While on a Salkantay Trekking adventure you will be experiencing different types of landscapes. The experience begins high up in the Peruvian Andes, closer to the snow capped peak of Salkantay Mountain.
Salkantay Trek 4 Days popularly known as Salkantay Mountain Trek is a popular alternative to the Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
We have designed this four day trek as a shorter and an easier alternative to our classic 5 Days Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu.
While on a Salkantay Trekking adventure you will be experiencing different types of landscapes. The experience begins high up in the Peruvian Andes, closer to the snow capped peak of Salkantay Mountain.
You will then be hiking down to the cloud forest and finally enter into the dense tropical region.
On this four day trek with our English speaking local guide, you will also get a deeper insight to the Andean customs and traditions. You will be meeting locals who are untouched by modernity and still maintain the Incas way of life.
Please note that the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu is a high altitude experience. The highest point of the trek is the Salkantay Pass at 4630 metres (15190 feet) above sea level. We highly recommend you to spend a few days in Cusco before the trek to avoid altitude sickness.
Check out our detailed post on How to train for Salkantay Trek.
Why Machu Picchu Tours?
We are a fully locally owned tour operator and a licensed Salkantay Trail operator based in Cusco. Our guides are passionate about the history, Inca sites and culture of Peru. They have years of experience hiking to Machu Picchu.
We offer Salkantay Trail both in private and as a small group tour.
Salkantay is a part of the Andean mountain range. It is subject to two seasons: the dry season and the rainy season. During monsoon, the trek gets slippery. The best time to do the Salkantay Trek is during the dry season – April to December.
Do take a moment to check our reviews on Trip Advisor.
At 0430 in the morning, we will be picking you up from your hotel in Cusco. Then in our private transport, we will be embarking on a two and a half hours drive to Marccoccasa. It is an Andean village at 3300 metres (10826 feet). This is the starting point of Salkantay Mountain Trek to Machu Picchu.
Our team will serve you a nutritious breakfast. The guide will be introducing you to the rest of the team – porters, chef and helpers.
Al set, we will begin the hike for some three and a half hours amidst the fertile green valley snuggled between the snow capped Andean peaks. We will be reaching our lunch camp where the crew will be serving you a delicious Andean meal.
After lunch, we will be hiking through less inclined terrain. You will be getting a closer view of the Mighty Humantay Peak. Melting snow from the glacier feeds the renowned Andean turquoise lake, Lake Humantay.
Mountains or Apus are sacred entities to the Andean community. You will witness a drop in temperature. This is where you will need to unwrap your jackets from your rucksack.
We will then hike for a few minutes to our exclusive campsite in Soraypampa. It is at 3800 metres (12467 feet). Our crew will extend a warm welcome with a warm cup of tea. This will be followed by an exquisite dinner.
Our crew will be waking you up at 0530 in the morning. After relishing a typical nutritious breakfast, we will be hiking to the highest point of Salkantay Trek 4 Days, Salkantay Pass at 4630 metres (15190 feet).
We will be covering the seven kilometres distance (4.34 miles) in three hours. This will take us through the rocky valley base and the enchanting Salkantay Mountain (6271 metres) 20574 feet.
From the summit, you will get a breathtaking view of the valley snuggled between the snow capped peaks of Salkantay, Humantay, Tucarhuay and Pumasillo. Salkantay Peak is the second tallest peak in the region, after Ausangate.
As Ausangate, this too is a sacred Andean peak. Locals worship it as Apus.
After enjoying the views here, we will be hiking down the hill to our lunch camp in Wayracmachay. It is at 3850 metres (12631 feet).
After lunch, we will embark on a trek to the upper part of the Amazon Rainforest. It is a three hours hike where we will be covering a distance of 8 kilometres (4.97 miles). On this section of the Salkantay Mountain Trek you will notice a drastic change in the weather and landscape. We will be travelling from the Andes to the Amazon.
Our guide will be giving you an insight to the local traditions and will explain about the native flora and fauna that we will be passing through. We will then reach Chaullay. It is an Andean village at 2900 metres (9514 feet). We will be camping here for the night.
At 6:00 in the morning, after relishing a traditional breakfast, we will be trekking to La Playa through Santa Teresa valley. This is roughly a five hour trek. On this section of the Salkantay Mountain Trek, we will be crossing different farming areas.
Most of these are popular for Avocado Plantations, Coffee, Banana and Wild Orchid plantations. Our guide will be introducing you to the distinct farming methods practised here. You will also have the opportunity to savour some of these distinct fruits including the passion fruit (Granadilla).
We will then hike through another Andean village called Colpapampa. From here, we will continue hiking further down through waterfalls, birds and trees.
At La Playa lunch camp, our crew will be serving you lunch. After lunch, we will be bidding goodbye to the crew. You will then have some time to rest.
Later in the evening, we will be taking our private transport to Hidroelectrica. From here it is a 30 minutes train ride to Aguas Calientes. We will be accommodating you in a hotel with a private bathroom.
Later that night, we will be meeting to raise a toast for successfully conquering the Salkantay Trek. Our guide will be briefing you on the following day’s itinerary.
Highlight of your trip to Peru!
Early in the morning, we will be boarding the tourist bus for a thirty minutes ride up the hill to visit Machu Picchu.
The tour guide will be meeting you at the entrance of the citadel and will assist you in clearing the security control to enter the citadel. Please note that you will have to show your Entrance ticket and original passport that you have used at the time of booking.
We will then give you a detailed two hours guided tour. During the tour, we will take you to the most important temples and enclosures. After the tour, you will have free time for exploring Machu Picchu on your own.
If you have booked the climb to Huayna Picchu, our guide will direct you to the trailhead of Huayna Picchu mountain.
After enjoying the views of Machu Picchu, you will be taking a bus back to Aguas Calientes. Here you will board the train to Ollantaytambo train station. Here, our representative will be meeting you and will be driving you back to Cusco through the Sacred Valley of Incas. We will return to Cusco City at around 7:00 p.m.
Departure & Return Location
Cusco Hotel Transfer
Departure Time
4:30 a.m.
Price Includes
Price Excludes
Packing list
Useful Info
From:
$
Do you have any questions? Contact us at +51 974 378 488
Find out what those who have trusted us to explore unique destinations and live extraordinary adventures have to say.
John CJanuary 10, 2025Verified Excellent, perfectly planned trip. The trip was perfectly planned from start to finish, the transport, the hike, the hotel, the food and the entrance to Machu Picchu. The lovely guide Edwin was incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the site, the hike, and it's history. It truly is an incredible and captivating place that is a must see if you have the opportunity. Gabriel CNovember 12, 2024Verified Rainbow Mountain Tour guide We had a great tour of Rainbow Mountain. Jose was extremely knowledgeable and was a lot of help. The tour included good breakfast and lunch. I highly recommended this tour Joshua SNovember 10, 2024Verified "Unforgettable Machu Picchu Journey with an Exceptional Guide!" John was the perfect guide for our journey from Cusco to Machu Picchu! From the start, he made everything smooth and enjoyable, picking us up from our hotel and ensuring we were comfortable and ready for the adventure ahead. Thanks to his planning, we arrived at Machu Picchu early, avoiding the crowds and enjoying the stunning morning views. The weather was fantastic, and John's deep knowledge of the history and culture made every moment even more memorable. His explanations brought the ancient Incan sites to life, and he guided us thoughtfully through the walk at Machu Picchu, pointing out details we would have missed on our own. Throughout the entire day, John was attentive, patient, and incredibly helpful. He truly went above and beyond to make our experience unforgettable. Highly recommend! Gabriel CNovember 10, 2024Verified Great tour Me and my brother went on a tour with John. He was very helpful. He was very knowledgeable and helpful. Not only did he give a great tour but he was able to give us good recommendations and was very accommodating Kim AOctober 24, 2024Verified An amazing experience! We are an American family from Evansville, Indiana. After doing much research we chose Machu Picchu Tours to make our dream come true of seeing Machu Picchu via the 4-day Inca Trail Trek.Planning this kind of trip is no small feat, but John Taqquere Villaneuva was there for us every step of the way! He always responded quickly to my MANY texts and provided excellent information to prepare us for the trek. Our amazing guide, Edwin, the Porters and Chef went way above and beyond to make sure we felt safe and that we were getting the best experience that was promised. I cannot emphasize how important hygiene and safe food is on a trip like this. We feel our Porters did an excellent job keeping the dining area clean and providing excellent, healthy and safe food. While it is common for foreigners to get sick when traveling to a new country, the crew kept us healthy, hydrated, and safe the entire trip. Our porters took care of every single detail from setting up our camp, refilling our water bottles, and feeding us delicious hot meals 3 times a day. The porters were always there to take care of us. Our bags were transported and waiting for us in our tents upon arrival. Hot drinks were ready for us upon arrival at each campsite, and hot soapy water and towels were provided to clean up after a long day’s hike. Their work ethic and attention to detail was impressive. The 4 day trek is strenuous. Our guide, Edwin, coached us along the way, helping us to set a pace that worked for us so that we would not burn out. He also handled all of our paperwork and entry tickets. There are checkpoints and everything must be in order and spelled correctly. Without these documents, there is no trek and there is no entry into Machu Picchu. Our guide always kept us informed of the daily itinerary and was always supportive and eager to help. His knowledge of the history of the Inca and the ruins was exceptional. We walked away feeling an immense appreciation and understanding of the Inca because of Edwin. If your dream of seeing Machu Picchu is through the Inca Trail, or want to arrange guided tours, then don’t let fear stand in your way. And if you are looking for an agency, we highly recommend John Taqquere Villaneuva with Machu Picchu Tours. These are good, honest, trustworthy and hard-working people that will help make your dream come true. We are so thankful to Machu Picchu Tours, our Guide, Edwin, and the amazing Porters and Chef for their hard work and efforts to help make our dream come true. HikeJunkieCarlosOctober 21, 2024Verified Very organized crew knowledgeable friendly and just plain awesome to have around every step of the way. Couldn’t have asked for a better crew chef porters tents and food for this 4 day Inca trail tripWas the best experience for all 8 of us in our friends group to enjoy every moment and have amazing time all the way through the trip in town and on the Inca trailVery organized crew knowledgeable friendly and just plain awesome to have around every step of the way. Highly recommend this company to solo and groups that plan to visit Peru SkyMiles KOctober 19, 2024Verified 1 of 2 top Bucket List items, Hike the INCA Trail to Machu Picchu Completed the INCA trail with our Hike Junkies family. The Machu Picchu tours were INCREDIBLE!!! A great big shout out to John Taqquere Villanueva & his team for providing us with their expertise & care before, during & after the 4-day backpacking hike. The porters had camp setup for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner during our hiking adventure. Our chef, Carmelito "5-STARS," prepared meals that you should only find in a fine dining restaurant. We even had some Peruvian history lessons along the way. A few surprise discovery viewpoints along the trail. After completing 4-day Inca trail, we hiked the Humanatay Lake on 5th day & Rainbow Mtn on 6th day. We THANK YOU, John, Alberto, Berle, Aiwyn & drivers, porters for making this the adventure of the century!...so far Rebecca ROctober 19, 2024Verified 4 day Inca Trail with Hike Junkies We just completed the 4 day Inca Trail with Machu Picchu Tours. John Taqquere Villanueva went above and beyond to provide us with an amazing experience, with fun, knowledgeable guides to qn amazing chef and porters. Our tents were comfortable and kept us warm and dry from the elements. We were served four course meals, desert and happy hour on each day. Happy hour consisted of fresh hot popcorn, hot cocoa, coffee, cookies and bread. In addition to the 4 day Inca Trail we scored permits to hike Huayna Picchu ( Stairs of Death) which we conquered just having completed the last day of the Inca trail. Yes, our group is crazy! One member of our group was unable to hike the four day Inca trail due to severe health issues, John Taqquere and went above and beyond to give him an amazing Machu Picchu experience. Our trip consisted of City Walking Tour of Cusco, Alpaca Farm, Humantay Lake, Rainbow Mountain and other ruins. This was a humbling experience that will last a lifetime. Chalmers BOctober 9, 2024Verified Great experience! Our guide Edwin was excellent. The first day is very challenging but equally rewarding, and we were really glad that MPT arranged a pre-meeting the day before to go over logistics and make sure we were properly equipped -- renting poles is highly recommended, well worth the $10. Reaching the Sun Gate and getting the full vista of Machu Picchu felt like a life accomplishment. The second day is much less challenging, walking through the actual ruins of Machu Picchu, and we felt much less pressure because we'd gotten such great views and photos the day before.
Huchuy Qosqo was used as a royal estate by Viracocha. During the last days of his rule, he faced a revolt from Cancha People. Huchuy Qosqo Hike is an off-the-beaten-track experience that takes you to the lesser-known yet prominent Inca site, Huchuy Qosqo Peru.
© 2024 MACHU PICCHU TOURS | All rights reserved