Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu 3 Days
23 reviews 
Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu 3 Days
23 reviews
Overview
Salkantay trek 3 is an excellent option for lovers of hiking if you dont nave enougth time for doing the 5 dayst trek. You will enjoy the beauty of the mountains and appreciate the variations of the landscape in this hike you see beautiful landscapes such glaciers, rivers, lagoons, jungle valleys, and much more.
Highlights
The Salkantay Trail to Machu Picchu is considered by many to be the best alternative route to the Inca Trail. This magnificent trail offers truly versatile landscapes: from snow-covered Andean landscapes to the hot tropical jungle. If you are thinking of trekking to Machu Picchu and want to get away from it all, get to know the Andean communities and appreciate the diversity and beauty of Peru’s nature, the 3-Day Challenging Salkantay Trek is the best option for you.
Trip Details
- Starting altitude: 2,900 m / 9,512 feet
- Hightes Altitude: 4, 630 m / 15,187 feet
- Type Tour: Cultural; Adventure
- Difficulty level: Demanding
- Total Walking Distance: 50 km
Itinerary
Day 1: Cusco – Quisarniyoc – Salkantay Pass - Chawllay
Early start in your hotel in Cusco. We pick you at 2:00 am in morning to transfer you to Soraypampa. It is going to be about 3 hours by car to Soraypampa which is the place where you start the hike.
Once in Soraypampa, You will join the Salkantay group for breakfast then you get ready for the 20 kilometers hike. Around 6:30 am you start hiking to the highest point of the whole Salkantay trail 4630 m.
After 3 hours hike you reach the top to celebrate and enjoy beautiful views of the Salkantay mountain once at the top you have the chance to make an offering for the APUS (Andean gods).
We start hiking downhill to get 2900 m / 9512 feet in todo 15 km downhill hiking. You are going to do it in two sections. The first section will be from the top to the lunch point which takes 2 hours approximately and then after lunch 3 hours more to the second camp called Chawllay. On the way you are going appreciate the Fascinating type of landscapes such glacier mountains, lagoons, rocky mountains, grassy hills, by the time that you will be close to the camp you are going to be in the jungle area.
Once at the camp time to relaxing if you like you can enjoy cold beers while the cooks make the te time and the delicious dinner.
Day 2: Chaullay - Santa Teresa - Hidroeléctrica - Aguas Calientes
On the second day, you will already be in the jungle area. We wake you up around 6:00 am with a cup of coca tea, then we provide you with a delicious breakfast.
Around 7:00 am you start the hike to la playa Sahuayaco for 5 hours approximately along the Santa Teresa Valley which is formed by the Salkantay River.
Along the valley, you have the chance to see plantations such a coffee, bananas, avocados, Coca, passion fruit, and much more.
After five hours of hiking, you will arrive at La Playa Sahuayaco, from where you will take local transportation for one hour to Santa Teresa, where you stop to have lunch then you continue by car 45 more minutes to Hidrolectrica then walking 3 more hours along the train tracks to Aguas Calientes town on the flat trail.
Then we take you to the hotel for showering and relaxing, in the evening around 7:00 pm we organized a dinner in a restaurant in Aguas Calientes after we go to sleep.
Day 3: Machupicchu - Cusco
On the last day of the tour, you are going to visit Machu Picchu. You need to wake up around 4:00 am to get ready for the hike to Machu Picchu main entrance.
After you grab your pack breakfast you start walking to Puente Ruinas checkpoint for 30 minutes which is open at 5:00 am where you have to show your passport and your Machu Picchu tickets. After you pass the first checkpoint, you will hike all upstairs for one hour to Machu Picchu main gate to be there around 6:00 am. Once everybody meets at the gate, you go into Machu Picchu for the guided tour for 2.5 hours to learn everything about The lost city of the Incas. After the guided tour you have free time to explore on your own the Inca city of Machu Picchu. The time that you will spend in Machu Picchu will depend on how you like to go back to Cusco and also will depend if you want to climb the Machu Picchu montaña or Huayna Picchu mountain which must book it in advance.
we will be in Machu Picchu for 7 to 8 hours, you have to return to the town of Aguas Calientes to take a train at 18:20 to Ollantambo for 1.5 hours then by car to Cusco for 2 hours more to arrive in Cusco around 10:30 pm, train back is depending on demandety.
Notes Itinerario
Included
- Inclusions 3-Day Salkantay Trek
- Salkantay trek briefing at 7:00 pm a day before of the departure at hotel
- A duffle bag to pack 7 kilos of your belonging that will be carried by horses during the trek
- English/Spanish speaking professional tour guide
- Professional chef and cooking equipment
- Horses for carrying up to 7 Kilos of personal luggage and other required equipment
- Pick up from your hotel in Cusco
- Private transportation to head of Salkantay trail
- 2 breakfasts; 2 lunches; 2 dinners
- 1 night of camping
- 1 night hotel in Aguas Calientes
- Personal pad (double foam – 2.5 inches thick)
- Transportation from La Playa to Hidroelectrica
- Entrance ticket to Machu Picchu
- Guided visit to Machu Picchu
- Return journey train and van
- Vegetarian/Vegan options available on request with no additional charges
- First-Aid equipment and oxygen bottle for emergencies
No Included
- Entrance to Humantay lake charged by the local government of Mollepata = 20 soles
- Sleeping Bags – If you do not have one you can rent from us for $15 USD for the whole trek
- The entrance fee and transportation to the hot springs of Santa Teresa (20 to 25 soles)
- Travel insurance
- Extra expenses
- Tips
Recommendations:
1. Hike with weight
A very good advice to train and have your legs and body strong enough is to do a few hiking with weight. Leave your house to do some hiking in the mountains and load your backpack, start with little weight and as the days go by and you strengthen your muscles, increase the weight you carry, you can even reach 15 kgs. but that depends on each person.
2. Travel long distances (spend a whole day in the mountains)
It is important to get your body used to long days, since the kilometers traveled per day in Salkantay will make you spend at least seven or eight hours of travel, keep in mind that the second day takes around nine hours walking!
3. Walk slowly
We tend to want to walk fast or go ahead of everyone, you have to remember to be patient, to enjoy the moment and what nature offers us. Walk slowly, do not speed up, because it is not the same to keep going for an hour than to be in constant effort for more than nine hours.
Overconfidence is a big mistake, learn to listen to your body that needs to adapt little by little, remember: “let happiness be the way, not the goal”.
4. Sleep high
In the first camp of the Salkantay tour it is located at 4,000 meters above sea level. Do you know what the body feels when sleeping at this altitude? sometimes we feel that we are suffocating, that we are short of breath, our heads ache and we struggle to sleep.
5. Do breathing exercises
Breathing is very important, personally I have always thought that hiking and mountaineering becomes a constant meditation at all times. When you walk, try to find a rhythm between your breathing and your steps, this will help you get less tired and coordinate your movements well.
6. Weigh your gear before you go
Get ready to ditch the luxuries! Every gram on the mountain counts, one kg. they become three and the effort is even more demanding, sometimes we want to take the best outfit or the most beautiful things that we have to look good in the photos, however, the most beautiful is not always the lightest.
7. Eat properly (garlic pills, coca tea)
Eating at altitude is also an important factor, food is energy and it is essential to stay active during walks, not only take your favorite snacks, but look for these to be protein snacks or high in sugar, such as chocolates or dehydrated fruits .
8. Train cardio
Physical condition is essential, you can start by running 5 kilometers and then 10, if you can’t go out to the mountains every day, go to the gym, I’m sure there is one near your house.
9. Sleep well
The body needs to rest, after the time you have dedicated to training, dedicate yourself to rest the days before your trip, you will need energy!
Try to go to sleep early the days before so that you arrive in Peru with all the energy and spirit possible.
10. Hydration
Water is life! Our body needs water to function properly and when we are in the mountains, sometimes we forget to drink water, the body becomes a little slower and it takes time to give us the signal that it is thirsty, this happens because of the height and the the little amount of oxygen reaching the brain.
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