Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu 4 Days – Group Service

It's the Salkantay Trek in four days and three nights: you start walking at Soraypampa, camp at the foot of Salkantay at Soyroccocha, cross Salkantay Pass on Day 2, descend through the cloud forest to Aguas Calientes on Day 3 and tour Machu Picchu with your guide on Day 4. You camp two nights and spend the third in a hotel.

Choose the 4-day trek if you have one day less and want the essentials: the high camp under Salkantay, the pass and the cloud forest. Our 5-day Salkantay Trek adds the hike to Humantay Lake and the Inca site of Llactapata, with a gentler pace. Both cross Salkantay Pass and end with a hotel night and a guided Machu Picchu tour.

This 4-day route heads straight from Soraypampa to the high camp at Soyroccocha, right under Salkantay, so it doesn't stop at Humantay Lake. If the turquoise lake is on your list, our 5-day Salkantay Trek includes it on Day 1.

Both end at Machu Picchu, but they're different journeys. The Salkantay Trek is about mountain scenery: a camp under a glacier, a 15,190 ft (4,630 m) pass and a long descent into cloud forest, arriving through Aguas Calientes. The Classic Inca Trail is about history: original Inca paths, a string of Inca sites and arrival through the Sun Gate. The Inca Trail needs a limited permit booked months ahead, while Salkantay doesn't.

The hike starts at Soraypampa (12,795 ft / 3,900 m), after our private van brings you from Cusco with a breakfast stop in Mollepata. You walk into Aguas Calientes on Day 3 and tour Machu Picchu on Day 4, then return by train to Ollantaytambo and by private van to your hotel, if it's in Cusco's historic center.

It's a challenging trek, even in four days: you start high, sleep at 15,092 ft (4,600 m) on the first night and cross Salkantay Pass before a long descent on Day 2. Train for a few weeks with uphill walks, stairs and longer hikes, wearing your boots and daypack, and spend two or three days in Cusco to acclimatize before you start. If you have a health condition, talk to your doctor before you travel.

Salkantay Pass, at 15,190 ft (4,630 m), is the highest point, and you cross it on Day 2. The first camp, Soyroccocha, sits just below it at 15,092 ft (4,600 m). The pass is crossed on foot; the summit of Salkantay, at 20,574 ft (6,271 m), is a mountaineering climb.

You'll hike about 32.3 mi (52 km) over three walking days, plus the guided tour of Machu Picchu on Day 4:

• Day 1: 7.5 mi (12 km), about 4 hours, to the high camp.
• Day 2: 12.4 mi (20 km), at least 5 hours, over Salkantay Pass.
• Day 3: 12.4 mi (20 km), about 6 hours, through the cloud forest and along the railway, plus a short van ride to Hidroeléctrica.

The first night at Soyroccocha is the coldest, often below freezing, and the pass can be windy. After Day 2 the trail drops into warmer, more humid valleys. May to September is usually the driest period, October is a transition month and November to March brings more rain. Pack warm and waterproof layers whatever the month.

You'll camp two nights, at Soyroccocha and Collpapampa, in EUREKA or DOITE tents with inflatable sleeping mats, an equipped dining tent and a portable toilet. The third night is in a 3-star hotel in Aguas Calientes, usually Golden Sunrise Machu Picchu or similar, before your Machu Picchu tour.

Yes. Your price includes the Machu Picchu ticket for your guided tour on Day 4, and Salkantay doesn't need an Inca Trail permit. Machu Picchu is visited on set circuits, each with its own route through the citadel. We try to book Circuit 2 whenever it's available for your date, and we'll confirm your circuit before the trek.

Yes, with a separate ticket at US$85 per person for either mountain. Tickets are limited and come with a set entry time, which has to fit around your guided tour and train, so ask us to check before you book.

Keep it light: a small daypack with water, a rain layer, sun protection and your passport is all you need. Large backpacks go in the storage area at the entrance, food isn't eaten inside the citadel, and trekking poles are allowed only when you really need them, with rubber tips. Each ticket allows one entry, so use the restrooms at the entrance before you go in.

We include the private van from Cusco to Soraypampa, the van from Playa Sahuayaco to Hidroeléctrica, the Machu Picchu buses both ways, the return train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo (PeruRail or Inca Rail) and the private van back to Cusco. From Hidroeléctrica you walk about three hours along the railway into Aguas Calientes, one of the classic stretches of the route.

Your cooks prepare three breakfasts, three lunches and three dinners, plus an afternoon "happy hour" at camp. Happy hour is tea time, not a drinks party: when you reach camp, the cooks serve hot drinks such as coca tea, herbal teas, coffee or hot chocolate with snacks like popcorn, biscuits or cheese wontons, a chance to warm up before dinner.

Drinking water is provided from lunch on Day 1, so bring enough for the first morning. Breakfast on Day 1 (in Mollepata) and lunch and dinner on Day 4 are on your own. Tell us about allergies or dietary needs before booking.

Mules carry the camping gear and the duffel bag we provide, with up to 15.4 lb (7 kg) of your belongings, between campsites, so you only carry a 25–35 L daypack with water, snacks, rain gear, a warm layer, sun protection and medication. Most Cusco hotels will store the luggage you don't need on the trek; if yours can't, we can help arrange storage at our office.

You can bring your own or rent them from us: a sleeping bag costs US$25 and trekking poles US$15 (see Extra Services). Choose a warm sleeping bag, since the first night at 15,092 ft (4,600 m) drops below freezing; poles help a lot on the long descent of Day 2.

Pack layers for both extremes: a warm insulated jacket, gloves and a wool hat for the high camp, and breathable clothes, sun protection and insect repellent for the cloud forest. Add a waterproof jacket, broken-in hiking boots with good grip and a headlamp. The Packing List tab has the full list.

We set up a portable toilet at every camp, and there are basic restrooms at some stops along the way. For a hot shower and reliable charging, count on your hotel in Aguas Calientes on Day 3. Phone signal comes and goes in the mountains and improves near villages and in Aguas Calientes, so bring a charged power bank and download your tickets before you leave Cusco.

Tell your guide right away if you have a headache, nausea, dizziness, unusual tiredness or shortness of breath. Your guide carries a first-aid kit and emergency oxygen, though these are not a substitute for medical care, and worsening symptoms mean heading down. Acclimatize in Cusco before the trek, keep a steady pace and make sure your travel insurance covers high-altitude trekking.

Our 4-day Salkantay departures have up to 10 travelers, with a bilingual guide, cooks and muleteers, plus an assistant guide when there are more than nine. You join a shared group, and departures need a minimum of two travelers. Solo travelers are welcome to join.

You'll find the current rate per person in the Prices tab, along with the discounts for groups of five or more, children under 16 and university students. To book, use the booking button or contact us with your date and number of travelers; we'll check availability, confirm your total and send you the booking and payment conditions. Booking a few months ahead gives you the widest choice of dates.

Yes, bring some Peruvian soles in small notes for breakfast on Day 1, lunch and dinner on Day 4, snacks, drinks and souvenirs, since card payments and ATMs are rare in the mountains. Tips are optional: if you'd like to thank your guide, cooks and muleteers, choose an amount that reflects your experience and budget.

A 40% deposit is specified for this tour. We will confirm the actual amount required, the available payment methods and any payment-related charges before you complete your booking.

Cancellation charges depend on when we receive written notice. The charges below apply to the cancellation periods shown. We can explain the complete booking conditions, including cancellations more than 60 days before departure, before you pay.