Salkantay Trek Travel Guide (2025) – The Ultimate Guide

Salkantay Trail, an alternative trek to the Inca Trail Salkantay Trek is perhaps one of the most incredible hikes in the Cusco region due to the competition offered by the Inca Trail, which is world-famous and promoted by GoMachuPicchu.Tours

The variety of flora and fauna and the various towns along the way made it one of National Geographic Adventure Magazine’s top 25 adventure trips worldwide. The end of the Salkantay trail takes you to the small tourist town of Aguas Calientes and the Inca citadel at Machu Picchu.

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What is the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu?

The Salkantay Trek or Salkantay route is an alternative to the famous Inca Trail to reach Machu Picchu. This is a slightly strenuous route as it involves a pass at 4600m elevation, but it is more beautiful and possible to hike the Salkantay route in Peru.

Salkantay Trek Short Inca Trail 5 Days

How long is the Salkantay Trek Trail?

The Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu is around 72 kilometers, and it is preferably covered in 5 days and 4 nights. However, the walking trail could be completed in four days and three nights. The trip to Machu Picchu is the main focus of the final day.

What is the weather forecast like for Salkantay Trek, Peru?

The climate is generally pleasant during the day and hot and cold at night. The temperature can drop below zero degrees in some places, especially on the first night. The best time for the Salkantay trek is from May to September when the weather is more relaxed, but rain is less likely. The rainy season occurs from December through March.

How challenging is the Salkantay Trek Peru hiking circuit?

The Salkantay trekking trail has no technical difficulties; it is signposted, and all kinds of hikers walk it. But it’s difficult; you must walk a lot at high altitudes, so there is a risk of altitude sickness. It would be best if you were prepared and adapted and, as always, had travel insurance.

Salkantay 5 Day Trek

Can anyone hike the Salkantay Trek in Peru?

Yes and no. Acclimatized and in relatively good shape, you can hike the Salkantay Trek in Peru. Each hiker’s Salkantay route must consider their physical condition and, above all, their acclimatization level. There are alternatives to combining the adventure through the Salkantay, such as riding horses for specific days to enjoy your vacation much more.

What are the chances of getting lost on the Salkantay Trek in Peru?

No, you won’t get lost on a hiking trail. It’s hard to get lost. The Salkantay Trail is well-marked and filled with hikers and residents of the Salkantay Trail tour circuit en route to Machu Picchu.

Can I find help on the Salkantay Trek if something happens to me?

Yes. Fortunately, and unfortunately, it is a bustling route. In an emergency, the tour guide always carries a first-aid kit.

We can also always request assistance from other organized groups of travel agents and horses in the area or make satellite calls to request a rescue helicopter.

Also, each stage has escape routes at the end of the Salkantay Trek Trail. Our guides and support teams are trained and prepared for any eventuality.

Do I need to acclimatize for the Salkantay Trek?

Yes. Positively yes. We recommend that you spend at least two or three days in Cusco. Get plenty of rest, drink lots of water (or juice or tea brewed from fresh coca leaves), and weigh yourself while walking.

If you feel that your body is reacting more or less correctly (considering that you are more than 3500 meters above sea level around Cusco), you are ready for the trip to the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu.

Should I expect extreme temperatures on the Salkantay Trek circuit?

It’s cold—pretty freezing. Depending on the season, you can travel the Salkantay road and experience “the first night of Salkantay.”

However, the night and early morning temperatures will drop below freezing for at least the first two days of the Salkantay route. During the day, it will be warm enough to enter the forest in the Amazon region of Machu Picchu.

What is the best time to hike the Salkantay Trek in Peru?

The plan is to trek this path from April through November, considered the dry season. It is the coldest time of year, with a minimal probability of rain. December through March is the rainy season. The Salkantay Adventure can be hiked during the rainy season; packing appropriate rain gear is essential.

Can I buy bottled water during the Salkantay Trek?

Yes. On the Salkantay hiking trail, you can buy water every 3–4 kilometers. There are also several streams of natural water; visitors can fill their water bottles, but first, they must purify them with purifying tablets, filters, etc.

Do I need to be physically healthy to hike the Salkantay Trek?

The Salkantay trek is not very strenuous, but reaching the highest point at 4,650 meters above sea level will require you to be in good shape. We recommend spending a few days before visiting Cusco or the Sacred Valley to avoid discomfort (altitude sickness) while climbing the Salkantay Trail.

We recommend chewing on coca leaves (available for S/2 at any market in Cusco) or coca candies. So-called Soroche tablets, a highly effective treatment for altitude sickness, are available in all Peruvian pharmacies.

What should we carry when trekking at Salkantay Trek?

A valid passport is required to access Machu Picchu.
Backpack
Jeans, long pants, or Waterproof hiking boots
Thermal clothes that keep you warm at night
Plastic rain poncho
Lantern
Cap or hat
Bathing suits for the hot springs of Aguas Calientes (although they can be bought in nearby stores)
Toilet paper
Sunscreen / Insect repellent
Medicines or products for personal use, such as liquid for contact lenses
Water bottles
Small amounts of money, simply in dollars and soles.
Trekking poles
Photographic camera

What is the most challenging section of the Salkantay Trek route?

The Salkantay Pass, at 4,645 meters above sea level, is the most challenging portion of the trek. Expect wind and cool temperatures. Some excursionists may experience symptoms of altitude sickness called “Soroche.”

Is the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu worth it?

Double yes! The Salkantay Trek is one of the best Peruvian hikes in South America, and the trail is impressive.

The Salkantay Trek offers terrific panoramic vistas, including views of the Salkantay and Humantay Glaciers and the stunning Amazonian trees of the Santa Teresa Valley, despite the Salkantay Trail’s hard elevation gain of more than 4,500 meters from Soraypampa (3900 meters).

Is the Salkantay Trek circuit more challenging than the Classic Inca Trail?

Indeed. The Salkantay Trek is renowned for its rugged, steep terrain in the Cusco Amazon and the Andes, and it goes higher. The short Inca Trail walking distance from the Salkantay Trail compared to the classic Inca Trail is 39.9 km (24.7 miles) long, but the classic Inca Trail is 42 km (26 miles) long.

Does the Salkantay Trek include your entrance ticket to Machu Picchu?

The Machu Picchu admission tickets for the guided visitation day are included in the Salkantay Trek package.
On all our Salkantay Treks, with the Short Inca Trail entrance ticket, we add entry to the Inca Trail network of the historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu, which provides access to Machu Picchu only once through circuit number 5 of Machu Picchu.
The Inca citadel of Machu Picchu has five established circuits for guided tours.

Are trekking poles required for the Salkantay Trail?

Walking sticks are guaranteed to make walking more manageable and reduce pain during and after walking. Rubber tips for metal trekking poles are required to prevent damage to the Salkantay Trek Trail network.

Trekking poles are prohibited in the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu because they disrupt traffic or cause accidents. They are only allowed by elderly visitors or those with obvious physical limitations.

Salkantay Trek 3 Days

How far in advance should I book the Salkantay Trek Trail?

To ensure service during the busiest season, we advise making reservations for the Salkantay Trek Trail four months in advance. May through October are Machu Picchu’s most active travel months.

However, you can book the Salkantay Trek Trail two months in advance, from October to December, and three weeks in advance.

What are the prohibitions in Machu Picchu after the Salkantay Trek Trail?

Visitors must respect the protocols indicated on each tourist circuit.

2025: strictly prohibited!

To carry backpacks or bags larger than 40x35x20 cm, anything more than this has to go in the wardrobe.
Enter with food and utensils.
Enter any illegal substance or its effects.
Enter with any alcoholic beverage or in an ethyl state.
To carry umbrellas. (Caps, hats, and raincoats are allowed.)
To take tripod supports, extensions for cameras, cell phones, or any other element of stabilization or extension for filming and photography unless authorized by the DDC Cusco
Bring pets inside unless they are guide dogs, and only then.
Enter without any aerosols.
Enter with any musical instrument, megaphone, or speaker.
Use virtual applications with cell phones or mobile devices in narrow arteries, trails, and congestion sites (these technologies are allowed only in large spaces and areas of explanation).
Wear hiking boots with high heels or shoes with firm soles (but only sneakers or shoes with rubber or soft soles).
Access with baby cars (only accessible with baby carriers that do not have metal frames)
Bring knives and any form of weaponry with you.
Put up posters or flags, among other things of this kind (flags will only be allowed for tour guides leading more significant groups of people, and they will only be allowed in the model and sizes that the relevant authorities, working with the relevant guilds, have approved).
To disturb the order and dispersal of the visitor groups, create chaos, riot, or jump at the Machu Picchu entrance or anywhere within the premises.
Enter with clothing intended for advertising purposes.
Climbing up or hanging off walls and Inca buildings.
To touch, move, or extract lithic elements. Perform any graffiti.
The disturbing, collecting, or extracting of native flora, fauna, and cultural elements
To carry out activities that distort the sacred character of Machu Picchu, such as fashion shows, dances, social engagements, ceremonies of any kind, and portable seating, among others.
Enter with walking poles with metallic or hard tips (using trekking poles for older adults or with apparent physical incapacity, as long as they have rubber tips).
Perform any activity implying the deterioration of Machu Picchu, its natural environment, and its facilities.
Obscene acts that are contrary to morality and good manners
Undress, disguise, lie down, run, and jump.
They make loud or annoying noises such as clapping, shouting, whistling, and singing, among others, because they disturb the tranquility and sacredness of Machu Picchu.
Perform any fire.
Dispose of waste of any kind.
Failure to respect established circuits and routes
Outpatient commerce in Machu Picchu and the surrounding area until Ruinas Bridge.
Feed the domestic and wild animals of Machu Picchu.
Fly over with paragliding, drones, or any small craft.
To take pictures for advertising purposes or in places of high-risk
It is forbidden to enter Machu Picchu illegally via another Machu Picchu circuit.

Can I visit the Salkantay Trek Trail with the children and older adults?

Indeed! Youngsters can take the Machu Picchu Salkantay Trek. Kids have to like taking walks outside.
Many hiking trails lead to Machu Picchu, but none like the Salkantay Trek Tour, South America’s most famous trail. The Salkantay Trek, through the Andes, jungle, dense fog, ancient stone steps, and Inca ruins, is best done from Cusco.
Try the Salkantay Trek Trail with your children without hesitation. You might think traveling with them would be inconvenient, but the vibrant nature and dynamic display of the Inca culture will keep them entertained. They will see many plants and animals, different people, and exotic words in foreign languages, “such as Spanish.” Inca architecture fascinates travelers, and no time is wasted taking family selfies.
Salkantay Trek Trails in Cusco are another option for seniors to hike. Older adults need to be healthy, of course. Before beginning the Salkantay Hiking Trail, you should see a doctor in your native country.