7 Days Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu
7 Days Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu
Overview
The four-day Salkantay trek is a short version of the entire trail that takes you to Machu Picchu. If you do not have enough time to do the five-day hike, this option is perfect for you because you will enjoy the best part of the Salkantay trek. The first three days are the same as the 5-day trek. All the groups on the third day arrive in Santa Teresa Camp around 1:00 pm for lunch. Once you arrive at the town, we will take you to your accommodations, and at dinner you will join another group who started the trek a day before you. Sometimes we have enough people to make groups of 4-day people only. . You will enjoy the mountains, lagoons, glaciers, jungles, and much more. The only difference between this program and the five-day program is that you do not have time to do the thermal baths of Santa Teresa, and there is no time to do the Llactapata trek, which takes you to the Incan site of Llactapata to see Machu Picchu a day before.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Enjoy the panoramic views of the Limatambo Valley and Mollepata’s grassy hills.
- Hike up to Humantay Lake on the first day of the tour.
- Reach to the highest point of the Salkantay trail to enjoy the beautiful views of the Salkantay mountain.
- Participate in a small ritual for the Andean gods and learn about Incan religion
- Sleep under the authentic Andean Inca huts our exclusive campsites
- Visit the icon of South America Machu Picchu on the fourth day of your trip.
Group Price
- The price per person for group expeditions are fixed based on a group size. However, we have optional arrangements for individual private and tailor-made preferences best suited for you, your family and friends.
- All prices are based on shared accommodation. Please inquire for a 1 guest private room accommodation quote
- Prices listed are not final. Please inquire for your final price quote.
2pax | 3/4pax | 5/7pax | 8/10pax | 11/14pax | 15/16pax | 17/20pax |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
$ 3,306.60 | $ 3,190 | $ 3,116.40 | $ 3,049.20 | $ 3,000 | $ 2,950.80 | $ 2,886 |
Included/Excluded
- All the transfers indicated in the itinerary
- All the tours indicated in the itinerary
- Guided Tours as mentioned in Itinerary (Local official guide in english or spanish)
- All meals specified in Itinerary
- All entrance fees to the above mentioned excursions
- Train ticket Expedition Ollanta /Machu Picchu Pueblo /Ollanta or Poroy
- Bus ticket Aguas Calientes- Machu Picchu- Aguas Calientes
- All applicable taxes
- Salkantay trek briefing at 7:00 pm a day before of the departure at Machu Picchu Reservations office
- A duffle bag to pack 7 kilos of your belonging that will be carried by horses during the trek
- English/Spanish speaking professional tour guides
- Professional chef and cooking equipment
- Horses for carrying up to 7 Kilos of personal luggage and other required equipment
- Mountain Sky Huts with Thick Mattresses, glass door, Night Lighting, and Panoramic for the first and second night
- Transportation from Santa Teresa to Lucmabamba to do the Llactapata trek
- International and domestic flights
- Flights Lima/ Cusco / Lima
- Airport & Aerodrome taxes
- Alcoholic drinks, soda or bottled mineral water
- 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 $10 USD for the whole trek
- International or National personal telephone calls
- Travel insurance
- Meals not mentioned
- Tipping
DAY 1: ARRIVAL CUSCO
Upon your arrival at Cusco International Airport, a Nature Horizons team member will be waiting to greet you. We will then transfer to your hotel accommodation in Cusco. The rest of the day is yours to relax and settle in. Upon arriving at your hotel, you will meet your guide, who will be with you for the remainder of your tour. Your guide will give you a briefing on your full tour itinerary. As always, your guide will be there to assist you at a moment’s notice if you would like to head out and explore.
- Overnight in Cusco
- Meals included: — / — / —
DAY 2: CUSCO
Today you will explore Cusco. Cusco is a city in the Peruvian Andes, which was once the capital of the Incan Empire. It is now known for its archaeological remains and Spanish colonial architecture. Plaza de Armas is the central square in the old city, with arcades, carved wooden balconies, and Incan ruins. This ancient city is absolutely breathtaking, and we will explore as much of it as we can today. Before the end of the day today, if you need anything extra for your trek that starts tomorrow, we will make sure we assist you in purchasing those items in Cusco.
- Overnight in Cusco
- Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch /–Dinner
DAY 3: CUSCO -SORAYPAMPA – HUMANTAY LAKE – QUISWARNIYOC PRIVATE CAMP
After picking up everyone from their respective places, we’ll leave Cusco around 5:45 am and start our two-hour drive to the town of Mollepata. Once in Mollepata, we’ll stop to have a delicious breakfast and pay the entrance fee of 20 soles to the local municipality (this is not included in the tour price).
Once finished, we’ll continue by car for another hour to Soraypampa where we will meet with the muleteers and horses who will carry our equipment, food, and 7 kilos of each hiker’s personal belongings during the trek. From there, we’ll start the uphill hike to Humantay Lake, reaching it after about two hours. When you arrive at the lagoon, you will have a couple of hours to explore, take photos, and listen to our guide to explain the significance of Humantay Lagoon. Afterward, we’ll hike downhill for two hours and have lunch at our exclusive camp, Quiswarniyoc. After lunch, you’ll have free time to explore the beautiful area and for an optional hike to the Mirador of Salkantay for panoramic views of the entire area. If you are tired, you can just rest in the Mountain Sky Huts or in the glass igloos that come equipped with glass doors, pillows, a sleeping pad, and the illumination of the night sky.
Quiswarniyoc is an exclusive, private camp located at 4,000 meters. It is a unique area that offers additional short hikes, fantastic mountain viewpoints, and waterfalls.
- Overnight in Camping
- Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch /Dinner
DAY 4: QUISWARNIYUC – SALKANTAY PASS – HUAYRACMACHAY – CHAULLAY CAMP
The second day of the trek is the most difficult because it takes you up to 4630 m and 20 km of trekking. The cooks will wake you up around 5:00 am with a cup of hot coffee or tea. Then you have time to repack and get ready for the nutritious breakfast which is served around 5:45 am. After that, it is time to start hiking up to the highest point of the Salkantay trail that reaches 4,630 meters and takes anywhere from 3 to 4 hours, all uphill, at a regular and slow pace. Once you are at the highest point, you have time to enjoy the mountains, to take pictures and the guide will teach you about the mountain gods. Also you will be part of the small Andean ritual honoring Apus, the mountain god.
Then you start hiking down for 2 hours to the lunch place to rest and enjoy a delicious lunch. After you continue hiking down for three more hours to the second camp which is Chaullay, where we provide you with the camping equipment, tea time and dinner. If you like for ten soles you can rent a hot shower from the locals. You can also buy some drinks. The camp is called Chaullay and is located at 2,900m right at the beginning of the Peruvian Amazon.
- Overnight in Camping
- Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch /Dinner
DAY 5: CHAULLAY – SANTA TERESA – HIDROECETRICA – AGUAS CALIENTES.
On the third 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 approximately five hours along the Santa Teresa Valley, which is formed by the Salkantay River. Along the valley, you have the chance to see plantations such as coffee, bananas, avocados, coca, passion fruit, and much more.
After five hours of hiking, you will arrive at La Playa Sahuayaco, where you will take local transportation for one hour to Santa Teresa. Here we will stop to have lunch before continuing by for 45 more minutes to Hidroelectrica, then walking three more hours along the train tracks to Aguas Calientes town on the flat trail. After that we will take you to the hotel where you can relax. In the evening at around 7:00 pm we will have dinner in a restaurant in Aguas Calientes before calling it a day.
- Overnight in Aguas Calientes.
- Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch /Dinner
DAY 6: MACHU PICCHU – CUSCO
Finally, we will go to see the impressive Machu Picchu. You’ll wake up around 4:00 am to get ready for the hike to Machu Picchu main entrance. Each person will be given a packed breakfast, and we will start the 30-minute walk to Puente Ruinas checkpoint, where you will have to show your passport, Machu Picchu ticket, and student ID if applicable. After passing the first checkpoint, we will climb stairs for about one hour to reach Machu Picchu’s main gate by 6:00 am.
Once everybody meets at the gate, we enter Machu Picchu and begin our 2.5-hour guided tour of the famous Incan site, where you will learn everything about The Lost City of The Incas. After the guided tour, you’ll have free time to explore Machu Picchu on your own. The time you will spend in Machu Picchu will depend on how you are going back to Cusco (train or car) and whether you want to climb the Montaña Machu Picchu or Huayna Picchu Mountain, the tickets of which must be booked in advance.
- If you booked the extra ticket for HUAYNA PICCHU you would need 2.5 hours for hiking up and down (closed until 2022).
- If you booked the extra ticket for MACHU PICCHU MONATAÑA, you would need 3.5 hours for hiking up and down (closed until 2022).
After visiting Machu Picchu and its surrounding area it is time to return to Cusco. You’ll ride the train for about 1.5 hours to Ollantaytambo from Aguas Calientes town, where you will then switch to a car and finish the final two hours of the trip, arriving in Cusco around 8:00 pm.
- Overnight in Cusco.
- Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch /–
DAY 7: DEPARTURE CUSCO
At agreed time please meet your Nature Horizons representative at the lobby for your private transfer to Airport for your scheduled flight.
Meals included: Breakfast / — / —
ACCOMMODATION
With Tourist Class Hotels:
Cities | Hotels / Hab. Standard | NT |
Cusco | Samay *** www.samayhotel.com | 3 |
Machu Picchu | Hatun Samay *** www.hatunsamay.com | 1 |
camping | camping | 2 |
Total Nº of nights | 6 |
* In the case of room unavailability in the hotels mentioned above we will use hotels of similar category
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
ADDITIONAL OPTION THAT YOU CAN ADD TO YOUR SALKANTAY TRIP
- HUAYNAPICCHU MOUNTAIN: USD 25 dollars (check availability) https://www.machupicchu.gob.pe/inicio
- MACHU PICCHU MONTAÑA: USD 25 dollars (check availability) https://www.machupicchu.gob.pe/inicio
- SLEEPING BAG FOR THE WHOLE TREK: USD 10 dollars
- TREKKING POLES USD 10 dollars, one pair for the whole trek
- UPGRADE to Vista dome – Panoramic train. USD 25 dollars (If you decided to return by train you can upgrade to VISTADOME TRAIN)
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- Comfortable sneakers or hiking boots
- Short and long-sleeved t-shirts
- Rain gear
- A fleece jacket
- Jeans or casual trousers
- Camera
- Backpack
- Insect repellent, lip balm and sun block
- Binoculars
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- A backpack to carry water, some snacks, a camera, sunscreen, valuable things, Jacket, rain gear, etc. We recommend bringing a backpack 25 – 30 liters, but if you like to can bring a daypack or any backpack size as long as you feel comfortable with it.
- Sleeping bag at least minus 5 cº. If you don’t have one, you can rent from us for USD 10 dollars for the whole trek.
- Trekking Poles – We recommend for people with problems with knees, ankle, or you are used to using hiking poles. If you do NOT have one, you can rent a pair of trekking poles for USD 10 dollars from us.
- Original Passports
- Wool hat or beanie
- Sun hat
- Scarf
- Gloves
- 3 – 4 t-shirts, if you have long sleeve better
- layers (sweater, fleece)
- 2 – 3 pair of long pants if you have leggings, you can do on leggings
- Hiking shoes
- 2 – 3 pairs of wool socks
- Rain gear (Pants, jacket, if you do not have you can buy rain poncho) it is crucial, especially for the wet season.
- A small headlamp
- A small towel
- Shorts
- Sunglasses
- Toothbrush and other personal toiletries
- Toilet paper
- Sun cream
- Insect repellent
- Sandals / Flip flops
- Water bottle
- Swimwear
- If you have thermal clothing, you can take them, which not that important, you will use them at least for the first night, which is at 4000m
- Some snacks such as chocolate, cereal bars, candies, nuts, energy bars, etc.
- Extra Cash in Soles
IMPORTANT: Remember that we will provide you with a duffle bag on the briefing day, which you can use to pack 7 kilos of your personal belongings that you will take to the trek, which are going be carried by horse during the entire trek. It means that you will do the trek carrying your small backpack with things you need for the day hike, and you will have access to the duffle bag at each camping place.
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Our TripAdvisor Reviews
Jennifer F2025-04-27Amazing Tanzanian Safari Nature Horizons planned an unforgettable Tanzanian safari for 20 guests on a yoga retreat. Beginning in the planning stages, Dominick was helpful, knowledgeable, and would go out of his way to ensure we had an amazing trip planned. He was on top of the details, such as collecting passport and travel info, and answered all of our questions. Because of NHT’s attention to detail? Our guests enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime trip. If we needed anything during our stay, Dominick was responsive and would get any problem resolved. Every detail was fine tuned, and several of the accommodations were beyond expectation. The guides he set us up would were funny, personable, and genuinely cared to make sure we had the best safari experience. I highly recommend the hot air balloon ride!If you are looking to plan a Tanzanian safari, FIBI! Look no further and reach out to Dominick for a life-changing vacation.
Erin Y2025-04-23Magical restorative adventure! My yoga studio hosted an unforgettable trip to Tanzania, thanks to Nature Horizon Tours! Every detail was perfectly planned—from the beautiful accommodations to the incredible excursions and welcoming local guides. The trip created space for adventure, reflection, and connection, making it both inspiring and restorative. We came home with lasting memories, a deeper bond as a group, and new friendships that we truly treasure. This experience far exceeded our expectations, and we’re so grateful for the care and thought that went into every moment. We can’t wait to travel with this team again!
Jen B2025-04-08Life-Changing Safari I am very grateful for Natures Horizons Tours for providing the trip of a lifetime. They ensured our safety, took care of all of our needs, and treated us with the best care and consideration even when some of us didn’t deserve it. This tour company is very PROFESSIONAL!! They know what they are doing and they do it very well. I would tour with them again in a heartbeat! The attached photo is completely untouched. This is how close they got us to the action! If we weren’t in the rover, this beautiful but very full, lioness was only feet away. We could see every beautiful detail of her.
Nancy C2025-04-06Lasting memories My trip to Tanzania was amazing. Nature Horizons put together a fantastic itinerary. Our guides were knowledgeable, hard working, and friendly. They turned the Safari from a trip into an awesome and unforgettable experience.
Getaway310895774142025-03-24A bucket list trip dreams are made of! Nature Horizons organized a trip for 20 people from our yoga community for a yoga and safari tour in Tanzania. Every detail was curated perfectly from the those greeting us at the airport to those touring us through the urban and cultural centers of Arusha all the way though an unforgettable experience in the Serengeti. Our 5 tour guides were friendly and fun and beyond knowledgeable and we got to see THE BIG 5!!! The locations they choose for our Safari camp and for our journey along the way were superb with perfect views for our yoga practice and the food was out of this world every place we went! We will for sure be traveling with Nature Horizons again, in fact we already have Egypt booked as our next destination!!! For world class bucket list travel these are your people. Rarely does one get the owner and CEO of a travel company hand selecting every detail of your trip and ensuring it goes off without a hiccup… this oversight and hand on help is unbeatable in the travel industry… trust me after a decade of taking yoga groups traveling, this is something you never see! Thanks Dominick and Team for a memorable bucket list trip and for taking superb care of us along the way!
Shreya B2025-03-11Excellent customer care! We travel a lot and for the first time let Nature Horizons Tours plan our trip for us! It was an amazing experience as there was always someone to take care of us and our needs. Our daughter needed urgent care on the last day of the trip and we were helped all the way through! Better than 5*s!!!
Mary D2025-02-11Fantastic Safari My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the safari that we took thru Nature Horizons Tours in Tanzania last month. It truly was a trip of a life time. We saw lots of animals and birds throughout Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti. To see 20 elephants (including babies) casually stroll by us was an experience I will never forget. Another time, we saw two herds of zebras that must have totaled 20,000 zebras. WOW! Our guide, Praygod was great and we really enjoyed spending time with him. He was great at identifying animals and provided lots of the environmental, historical and cultural information. I recommend bringing a notebook to write down all the animals you will see.One advantage we had with Natures Horizon compared to other Safari companies is that there are only four people in a jeep during the safari (well, plus the driver). This was really nice being able to easily see animals on both sides of the jeep without stepping over people. We saw a lot of jeeps that had 6 people in them.Everyone associated with Nature Horizons Tours and the lodges we stayed at went out of their way to make our stay/experience fantastic. We learned that if there was something that we wanted, we just had to ask. At the Kilimanjaro Lux Camp, Grace personally made avocado toast for us each morning. In Zanzibar, we asked the driver where we could buy spices and he took us to a local outdoor market which I appreciated as I enjoy experiencing the local experience.It was a great trip and I would have no doubt that I would go on another tour led by Natures Horizons
Trail311312224182025-02-11Fantastic Photo Safari I traveled with Nature Horizons to Tanzania in 2024. I am writing this review as a Travel Agent. My clients just returned from their safari with Nature Horizons. From the time they booked, Dominick was in close contact with both me and my clients. He made sure that all of our questions or concerns were handled very quickly. He took the time to do zoom calls with me and my clients more than once to make sure that they were comfortable with everything to do with the trip. While there were a couple of things lost in translation with his team in Tanzania, they were minor and were dealt with immediately. The driver/guide is the absolute best. The lodging, while not close to town, was all very nice with fabulous food. The balloon ride is not to be missed! One of the things that I appreciate the most is that Dominick will not take more than 4 people in a vehicle, even though more can fit. He wants every passenger to have the best view, no matter which side of the vehicle has the views of the wildlife. I am very happy with Dominick and his team at Nature Horizons and would not hesitate to use them again for myself and my clients!
Geri M2025-02-10Tanzania and Serengeti Safari Phenomenal experience! Once in a lifetime trip! The guide was top of the line! I would suggest this trip to everyone! We added on Zanzibar and that was beautiful as well
Byrd B2025-01-14The BEST Partner for a Travel Agency!! Nature Horizons has been an amazing partner for us. I own a travel agency that does $13MM in revenue and when it comes to unique, off the beaten path, this partner always delivers exactly what my clients are looking for. The support is impressive and the work has love poured into every detail. You cannot go wrong with this company!Tripadvisor rating score: 5.0 of 5,
based on 73 reviews