The Salkantay Trek: What You Need to Know
- emsgleason
- Nov 10
- 7 min read
Recently, we had the good fortune of experiencing the Salkantay Trek in Peru (a 5 day, ~70km hike, ending in Machu Picchu). Read about our day by day experience below!
For context, we did this hike in early July and booked with Alpaca Expeditions.
Day 0: Leave from Cuzco, drive 2.5 hours to Soraypampa (3800m)
The bus-ride was long and windy through mountains (no railings) near the end - our driver was clearly experienced as he did not feel the need to 'slow down' for sharp turns; he merely honked his horn at blind corners as we sped along the narrow road
Once we got out of the bus, we could see a clear landslide ahead - not passable by cars. Therefore, we had to walk the last ~20 minutes to the cabanas over the said fresh landslide (loose soil). While this was not expected, it did save us hours of 'driving around' to try and reach the other side of the landslide
The best part was we had to carry our duffels (throwing off balance) as we went along the narrow ridge of soil
Arriving at camp, we were greeted by dogs and chickens - a few horses were around as well. After our group (9 trekkers) got acquainted with the friendly pups, our guide came over to us and 'warned' us not to touch any of the dogs we saw / would see along the trail (a bit too late).
We stayed in glass cabanas the first night, where we enjoyed a starry night and impressive view of Humantay Mountain.
Day 1: 'Challenge Day' - Humantay Lagoon and Salkantay Pass (4630 m)
The longest of our trekking days (22km), we awoke at 4:30 am, ate breakfast, and headed for Humantay Lagoon. The uphill to Humantay was challenging, but short (about an hour to get to the Lake), and beautiful horses trotted passed us as they descended.
Humantay Lagoon was gorgeous, and some cows could be seen along the far edges of the lake. Crystal blue-green water with the snow-capped Humantay Mountain in the background made for beautiful photos. We were also lucky because the sun was just coming up and no other tour groups had made it up as early as we did. We had the Lagoon and surrounding areas to ourselves for almost an hour.
We descended Humantay and started off towards Salkantay Pass - a steady climb that was grueling towards the end as I unfortunately didn't eat enough and my altitude sickness headache was slowing me down. However, we made it! It was the best feeling of accomplishment - and the views were a stunning reward. A cloudless blue sky and some sun allowed us to take in the majestic view of Salkantay.
Day 2: Wayramachay to Ccollpampa Loreta
Waking up to a clear view of Humantay at our heels, we set off on the 22km hike towards the Hobbit Houses along the Salkantay River (2400m). We began to encounter the warmer micro-climate and jungle-esque plants at the lower elevations.
While the mileage was long, we were walking along a road for the last 12-14km, with lots of exposure (sun hats and sunscreen were critical).
The day felt a bit 'lighter' given the mild incline (slightly downhill for the most part) and being at lower elevation.
Some of my favorite flora included "lady slippers" (they're a bright yellow and can open and close like a shoe) and the lupines (light purple and white) along the Salkantay River.
Day 3: Lucmabamba Coffee Farm and Llactapata views of Machu Picchu
After a peaceful night along the Salkantay River, we headed back up to the road to continue the trek. Eventually, we crossed onto a slightly upward path, taking us through more forest and nearby additional campsites/stops for trekkers.
Our guides told us about the natural dyeing process for fabric during the Inca times; one of the methods included using the jungle plant called mio mio - one that could be leveraged for almost every color. Alone, a deep red is possible; mixed with citrus - a lighter orange color develops.
A highlight of the trip was visiting Coffee Pauisa where we were able to pick, shell, roast, grind, and enjoy our own coffee beans! The arabica beans were fresh and of course we bought some of Pauisa’s beans to take home.
Picking ripe (dark red) coffee beans from the trees required a bit of dexterity, a willingness to pull the tree branch to onself, and being tall is definitely an advantage.
The machine to 'shell' the beans was relatively simple and efficient; loading the beans into the top, you turn a handle that 'de-shells' the beans, discarding the casings behind the machine while spitting out the coffee beans into a large trough. After collecting all the beans, it was roasting time! Mama Paulina of Pauisa's Coffee roasted the beans over a wood fire in a black kettle-shaped pot with a large hole in the side. We had to stir the beans rapidly to ensure even roasting, and Paulina added some dried orange for a citrus flavor.
Once roasted, we ground the beans and made coffee - absolutely delicious.
A very sweet husky followed us along the trail to the coffee farm and was subsequently tracked down by his owner after the ‘joy-run’ with our group.
We continued to the Llactapata Inca site where we had our first views of Machu Picchu. Breathtaking and surrounded by a few llamas and alpacas, we soaked in another beautiful, clear-skied day. For our campsite, we had private views of Machu Picchu and wonderful stars.
Day 4: More Jungle Trekking to the Hidroelectrical Station and finishing in Aguas Calientes
Continuing our descent, we made it to the hidroelectrical station and followed alongside the tracks, reaching the town outside of Machu Picchu (Águas Calientes). This was a bit of culture shock; after our first 3 days on the trail seeing virtually no other people, we were suddenly in a tourist town.
Souvenir-shops, steady streams of tour buses, and statues of Inca leaders surrounded us. A celebration on the anniversary of Machu Picchu being named a “7 Wonder of the World” meant an all-night party/festival was brewing. Unfortunately, we needed an early night as we sought to catch the first buses out to Machu Picchu the next morning
Day 5: Machu Picchu, Huayna Picchu, and the train to Ollantaytambo
Waking up early, we caught one of the first buses to Machu Picchu (and the line was still so long!). As we entered, we prepared for dehydration and took our last ‘bathroom break’ as there are no bathrooms inside Machu Picchu! Being there for sunrise was magical, and we could even see our campsite at Llactapata. As we enjoyed the views, our guide Sergio demonstrated an offering to Pachamama (Mother Earth) with Coca leaves.
Machu Picchu was built in the shape of a condor (in the middle of the Andes), named literally ‘Old Mountain,’ and the Incas had created ‘fake trails’ to Machu Picchu to confuse and throw off their enemies; it definitely deserves the title, ‘Wonder of the World.’
As we finished walking through the ancient city, we set course for climbing Huayna Picchu (the tall peak behind Machu Picchu in the classic photos). Quite steep in places and with shallow and narrow stone steps near the summit, it was a test of our hiking boots. After enjoying the views, we made it back to Aguas Calientes for our last lunch with our trekking family and to catch the scenic train to Ollantaytambo.
While we didn’t get to spend time in or appreciate the archaeological site of Ollantaytambo, we caught glimpses of a few terraced mountainsides on our journey back to Cusco. Switching from train to van at Ollantaytambo, we made it back to our hotel in Cusco around 8:30 pm.
Recommendations:
Book with a reputable tour group
Alpaca Expeditions was professional, had good gear (e.g., tents), great food (apparently they're known for their food from a french travel magazine!), most importantly - treated their employees and contracted help ethically. While we didn't rent trekking poles/sleeping bags/air mattresses from them, the trekkers on our hike who did had no complaints and complimented the quality of items.
We heard a few horror stories from fellow trekkers of their friends who had booked with 'cheaper' tour groups but did not have a great experience due to lack of professionalism with their guides, worse food / gear, and overall schedule.
Take altitude sickness considerations seriously
This hike is not to be taken lightly if you are not someone accustomed to being at altitude - your first night at 3800m and subsequent day reaching 4630m is very high.
Eat enough and drink enough water! The first day I didn't eat enough and felt the ramifications immensely while nearing Salkantay Pass
Have medication on hand - this was my mistake, and I would definitely have gotten altitude sickness pills if I could go back and do it again.
Be a good trekker
Pack it in / pack it out - don't leave trash on the trail!
Be respectful of other trekkers or hikers you come across
We briefly ran into a group at Llactapata (day 3) as we arrived to a beautiful lookout in which you can see Machu Picchu, and immediately the group who was there asked us to "move" so they could take a video. It was a bit rude as we had just arrived and were taking in the views. Additionally, some of their group members were smoking cigarettes at the top, which we didn't appreciate.
The Vistadome Train back from Machu Picchu is not worth it
The vistadome train included extra windows on the ceiling and large windows on the sides of the train to take in views of the mountains and roads on the way from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo (about a 2 hour train without stops).
However, my issues with the train were:
The Vistadome ticket was an additional $75 per person upgrade from the standard train
Vistadome left 2.5 hours later than the standard train for our tour group (and we were exhausted / ready to get back to Cusco)
Vistadome views were not significantly better than what a standard train would have had (slightly bigger windows perhaps and part of the ceiling was glass)
Vistadome included 'cultural' shows of a folk dance related to the Devil and mythology and a 'fashion show' of alpaca-made goods. These were fine, but unfortunately meant the train was stopped for periods of time.
Enjoy every minute!
Especially when it's challenging. You will come out of it knowing you are stronger than you thought.
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