8 Day Salkantay Trek & Machu Picchu

8 Day Salkantay Trek & Machu Picchu
8 Day Salkantay Trek & Machu Picchu
Day 01 - Arrival to Panama City
8 Day Salkantay Trek & Machu Picchu
8 Day Salkantay Trek & Machu Picchu
8 Day Salkantay Trek & Machu Picchu
8 Day Salkantay Trek & Machu Picchu
8 Day Salkantay Trek & Machu Picchu
8 Day Salkantay Trek & Machu Picchu
8 Day Salkantay Trek & Machu Picchu

8 Day Salkantay Trek & Machu Picchu

Duration

8 Days / 7 Nights

Package Type

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Adventure

Activity Level

Activity Level

High

Wildlife expectation

Physical Difficulty

Wildlife expectation

Cultural rating

Wildlife expectation

Wildlife expectation

Specialist

Travel specialist

Claire
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Of all the various treks to Machu Picchu, none can compete with the Salkantay Trek in terms of scenery. It’s a spectacular route, passing through jungles and mountain passes, and dotted with azure lagoons. And at the heart of the trek is Salkantay Mountain, which at 6,271 m (20,574 ft.) is the highest peak in the Vilcabamba mountain range and the twelfth-highest in Peru.  

Our trek traverses the flank of this sacred mountain, offering some of the most awe-inspiring views in Peru. It’s one of the more challenging alternative routes to Machu Picchu, simply because of the high altitude. But it also receives far fewer trekkers than the classic Inca Trail, so you can walk through this natural and remote paradise comparatively free from fellow humans – but you might have to share the stunning scenery with Andean condors and other local wildlife. Why don’t you try off season? March, April, September and October are particularly good months, either side of high season, the weather is still decent and there are fewer people! 

Special features of our Salkantay Trek & Machu Picchu: 

Type of Tourism:  Hiking, Cultural, Nature and Ecotourism 

Places To Visit: Cusco, Salkantay, & Machu Picchu 

Duration:   8 Days and 7 Nights 

Type of Service:  some tours are small group service tours and other tours are private 

Accommodation:    4 star hotels at every destination that you will visit. These hotels had been carefully chosen and we can guarantee that you will feel comfortable and pampered 

DAY BY DAY SCHEDULE

Arrival to Cusco with a transfer to your hotel; a welcome meeting will be organized by your guide for a quick briefing of the tour. The rest of the day can be spent exploring Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, set in the Andes Mountains. Discover Spanish churches and mansions that sit alongside Inca remains, visit the local market of San Pedro and their array of products from handicrafts to vegetable products, fresh juices and items for traditional Andean ceremonies. ...

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    After breakfast, enjoy a free day to explore Cusco at your ease. The capital city of the Inca Empire is now the undisputed archaeological capital of the Americas, as well as the continent’s oldest continuously inhabited city. You may visit the local archaeological sites of Saqsaywaman, Tambomachay and Qenqo or you can take part in a Peruvian cooking class or chocolate making class, depending on how you want to spend your free day. We can help arrange and suggest all activities a...

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      Our Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu begins when we pick you up from your hotel in Cusco at around 5 a.m. We’ll then travel in our private bus to Mollepata, which takes about four hours. It’s a lengthy trip, but it’s needed to get out to this relatively remote region. On the way, you’ll be able to enjoy the wonderful scenery, including views of the Izcuchaca and Limatambo mountain ranges.  

      Eventually we’ll arrive at the colorful Andean vi...

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        We will wake early and have breakfast around 5:30 a.m. We have a long day of trekking ahead of us, through some of the most incredible scenery in Peru. This will be our most challenging day, as we ascend to the highest point on the trail.  

        We first make the climb to a mountain pass at 4,650 m (15,200 ft) – the highest location on the trek. From here, we’ll have sublime views of two huge snow-capped mountains: Salkantay on the right and Tucarhuay on the l...

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          Waking at 6: 30 a.m., we’ll have a hearty breakfast before setting off. Today, much of our trekking takes us through a region of jungle known as the “ceja de selva” or eyebrow of the jungle: the swathe of jungle that lies between the Andes and the Amazon rainforest. We’ll cross the Lluskamayo River and find ourselves in a world of waterfalls, tropical fruits and colorful birds. If we’re lucky, we might even see a cock of the rock, Peru’s national bi...

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            On our final trekking day, we’ll have breakfast at 6:30 a.m. before setting off towards Llactapata. It will be a steady three-hour climb, and as we ascend we’ll have wonderful views of the Santa Teresa Valley below us. Eventually we’ll reach Llactapata, an impressive Inca ruin that may have served as an important resting place and roadside shrine on the journey to Machu Picchu, which it is connected to, via the Inca Trail. From here we get our very first glimpse of o...

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              To best appreciated Machu Picchu, we’ll wake up early in the morning so we can get to the citadel in good time. You’ll have time for breakfast first, and then your guide will pick you up from the hotel at around 5:40 a.m. We’ll then walk to the bus departure point for the short but zigzagging ascent up the road to Machu Picchu. We’ll then pass through the gates into the Machu Picchu archaeological site. Here you’ll begin your guided walking tour with an e...

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                After breakfast, enjoy your last day at leisure before your transfer to the airport for your return flight home, via Lima.


                  WHAT'S INCLUDED

                  • Accommodation: A *star hotel is specially chosen by us for you throughout the itinerary
                  • Meals: 7 breakfasts, 4 lunch, 4 dinner 
                  • Transport: Private or share 
                  • Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Salkantay Trail and Machupicchu  
                  • Arrival and departure transfer  
                  • Briefing to the tour one day before the trek at 19h00. 
                  • All transport between destinations and to/from included activities  
                  • Professional guide who speaks English 
                  • Salkantay and Machupicchu entrance fee 
                  • Train ticket from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo 
                  • First aid kit 
                  • Round trip bus ticket from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu and back on the second day 
                  • 24/7 support and emergency line available throughout the itinerary 

                  WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

                  • Airfare to and from destination 
                  • Minimum medical and emergency evacuation insurance 
                  • Trip cancellation insurance or any other travel insurance 
                  • Evacuation: in the event of a serious medical injury, we will coordinate with your travel insurance company to arrange Evacuation 
                  • Visas 
                  • Any activity not described in What's Included 
                  • Meals on your own 
                  • Gratuities 
                  • Optional excursions 
                  • Personal equipment such as trekking equipment 
                  • Camping equipment such as sleeping bag or walking stick 
                  • Damages caused by the client to the bus or to the camping equipment 

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