Classic Salkantay Trek
Peru
Trip Highlights
- New Trip Offering
- Trek Over 15,000' Elevation
- Stunning Trek to Machu Picchu
- Full Tour of Machu Picchu
- View of Glaciated Mt. Salkantay
- Premier Camping Accommodations
- Wonderful Peruvian Cuisine
- Charming Quechua Culture
- Guides Choice Trip
Description
This classic Peru trek will take you through unique and varying landscapes, from cloud forests to grassy highlands and where sub-alpine passes meet colossal snow-capped mountains. This trek is for the adventurous. Since the ancient Incan times, Mount Salkantay has been considered sacred and the protector of the Quechua people. The name Salkantay derives from the Quechua language and means “Savage Mountain”. Mount Salkantay (20,574 feet) is the highest peak in the Vilcabamba mountain range and in the Cusco area of the Southern Peruvian Andes.
The Salkantay trek begins on the south side of Mount Salkantay and Machu Picchu and circumnavigates the mountain and ancient ruin to the town of Agua Calientes. The Salkantay trek contains parts of the original Inca trail and provides mysterious and magical feelings associated with the history of the Inca. This trek is simply Amazing!
Required Acclimatization Days
For guest safety, due to the high elevations of this trek (15,255′), it is required that you acclimatize (at 10,000 feet or greater) for a minimum of 2 nights prior to the trip start date. This can be accomplished simply by arriving in Cusco (11,200′) 2 days prior. Acclimatizing, being well rested, staying hydrated, and eating well are important steps to helping your body adjust to the higher elevations of this trip. Being well adjusted will give you the best opportunity to have a safe and enjoyable trek. If your looking for acclimatization activities, check out our Cusco and Sacred Valley Acclimatization Day Tours.
$60 Single Supplement
The single supplement on this trip applies to 1 night of lodging at Tierra Viva Machu Picchu before our day at Machu Picchu. If traveling solo, you will have a tent to yourself the other nights.
DIFFICULTY LEVEL 4
Our difficulty ratings are based on a scale of 1-5, tours with a rating of 1 being least difficult, tours with a rating of 5 being most difficult
- Backpack Weight:
- 10-15 pounds
- Daily Hiking Distances:
- 3-10 miles
- Most Elevation Loss:
- 5,400 feet
- Most Elevation Gain:
- 2,100 feet
- Quality of Trails:
- The trails on this trip are quiet and rugged in places, but well-trodden
- Additional:
- This trip requires significant elevation gains and losses on rocky trails, and tops out at 15,255 feet. The higher elevations make the trekking more difficult and necessitate training for most guests to be well prepared.
Participants should:
- be active and healthy
- regularly exercise vigorously
- be comfortable hiking, biking, running, or swimming for several hours without many breaks
SOLITUDE LEVEL 3
1 least solitude, 5 most solitude
We rate this Peru hike a solitude 2. You can expect to have hours of solitude at a time while hiking.
For guest safety, due to the high elevations of this trek (15,255′), it is required that you acclimatize (at 10,000 feet or greater) for a minimum of 2 nights prior to the trip start date. This can be accomplished simply by arriving in Cusco (11,200′) 2 days prior. Acclimatizing, being well rested, staying hydrated, and eating well are important steps to helping your body adjust to the higher elevations of this trip. Being well adjusted will give you the best opportunity to have a safe and enjoyable trek.
Flights to and from Cusco are the guest’s responsibility. Multiple airlines operate flights into Cusco, and nearly all connect through Lima. You can reach Lima from many U.S. and European international airports. Some of the primary U.S. departure cities include Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Minneapolis, Chicago, New Orleans, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. The duration of nonstop flights to Lima is 5-9 hours. The duration of flights from Lima to Cusco is 80 minutes.
We do not recommend planning departure flights on the final day of this tour due to time constraints and the inability to guarantee when we will arrive back to Cusco.
Make the most of your time in Peru with an add-on day hike around Cusco! Explore a stunning alpine lake with amazing turquoise water (Lake Humantay); or one of the most unique and breathtaking mountains in the world with rainbow-colored soils that make for spectacular photography (Rainbow Mountain).
Private Trips
Traveling in perfect company is a wonderful thing! With our private trip offerings you can book a trip exclusively for your group. Whether it’s with family, friends or colleagues, private trips are a fun and enriching way to explore the outdoors.
Private trip pricing is based on a sliding scale, depending on the number of people in your party. Rates are per person and do not include sales tax and national park fees (where applicable) or guide gratuity. Give us a call at 800-715-HIKE to get the ball rolling!
Private Rates FOr This Trip
- 2 People: Rate x 2
- 3 People: Rate x 1.5
- 4-5 People: Rate x 1.3
- 6-7 People: Rate x 1.2
- 8-10 People: Rate x 1.1
- 11-12 People: Rate x 1
*all rates are per person and single supplements apply
Minimum Guests
We require a minimum of 2 guests to confirm this trip. If a trip date is not confirmed yet, you can register and will be notified when the trip is officially confirmed. We recommend not making final travel arrangements until your trip meets the minimum number of guests and is confirmed.
In most cases, if a trip does not reach the minimum number of guests, you may choose to transfer to another trip date or another trip, or be refunded your payments in full. We make the final determination for these trips 45 days before the departure date.
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