From glacier to cloud forest
Pickup in Cusco is between 4 and 5 a.m., with breakfast in Mollepata and the start of the walk at Challacancha, at 3,800 m. The first day is short: about three hours to the camps at Soraypampa, 3,900 m, then in the afternoon a climb of about three hours there and back to Humantay Lake at 4,200 m. If you have only one free day in Cusco, the lake also works as a day trip to Humantay Lake.
Day two is the crossing. About three hours up the zigzag path to the Salkantay Pass at 4,630 m, higher than anything on the classic Inca Trail, then a long descent past Huayracmachay to Collpapampa. Salkantay Trekking gives 2,850 m for Collpapampa, Alpaca Expeditions 2,950 m; either way you lose well over a thousand meters in an afternoon. Day three runs down the Santa Teresa valley through coffee and banana farms to Lucmabamba, around 2,000 m, usually with a visit to a coffee farm.
On day four a section of old Inca path climbs to Llactapata, 2,700 m, with a view across to Machu Picchu, then drops to Hidroeléctrica at 1,800 m. From there you walk about three hours along the railway to Aguas Calientes or pay for the train on the spot. Day five is Machu Picchu at sunrise and the train back to Ollantaytambo. SAM Travel Peru fits the route into four days by sleeping higher on the first night, at Sorococcha, 4,400 m.
Domes, huts or tents
Salkantay needs no Inca Trail permit, and operators have built their own camps along the route. Alpaca Expeditions sleeps in glass cabins, glass domes and a "Hobbit House", then a 4-star hotel in Aguas Calientes. Salkantay Trekking uses its Sky Camp domes and two further camps. Machu Picchu Expeditions has sky domes and huts with electricity for charging, and a 2-star hotel. TreXperience mixes a glamping camp at 4,150 m, Andean huts and a night in tents at Llactapata. SAM Travel Peru camps. The higher camps are cold at night whatever the roof; sleeping bags are rented on most of these tours, included only on the short version by Salkantay Trekking.
Horses, mules or porters carry the luggage, with a limit of 5 kg per person at Salkantay Trekking and 7 kg on the other listings that give one. Salkantay Trekking also sells an optional ride to Humantay Lake and to the pass.
What the listings leave out
Some listings need a close read. Machu Picchu Expeditions includes the guided visit on Circuit 2 but not the Machu Picchu ticket, so buy it yourself well ahead of the trek. The train and bus back to Cusco are optional extras: add them when you book, or arrange them yourself. SAM Travel Peru names the Machu Picchu entry and the Expedition train at 4:22 p.m. in its itinerary rather than under inclusions. TreXperience lists the Salkantay and Machu Picchu tickets under inclusions and a general "entrance fees" line under exclusions.
The listings that name a circuit tie it to availability: Salkantay Trekking gets Circuit 2 for bookings about five months ahead and otherwise falls back to Circuit 3 or 1. What the circuits cover decides how much of the citadel you see. Huayna Picchu, Machu Picchu Mountain or Huchuy Picchu are options at Salkantay Trekking, Huayna Picchu also at SAM Travel Peru.
The two-day version
Salkantay Trekking also runs a short version: one night at the Sky Camp, Humantay Lake on the first afternoon, the pass on the second morning and back to Cusco by road. It does not go to Machu Picchu. It suits travelers who want the high section without four more days, and it is a good test before a longer trek. The Sky Camp books out, so the operator suggests about three months' notice.
Who should not book it
The pass at 4,630 m is the main hurdle. Salkantay Trekking asks for a high level of fitness, a minimum age of 12 on the five-day trek and 10 on the short one, and at least two days in Cusco before you start; the page on acclimatization explains why. All listings exclude travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health and pregnant travelers. Salkantay stays open in February, when the Inca Trail is closed, which makes it the usual fallback when the permits for your dates are gone; see Inca Trail sold out. Lower routes to Machu Picchu are the Inca Jungle trek and the Lares trek, compared on treks compared.
Final sale on the five-day treks
The five-day Salkantay treks here are all final sales without refund. SAM Travel Peru and the two-day trek by Salkantay Trekking refund in full up to six days before and half between two and six days before.
