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Salkantay Trek 3 Days To Machu Picchu

3 Days and 2 Nights
Short hike
-7%
From$270$250
-7%
From$270$250
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  • Service with return in Car Group Service 16 people
    Adult: $250 Children: $250
    Available: 70 seats
  • Service with return in Train Group Service 16 people
    Adult: $320 Children: $320
    Available: 75 seats
  • Recommended Private Vip Service By Train Adult: $450 Children: $450Available: 30 seats

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Reservations for the great year 2024 - 2025 have already started, more than 50000 clients with reservations secured!

Are you thinking about taking a trip to Machu Picchu? What are you waiting for, make your reservation now and secure the best place to see Machu Picchu completely and live an unforgettable experience!.

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Spanish, English
Departure city: Cusco, Peru
Ends in the city: Cusco, Peru
Group Size: 12 PER GROUP
Availability: Daily Departures
Trip Styles: Hiking
Max Altitude: 4630 M. / 15190 FT.
Lodging Type: Camps & Hostel
Difficulty: Strenuous
Overview

Challenge Salkantay Trek 3 Days

Pressed for time? Challenge yourself by completing the Salkantay Trek in just three days! This trek will push you as you hike 48 kilometers through rugged mountain terrain to Machu Picchu in only two days. You will pass along natural bridges, snowcapped mountains, colorful valleys, waterfalls, wildlife, unique plants, and a cloud forest. When you reach Machu Picchu on the third day you will be filled with fulfillment as you relax amongst the ruins and gaze over the dense jungle valleys.

The Salcantay trek to Machupicchu, it is the best alternative hike to the Inca Trail, designed for those who still wish to hike to Machu Picchu. The ecosystem has a wide-range biodiversity. Come and see yourself an outstanding mountain scenery, biodiversity, and an old-living culture off the beaten path.

Why Take the Salkantay Trail?

  • The Salkantay Trek is listed as one of the 25 best treks in the world by National Geographic Adventure Travel Magazine.
  • The Salkantay Trek is definitely one of the very best trekking adventures that you will find in Peru and in the continent of South America.
  • After the Inca Trail, the Salkantay Trek is the 2nd most popular trek to Machu Picchu (and a lot less crowded).
  • Hiking alongside the magnificent Apu Salkantay and arriving at the ruins of the majestic Machu Picchu is one of the best experiences known to mankind.
  • Trekkers can see natural bridges, snowcapped mountains, colorful valleys, waterfalls, wildlife, unique plants, and cloud forest.
  • Camping with less people allows you to control your own trip and have the best views of these incredible mountains!
Itinerary

DAY 1Cusco, Salkantay pass To Chaullay

Visit places
Cusco
Mollepata
Soraypampa
Salkantay Pass
Wayracmachay
Chaullay Camp

We start the day by picking you up from your hotel at approx 02:30 AM. We will drive for a total of 3.5 hours, crossing Anta, Mollepata, and Challancha and ending up at Soraypampa (3,900 m / 12,795 ft). After the first two hours of driving, we will stop quickly in Mollepata to take advantage of the toilet facilities and souvenir shops. Through the windows of the bus you can clearly see the white, snowcapped mountains of Apus Salkantay and Humantay: two colossal gods of the Incas. You will also see spectacular scenery of high peaks and low valleys in a colorful and contrasting panorama filling every direction you turn your eyes! In Soraypampa, we will have breakfast (included), meet our support staff, and they will organize all of the equipment and cargo mules.

From here, we will start trekking up to the highest point of the trail: the Salkantay Pass (4,630 m / 15,190 ft ). The distance is a 7 km (4.34 miles) of difficult ascent in 3 hours between the rocky valley base and the magnificent Salkantay Mountain (6,271 m / 20,574 ft ). When we reach the top of the pass, we will appreciate the spectacular views of the surrounding valleys and the imposing snowy peaks of Salkantay, Humantay, Tucarhuay and Pumasillo mountains. Salkantay Mountain is the second highest mountain in the Cusco region and one of the Inca gods called “Apu”. Continuing from this climax of today’s trek, there is a 5 km (3.1 mile) downhill walk to the site for lunch. The walk downwards is on a serpent-shaped, rocky, gravel path which leads to the Huayracmachay lunch campsite. To rest on the way down, there is a perfect valley outlook that is absolutely stunning!

In the afternoon after our meal, we will enter the upper part of the Amazon jungle, which is also called “the cloud forest”. This is a 10 km (6.2 mile) hike completed in 3 hours on a wide trail in the thick and magical tropical forest as temperatures increase with decreasing altitude. During this part of the trek, you will notice a dramatic change in landscape and the earth’s energy as we move from Andes to Amazon! This hike is truly beautiful; the hills are decorated with colorful scenery, wildlife, and native plants. The forests are warm and tropical most of the year with temperate climates. At the end of this outstanding hike, we arrive at Chaullay Village (2,900 m / 9,514 ft) for a much-deserved reward of rest from our long day of trekking! This is our base camp in the jungle as we continue to make our way to Machu Picchu.

  • Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
  • Accommodation: Camping Domes
  • Difficulty:Challenging
  • Walking Distance:22 km / 13,67 mi
  • Starting Elevation:3,900 m / 12,795 ft
  • Highest Elevation:4,630 m / 15,190 ft
  • Campsite Elevation:2,900 m / 9,514 ft

DAY 2Chaullay To Agucas Calientes

Visit places
Chaullay
La Playa
Hidroelectrica
Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel

Optional: Train ride from Hidroelectrica to Aguas Calientes.At 06:00 AM, we will start our trek to the small town of La Playa through the Santa Teresa valley. You will be able to soak up this new, lush landscape during our 6 hours of hiking today! During the hike we will see rivers, waterfalls, wild orchids, and plantations of coffee, banana, and avocado. You can taste the famous passion fruit and granadilla fruit along the way! We will see a village called Colpapampa, also called the “brow of the cloud forest,” where waterfalls, birds, hot springs, fruit-bearing trees, and flora and fauna can be observed. If we are lucky, we will even be able to see the beautiful bird called “The Cock of the Rocks,” the national bird of Peru!

After a hearty lunch at La Playa, we will take local transportation to the Hidroelectrica train station. Here you will have two options: 1) If you are exhausted, you may take the train to Aguas Calientes ($34.00 extra). 2) If you are still eager to hike, you may walk from Hidroelectrica to Aguas Calientes for about 3 hours along the train track. There is a nice path next to the tracks through the warm paradise of the cloud forest.

This is the same trail used by the American professor Hiram Bingham who rediscovered Machu Picchu after centuries of it being lost to the outside world! Once in Aguas Calientes, you can rest a bit before dinner or walk around this alluring place that has the ambience of a California Gold Rush town. There are no cars in Aguas Calientes, so it is an especially peaceful place to be. 

At 7:00 PM, we will have dinner at a local restaurant. All the expenses in Aguas Calientes are covered by the company, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and the overnight stay at our hostel. In your room, you will have a private bathroom, hot shower, wifi, breakfast in the morning, and luggage storage while you visit Machu Picchu.

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
  • Accommodation:Hotel
  • Difficulty:Easy
  • Walking Distance:27 km / 16,77 mi
  • Starting Elevation:2,900 m / 9,514 ft
  • Hostel Elevation: 2,040 m / 6,692 ft

DAY 3Machu Picchu and return to Cusco

Visit places
Machu Picchu Pueblo
Machu Picchu
Train To Ollantaytambo
Cusco Hotel

Today we arrive at the long-awaited finale of our trek, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site – Machu Picchu! We will wake up early after a refreshing night at our hostel to beat the crowds to the top of Machu Picchu and enjoy its serenity in the soft morning light. The Machu Picchu entrance check point is open from 06:00 AM until 17:00 PM. We will hike up to Machupicchu (a bus ride is optional for $12.00) and enter the hidden Royal Citadel of the Incas.

Here we will have a 2-hour guided tour through this incredible ancient city to visit temples, terraces, palaces, priest’s houses, the sundial, the industrial sector, and the farming fields. Be amazed at the engineering ingenuity of the Incas which was so far ahead of their time and still partially a mystery today! Without having modern tools or even steel and iron to work with, the people who built this city were genius in organizing this community in a sustainable and beautiful way on the side of a mountain, even bringing water in canals through its streets for the people to use.

When a Peruvian guide showed this site to Hiram Bingham, it was almost unrecognizable, covered in thick vegetation and in a state of disrepair. It has since been cleaned and restored and is now protected and treasured by the world at large!After this tour, you are free to climb up to Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain (Be sure to book in advance to get tickets for these!). Each mountain takes approximately 3 hours to hike up and down. Another lower-impact option for which you do not need an extra ticket is to trek to the Sun Gate, the main entrance from the Inca Trail (this takes about 2 or 2.5 hours round-trip). Another option is walking to see the Incan Bridge.

You will be able to stay and enjoy this magical city for more than 7 hours before hiking back down to Aguas Calientes for the train ride between 14:55 PM and 16:22 PM (subject to availability) to Ollantaytambo. A private bus will pick up our group and drop you off at your hotel in Cusco at about 20:00 hrs. Rest your feet and your body now, but we can assure you your heart will still be soaring for weeks and years to come!

  • Meals: Breakfast
  • Difficulty:Moderate
  • Walking To Machu Picchu: 1:30 Hours there – 1:30 Hours back
  • Tour in Machu Picchu: 2-3 hours exploring
  • Machu Picchu Site Elevation: 2,430 m / 7,972 ft
  • Huayna Picchu Mountain Elevation: 2,720 m / 8,924 ft
  • Machu Picchu Mountain Elevation: 3,000 m / 9,843 ft
  • Huchuy Picchu Mountain Elevation: 2,497 m / 8,192 ft
  • Sun Gate Elevation: 2,720 m / 8,924 ft
Trip Info
Inclusions
Packing List
Before You Go
High Quality Service & Safety
  • Pre-departure briefing.
  • Experienced Guide speaks English and Spanish.
  • A professional cook only for our group
  • Motorola Talkabout Radio, for communication
  • Medical Kit – First Aid Kit.
  • Private Camping Equipment.
  • One duffle bag per person
  • Customer Service 24/7.
  • Extra oxygen
Private Camping Equipment
  • We have dining rooms, tables, chairs, and a kitchen at each campsite. In addition, all our equipment, like cooking equipment, will be carried by our horses
Permits & Entrance Tickets
  • Entrance Ticket to Machu Picchu Circuit (1 or 2)
Transportation
  • Day 1: Private transportation from Cusco at the start of the trek.
  • Horses, and muleteers horses carry your 6-kg / 13-pound personal items.
  • Day 2: your duffle bag will be transported by car and train.
  • Day 2: You will be transported from playa Sahuayaco to Hidroeléctrica.
  • Day 3: Return journey from Aguas Calientes to Cusco BY TRAIN or BY CAR depending on your choice.
  • Day 3: If you take the option to return by train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo, transportation from Ollantaytambo to Cusco is included.
Meals
  • Meals: 3 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches, and 2 Dinners.
  • Meals: vegetarian and vegan.
  • Wake up tea, every morning.
  • Tea Time or Happy Hour.
Accommodation
  • Personal Accommodation in Private Campsites.
  • Hotel in Aguas Calientes.
What Is Not Included?
  • Travel Insurance.
  • Tips for our staff.
  • Additional costs or delays out of control of the management.
  • Sleeping bag rent it with us for $10.
  • trekking stick rent it with us for $10.
  • entrance ticket to Salkantay (S/20).
  • Original Passport
  • Walking boots
  • Waterproof jacket / rain poncho
  • Warm jacket
  • Hat and gloves
  • T-shirts
  • Comfortable trousers
  • Sun hat
  • Sun cream (factor 35 or higher)
  • Insect repellant
  • Toiletries and hand sanitiser
  • Personal medication
  • Camera and film with extra batteries
  • Torch with spare batteries
  • Daypack

Information Before leaving for the Salkantay trek 3 days

We want to make your trip to Peru as memorable and as easy as possible. In this section, you will find speedy answers to all those questions you had about Salkantay Trek 3 Days in one place. Please read the following information carefully – it will help you with any questions about our services.Has another question that we haven’t answered here? Drop us a line, and we will get back to you asap!

Briefing or informative meeting

All information meetings are held in your hotel at 6:00 p.m., one night before the tour begins. If you cannot attend, you must coordinate another time at the Peru Hike offices. These meetings last approximately 30 to 45 minutes and there you will be given a small duffel bag, in which you’ll put all the belongings you intend to bring on the trek that won’t be in your day pack.

Duffel bag or canvas case

ou’ll receive a canvas case or duffel bag during your briefing. The porters will take them on the way and will deliver them to you when you get to each camp. They measure 66 cm / 2 ft. Long x 36 cm / 1 ft. Wide.

A maximum of 5 kg is allowed for each duffel bag that includes the weight of your sleeping bag, mat, clothes and other personal items.

Payment of Trek Balance (in Cusco)

The trek has to be paid for in full by at least 7.30 pm two days before departure. For example, if your tour departs on a Wednesday, then you must come to our office before 7.30 pm on Monday.

It would be much appreciated if you pay the trek balance in cash US dollars or local currency. You can withdraw some money from several ATMs along Avenida Sol (either in US dollars or local Peruvian Soles). You can pay by credit card or PAYPAL online, but you will have to pay an 8% service charge, charged by VISA and PAYPAL. We do not accept bank checks or payment of the balance by traveler’s checks.

Can I store my luggage at your office?

Of course! During the travel, your main luggage can be stored at our office(you can organize briefing day or by email) or at your hotel, both free of charge.

Any equipment that you are not going to need on the trek can be stored safely in your hotel. Nearly every hotel will provide this service. Don’t leave items of value with your bags, put them in the hotel safe and obtain an itemized receipt (In the unlikely case of theft many insurance companies require that you have a copy of the receipt itemizing all the items). Best put items such as credit cards inside a sealed, signed envelope for extra peace of mind.

Pick up of guests

Peru Hike can pick you up from your hotel, as long as it’s in the Historic Center of Cusco. The pickup time will be coordinated with your guide in the briefing. The pickup time may vary between 30 and 45 minutes due to traffic. Cusco is a very old city, therefore, it has many narrow cobbled streets. Some hotels and Airbnbs may be located on streets without access to cars or on long, steep slopes, making it difficult to transport luggage. We strongly recommend that you book accommodation with good access.

Return to Cusco

Returning from Machu Picchu requires quite a bit of logistics, but don’t worry. Everything is included in your tour!

  • In Machu Picchu you’ll board a bus that will take you for 25 minutes to the small city of Aguas Calientes. The buses are boarded according to your arrival.
  • In Aguas Calientes you’ll board a train to Ollantaytambo or Cusco. Your guide will give you the train tickets where the boarding time will be shown. Make sure you’re on the platform 30 minutes early. The train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo takes 2 hours.
  • Once you arrive at the station, our representative, identified with the Peru Hike clothing, will be waiting to transfer you to Plaza San Francisco, in Cusco. The trip from Ollantaytambo to Plaza San Francisco takes 2 hours.
  • In San Francisco, depending on your hotel’s location, we will take you to a smaller car from our company (Hyundai H1) to transfer you faster to your hotel in Cusco.

Group tours

Group tours are made up of different types of people. Physical conditions and ages can vary. By agreeing to be part of a group tour, you also accept that some people may be faster or slower than you. Therefore, each person can go at their own pace on the route. It may be the case that a group wishes to modify the tour; however, it will be the guide who decides, after consulting with all the participants, if said modifications can be made.

Strikes and demonstrations

Strikes and demonstrations are usually frequent in Peru and this may interrupt some of our tours. Roads can be blocked and train tracks can be taken over. However, we will try to keep your excursion as planned, even if it means leaving the night before the scheduled date. Under these circumstances, tours may also be cancelled. In case of changes or cancellations, all situations will be coordinated with you by our operations department. Your safety is our highest priority and our decisions will be made to protect it.

Lost objects

You’re responsible for your objects during the tour. Please pay attention to where you leave your things and remember to take everything once you leave our trucks, tents, or restaurants.

5 Reviews
Sort By:RatingDate

Allison V

Couple Traveller

Had such a great experience with Peru Hike Company and Carlos Baca doing the 3 day challenge. Everything was incredibly organized, from the bus tickets up to Machu Picchu to the transportation of our luggage throughout the trek. Our chef, Cristian, was exceptional. We did not have the same meal twice and everything was delicious, creative, and satisfying. Our horseman, Cristian, was such a helpful addition to the Salkantay Trek team. Being able to carry only the things you need in a daypack and being sure your remaining luggage will catch up with you at the end of the day was a treat. The daily expectations were laid out in the information we received ahead of the trek and were totally reasonable. Can’t think of anything negative about the specific trek or the touring company itself. We were a group of 5 all under 30 years and it made the experience more fun having a young guide in Carlos Baca as well. The 3 day challenge is such a great way to see tons of different environments in Peru without spending too much time hiking while in country – glacial mountains, high jungle, along rivers. Would 100% do another trek with this company.

16 November, 2022

John Waters

Couple Traveller

An amazing and beautiful trek made even better by our fantastic guides, Alex and Javier! They’re both very skilled, knowledgeable, funny, and kind. We received top-tier accomodations, as well as a fun and safe experience all around. If you have the option, please book with them ASAP.

What made the difference for this trek versus other companies/guides is we also received a fantastic education on Peruvian culture, Inca history, Quechuan, and local geology and botany.

Skill level required is decently high and you should have some grasp on your abilities to handle high altitudes and long days of hiking. If you can handle it, it is well worth the views and experience.

10/10 would trek with them again.

16 November, 2022

Julie S

Solo Traveller

A guided tour is exactly that, being guided through everything. This was a new experience for myself as I am typically one to travel on my own. Luckily we had Nico as our guide who was so very knowledgeable and kind. He patiently answered every question I had about the plants and culture of the region.
While experiencing a guided tour may not be my typical mode of travel, I would say that everything about the trip was made very clear and nothing was unexpected. I won’t always travel with a guide, there is something special about experiencing the wonder of a new place without a schedule. However, I’m also finding that paying for someone local who can show you insight into the area gives a greater depth of appreciation of the places I’ve traveled.

16 November, 2022

Benjamin

Group Traveller

We had an amazing trip with Peru Hike Company, we did the 3 day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu. It passes through mountains and jungles. The accommodation is amazing with great food (vegans and vegetarians catered for). Best part were the guides, Felix and David, who made the trip really special. They were professional, kind, knowledgeable and funny. Both guides went above and beyond for the group to make sure everyone had the best experience they could.

15 November, 2022

SoRi

Group Traveller

Must of been one of the most challenging treks I have done so far but was amazing ! Carlos our guide was the best as he took good care of us, was knowledgeable and really gave us the positive energy we needed in order to keep going! Would definitely recommend the experience as you get to see the Andes, the team is very organized, there was plenty of local food and many many stories to share 🙂

5 May, 2021
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