The Salkantay Trek


Our Peru walking Holidays
Peru highlights tour, Inca trail, Titicaca and Nazca
Taste Peru's diverse landscapes and fascinating culture
Peru walking and cultural holiday
Trek the cultural sites and mountain scenery of Peru
Hiking the Inca trail holiday
An unrivalled combination of history and spectacular scenery
Alternative Inca trail trek in Peru, Salkantay Trek
Salkantay trek - an alternative Inca Trail adventure
Classic Inca Trail holiday, 10 days
10-days: Lima, Cusco, 4-day Inca Trail & Machu Picchu
High Inca Trail trek in Peru
Machu Picchu, Inca fortresses and cloud forest
Inca trail & Amazon Rainforest holiday
Inca Trail, Machu Picchu & rainforest
Peru holiday, Machu Picchu, Cusco & Lake Titicaca
Tailor made amazing Andean adventure and cultural heritage
Peru trekking tour, tailor made
Exhilarating Walking Experience in Peru's legendary sights
Peru and Inca trail small group holiday
Travel from the Andes to the Amazon
Inca Trail walking tour, Peru
Customisable holiday including comfort service Inca Trail
Inca Trail trek with homestay
World-famous Inca Trail and an active, cultural twist.
Peru trekking holiday, Cordillera Blanca
Stunning high mountain trek through Peru's Cordillera Blanca
Family adventure holiday in Peru, Inca & Amazon
Pretty Sherpa villages and spectacular mountains
Cusco & Inca Trail holiday, tailormade
Peru's highlights of Cusco, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu
Lake Titicaca & Peru highlights holiday
Explore the attractions of south Peru with Inca Trail trek.
Lares homestay trek in Peru
Peru trekking with a unique cultural twist
Hiking the Inca Trail in Peru
Fully supported Inca Trail trek to Machu Picchu
Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu
Hike the second most popular tour to Machu Picchu
Sacred Valley and the Lares trek holiday in Peru
Peruvian cultural holiday and wild landscapes
Sacred Valley and Inca Trail holiday
Short introduction to Cuzco and Peru's Sacred Valley
Cordillera Ausangate Lodge trek, Peru
Eco-lodge trek through stunning Ausangate range, Peru
Inca Trail extension holiday
Conquer ancient pathways on the historic Inca trail hike.
Inca Trail discovery holiday in Peru
Ascend the classic Inca Trail
Galapagos and Machu Picchu holiday
Cusco, Short Inca Trail & Galapagos Island Hopping
Luxury Inca Trail trek, Peru
Spectacular trek on the Inca Trail through the high Andes
Ancascocha trek in Peru
Adventure trekking activity to Machu Picchu in Peru
Highlights of Peru holidays
Discover the real Peru. Includes Inca Trail Trek
What does the Salkantay Trek entail?
How fit do I need to be?
This is not a trek to attempt if you’ve never been further than the shops on foot. However, if you’re of a reasonably active bent, are happy walking for several hours per day over hilly terrain (feeling comfortable going downhill is as important as having the lungs to go up) and exercise regularly, then the Salkantay trek should be well within your capabilities. The fitter you can get before you leave for Peru the better – add another mile to your usual run, join an extra class at the gym or take the dog out for a few bumper weekend walks and you’ll enjoy your trek in Peru a lot more.The real issue is the altitude; there’s no way of knowing how it will affect you and even the fittest of athletes can be floored as you head toward 4,000m and higher. Kathy shares her advice: “I can’t stress enough the importance of acclimatisation before you start the trek. There are many options for day walks in the Sacred Valley and around Cusco that can help with this, so ensure you plan in at least three days extra before you start your trek.”
Salkantay Trek day to day
The looming snow-tipped Humantay and Salkantay mountains dominate the start of your hike at Soraypampa, around six hours’ drive from Cusco. Here you’ll meet your porters and mules, before a gentle two- to three-hour 8km hike eases you to your first campsite at the foot of Salkantay at 3,800m.
Something the Inca Trail and all of its alternatives have in common is a toughie of a second day, and the Salkantay Trail is no exception. Over seven to eight hours’ walking you’ll tackle the highest pass on the route – the Salkantay Pass (or Apacheta, named after the little piles of stones left as offerings to the mountain gods) at 4,600m and you’ll need to take it slow. The air is thin at this altitude and as you pass the 4,000m mark you’ll likely start to feel a bit rough. Your reward is a day of huge contrasts: Andean influences give way to the Amazon as your descent takes you from high altitude barren scree down through grasslands and into humid, orchid-filled cloud forest.
You’ll be full of beans after sleeping at a lower altitude this morning and today is all about continuing that refreshing feeling. The landscape continues to become lusher, with today’s’ hike taking you through parakeet-filled forests and verdant farmland. Soak weary feet in hot springs, brave an icy dip in a glacial river or shower in a waterfall before camping outside another tiny village.
Continue through subtropical valleys to the village of Lucmabamba, where the remains of an original Inca Trail signal that you’re getting close to your Machu Picchu goal. A short ascent takes you to the Incan terraces and ruins of Llactapata, where you’ll get a tantalising glimpse of your final destination, before a two- to three-hour hike (or a 45-minute train ride) takes you to Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu town.
You won’t begrudge an early wake up call to catch the first bus from Aguas Calientes up to Machu Picchu before the crowds descend. Enjoy a two- to three-hour guided tour of the site, and some time to explore at your leisure, before heading back to Aguas Calientes for lunch, and later back to Cusco by train.
Our top Peru walking Holiday
Peru highlights tour, Inca trail, Titicaca and Nazca
Taste Peru's diverse landscapes and fascinating culture
2021: 21 May, 25 Jun, 9 Jul, 30 Jul, 27 Aug, 10 Sep, 1 Oct, 15 Oct
2022: 15 Apr, 6 May, 20 May, 3 Jun, 24 Jun, 22 Jul, 12 Aug, 26 Aug, 9 Sep, 14 Oct
Keeping it responsible
In this part of Peru, at least, problems for porters are becoming less commonplace, with more protection for porters in place as standard on most treks. Kathy Jarvis explains more: “Porters are actually pretty well regulated on the Inca Trail now. You don’t see porters wearing traditional clothing anymore; instead they have trainers and boots and waterproofs, etc. It’s normal now for them to be insured, to be guaranteed somewhere to sleep and to have adequate food to eat. On the classic Inca Trail – where porters carry quite a lot of gear – there are lots of checks on weight along the trail.
“Porters are only really used to carry loads on the classic Inca Trail where there are too many steps for mules or donkeys. For the Salkantay and Lares treks you will be accompanied by donkeys or mules. Throughout the rest of the Andes, except above the snow line, it is normal to use pack animals rather than porters.”
You’ll want to keep an eye on the beasts of burden accompanying your trip to make sure they are happy and healthy – our friends at British NGO Brooke have provided us with a checklist for travellers to ensure the fair and humane treatment of working mules and donkeys.