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Salkantay Trek Cusco: 5-Day Glamping & Machu Picchu

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1/24

Duration5d

GroupUp to 12

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Five Days Crossing the Andes to Machu Picchu, Sleeping Under Stars

You hike five days from Cusco across the Salkantay Pass (4,630m) to Machu Picchu, sleeping in glamping camps and a jungle lodge with all meals and a mountain guide included. The trek visits Humantay Lake, a coffee farm, and the original Inca Trail section before sunrise at the citadel. Small groups, private transport, and an emergency horse option make it manageable for fit, prepared travelers.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Cusco to Humantay Lake and Sky Camp

Pick up from Cusco accommodation
Breakfast in Mollepata
Arrive at Challacancha and meet team
Hike to Soraypampa and lunch
Ascend to Humantay Lake
Dinner and rest at Sky Camp

Day 2 — Salkantay Pass to Mountain Sky View Camp

Breakfast and prepare for trek
Ascend to Abra Salkantay summit
Descend to Huayracmachay and lunch
Continue to Collpapampa through cloud forest
Dinner and overnight at Mountain Sky View Camp

Day 3 — Santa Teresa Valley to Sacred Jungle Lodge

Wake up to river and birds
Hike through Santa Teresa Valley
Transport from Granadilla to La Playa
Visit coffee farm and lunch
Travel to Lucmabamba and Sacred Jungle Lodge
Relax or visit Cocalmayo hot springs
Dinner and overnight at Sacred Jungle Lodge

Day 4 — Llactapata Hike to Aguas Calientes

Breakfast and start Inca Trail hike
Climb to Llactapata archaeological site
Descend to Ahobamba and lunch
Continue to Hidroelectrica
Walk or train to Aguas Calientes
Dinner and overnight in Aguas Calientes hotel

Day 5 — Machu Picchu Tour and Return to Cusco

Early bus to Machu Picchu
Guided tour of Machu Picchu
Free time or optional mountain climbs
Lunch in Aguas Calientes
Train to Ollantaytambo
Private transport to Cusco

The Experience

You wonder if you're fit enough for this. That's the honest question most people ask before booking a trek that climbs to 4,630 meters and camps in the mountains for three nights. The Salkantay Trek from Cusco is genuinely challenging — the second day hits the highest pass, and you'll feel the altitude — but it's built so you don't have to white-knuckle it alone. A specialized mountain guide stays with your small group the whole way, an emergency horse is available from Soraypampa onward if you need it, and the camps themselves (Sky Camp with panoramic igloos, Mountain Sky View cabins, Sacred Jungle Lodge in the rainforest) are nothing like roughing it. You sleep in a real bed, eat hot meals prepared by an expert chef, and wake to views that make the climb feel obvious in hindsight.

The route itself moves through three distinct worlds. Day one takes you from Cusco (pickup at 5 a.m.) through Mollepata and up to Soraypampa at 3,900 meters, where you'll see Apu Salkantay rising above the camp. In the afternoon, a shorter hike brings you to Humantay Lake — turquoise water ringed by snow peaks — and back to the igloo for dinner. Day two is the crux: you climb through glaciers and sparkling streams to Abra Salkantay at 4,630 meters, the highest point, then descend into the cloud forest where orchids and exotic birds start appearing. By day three, the landscape has shifted completely. You're hiking through the Santa Teresa Valley past coffee and banana plantations, visiting a working coffee farm to learn how Andean coffee is grown, then settling into the Sacred Jungle Lodge near Lucmabamba. There's time to soak in the Cocalmayo hot springs if you want.

Day four follows a section of the original Inca Trail. You'll pass through Llactapata, an archaeological site where you can see Machu Picchu itself in the distance, then descend to Hidroeléctrica and either take the train or walk three hours along the railroad to Aguas Calientes. The final morning, you board one of the first buses up to Machu Picchu and arrive at sunrise — the crowds haven't arrived yet, and the light is soft. A two-hour guided tour covers the temples, terraces, and ceremonial centers; afterward, you're free to climb Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain if you have energy left. The train back to Ollantaytambo and a private transfer to Cusco close the loop.

One practical note: book at least five months ahead. Machu Picchu entry slots sell out quickly, and this trek reserves them in advance. You'll need your passport details at booking, and Cusco recommends arriving two days early to acclimatize to the altitude — that's not optional if you want to feel good on the trail. Vegetarian and vegan meals are available; just mention it when you book.

What’s included

Your five days include early pickup from your Cusco hotel, all meals on the trail (with vegetarian and vegan options available), three nights in glamping camps and a jungle lodge with private facilities, one night in a superior 3-star hotel at Aguas Calientes, a specialized mountain guide and porter team, basic hiking equipment (sleeping bag, trekking poles, rain poncho, backpack cover), entry to Salkantay Trek, Humantay Lake, and Cocalmayo Hot Springs, Machu Picchu entry (Circuit 2 for five-month bookings), the Vistadome or Prime train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, round-trip buses between Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu, an emergency horse available from Soraypampa to the pass, daily snacks and tea on the trail, cultural immersion at a local coffee farm, and all private transport and transfers during the tour.

Good to know

Demanding physical levelPets welcomeNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Salkantay Trekking

Is this one for you?This trek suits fit, prepared travelers who want the full Salkantay experience without arranging logistics themselves — the guide, camps, meals, and transport are all coordinated, which is what makes five days of high-altitude hiking feel supported rather than solo.