Journeying Through The Salkantay Trek

An endless Adventure to Machu Picchu

Get ready for an amazing experience on the Salkantay trek in Peru’s Vilcabamba mountain range. Brace yourself for the awe-inspiring sights that surround you, with towering mountains like Humantay and Salkatay creating vibrant lagoons and deep valleys that lead to beautiful subtropical jungles.

Throughout your journey, you’ll conquer challenging climbs and take well-deserved breaks in charming villages. You’ll also have the opportunity to interact with the locals and witness their agricultural activities, such as coffee harvesting. And, of course, you’ll get to savor a cup of their delicious organic coffee. Additionally, there will be plenty of adventure activities to enjoy, including zip-lining.

Finally, the Salkantay trek culminates with a visit to the magnificent architectural wonder of ancient Peru, Machu Picchu. This iconic site is filled with myth and history told by an expert tour guide, and you’ll have the chance to explore it and uncover its secrets. Get ready for an unforgettable adventure!

First Day: Cusco – Mollepata – Humantay Lake – Soyrococha Camp

We know how important this vacation is for you. So, we do not want you to have any doubt or any lack during your trip towards one of the wonders of the world, therefore the guide will meet at your hotel 1 to 2 days before to give you detailed and personalized information to answer your inquiries.

We leave Cusco very early, picking you up from your hotel at 4:30 a.m. We will make the trip in our private transport until the town of Mollepata for 2 hours and 30 minutes. Here, we will have a local breakfast in one of the local homes. You will also have extra time to buy the last-minute things that we could have forgotten.

Then we will continue our trip in the vehicle for 1 hour to Soraypampa (3,850 meters – 12,631 feet) from where the trek will start. On the way we will take the detour to go to the Humantay lagoon (4,200 meters / 13,779 feet) that we love with its beauty colorful that is under the snow of Humantay located 3 km round trip. Continuing our gentle walk for 1 hour and 30 minutes we will have lunch. We will enjoy the culinary art of our chef. Then we will go to our first camp Soyrococha (4,492 mt. / 14,737 pies), located at the foot of the majestic Salkantay snowcapped mountain (6,217 mt /6,396 ft.)

Meals: breakfast, water, snack, lunch, coffee break and dinner
Accommodation: camping facilities
Distance: 14km / 8.5 miles
Hiking time: 6 to 7 hours
Temperature: minimum -5 ° C (23 ° F) / max. 18 ° C (64.4 ° F)
Physical difficulty: High 5/5

Second Day: Soyrococha Camp – Rayanniyonc – Qollpapampa Camsite

After having a dazzling night full of constellations, in the morning we will have a hot breakfast to start our 45 minute walk and reach the highest point Salkantay pass (4,650 meters/15,367 feet), here we breathe the fresh air of the glacier and we will fill with pride for having successfully achieved the promotion. While we enjoy the dazzling view. Our guide will explain the customs and traditions of the stacked stones (apachetas) and their connection with the deity Apu Salkantay (6,217metros / 20,396 feet) that rises majesty in front of us.

Then we will descend the steep trail, having a delicious restorative lunch in the small community Rayacnioc (3,350 meters / 10,990 feet). Then we will continue with the adventure down valley for 2 hours and 30 minutes to finish the trek in the Qollpapamapa camp (2,850 meters /9,350 feet).

Meals: breakfast, water, snack, lunch, coffee break and dinner
Accommodation: camping facilities
Distance: 16kms / 10 miles
Walking time: 8 to 9 hours
Temperature: minimum 0 ° C (32 ° F) / max. 25 ° C (77 ° F)
Physical difficulty: moderate 4/5

Third Day: Qollpapampa Campsite – Lucmabamba Camp

This day we will have a great opportunity to see the humid forest and along the way we will see peasant families that take advantage of the wild territory to be able to grow their food; as coffee, avocado, banana, passion fruit, etc. We will walk for approximately 6 hours through the valley following the flow of the Santa Teresa River to the Lucmabamba camp (2,050 meters – 6,725 feet), after having a delicious lunch we will have the opportunity to explore, get to know and taste a little of the work done by local people in the area, especially the gourmet coffee of the Andes.

Meals: breakfast, water, snack, lunch, coffee break and dinner
Accommodation: camping facilities
Distance: 16kms / 10 miles
Walking time: 7 hours
Temperature: minimum 5 ° C (41 ° F) / max. 26 ° C (35.6 ° F)
Physical difficulty: easy 1/5

Fourth Day: Lucmabamba Camp- Llactapata – Hidro Electrica – Aguas Calientes Town

After having a good breakfast, we will continue with the last walking day in our adventure, we will climb a well-preserved original Inca trail protected by the government.

We will cross the rain forest formed by its typical forest and its variety of birds to finally reach the pass of Llactapata and downhill at 15 minutes we will visit the magnificent archaeological center of Llactapata (2,722 meters /8,930 feet), which will leave us astonished with its view of the surroundings of the citadel of Machupicchu, its mountains, glaciers and its history interpreted by our guide.

After enjoying the view, we will continue descending to the Urubamba Valley and have the last lunch prepared by our chef and his team at the Hidroeléctrica train station (1,800 meters/5,905 feet). In this way after lunch and before leaving we will say goodbye to them with gratitude as it is said in our mother tongue SULLPAYQUI and TUPANANCHIS KAMA!

We will continue our walk following the railway in the opposite direction of the course of the Urubamba River for 3 hours approximately. And finally get to the town of Aguas Calientes (2,040 meters/6,690 feet) where we will stay in our hotel, and at night we will have dinner at one of the restaurants in this town. Fully recommended.

Meals: breakfast, water, snack, lunch and dinner
Accommodation: camping facilities
Distance: 20 km / 12.4 miles
Walking time: 8 to 9 hours
Temperature: minimum 6 °C (42.8 °F) / max. 29 °C (84.2 °F)
Physical difficulty: medium 2/5

Fifth Day: Aguas Calientes Town – Machu Picchu – Cusco

Being the last day and eager to get to our trekking’s destination, we will get up very early for breakfast to take one of the first buses that depart at 5:30 am for a ride of 25 minutes to Machu Picchu. We will have the guided tour, where we will learn about the history of this wonder, our professional guide will explain for about 2 hours.

Then board the bus back down to Aguas Calientes town, and then board the train. Trains usually leave in the afternoon between 14:55 – 18:20 hours depending on the reservation availability and space in our EXPEDITION service or other requested service (not included). Then we will return to Ollanta Tambo train station.

donde nuestro transporte les recogerá para dejarles en su hotel de Cusco. El viaje dura 4 horas aproximadamente desde la estación de tren de Aguas Calientes a la ciudad del Cusco.

Meal: breakfast
Temperature: minimum 8 ° C (46.4 ° F) / max. 26 ° C (78.8 ° F)

Taylor M

2024-07-01

An experience of a lifetime! We had the absolute pleasure of meeting Eli from Allyn Pacha tours for our 9 day trip in Cusco Peru. Eli is extremely knowledgeable and so accommodating! He truly goes above and beyond for his travelers and assures you have a wonderful experience! He is excited to show you around and share his knowledge and secretes in order to miss the crowds and see incredible views. I cannot say enough how impressed I was with his hospitality. Our decision to book our tours with Eli through Allyn Pacha was the best choice we have ever made while traveling. This decision made our entire experience in Peru absolutely unforgettable. From the beginning research phase, Eli was extremely responsive, answering any and all questions and offering suggestions to make the most of our itinerary and time in Peru. During our trip my fiancé came down with altitude sickness and with no hesitation, Eli rushed over and nursed my fiancé back to health with his natural herb remedies. From start to finish Eli went above and beyond to continue to amaze us. Whether it be him nursing us back to health, surprising us with pillows and blankets for the car rides, making sure we were ok every step of our journey, and or being a phenomenal photographer, the list could go on and on. We are so thankful to have met Eli and to be in such great hands. Eli is extremely knowledgable, funny, kind-hearted, and genuinely cares about offering amazing experiences. He has worked 20+ years in the industry and knows the ins and outs of not just history and site-seeing’s, but how to make experiences the most enjoyable for his guests. I would 1000% recommend booking your Peru trip with Eli from Allyn Pacha. It’s never a goodbye, it’s see you later. Thank you Eli, until next time!

Cade F

2024-06-27

Trip of a lifetime. 10/10. This trip and trek was an experience I will never forget. It was incredible. Elistan was the man, and quickly became someone I’m glad to be able to have spent such an incredible trip with. He’s intelligent, kind, and really cares about the people he works with. Elistan was someone that people were always happy to see on the trail as it seemed a lot of people knew the kind of person he was. This hike had me a bit nervous in time leading up to the hike, but with the calming experience of Elistan and his crews top notch service we not only completed but enjoyed every second of the hike. The 5 star meals along the way at 14000 ft are another story. Certainly wish I could eat the meals that this teams chef provided 3 times a day. I also had to be very careful during the hike because I had an engagement ring in my pack! I told Elistan about my intentions in very short notice. We discretely came up with a game plan, and I proposed at the Sun Gate. Elistan was incredible and the team in its entirety is the real reason my brand new Fiancé and I had so much fun. If you are planning a trip and want to make some memories you will have forever please take my word for it and just do it with this team. I promise you won’t forget it.

Emily N

2024-06-23

Allyn Pacha tops the rest! Our decision to book our tours with Eli through Allyn Pacha was the best choice we have ever made while traveling. This decision made our entire experience in Peru absolutely unforgettable. From the beginning research phase, Eli was extremely responsive, answering any and all questions and offering suggestions to make the most of our itinerary and time in Peru. We (my fiance and I) ended up spending 6 days in total with Eli, touring the Sacred Valley, going on a city ruins tour around Cusco, and embarking on the 4-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Eli is extremely knowledgable, funny, kind-hearted, and genuinely cares about offering amazing experiences. He has worked 20 years in the industry, and knows the ins and outs of not just history and site-seeing, but how to make experiences the most enjoyable for his guests. The service Eli provided to us on the Inca Trail was above and beyond what we saw other companies offering. We signed up for a private tour, and Eli, his chef, and team of porters took excellent care of us. Porters play an important roll on the trail, carrying food, cooking materials, sleeping tents, eating tents, and anything used on the trail. They carry heavy bags daily to ensure the guests experience is nothing short of amazing. In other companies, it is known that porters are not always treated well, or compensated fairly. It was seen that Eli takes excellent care of his porters. He noted that he was once a porter, and understands how hard they work. He makes sure they feel like an equal part of the team. Multiple times throughout the trek, porters from other companies would greet and talk to Eli. Most porters work for more than one company at a time, and many asked Eli when they could come work for him next. This to me just proves how Eli's service is phenomenal not only for his guests, but his staff as well. Before the trek, I had some nerves about how difficult it would be to complete. Eli provided me constant reassurance and explained how each day would look. We had plenty of breaks, and walked at a comfortable pace. Being just the two of us, we had complete control of our speed, and were able to slow down or speed up when needed. Additionally, Eli even helped my fiance in surprising me with a proposal at the Sun Gate! He kept the secret for the entire trek, and they secretly planned the proposal without me suspecting a thing. I cannot recommend Eli with Allyn Pacha enough. If you are looking for a small group, individualized experience, please give Allyn Pacha a chance. You will not be disappointed!

Rachel Y

2024-05-28

The BEST Guide Wow, I can't say enough great things about Allyn Pacha. Our guide, Elistan, was loaded with knowledge about the areas we visited, history, and culture. He was extremely fun to be around the couple days we toured the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Had it not been for him, we would not have been able to visit Machu Picchu due to our last minute planning. I am beyond thankful for their expertise and guidance on this trip. I cannot wait to come back and explore more. Thank you!!

Ethan A

2024-04-20

Unforgettable Trek through the Andes to Machu Picchu This trek and tour of Machu Picchu was fantastic! Juan was very flexible, accommodated all of our requests, and provided a well-planned, seamless itinerary. He was very friendly, and the five of us shared many laughs along the trail. Each night he organized for us to stay with a local family, allowing us to experience the local culture and customs. At Machu Picchu Juan knew where to be and when so that we could best-experience the UNESCO site, and had endless knowledge to tap into. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

melissa c

2023-10-25

Eli the man who knows everything Eli is super amazing and knowledgeable. I wanted to do a Machu Picchu train tour and he was able to find tickets where as everywhere else I went told me it was sold out and the next available is a week later. He arranged a driver to pick me up from the hotel at 4 AM, got to the train station at 5:40 am and provided a cute box breakfast. The next day after the Machu Picchu tour I wanted to see alpacas and llamas, He was able to accommodate me on my last minute trip! He’s your go to guy if you ever need anything or last minute planning. He knows everyone in Peru from the ticket lady in Machu Picchu to random tour guides from other companies, to restaurants waiters, to alpacas.

Vicent A

2023-10-02

a perfect day in the mountains of the seven colors My wife and I went on a day trip with Elistan to visit the mountains of the 7 colors on our honeymoon, everything went perfectly. Elistan recommended that we get up very early so we could enjoy the mountains alone. He knew the area and the weather situation perfectly, so in the early morning he picked us up with a driver and a private car (for the 4 of us), he arrived 10 minutes before the start. hour to wait for us at the door, and gave us each a pillow, two blankets and two boxes with breakfast, so that we could sleep during the journey and have breakfast when we arrived at the destination. Once there we had breakfast while it began to get light and we climbed following his advice on height and physical performance. We enjoyed almost two hours of the mountains exclusively for ourselves and he explained many things to us. Afterwards we went to eat at a restaurant that I knew, it was buffet style but of quality. In the afternoon on the way to Cusco, he was explaining to us everything we wanted to know, and we stopped at a delicious bakery where we bought a loaf of chocolate-filled bread for 9 soles (€2.5) and they gave us bread and water. Finally he dropped us off at the hotel. It is highly recommended, it was like taking a trip with two friends, I hope we can return to Peru to repeat. PS: he knows about photography, the photos I upload were taken by him.

ariell p

2023-09-14

Exploring with Allyn Pacha Had the absolute pleasure of meeting Eli and James from Allyn Pacha tours for our 15 day trip in Peru. Eli is extremely knowledgeable and so accommodating! He truly goes above and beyond for his travelers and assures you have a wonderful experience! He is excited to show you around and share his knowledge and secretes in order to miss the crowds and see incredible views. I cannot say enough how impressed I was with their hospitality and patience with our large group. I have gained a friend in Eli and I will be visiting him when I return to Cusco for another adventure packed trip! Eli you are wonderful! See you next time!!!

Eve H

2023-05-08

One day Ince Trail - DO IT, it's absolutely amazing!! I'd heard about the Inca Trail, wanted to do it, but didn't have the four days needed for it...and then I stumbled across the one day option that Allyn Pacha offers, and I'm so glad that I did. The last 7.5 miles of the trek are stunning, and coming to Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate was nothing short of magical. Initially I'd been a little worried about being the only person on the trek...what if the guide was awkward and I was stuck with them ALL day?!...but Eli is the BEST. He's funny, sweet, engaging, and so knowledgable. Was able to answer every question I had, he is a wealth of information. We hiked on a day when there was a lot of mist, and he was like a mist ninja - knew exactly when and where to wait, for how long, so that I could see all the sights and get all the pictures that one dreams of when going on this journey. This is going to sound cheesy, but - it was truly an experience of a lifetime.

Sara Manley

2023-02-14

Truly an incredible experience!!! Eli is absolutely the best! I highly recommend this company. I spent 2 days with Eli visiting the different Inca sites and touring the Sacred Valley. Eli went in-depth about the Inca culture and history. It was a very custom and special experience. Will definitely be back to do his other tours!

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Salkantay Trek Peru

Trip description

Journeying Through The Salkantay Trek

Overview of Salkantay Trek

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trip itinerary

First Day: Cusco – Mollepata – Humantay Lake – Soyrococha Camp

Second Day: Soyrococha Camp – Rayanniyonc – Qollpapampa Camsite

Third Day: Qollpapampa Campsite – Lucmabamba Camp

Fourth Day: Lucmabamba Camp- Llactapata – Hidro Electrica – Aguas Calientes Town

Fifth Day: Aguas Calientes Town – Machu Picchu – Cusco

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