Salkantay Trek 4 Days Overview
Discover one of the best hikes in Peru – the Salkantay 4 Day Trek! Enjoy incredible sights along the way, such as crystal-blue lagoons and spectacular glaciers. This itinerary is your ultimate guide to exploring Salkantay’s wild beauty.
Day 1: Travel: Cusco – Soraypampa | Horseback and Trekking to Challway
Day 2: Challhuay: Lucmabamba Inca Trail Hike (Train to Machu Picchu Pueblo)
Day 3: Short Inca Trail Tour | Machu Picchu Pueblo overnight
Day 4: 2 hours of guided tour in Machu Picchu | PM Return to Cusco
Trekking Salkantay just got a lot easier with this four-day itinerary! Get off the beaten path and explore Peru’s incredible wilderness while enjoying stunning views of snowcapped mountains and glacial valleys.
HIGHLIGHTS of Salkantay Trek 4 Days
- Explore Peru like never before! With its lush forests, majestic mountains, and thundering waterfalls, the four days Salkantay Trek offers an unforgettable experience that will stay with you forever.
- Experience the magical beauty of Peru by embarking on the breathtaking and challenging Salkantay 4 Day Trek. Explore with KONDOR PATH TOURS!
- Ready for an adventure? The 4 Day Salkantay Trek takes you through Peru’s stunning landscape and is an incredible journey. Find out what to expect!
SALKANTAY: The best hiking alternative
Salkantay 4 Day Trek tourist destination looking for lovers of outdoor hiking through the Andes and the jungle of Machu Picchu. Explore unique landscapes on your next vacation in Peru; our standard 4-day Salkantay trek package includes camping services with incredible views plus a hotel night in Aguas Calientes, “the town located in the foothills of the Machu Picchu archaeological park.”
The Salkantay Trek 4 Days 3 Nights runs along the left side along the slopes of the Salkantay glacier, 6,271 meters or 20,569 feet, between the Chaullay and Aobamba valleys. On the right side of the Aobamba valley is the famous Inca Trail. Therefore, our 4 Day Salkantay Trek is around the buffer zone of the historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu. Our group of trekkers enters the park of Machu Picchu through the hydroelectric sector towards Aguas Calientes.
SALKANTAY TREK 4 DAYS ITINERARY
IMPORTANT: For our Salkantay 4 Day Trek tourist circuit, we provide an information session one day before starting the trek at 5:30 pm. The briefing takes place at the hotel’s reception from hikers. Our adventure tourism guide can answer all the questions of the group of visitors about the tourist circuit from Salkantay to Machu Picchu. Our tour guide knows the northern area of Cusco very well to lead organized groups of hikers on expeditions.
Are you looking for an epic Salkantay experience? This 4-day itinerary covers the best hikes and provides invaluable tips for trekking the Salkantay trail.
Salkantay 4 Day Trek: -> 🙂 DAY 1
Trip from Cusco to Soraypampa: From Soraypampa, ride a horse to the Salkantay Pass! the rest of the adventure hikes down the mountain to Challway.
The pick-up service is at 05:00 to start our journey to the northeast of Cusco through the plains of Anta, descending towards the Limatambo valley, and then going up to Mollepata. From Mollepata, we follow a dirt road until we reach Soraypampa, the “start of the walk.”.
From SORAYPAMPA, at 3,800 meters or 12,467 feet, we already have impressive views of the Salkantay and Humantay glaciers and the vast Andes Mountains range with its mountain ranges. Photos and videos are fabulous from all 380-degree angles. In Soraypampa, we meet our saddle horses to cross the Andes until the Salkantay Pass.
Once at the top, we observe the snowy Salkantay and take personal and group photos. Hikers can walk for about 20 minutes to watch the turquoise lagoon of Salkantay in conjunction with the panoramic view of the Chaullay valley. We have 05 hours of trekking down the mountain until we reach our local lodge of Challway.
- The section from Soraypampa to the Salkantay Pass (4,600 meters or 15,100 feet) takes approximately 2.5 hours on Horseback.
- The section from the Salkantay Pass to the Challway Lodge takes around 5 hours of walking.
Description of the Salkantay Pass to Challway
- At 05:00 am, pick up from your hotel [CUSCO].
- Travel time from Cusco to Soraypampa: 3 hours
- Soraypampa elevation: 3,930 meters/12,893
- TOUR DISTANCE
- Horseback riding distance from Soraypampa to the Salkantay Pass: 2.5 hrs.
- Trek distance FROM Salkantay Pass to Challway: 13.7 km/8.5 miles: 5 hrs.
- Salkantay Pass elevation: 4,638 m / 15,213 feet
- Salkantay trek difficulty: Moderate to Challenging
- Accommodation: Challway Local Lodge 2,870 meters/ 9,414 feet.
- Meals: Box Lunch, Dinner.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Our Salkantay Trek 4 Days adventure is one of the best in the Cusco region to walk in the open air through the Andes towards the valley of Machu Picchu.
Good walking shoes with ankle support are required for Salkantay Trek 4 Days as the terrain is rocky, muddy, and slippery. We also recommend bringing a pair of hiking poles to keep your balance on the hikes, as it also helps to propel or take the pressure off your legs going down the mountains.
Salkantay 4 Day Trek: -> 🙂 DAY 2
Travel locally from Challway to Lucmabamba – Hike the Lucmabamba Inca Trail to Hidroelectrica “in the afternoon, travel by train to Machu Picchu Pueblo.”
We wake up with a splendid panoramic view of the graceful Salkantay chain, and on the other side, we have another exuberant scenery of the cloud forest.
At 6:00, we start the trip from Challway to Lucmabamba. At approximately 07:00, we start the trek on the Lucmabamba Inca Trail for about 03 hours and a half through the tropical jungle until we reach the Lucmabamba Pass to explore the Inca ruins of Llactapata, 2,700 meters or 8856 feet.
From Llactapata, we have the first panoramic views of Machu Picchu, Huayna Picchu, the Aobamba Valley, and the beautiful Andes Mountains range splendor. It is worth traveling this tourist circuit from Lucmabamba to Llactapata to have these impressive views of the surroundings of the lost citadel of Machu Picchu.
We continue our walk descending the mountainside for an average of 02 hours until we reach Hydroelectric. In the afternoon, we board the train service to Machu Picchu Pueblo.
IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER: We will find around 05 varieties of mosquitoes for which we recommend bringing repellent.
Summary of Challway – Lucmabamba – Machu Picchu
- Breakfast time: 06:00
Starting time of the vehicular trip from Challway to Lucamabamba: At 06:30 “40-minute drive.”
Start time of the walk: 07:30 – Lucmabmaba 2,035 meters / 6,676 feet
- Trek distance: 10.2 km /6.3 miles.
- Hiking duration: 5 hours
- Lucmabamba Pass elevation: 2,814 meters / 9,232 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate/Challenging.
- Train service from Hidroeletrica train station to Machu Picchu Pueblo at 16:35
- Accommodation: 3-Star Hotel at Machu Picchu Pueblo 2,064 meters/ 6,774 feet.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
4 Day Salkantay Trek: -> DAY 3
Hike from Machu Picchu Pueblo to the Short Inca Trail and inside the Machu Picchu Sanctuary with incredible panoramic views.
We start our hiking activities at 05:30 to hike through the cloud forest for an average of 1 hour and 40 minutes until we reach km 104 from Machu Picchu Pueblo. At km 104 of the railway, we must check the documentation and the entrance tickets to the Short Inca Trail! We venture towards the ruins of Inti Punku with a spectacular 5-hour walk with incredible panoramic views.
We walk inside the green tangle of the jungle throughout the day, typical of the Andes of inter-Andean valleys. We will find wild berries such as strawberries, ferns, mosses, begonias, orchids, tributary streams of the main rivers, small waterfalls, and incredible panoramic views of Machu Picchu.
Last section of the hike to MACHU PICCHU PUEBLO
- Start time of the walk: 5:30 am.
- Walking kilometers: 16 km/9.9 miles | 07 hours
- 1st. trek: From Machu Picchu Pueblo to KM 104 (Main Gate of the Short Inca Trail) 1.40 hrs.
- 2nd. trek: KM 104 to Inti Punku 5 hrs. – Machu Picchu Classic View
- Hiking Difficulty: Challenging – Moderate.
- Highest hiking place: Inti Punku – The Sun Gate: 2700mt /8540 ft
- Meals: Box lunch– Hotel Breakfast and Dinner: Restaurant.
- Bus service from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes: 1 bus ticket
- Accommodation: 3-Star Hotel at Machu Picchu Pueblo
4 Day Salkantay Trek: –> DAY 4
Magnificent guided visit to Machu Picchu for 2 hours; in the afternoon, return to Cusco by train and vehicle
Latest news: Now, the visiting hours of Machu Picchu have changed; 200 people enter Machu Picchu every hour; to lighten the flow of visitors to the Inca citadel. We bought the entrance tickets to Machu Picchu when reserving the Salkantay Trek 4 days package for the SCHEDULE OF 06:00, 07:00, or 08:00 “according to availability.” Please write to us before booking the tour package if visitors require another schedule.
The tour guide of the Salkantay Trek 4 Days goes to the hotel of the hikers to meet and go to the bus station to board the tourist service and arrive at Machu Picchu “the trip lasts approximately 30 minutes of travel”. We arrive at Machu Picchu and begin our guided tour of Machu Picchu for an average of 02 hours, exploring the most amazing Inca sites that makeup Machu Picchu and its panoramic views.
- Bus service to Machu Picchu (up and down)
- Two-hour guided tour inside Machu Picchu.
- NOTE: NO FREE TIME according to the new regulations of the Machu Picchu Sanctuary since 2015. If you require more time, book a new entrance ticket
DURING THE AFTERNOON, we board the MACHU PICCHU train service TO OLLANTAYTAMBO. The train trip takes approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes to travel. Once you arrive at the Ollantaytambo train station, we have a private transfer service to Cusco, “25 minutes of travel”.
Thank you for deciding to vacation in Salkantay Trek 4 Days; You have made one of the best decisions to trek through the Andes and the jungle of Peru on an outdoor camping expedition.
AFTERNOON, board your train service to OLLANTAYTAMBO and Return to Cusco City.
Trin Information
- Railway company: INCA RAIL
- Train Travel Route: MACHU PICCHU TO OLLANTAYTAMBO
- Class: The Voyager 44
- Train departure time from Machu Picchu Pueblo train station: 14:00
- Travelers must be inside the train facilities: At 14:00; otherwise, you will not be allowed to board the train.
- Arrival time at OLLANTAYTAMBO train station: 16:04
When you arrive at the OLLANTAYTAMBO train station, go to the waiting area where our staff will wait. Look for a sign with your name on it.” Group Name: Salkantay Trek 4 Days
Private transfer service from Ollantaytambo train station to Cusco “Hotel.”
Salkantay 4 Day Trek INCLUSION
Active itinerary with unique landscape and cultural experiences
Local guide (s) with command of the English language
Private transport service for excursions and transfers
Local Lodges & HOTEL 3 Star
- Challway: 1 night – Local Hostel at Challway (Shared)
- MACHU PICCHU PUEBLO: 02 nights – Hotel Santuario Machu Picchu (***), OR similar to the Hotel Waman, Retama; based on the twin-share or matrimonial room) Check-In: noon / Check-Out: 09:00 Hrs.
- Buffet breakfast in hotels
1st. Day: SALKANTAY Trail
- Transfer service from Cusco to Soraypampa “beginning of the adventure.”
- Entrance ticket to the Salkantay circuit to Machu Picchu
- Riding horse between Soraypampa towards Salkantay Pass (2.5 Hrs.)
- Meals:
2nd. Day: SALKANTAY Trail
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner (Local)
- Local transportation from Challway to Lucmabamba
- Train from Hydro to Aguas Calientes by PERURAIL at 16:35: Service: HYDROELECTRIC to MACHU PICCHU PUEBLO
- Machu Picchu Pueblo overnight
3rd. Day: Short Inca Trail
- Entrance ticket to the Short Inca Trail
- Meals: Hotel breakfast and Box Lunch + Dinner at the Restaurant
- A portable oxygen balloon plus a First aid kit plus
- Bus down from Machu Picchu ruins to Machu Picchu Pueblo
- Machu Picchu Pueblo overnight
4th. Day: Machupicchu
- Hotel breakfast
- Bus tickets to Machu Picchu “up and down.”
- Machu Picchu Entrance Ticket at 08:00 – Official regulation of the National Institute of Culture Machu PICCHU, Tickets are valid exclusively for the printed date, circuit, and time—personal and non-transferable tickets.
- Guided tour in Machu Picchu 2hrs
- NOTE: THERE IS NO FREE TIME, according to the new regulations of the Machu Picchu Sanctuary, since 2015. If travelers require more hours, they must buy a new ticket.
- Inbound Train Journey by Inca Rail: From MACHU PICCHU to OLLANTAYTAMBO – Class: The Voyager 44. Departure at 14:30
- Private transfer from Ollantaytambo train station to Cusco or Urubamba.
All local Peruvian taxes
🙂 Optional: Go to the pricing button and click it for service upgrades.
4 Day Salkantay Trek NO INCLUSION
- Sleeping bag (we recommend bringing your light sleeping bags for low temperatures, especially for the first night of the Salkantay Trek 4 Days expedition); otherwise, you can rent or buy one in downtown Cusco.
- Breakfast on day 01 and lunch on day 04.
- Tips for the crew (muleteers, cook, and guide)
Take your outdoor experiences to new heights with a 4-day trek through the stunning Salkantay region in Peru! Enjoy breathtaking sights as you explore wildlife and culture up close.
Travel facts About Salkantay 4 Day Trek
Discover a world of wildlife, majestic hills, and endless beauty on this unique four-day trek around Mount Salkantay in Peru. Let’s go!
Are you looking for a way to get the breathtaking adventure of the Andes? Try the Salkantay 4-day trek and explore magnificent snow-capped mountains, lush jungles, and ancient ruins!
No, there is no age limit, but if you are older, you should have a medical check-up before traveling and try to acclimate at altitude (see altitude sickness). We have had children as young as seven years old and people up to 68 years old many times, don’t worry; we are here to help you do it! When there is a will, if possible.
Yes, you can change the departure but not the date of entry to the Citadel of Machu Picchu tickets are purchased well in advance; if you change the hiking departure, your tour could become one of four or three days, depending on the program book. Remember to schedule your trip to Peru in advance to avoid problems and stay in Cusco 3 or 4 days before the trip). Please note that on this trip, you will meet people of different gender and nationality than yours; we are an agency that cannot guarantee the gender and ethnicity of our tourists.
We have an excellent kitchen that offers a fantastic variety of dishes:
Breakfast: Varies depending on the difficulty of the journey ahead. Usually, a wide selection of products: oatmeal, eggs, pancakes, bread, and jam. You can have hot chocolate, coffee, English tea, and herbal tea (chamomile, lemongrass, tea, or traditional coca).
Lunch and dinner: always have a bowl of soup followed by a main course (chicken, meat, fish, etc., with rice or pasta). This is followed by dessert and a herbal drink for good.
Refreshments (Happy Hour): After the hike, every day, there will be hot drinks, popcorn, cookies, bread and jam, chocolate, milo, etc.)
Snacks: Before starting the hike for the day, you will be given – a piece of fruit, a chocolate bar, a packet of cookies, and some candy.
Vegetarian/unique diet options are available upon request (see below).
Yes, we offer vegetarian food. Please specify your dietary needs when making your reservation.
Yes, we provide water previously boiled for at least 5 minutes (water purification tablets are unnecessary). Therefore, you only need a bottle of water for the first part, for lunch, the first day, and then, from there, refill your bottles to Machu Picchu.
The tents for all our tours are for four people, but the modern man is very tall, and only two people fit in each tent, which allows more space and comfort. If you are traveling alone, you must share the tent with another person unless you request a private tent (single tent $25).
Tipping is a personal decision depending on the job performance of each person accompanying you on this trip.
All hostels and hotels in Cusco have a storage room to keep the tourists’ belongings; to make this trip, you must leave it in place.
We have a shallow rate of people returning once the trip has started. Our priority is to help you complete the journey; our guides are well-trained and have a first aid kit and emergency oxygen. Please don’t think this (that you are in good hands).
In Cusco, we only have two seasons rainy for six months and dry for 06 months; the dry season starts in April and October; the days are usually sunny and warm, but keep in mind that the weather is very variable in the high and mountain towns, from November to March rainy days and many unstable months, where the rains can be heavy.
Note: Temperatures are for the Cusco Valley 3400m. And temperatures change depending on altitude (higher altitude = cold or vice versa).
The train included in all tours is the (Expedition Service); the schedules are the available spaces in the wagons once the agencies make the full payment. The first train can be taken at 18:20 hours and the last at 22:50 hours: Salkantay Expeditions. Arrange transportation back to Cusco (by cab or bus).
Note: Trains are sometimes subject to change depending on Peru Rail train operators. The train can be modified for a better service with a corresponding price increase if desired.
You must arrive before the city of Cusco, where it will be necessary to go with a guide to direct the way to make your adventure tours of Salkantay treks.
The Salkantay trek is located in Cusco, about 60 km northwest of Cusco. The proximity of Salkantay to Machu Picchu makes trekking around it an alternative to the Inca Trail.
You should bring a series of accessories for the trail. As a backpack that will be your companion during the five days of the tour, carry the following.
- Light and warm clothes
- Hiking shoes.
- Hat
- Plastic poncho.
- Bathing suit for the hot springs
- Towel.
- Water bottle.
- Gloves for the cold.
- Walking sticks
- Flashlight.
- Binoculars.
- Personal toiletries
- Camera.
- Personal documents
- Insect repellent and sunblock
- Hand sanitizer.
- Toilet paper.
- Disposable tissues.
- Cash.
- Personal medications.
- Snacks.
- How many kilometers must you travel on tour to reach Machu Picchu?
The Salkantay trek is approximately 72 kilometers distributed over five days and four nights through beautiful Cusco to reach Machu Picchu.
The five-day Salkantay trek is available for all adventurers traveling to Cusco in 2023.
This is a five-day trek, where we will be going up and down trails for more than 70 kilometers in the known altitude of Cusco; for this reason, it is advisable to be prepared for the trek.
Training hard will not be necessary, but it does help to do cardiovascular exercises, such as walking three times a week for at least three months before the tour.
Also, spending a couple of days acclimatizing to the altitude of Cusco before the tour will help us a lot.
To do the Salkantay Trek to Machupicchu, you should know that the level of trekking varies from moderate to complex. Therefore, it is recommended to be in good physical condition. In addition, it is recommended to use good trekking shoes, preferably that they are already molded to your feet; this will facilitate the walk and will not have any problems.
The best time to do the Salkantay Trek to Machupicchu with good weather is between April – October, as we have the presence of clear skies and smaller-scale rainfall. Mainly the driest months are between June – August, which is winter in the Andes. However, it is suggested to foresee the type of clothing to use during these months, because during the day you can enjoy the sun, while at night you can feel intense cold.
The best season for the Salkantay trek is during the dry season in Cusco, April, and October.
The number 1 reason we did the Salkantay trek was the environment you are in. You hike for five days in very different backgrounds. On other trekking tours, the walk to Machu Picchu, the environment often remains the same, becoming monotonous. This is not the case with the Salkantay trek at all.
With each step, the landscape changes, and the mountains reveal something new; the rolling clouds, the breathtaking terrain, the towering mountains, and the smiling locals.
There is something magical about walking in the area on the Salkantay trail. All you have to do is walk and enjoy. You have no stress, and there are not many things you must think about during your hike. Just enjoy the walk. Great.
You can book the Inca Trail by contacting us through the website or the following email info@kondorpathtours.com. You only need to fill out the reservation form and provide us with your personal information, such as full name, date of birth, Passport or Identity Card number precisely as indicated in your document, and the exact date of the excursion. Otherwise, please send your inquiry to our email info@kondorpathtours.com.
Salkantay trek It is not recommended because the conditions are not the best. The Salkantay Majestic hike is accessible to all hikers, but it is recommended to be accompanied by certified expert guides who know the trail well.
No, We refer to security in terms of being robbed, assaulted, or similar during the route. We heard before doing this route that it could be, but it is false. The most significant danger you face is the altitude, so I recommend you look at this altitude sickness guide.
No, the route is signposted, and the professional team you will travel with will ensure no incidents occur.
Yes and no. Acclimatized and in relatively good shape, I can do the Salkantay trek. It is a route that many people take, which can give you a clue that it is not about climbing the Himalayas. Still, it would be best to be realistic with your physical condition and, above all, with your acclimatization level.
Yes, absolutely, yes. We recommend that you spend at least two or three days in Cusco. Drink plenty of water (as much as it bothers us all, beer is not water), get plenty of rest, and take some walks to measure yourself. If you feel that your body reacts in a more or less usual way (considering that you are at more than 3500 meters above sea level), you are ready for the adventure.
Salkantay Trek 4 Days New Map
Salkantay Trek 4 Days 3 Nights COST
Explore breathtaking landscapes and discover ancient Inca constructions as you take on the Salkantay 4-Day Trek to Machu Picchu. Start your journey today!
PRICES PER PERSON [USD] 2023. We organize this adventure circuit through the Andes from Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu 4 Days
PRIVATE TOUR:
- Solo travel is USD$ 1,381.
- 02 Hikers USD$ 965. “Prices reduce if more people are in your group.”
- 03 Hikers USD$ 850.
- 04 HikersUSD$ 755.
- 05 Hikers USD$ 721.
- 06 Hikers USD$ 675.
- 07 Hikers USD$ 660.
- 08 Hikers + USD$ 629.
Private tours are available and priced based on group size.
Item Upgrade for the 4 Day Salkantay Trek
Experience the thrill of hiking Salkantay Mountain with one of Peru’s most famous treks! Take part in the four-day trek for an adventure like no other.
TRAIN SERVICES
PERU TRAINS By PeruRail / PER PERSON
+$45. Vistadome train (Inbound Journey: MACHUPICCHU – OLLANTAYTAMBO)
+$498.00 Hiram Bingham train (Inbound Journey: Train MACHUPICCHU – POROY)
EXTRA TICKETS
+$75 Huayna Picchu
+$75 Montaña
+$60 RE-ENTRY TO MACHU PICCHU
HOTEL “AGUAS CALIENTES”
Our alternative Salkantay Trek 4 Days 3 Nights ends in Machu Picchu Pueblo. The last night we stayed in a hotel instead of camping. The 3-star hotel does include the trek cost based on a shared room. We can upgrade the service if you want to improve the hotel category or other services.
PER PERSON
Gringo Bill’s Machupicchu – 3-Star Hotel
+$25. DBL/MATRIMONIAL
+$43 Suite
Inti Punku Machupicchu – 3-Star Hotel
+$25. Standard
+$33. Superior
+$39. Junior Suite
+$63. Senior Suite
Casa Andina Standard Machu Picchu – 3-Star Hotel
+$29. Traditional
+$35. Superior
+$45. Suite
Taypikala Boutique Machupicchu – 3-Star Hotel
+$35. Standard SGL/DBL
+$80 Suite
Jaya Suite Machupicchu – 3-Star Hotel
+$40.
El MaPi ByInkaterra – 4-Star Hotel
+$69. Superior Deluxe SGL or DBL
+$91. Suite SGL o DBL
Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel – 5-Star Hotel
+$244. Superior
+$271. Superior Deluxe
+$298. Junior Suite
+$389. Junior Suite Deluxe
+$488. Suite
+$555. Inkaterra Suite
Salkantay 4 Day Trek Discounts
This applies to the following services
Machu Picchu Fee
College students$25 off
RECOMMENDATION of Salkantay Trek 4 Days
- Due to the new regulation, the entrance to the citadel of Machu Picchu, remember that from January 01, 2023, the tickets have a specific entry time: From 6:00, 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, and 14:00.
- Tickets can only be used once a day from the chosen time.
* Kondor Path Tours operates the Salkantay Hiking Trail 4 days
