrival at this town, we will have time to enjoy breakfast before continuing another hour in the car until Challacancha, where we will start our trek. We will walk for 3 hours alongside the water channel until we reach the Soraypampa camp, where we will have our organic lunch and we enjoy clean water to drink and fill our water bottles, all with a panoramic view of the Salkantay Glacier and Salkantay and Humantay mountains, and others.

Visit to Humantay Lake

In the afternoon we will visit the Humantay Lagoon (4200 masl), where our guide will lead a Pachamama kintu, a type of offering to connect with Pachamama – Mother Earth. The offering is to the Salkantay and Humantay mountains, and in exchange for these gifts we hope they offer us protection. We finally finish with the descent to the Soraypampa camp (3850 masl) where we will have tea time, dinner, and a well-deserved rest.

Day 2: Soraypampa – Huayramachay – Chaullay

After a strengthening breakfast, we will have clean water to fill our water bottles, before we start our trek to the Salkantay pass, located at 4,620m, and the highest point of our trek. On the way to the Abra Salkantay we will be able to observe llamas, alpacas, birds such as the Salkantay condor and Andean landscapes. We will then have a short rest to appreciate the wonder of the mountains that make up the Andes Mountain rage.

View of the fauna and flora of Salkantay

Along the hike we will find stone mounds called Apachetas, and our guide will provide an explanation about these and other features, and we will also have a small ceremony with coca leaves to Pacha Mama (Mother Nature) to take care of us and protect us during the classic Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu. Then we will descend for approximately 4 hours to the Wayracmachay lunch point, by the edge of the Amazon jungle in the Cusco region.

After lunch, we will continue walking for approximately 6 hours until we reach the Chaullay camp, and along the way we will appreciate hummingbirds and other species of birds, small mammals, reptiles, then we have the tea time and dinner before spending the night in Chaullay.

Day 3: Chaullay – Granadillas – Sawayaco

After our delicious breakfast we will fill our bottles with clean water to drink, then we will leave Chaullay at 6: am. approx. Along the way, we will be connecting with the tropical jungle where we will pass through narrow trails and waterfalls, valleys with abundant flora and fauna typical of the area such as different species of Orchids, medicinal plants, Peruvian Hummingbirds, and local family farms where you will taste the tropical fruit granadilla.

After an organic lunch, we have an organic coffee tour and tasting. Optionally, in the afternoon you may visit the thermal baths (at an additional cost), which will take around 2 hours, then in the campsite, we will have tea time and dinner.

Day 4: Sawayaco Beach – Llaqta Pata Inca Trail – Machupicchu Town

After a 5.00am wake up with coca tea and a breakfast with tropical fruits, we will fill the water bottles with clean water, and then say goodbye to our chef and kitchen assistant. We will begin to walk through the tropical forest area and coffee plantations before arriving at the archaeological center of Llactapata and enjoying the panoramic view of Machu Picchu, Huayna Picchu mountain, Huchuy Machu Picchu and the sacred city of the Incas and their valleys and ravines.

From Hidroelectrica to the town of Aguas Calientes

The adventure continues with a descent to the Hydroelectric dam, which should take around 5 hours, where we will have our lunch, before catching the beautiful train along the river to the Machu Picchu town of Aguas Calientes where we will settle in the hotel, have dinner and an explanation for the Machu Picchu tour for the next day.

Day 5: Machu Picchu tour

Today is an important day because you will explore Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Machu Picchu sanctuary is open from 6:00 am. For this activity, we will start with breakfast at our hotel. Our guide will explain the restrictions of Machu Picchu. We recommend taking the bus from Aguas Calientes town up to Machu Picchu, but the other option is to walk uphill for an hour and a half until you reach the historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu. To pass the control points, we need to have entrance tickets to Machu Picchu and a personal passport. Once we enter, we have a 3-hour guided Machu Picchu Tour.

Visit to the Sanctuary of Machu Picchu

In Machu Picchu LLaqta, we will observe the Inca architecture and the Inca hydraulic engineering and the important sites of the archaeological center. We will stop by the classic photo spots, the main gate to the urban sector of the Incas quarries of Machu Picchu, the main temple of Machu Picchu (Temple of the Sun), the Royal Tomb, the Intiwatana sundial, the Temple of the 3 Windows, the central square and Sacred Rock of Machu Picchu, the Craft Sector, the Temple of the Condor and others. Our official guide will explain in detail about Machu Picchu and its key places.

To return from Machu Picchu Llacta, we recommend returning to the town of Aguas Calientes to enjoy lunch in Aguas Calientes at a good restaurant in the town of Machupicchu. Make sure you arrive at the Machu Picchu train station 35 minutes before departure to the Inca City of Ollantaytambo. The Dog Travel Peru staff will be waiting for you with our transportation back to the city of Cusco in 2 hours.

The end of our Salkantay VIP trek to Machu Picchu is 5 days/4 nights.