Classic 5-Day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu: Small Group Hike
Description
The Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu is one of Peru's most famous hikes and boasts the best alternative route to the Inca Trail. On this 5-Day adventure, you will experience the wildest range of eco-systems. Watch towering snow-capped peaks like Humantay, make a dramatic transition to venture into the Cloud Forest, and pass a section of the Inca Path. If you want to be off the main route to Machu Picchu, close to remote towns, and Peru’s hypnotic nature, this Salkantay Trek is for you. • Join a small-group trek with the Kings of the Salkantay Trail • See Humantay Lake and beat the Salkantay Pass • Spend three nights in exclusive accommodations in the middle of the mountains • Visit an organic coffee farm in the High-jungle valleys • Explore the World best UNESCO site: Machu Picchu
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We recommend booking hotels in the center of Cusco. The pickup time is between 04:30 and 05:00 am.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness
- It's recommended to arrive in Cusco at least 2 days before the trek to adjust to the altitude.
- Spots at Machu Picchu sell out quickly. Book this trip at least five months in advance to secure spaces.
- Passport name, number, expiry and country is required at time of booking for all participants
- Please ensure your passport is up to date and ready for use on your travel day
- Children aged 12 and over may participate and must be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times.
- Solo travelers are welcome and can join shared groups. No minimum participants required. Most departures are guaranteed.
- Keep in mind this hike is a challenging trek. travellers have to be in good health and physical shape to fully enjoy every moment of this adventure.
- Vegetarian or, vegan options are available, please advise at time of booking if required
Reviews(5,041)
Had a memorable trek to Machu Picchu. Learnt a lot about Inca culture and history from our guide Franz. Enjoyed excellent chef prepared food.
Just completed this 5-day trek with a group of friends. Great experience overall. Tour guide Franze was great. Spoke very good English, very knowledgeable, and provided great support during the trek. The food was also incredible and exceeded my expectations. I would recommend this trek for anyone looking for an adventure.
I joined a group of 10 friends and we did the 5 day Salkantay Trek with Salkantay Trekking company. It was amazing. We got lucky with the weather and our guide Franz aka the Andean Goat! A trip to remember...what great views of the mountains. It snowed on Salkantay pass 2 days before we crossed it so there was a decent amount of snow when we crossed the pass. Ot was tough going but the views were spectacular. My experience with Salkantay trekking company was excellent and I highly recommend them. Our guide Framz was amazing. He was enthusiastic, helpful and very patient. We felt well taken care of and he never rushed us. Overall a wonderful experience.
All the staff were so welcoming!
Well organized. Good accommodations and food. Everything was well planned and the overall experience was very positive. For us in our early 50’s, it was a welcome balance of comfort with the hiking experience Incredible scenery, extremely beautiful. Machu Picchu and Wayna picchu visit was the best part. Not sleeping in tents Day 3 with coffee tour and hot springs was a welcome break and good balance to hard core hiking. Our guide, Franz took the time to answer all our questions, never rushed us, was always so friendly, helpful and supportive. He is very knowledgeable about the Inca/peruvian culture and gave us good background about the history of the Incas and Peru. Meals were tasty, healthy and well presented. However deserts could have had some variety. Sky camp domes were good. But toilets were dirty. Out of toilet paper and hand paper towels. Hot water in toilet sinks would be prefetred. Machu Picchu Adventure hotel was quite average as compared to other accommodation. Bathroom was super small Train noise and live music noise outside. Admission to Wayna picchu hike which is $60 is quite steep
Our guide, Franz had a really good knowledge about history and area. He was fluent in English and was very well organized. Highly recommend Franz. Camping sites, food and transport were up to our expectations.
Salkantay 5-Day Trek — ask for Franz Just finished the 5-day Salkantay trek and it exceeded every expectation, largely because of our guide Franz. He set a pace that worked for the whole group, checked in constantly on how everyone was handling the altitude, and never once made anyone feel like they were slowing things down. What stood out most was how much he taught us along the way — the geology, the plants, the history, the local context. I came off the trail not just having survived it, but actually understanding where I’d been. He answered every question with patience and clearly loves what he does. If you’re on the fence about this trek, do it. And if you can request a guide, ask for Franz.
This hike was incredibly challenging but worth every second. We had Cesar Quispe as our guide who was so passionate about sharing his extensive knowledge with us. The food was also incredible and exceeded my expectations. I would recommend this trek for anyone who wants to be physically challenged and learn a lot along the way!
The 5 day tour was excellent! It was like nothing I have ever experienced before. One of the highlights of the trip was our guide Cesar Quispe. He was so friendly but also incredibly knowledgeable. He explained so much about the Inca history and you could feel how passionate he is about the work that he does.
This is truly a once in a lifetime experience! We could not have asked for a better guide than Cesar Quispe. He truly went above and beyond to make our experience special and was so knowledgeable throughout the whole trek. I thoroughly enjoyed learning from him, the wonderful food from our cooks, making new memories with our group and seeing amazing natural sights (and of course Machu Picchu).
