Standard rooms based on double occupancy in 3-star hotel in Cusco 

Standard rooms based on double occupancy in 3-star in Aguas Calientes

Of all the various treks to Machu Picchu, none can compete with the Salkantay Trek scenery. It’s a spectacular route, with fewer trekkers than the Inca Trail 

After you arrive in Cusco, you will be transferred to your hotel via private transportation provided by your guides. After settling in the hotel and taking some rest you have the option to explore the city on your own or by booking an optional half day or full day city tour.  
Overnight will be in Cusco.
Meals: Not included

Arrival to Cusco

Today you will be picked up from your hotel and then you will set off towards the Sacred Valley. Your guide will drive you to Chinchero where you will spend the morning visiting the famous church and Ollantaytambo which was the royal estate of the Inca emperor Pachacuti.
Then, you will head towards Urubamba, where you’ll be stopping for lunch.
After lunch, you'll be exploring the extensive ruins of the Pisac archaeological site and enjoy the beautiful views across the valley. Alternatively, can also spend some time in the market in Pisac. 
Finally, back to your hotel in Cusco.
Overnight will be in Cusco.
Meals: Breakfast

Sacred valley excursion

Our Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu begins when we pick you up from your hotel in Cusco at around 5 a.m. We’ll
then travel in our private bus to Mollepata, which takes about four hours. It’s a lengthy trip, but it’s needed to get
out to this relatively remote region. On the way, you’ll be able to enjoy the wonderful scenery, including views of
the Izcuchaca and Limatambo mountain ranges.  
 
Eventually, we’ll arrive at the colorful Andean village of Mollepata, where the trailhead for our Salkantay trek
begins. Here we’ll meet our horsemen, porters, and cooks. Setting off, we’ll trek for about three hours until we reach
Cruzpata, where we will have lunch with panoramic views of the beautiful snow-capped mountains of Humantay
and Salkantay, and can visit Humantay Lake. Heading on, we’ll trek until we reach our first campsite at
Soraypampa, taking in the beautiful landscape along the way. We’ll set up camp and later have dinner, surrounded
by mesmerizing scenery.

Hiking Time: 4-5 hours approx.
Hiking Distance: 8 km/4.98 miles
Lowest Point: 2.803 m/9,196 ft
Highest Point: 4,220 m/13,845 ft
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Salkantay Trek to Salkantaypampa Camp

Today will be an early start and you will be having your breakfast around 5:30 am. You have a long day of trekking, through some of the most incredible scenery in Peru. Today will be your most challenging day, as you ascend to the highest point on the trail. 
You will be first climbing to a mountain pass at 4,650m/15,200 ft, the highest location on the trek. From here, you’ll have sublime views of two huge snow-capped mountains, Salkantay on the right and Tucarhuay on the left. After taking some rest and soaking in the views, you will continue your walk downhill through a dramatic cloud forest towards Huayracpunku, also known as Huayracmachay, where you will have lunch. After lunch, you will be trekking for about three hours through jungle-like scenery until you reach your second campsite, Colcapampa, at 3,000m/9,800ft. If your group is feeling good, you might have time to push on to the alternative campsites at Challway or Andenes. Wherever your group decides to stop, you’ll set up the camp, and the cooks will prepare a big meal, a well-deserved reward after a hard day of trekking.

Hiking Time: 8 hours approx.
Hiking Distance: 16 km/9.94 miles
Lowest Point: 3,000 m/9,800 ft
Highest Point: 4,650 m/15,200 ft
Overnight at Colcapampa Camp or Challway
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Salkantay Trek through the Mountains

Your day starts at 6:30 am today with a hearty breakfast before setting off for your trekking through a region of jungle known as the “Ceja de selva” or eyebrow of the jungle, the swathe of jungle that lies between the Andes and the Amazon rainforest. You’ll cross the Lluskamayo River and find yourselves in a world of waterfalls, tropical fruits, and colorful birds. If you are lucky, you might even see a cock of the rock, Peru’s national bird. The temperature will be much warmer here, and the various waterfalls and creeks provide plenty of opportunities to cool down with a refreshing splash in their crystalline waters. You’ll stop for lunch and then continue trekking for three more hours, until you reach your last campsite at the village of La Playa, at 2,500m/8,202ft. At La Playa, you’ll have plenty of free time to relax and enjoy the nearby hot springs, the perfect way to soothe those aching muscles. Later you’ll have dinner and then turn in for the night, relaxed and ready for our final day of trekking.
Optional extras:
- Thermal baths in Santa Teresa by car)
- Cocalmayo thermal baths ticket

Hiking Time: 6 hours approx.
Hiking Distance: 15Km/9.32miles
Lowest Point: 2,500m/8,202ft
Highest Point: 3,000m/9,800ft
Overnight at La Playa Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Salkantay Trek Through the Cloud Forest

On your final day of trekking, you’ll have breakfast at 6:30am, before setting off towards Llactapata. It will be a steady 3hour climb, and as you ascend, you’ll have wonderful views of the Santa Teresa Valley below you. You’ll reach Llactapata, an impressive Inca ruin that may have served as an important resting place and roadside shrine on the journey to Machu Picchu, which it is connected to, via the Inca Trail. After resting for a while and taking photos, you will continue along a downhill trail for about 2 hours, passing through plantations of coffee cocoa, bananas and other native crops. Eventually you’ll reach the Hydroelectric Station, a well-known point along various routes to Machu Picchu, where you’ll have lunch. Then you will walk for a couple more hours until you reach Aguas Calientes, the lively town that sits below Machu Picchu. After checking in to your hotel you’ll have some free time, so you can explore the town and, if you like, visit the nearby hot springs. You’ll have dinner in one of the many great, local restaurants in Aguas Calientes, and then you can return to your hotel for an early night before your final day and your tour of the magnificent Machu Picchu.
Optional: 
-Train from Hidroelectrica to Aguas Calientes
Hiking Time: 7 hours approx.
Hiking Distance: 12Km/7.45miles
Lowest Point: 2,040m/6,692ft
Highest Point: 2,400 m/7,874ft
Overnight at Aguas Calientes
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Salkantay Trek to Llactapata to Aguas Calientes

Today you will be starting early after your breakfast. Your guide will pick you up from the hotel at around 5:40 am. You’ll then walk to the bus departure point for a short but zigzagging ascent up the road to Machu Picchu. You’ll then pass through the gates to the Machu Picchu archaeological site. Here you’ll begin your guided walking tour with an experienced and highly knowledgeable guide. Your tour of Machu Picchu will last about 2hours and will take you to all the most famous and spectacular parts of the extensive archaeological complex. These include the House of the Guardian, the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, the Sacred Plaza, and other key locations. As you walk around, you’ll have spectacular views of the agricultural terraces of Machu Picchu and the surrounding mountains and plunging gorges. After the guided tour you’ll have time to explore Machu Picchu as you please, perhaps walking to some less visited parts such as the Inca Bridge. Once you’ve finished your tour of Machu Picchu, you’ll take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes where you can relax and have lunch before you board the train back to Poroy and Cusco. After arriving to the Ollantaytambo Train Station, you will be transferred to your hotel in Cusco.
Overnight at Cusco
Meals: Breakfast

Machu Picchu in all its Glory and return to Cusco

On this day, your guides will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco at around 5:00 a.m. The drive takes about three hours, passing through wonderful Andean scenery along the South Valley. You’ll stop for breakfast along the way, and then continue on to the trailhead at the village of Quesiuno, at about 4,326 m (14,189 ft) above sea level.  

From here, you’ll set off on your trek, first following a pretty stream, and seeing herds of alpacas and llamas as they graze on the hillsides. You’ll also have consistent views of the sacred Ausangate Mountain. As you continue, you’ll pass occasional villages where the old traditions of the Andes are still very much alive. Then You’ll stop for a packed lunch somewhere along the trail before heading on, to a rugged region, where you might also see some chinchillas, Vicunas (wild South American camelids), and other local wildlife.  

As you near your destination, you’ll start to see many red mountains. After trekking for a total of about five hours, you’ll finally reach Vinicunca, the spectacular Rainbow Mountain. Here, at a breathtaking 5,020 m (16,466 ft) above sea level, you can explore the area, which is in fact a series of colored mountains, not just one. You’ll hike up to the top of Rainbow Mountain, where you’ll spend about 30 minutes, allowing plenty of time to enjoy the view and take photos.  

Once you’ve taken in all the magnificent sights, you’ll set off on your return trek, which will take three to four hours. Your private transport will be waiting for you when you get back to the trailhead, and you’ll set off back to Cusco, again taking about three hours. You should arrive in Cusco at 4:00 p.m., at which point we’ll drop you off at your hotel, with the memories of the mesmerizing Rainbow Mountain still fresh in your mind.  

Meals: Breakfast and lunch  

Rainbow Mountain Full Day Excursion

After breakfast, enjoy your last day at leisure before your transfer to the airport for your return flight home, via Lima.

Meals: Breakfast

Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain Adventure with Ma'wa Collective

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