Cusco region, Peru
Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu
Route detail
About this route
Five days with Cusco guides over the Salkantay pass, down into the jungle and up to Machu Picchu at sunrise.
Daily activity
5–8 hr/day.
Terrain
Andean pass, cloud forest, railway path and stone stairways.
Best season
April to October
Your guide office
Salkantay Trekking
Based in Cusco, Peru
What's included
Guides, camping and lodges, all meals, Machu Picchu entry, train.
Not included
Flights to Cusco, tips, sleeping bag rental.
Itinerary
- 1
Soraypampa
Time: 2–3 hr
Drive from Cusco and the walk to Humantay lake.
- 2
Salkantay Pass
Time: 4–5 hr
Crossing 4,630 m under the glaciated south face.
- 3
Into the cloud forest
Time: 5–7 hr
Long descent to coffee farms and hot springs.
- 4
Aguas Calientes
Time: 6–8 hr
Hydroelectrica walk along the railway line.
- 5
Machu Picchu
Time: 7–9 hr
First bus up, guided tour of the citadel, train back.
What to pack
Built for this route's terrain, altitude and number of days. Tick items off as you pack — without the right footwear or hard shell, a guide can refuse to take you up.
0 / 33 packed
Footwear and pack
Broken in before the trip — new boots are the most common cause of an abandoned day.
Clothing layers
Three layers, no cotton. Temperatures can swing 20 °C between valley and summit.
Technical equipment
Your guide office (Salkantay Trekking) rents most of this locally — ask when you confirm your dates.
Sun, health and altitude
UV rises roughly 10% every 1,000 m of altitude.
Hut and overnight kit
Mountain huts supply blankets and pillows, never sheets.
Boots, crampons, ice axe and harness can usually be rented from Salkantay Trekking in Cusco, Peru — confirm sizes when you agree your dates.
Traveller feedback
Ratings collected from travellers who completed this route with Salkantay Trekking.
4.9
★★★★★208 ratings
Written reviews for this departure are still being collected. Ask us for references from previous groups before you pay — we will forward them from the guide office.
Questions about this route?
Talk to the guides who run it — gear, fitness, weather windows, private dates. We answer within one working day.
€990
per person
Guides, camping and lodges, all meals, Machu Picchu entry, train.
Next departure · 10 May 2027
10 of 10 spots left
Live availability updates daily and after every booking.