Salkantay Trek by Sky Camp

Arrival in Cusco

Our team will be waiting at the Cusco airport to take you to the hotel. We recommend drinking the famous Coca tea, known for helping with any altitude sickness symptoms. 

After checking in at the hotel, our team will inform you about the city’s sights with a map, showing you some restaurants, exchange offices, shops, and more. 

Important Note: Cusco is located at 3,399 meters above sea level. Therefore, we highly recommend you take a few hours to get used to the altitude before exploring the beautiful Historic Center of Cusco.

Optional Visit: The Qosqo Center of Native Arts has daily performances of typical Andean music and dances from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. We recommend arriving 45 minutes in advance. Tickets are already included in the package.

Archeological City Tour in Cusco

From 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. – Enjoy the different sightings within the historic center of Cusco with our local guide. (Exclusive tour available for Viagens Machu Picchu passengers only).

In the afternoon, we’ll start the Archeological City Tour with a visit to the different attractions within the city and its surroundings, like Sacsayhuaman, the Coricancha Temple, and much more. 

Optional Visit: The Qosqo Center of Native Arts has daily presentations of typical Andean music and dances from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. We recommend you arrive 45 minutes in advance. Tickets are already included in the package.

Overnight in Cusco.

Sacred Valley of the Incas & Aguas Calientes

Breakfast at the hotel.

On this day in the morning, we’ll head to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. We will make our first stop to visit the Awanacancha Traditional Textile Museum, just after enjoying the magnificent view of the Sacred Valley. 

Following the itinerary, we’ll continue to visit Pisac, a small town recognized for its authentic cultural expression and the outstanding Pisac Archeological site. Later, we’ll have lunch in Urubamba, located in the heart of the Sacred Valley. 

Finishing the tour, we’ll get to Ollantaytambo, where we’ll get to visit one of the oldest villages within the Sacred Valley and its towering archeological site. After exploring the town of Ollantaytambo, We’ll board the train to Aguas Calientes, a town located in the middle of the mountains of the Peruvian jungle, surrounded by an impressive natural setting.

Overnight in Aguas Calientes.

Salkantay Trek | Dreaming Under the Stars

Our 5-day adventure to Machu Picchu will start today! So make sure you’re all set and ready before we pick you up at 4 a.m. First, we’ll be heading to Mollepata, a small village located 2 hours away from Cusco. There we’ll have a quick stop for an optional breakfast before we continue to the starting point of the trek.

Following today’s route, we’ll be arriving at Challacancha, where you’ll meet the cooks and horsemen who will accompany us along the trek. Later, we’ll start the hike to Soraypampa which will take about 3 hours to complete.

We’ll be surrounded by the beautiful natural setting of the region, where towering snow-capped mountains will look after us along the trek. The trail to Soraypampa is relatively flat, but remember that the altitude is certainly a factor that can’t be ignored.

Once in Soraypampa, we’ll get to Sky Camp, our accommodation for the evening. Here you’ll have a well-deserved lunch and rest before heading to the Humantay Lagoon, a beautiful turquoise water body flanked by snow-capped peaks.

Then, we’ll head back to the camp to have dinner and sleep under the starry sky, surrounded by the everlasting energy of the Andes.

Overnight in Sky Camp.

General Information:
- Walking Distance: 10 Km.
- Difficulty: Moderate to Challenging
- Maximum Altitude: 4,200 m.a.s.l.

Salkantay Trek | Conquering the Salkantay Pass

This day will be the hardest of the trek but definitely one of the most visually striking! We’ll wake up early in the morning so we can get ready with a warm cup of coca tea and an energizing breakfast. Today’s trail will take us to the Salkantay Pass and the lush cloud forest.

The hike to the Salkantay Pass is quite difficult, mostly because of its winding path and the altitude. Therefore, we’ll have 3 hours to complete the trek, which is totally enough for us to ascend at a moderate pace. 

Once we reach this point, you’ll realize that all that hard work has been paid off. The scenery is as impressive as you can imagine, with the majestic Salkantay mountain watching over us. After we’ve all taken in the beautiful setting of the Salkantay Pass, we’ll continue towards Huayracmachay, our lunch stop.

Following the itinerary, we’ll get fully immersed in the cloud forest, you’ll notice how the landscape will transition into a thick and greener scenery with warmer temperatures. After a couple of hours, we’d have reached our campsite at Chaullay.

Overnight in Chaullay.

General Information:
- Walking Distance: 22 Km.
- Difficulty: Challenging
- Maximum Altitude: 4,630 m.a.s.l.

Salkantay Trek | Into the Wild

Today we’ll wake up to the sound of birds and the soft touch of a morning fog. Every morning, our team will have a delicious breakfast and a cup of tea ready to get you all warm-up for today’s adventure.

As we make our way through the Santa Teresa Valley, we’ll be able to appreciate the beautiful scenery of the region, where rivers, waterfalls, croplands, and delicate orchids will accompany us along the way.

Once we get to Lucmabamba, our campsite for the night, we’ll have a tasty lunch to later have a well-deserved rest. On this occasion, you can choose to have the afternoon off or explore the tropical settings around the camp and visit a coffee farm. In the evening, we’ll have a hearty dinner to later sleep with the sweet sounds of the high jungle.

Overnight in the Jungle Domes

General Information:
- Walking Distance: 18 Km.
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Maximum Altitude: 2,900 m.a.s.l.

Salkantay Trek | A First Glance of Machu Picchu

This will be the last day of our adventure through the Andes and the cloud forest before we reach the most awaited attraction of this itinerary, Machu Picchu. Today’s trail will take us through a part of the ancient Inca Trail, where we’ll get to visit the ruins of Llactapata, an Inca archeological site right in front of the Inca Citadel.

Llactapata is one of the most well-preserved ruins within the so-called Qhapaq Ñan. From here we’ll have a first glance of Machu Picchu and the Huayna Picchu mountain.

After finishing the Llactapata tour, we’ll head down to Aguas Calientes, the beautiful touristy town at the foothills of Machu Picchu. We have two options for this part of the trail:

 - If you’re feeling tired and would like to skip this part of the trek, you can opt to take the train to Aguas Calientes. Keep in mind that this has an extra cost.
- If you’re up for the adventure, you can continue walking by the rail track to Aguas Calientes. This trek will take about 3 hours to complete.

Overnight in Aguas Calientes.

General Information:
- Walking Distance: 25 Km.
- Difficulty: Challenging
- Maximum Altitude: 2,800 m.a.s.l.

Machu Picchu Tour

The wait is finally over, now it’s time to live the dream! Today we’ll wake up early in the morning so we can catch one of the first buses up to Machu Picchu, the idea here is to beat the crowds! The bus ride takes about 30 minutes from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu’s main entrance. 

Our professional guide will provide all the details about this world wonder, including the mysteries and fascinating facts of the Inca culture. After our time in Machu Picchu, we’ll go back to Aguas Calientes for a lunch break, then we'll return to Cusco City by train.

Overnight in Cusco.

Now, if you’d like to spice up your experience in Machu Picchu, please check out these additional services:

♦ Exclusive lunch at the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge Hotel, located just in front of the entrance to Machu Picchu.
♦ Return on the Vistadome train, a panoramic train with first-class seats.
♦ Hike the Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain. These are the most in-demand additional hikes within Machu Picchu. These mountains offer outstanding views of the citadel and great picture opportunities. Make sure to book it in advance.

For further information, please contact our sales team. 
 

Transfer to Cusco Airport

Breakfast at the hotel.

Our team will be waiting for you at the hotel to take you to the airport 2 hours before your flight departure. This will be the last of our services.

Quick Tip: If your flight from Cusco to Lima departs in the afternoon, we encourage you to visit some of the museums within the historic center: The Contemporary Art Museum, the Regional Museum, the Coricancha Museum, and the Popular Art Museum. Don’t worry about the entrance fees, they are all included in your Cusco Tourist Ticket!