Machu Picchu Salkantay Trek: 13-Day Andes Hiking Adventure

The trip opens with two nights in Cusco (10,850 ft / 3,307 m) to acclimatise. Day 3 is a full day in the Sacred Valley of the Incas — the Urubamba Valley — where the milder climate and fertile plains once gave the Inca access to lowland crops. Day 4 stays in Cusco: you visit the Koricancha Temple (Temple of the Sun) and the fortress of Sacsayhuaman in the morning, then review and pack your trekking gear in the afternoon. Cusco has good equipment shops if you need to fill any gaps.

On Day 5 you drive from Cusco to Soraypampa (12,600 ft / 3,840 m), with views of the Apurimac River valley and Salkantay Peak (20,500 ft / 6,248 m) on the way. You meet the wranglers and pack horses there and start walking up a gentle valley past small villages and fields, with Humantay (19,359 ft / 5,901 m) above. Lunch is at Salkantaypampa, then you continue to camp at Ichupata (14,875 ft / 4,533 m). Trekking time is about 6–7 hours.

Day 6 is the high point of the route: several hours of walking bring you to the Incachiriaska Pass at 16,010 ft / 4,880 m — the name means "the place where the Inca cools down." After the pass you stop at Sisaypampa, a flat area with wide views, then descend east through a long valley for about four hours to camp near the village of Pampachuana (12,589 ft / 3,837 m). That's a 7–8 hour day. Day 7 is shorter — 4–5 hours — dropping to Wayllabamba (9,840 ft / 3,000 m) through a narrowing valley where you follow one of the Inca aqueducts. You explore the Inca fortress of Inkaracay (Paucarcancha) on the way. At Wayllabamba you join the classic Inca Trail, leave the horses, and switch to porters for the rest of the route.

Day 8 is a long one, 8–9 hours, climbing from Wayllabamba to Warmi Huañusca Pass (13,760 ft / 4,194 m) through dry alpine ground, cloud forest and pastures with llamas and alpacas. Lunch is at Llulluchapampa, then you descend into the Pacaymayo valley and camp at 11,811 ft / 3,600 m. Day 9, also 8–9 hours, crosses Abra Runkurakay (13,022 ft / 3,969 m) and visits the watchtower ruin of the same name, then descends through cloud forest to Sayacmarca (11,890 ft / 3,624 m) — a semicircular ruin with narrow streets, fountains, patios and canals. You continue past Chaquicocha and up to Abra de Phuyupatamarca (12,130 ft / 3,697 m), passing through a tunnel just before the pass, then down to the Phuyupatamarca ruins, one of the best-preserved sites on the trail. Camp is near Wiñaywayna (8,700 ft / 2,652 m), a site with fine Inca stonework and ten baths, likely a religious centre linked to water worship.

Day 10 is the finish: an early start for the last 1.5–2 hours along flat stone paths contouring the mountainside, then a near-vertical flight of fifty steps up to Intipunku (the Sun Gate), where Machu Picchu opens out below. You watch the sun rise over the citadel, then descend into the site and spend two hours with a local historic guide visiting the Temple of the Sun, the Intihuatana stone and the Inca Bridge. In the afternoon you go down to Aguas Calientes and stay in a hotel. Day 11 gives you the option of an early climb of Huayna Picchu for views over the whole site, or time to explore Machu Picchu again or relax in Aguas Calientes; in the afternoon you take the train back to Cusco. Day 12 is a travel day — flights out of Cusco — and Day 13 is arrival home. Some travellers return on Day 12 depending on flight schedules.

What's included

- 13-day guided programme led by a professional RMI guide - 6-day trek to Machu Picchu via the Salkantay route and Inca Trail - 2 acclimatisation days in Cusco and the Sacred Valley - Hotel accommodation in Cusco (multiple nights) - Hotel accommodation in Aguas Calientes (1 night) - Camping accommodation on the trek (sleeping tents, sleeping pads) - Dining tent, tables, chairs and private biological toilet at each camp - Breakfast, lunch and dinner on the mountain as indicated in the itinerary - Pack horses and wranglers for the first section of the trek - Porters from Wayllabamba to Machu Picchu - Private vehicle ground transportation in Peru as stated in the itinerary - Airport transfer from Cusco airport to hotel - Local historic guide at Machu Picchu (2 hours) - Train from Aguas Calientes to Cusco - Welcome Dinner in Cusco - Camp chef and group cooking equipment, fuel, stoves - Guide-carried rescue equipment, first aid kit, two-way radios and satellite phone - 10% discount on new clothing and equipment from Whittaker Mountaineering

What's not included

- International flights to and from Peru - Possible overnight stay in Lima during transit - Travel insurance - Most restaurant meals (except hotel breakfasts and meals marked B, L, D) - Bottled water and drinks - Mountain snacks for 6 days (bring 1–2 lb) - Personal trekking equipment (sleeping bag, sleeping pad, clothing, boots, trekking poles, etc.) - Personal medications and first aid supplies - Passport, visa and entry fees - Huayna Picchu climb (optional) - Personal expenses - Additional costs from early departure, including evacuation, transportation, lodging and meals