Salkantay Trek
(5 Days)

Good morning! Are you ready to do this?

• Today starts the adventure of a lifetime!  You’ll have 4 hours in the car to mentally prep for a serious day of hiking.
• We’ll provide a hearty breakfast before your first out and back climb to Lake Humantay – a pure, turquoise glacial lake that will be the first of many things to take your breath away this week.
• From the lake, we’ll have another 3 hours to gain some serious elevation before we get to our campsite at the base of the Salkantay (Savage) Mountain.
• Tonight will be pretty cold, but if you can handle it for a few minutes, pop your head out of your tent and check out one of the most incredible starry skies you’ll ever see.

Good morning! Coca tea?

• We’ll fuel up with a hearty breakfast before starting our challenging hike to the Salkantay pass (15oooft/4600m).  It’s only about 1.5 hours of hiking, but it’s high elevation with some rocky terrain so you may want to bring your walking sticks.
• After celebrating our achievement at the pass, we’ll give our lungs some relief and head to lower elevation for 2.5 more hours to the lunch spot.
• You’ll start to feel some heat as we get into the cloudy forest and subtropical conditions as we hike lower into the Andes.  We have 4.5 hours after lunch until we can kick our feet up at campsite #2.

Hope you got some good sleep, chicos!

• After breakfast, we’ll say “HASTA PRONTO AMIGOS” to our horsemen and wish them well.  If you feel they’ve done a great job helping you on this journey, you are welcome to offer some tips at this time.
• We’ll keep the downhill pace rolling with a nice, easy 4 hours along the Santa Teresa River until we get to the lunch spot.
• Before or after lunch, you can take a tour of the local coffee plantation and have a taste of some fresh brew.  You may want the fuel for the steep, 3 hour climb you’ll take to the next campsite at Llactapata Pass.  The view from the top will be worth it though with a visit to our first Inca site and a chance to see Machu Picchu from the back at sunset and sunrise – a sight rarely seen by any tourists.

Walking distance: 14km/9 miles (8-9 hours)
Elevation: (starting campsite) 2500m/8202 ft to (ending campsite) 2700 m/8858ft
Difficulty: Moderate to Challenging (terrain, steep uphill to campsite)
Weather: Warm, hot, and humid

Don’t relax yet!  We still have one more day, amigos.

• Here’s where you’ll be happy you have walking sticks!  The morning starts with a steep, downhill, switch-back trail all the way to the Urubamba River Valley for 2.5 hours.
• If you want to dip your toes in the river, you’ll have a little time before we finish the trail at the Hydroelectric Train station for lunch.
• We’ll say goodbye to our amazing chef and porters after lunch and walk for 3 hours to the finish line in Aguas Calientes.
• Aguas Calientes will be waiting to greet you with a hot shower and comfy hotel bed for the night.  You also have the option to go to the hot springs for 20 soles (separate entrance fee payable in person.)

Walking distance: 12km/7.4 miles (6 hours)
Elevation: (starting campsite) 2700 m/8858ft to (Aguas Calientes) 2040m/6693ft
Difficulty: Moderate/Challenging. Mostly downhill.
Weather: Warm, Hot

Today is the day, People! Machu Picchu is here!

• It’s the day you’ve been waiting for – your visit to Machu Picchu!
• You’ll have a guided tour of the whole city while feeling the magic and energy that make this place one of the most incredible places on Earth.
• After the tour, we’ll head back to Aguas Calientes, or if you’ve purchased a permit to climb Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain (Must be purchased separately in advance), you will go there at the designated time.
• You will get lunch or a snack in Aguas Calientes on your own before we catch the train back to Cusco.  At your hotel, we will say “hasta luego” to you, our new friends.

Walking distance: 1.6km/1 mile (2 hours)
Elevation: 2400/7874ft
Difficulty: Moderate. Machu Picchu city is large and requires many trips up and down stairs to see it all.
Weather: Hot and humid (bring a lot of water and rain gear)