5-Day Salkantay Trek: The Best Alternative to Machu Picchu
When most people think of hiking to Machu Picchu, the Inca Trail is the first one that comes to mind. However, there are less crowded alternative routes of getting to Machu Picchu that offer equally, if not more, spectacular views. The Salkantay Trek is one of them.
The 5-Day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu is a 74 km (46 miles) trail, typically completed in 5 days (4 nights). While the trailhead is in Mollepata, most tours leave from Cusco. The Salkantay Trek is perfect for those seeking a more off-the-beaten-path adventure, with the ultimate goal of reaching the iconic peaks of Machu Picchu.
In this blog post, I will include a day-by-day overview of the 5-Day Salkantay Trek, the main stops and highlights, as well as my personal tips. Not only is the Salkantay Trek one of the best hiking trails in South America, but it’s also one of the best alternative routes to Machu Picchu.
5-Day Salkantay Trek Stats and Map
The 5-Day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu was one of the highlights on our 2-month backpacking trip in South America. The trek takes you through high altitudes and different landscapes in just 5 days. Ultimately, the trek culminates with Machu Picchu and its impressive archeological discoveries.
Hiking the Salkantay Trek Solo vs with a Guide
The Salkantay Trek can be done without a guide and many backpackers choose to hike it independently. With tools like AllTrails, it’s fairly easy to find route information, elevation profiles and recent trail conditions to help with planning.
That said, hiking the Salkantay Trek solo means carrying everything yourself, including camping gear, food and supplies for several days. Once we considered the Salkantay Trek elevation gain, the altitude and the physical demands of the trek, we decided that joining an organized Salkantay Trek tour made more sense for us.
Benefits of Booking an Organized Salkantay Trek Tour
Booking a guided tour comes with several practical advantages. Most tours include an experienced local guide, a chef who prepares all meals and mules or horses to carry the bulk of your gear, significantly reducing the weight you need to hike with. Many tours also include extras, such as transport to the Santa Teresa hot springs on day three.
While Salkantay Trek tour prices vary depending on the operator and group size, we found that the cost difference between hiking independently and joining a tour was not substantial. After speaking with hikers who organized the trek on their own, it became clear that the main difference is the experience itself rather than major cost savings.
Booking the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu in Advance
We booked our Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu online before arriving in Peru, but in hindsight, we would not do this again. Online bookings are often more expensive than booking in person and there is a wide selection of tour operators in Cusco offering the trek year-round.
Unless you are traveling during peak season or have fixed dates, it’s usually better to book once you arrive in Cusco. Availability is usually not an issue, and booking locally allows you to compare Salkantay Trek tours, negotiate prices and choose the option that best fits your schedule.
But if you prefer the peace of mind, research the tour operators online in advance before booking.
Best Time to Hike the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu
When planning the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu, it’s important to consider Peru’s two main seasons. The dry season runs from May to October, while the rainy season lasts from November to April.
In general, the best time to hike the Salkantay Trek is during the dry season, when trail conditions are more stable and mountain views are clearer. During the rainy season, heavy rainfall can make the trek more challenging, with muddy trails, limited visibility and an increased risk of landslides. As a result, some tour operators stop running the trek altogether, and certain sections of the trail may become inaccessible.
Altitude Sickness on the Salkantay Trek
Altitude sickness on the Salkantay Trek is something you really shouldn’t underestimate. The high altitude can quickly take the fun out of the hike if you’re not prepared.
We made sure to spend a few days acclimatizing in Cusco, drank plenty of water, took altitude sickness pills and kept a steady pace on the trail. Luckily, we didn’t feel sick at any point, but we met several hikers who had to cut their trek short because of altitude sickness.
What You Eat on the Salkantay Trek
All meals on the Salkantay Trek were prepared and served by our tour chef and we were lucky that the food was always delicious and varied from day to day. There were vegetarian options as well.
Breakfast usually included porridge and warm tea, while lunch and dinner featured rice, vegetables, meat and other protein sources (perfect for fueling long days of hiking). We also carried plenty of snacks to keep our energy up throughout the trek.
Hiking to Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes
You can hike from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu, which takes about an hour uphill to reach the main entrance. Our entrance time was at sunrise, so we woke up before 4 am to make the trek to the top.
If you plan to climb Machu Picchu Mountain, be ready for an extra two hours of hiking to reach the summit. And if you need to walk back to Hidroelectrica to catch a bus to Cusco, plan for roughly four more hours of walking.
We decided to skip the bus and hike instead. Although our legs were completely exhausted by the end of the day, it was absolutely worth it!
Visit Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes (No Hiking)
If you’d rather take the easier route, you can catch the bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu’s entrance. This is a good option if your ticket includes access to Machu Picchu Mountain, as it helps save energy for the additional climb. The bus ride is quick and gives you a chance to conserve your strength for exploring the ruins.
Spending an Extra Day in Aguas Calientes vs Returning to Cusco
If you’re doing the Salkantay Trek with a tour but want to spend a few extra days exploring Machu Picchu on your own, you can usually arrange this with your tour company. They can help organize a bus or train transfer for another day, though it may come with an additional cost.
5-Day Salkantay Trek Overview
Mollepata to Soraypampa (Humantay Lake optional) – DAY 1
At 4 am, we were picked up from our hostel in Cusco and brought by bus to Mollepata. After a large breakfast and another hour of driving, we were ready to start the 5-Day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu. Compared to the other days, the first day was short and served as acclimatization to the high altitude.
We reached the first campsite on Salkantay Trek just on time for lunch, in Soraypampa (3,900 m / 12,795 ft). After that, also as an exercise to get used to the high elevation on the Salkantay Trek, we decided to hike to Humantay lake (4,200 m / 13,780 ft). Although this is an option hike, I highly recommend it to anyone.
I’m not gonna lie, the lack of oxygen made the short hike quite difficult. Once at the top though, the magnetic blue colour of the glacier lake made us forget about all the efforts. The view was simply breathtaking.
In spite of Humantay Lake’s beauty, the highlight of the first day was definitely the night sky. We saw a sky full of bright stars. We could also see the Milky Way very clearly. Unfortunately, it was very cold and I was in too much disbelief to think of grabbing my camera. So this time around, you’ll just have to trust me!
Soraypampa to Chaullay, via Salkantay Pass – DAY 2
The second day of the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu began early. At 5 am, we were greeted with a warm cup of coca tea. By 6:30 am, we were already on the hiking trail. Our goal was to reach the Salkantay Pass, the highest point of the trek at 4,600 m (15,092 ft). The Salkantay Trek elevation really hits you on this stretch! It’s where the altitude kicks in and every step feels twice as hard.
At the top, we enjoyed the sight of the snowy peaks of Salkantay (6,264 m / 20,551 ft). Notably, it is the second highest mountain in the Cusco region (after Ausangate) and of the Vilcabamba mountain range.
Unfortunately though, the landscape as we saw it is the result of some drastic changes. In fact, in February 2020 a large section of the glacier fell off and into one of the lakes below. As a result, this incident caused a large quantity of water to flow out of the lake and down the valley. The result was a mudslide that tragically killed several people of the neighboring villages.
As we began descending, fog rolled in over the snowy peaks, bringing a cool breeze. Within two hours, the rocky path turned into lush green forest. We reached our next campsite in Chaullay, shared a meal with the group, and turned in early for another long day ahead.
Chaullay to Lucmabamba – DAY 3
This morning was warmer compared to the previous days. But, warmth and tropical temperature also means more mosquitos. So, make sure to bring some repellent with you, as this could really make the difference to your overall experience.
On this day, we trekked across the Santa Teresa valley. We enjoyed views of waterfalls, orchids, avocado trees, granadilla (similar to maracuja) and coffee plantation fields. Then, to cool down, we stopped for a swim at the side of the river.
After arriving at our next campsite on Salkantay Trek, we explored the local organic coffee farm. Here, we learnt about the Peruvian coffee production process, from fruit to bean to grounded coffee. In fact, coffee is the main farming industry for the people in this region. Originally, it was brought to the Cusco region by the Spanish during the colonial time.
In the afternoon, we decided to head down to the Santa Teresa hot springs. After 3 days of hiking, our muscles thanked us for it.
Lucmabamba to Aguas Calientes – DAY 4
For our last breakfast, our chef woke us up to a huge cake. Although this is not very typical on any treks we’ve experienced before, the sweet wake up was more than welcomed.
As with every other morning, we hit the Salkantay Trek hiking trail very early. On this day, the path crossed the famous Inca Trail. On the way, we visited the archaeological site of Llactapata, located right in front of Machu Picchu.
From a distance, we were able to see the Machu Picchu archaeological site. Also, we enjoyed the views of Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu mountains. Machu Picchu means “Old mountain” in Quechua. This indigenous language is spoken even today by people living primarily in the Peruvian Andes.
We continued on the Salkantay Trek hiking trail for another 2 hours following a series of switchbacks and steep downhill. Then, we arrived at Hidroelectrica train station for lunch.
Afterwards, we reached the train tracks, which we followed until Aguas Calientes. The trail we took was the same as the one the American professor Hiram Bingham followed. In fact, he used this trail before rediscovering the long lost city of Machu Picchu.
Hiking to Machu Picchu and return to Cusco – DAY 5
When we started the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu, we decided to avoid public transportation whenever possible. Reaching Machu Picchu was no different! In fact, there are two options to reach the entrance to the archeological site. You can either take a bus from Aguas Calientes or you can hike up the mountain. We went for the second option!
We started hiking around 5 am, as soon as the gates to the hike opened. After many steps, we reached the top just on time for sunrise. The experience was amazing and would recommend it to anyone!
With our group, we had a guided tour of the archeological site. We then continued the visit with a trek to the Machu Picchu mountain.
Mainly thanks to the engineering abilities of the Incas, we are still able today to visit the temples, terraces, and farming fields. These areas were once used by its community. When it was first discovered, the site was covered in thick vegetation and in a state of disrepair. Today, it is protected by the UNESCO World Heritage and constitutes one of the 7 Wonders of the World.
After climbing Machu Picchu mountain, we had to make our way down to Aguas Calientes. We walked back to Hidroelectrica, where a minivan drove us back to Cusco.
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