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Salkantay Trek & Machu Picchu: Glamping, Coffee Farm, Train

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Duration4d

GroupUp to 16

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Andean trekking, glamping nights and hands-on flavors on the way to Machu Picchu

You’ll cross glacier passes on foot and sleep under Andean stars before sharing a Pachamanca meal with locals and tasting fresh coffee straight from the farm. Guided all the way from Cusco with pickup included, this Salkantay trek ends with sunrise at Machu Picchu—and maybe a new appreciation for sore muscles.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Cusco to Humantay Lake and Glamping

Early hotel pickup in Cusco
Drive through Andes landscapes
Breakfast in traditional town
Meet guide and start hike
Reach Humantay Lake for photos
Picnic lunch near lake
Hike through valleys and glaciers
Stay in glamping domes
Enjoy tea time and dinner
Stargazing in clear sky

Day 2 — Salkantay Pass and Collpapampa Village

Breakfast and hot coca tea
Ascend to Salkantay Pass
Pause at glacial lake
Descend to lunch spot
Hike through cloud forest
Arrive at Collpapampa village
Dinner in Andean huts

Day 3 — Lucmabamba, Pachamanca, and Aguas Calientes

Breakfast in cloud forest valley
Trek to Lucmabamba village
Prepare traditional Pachamanca meal
Visit organic coffee farm
Drive to Hidroelectrica station
Hike along train tracks
Arrive in Aguas Calientes
Dinner at local restaurant

Day 4 — Machu Picchu Tour and Return

Early wake-up for Machu Picchu
Board first bus to Machu Picchu
Sunrise arrival at citadel
Guided tour of Machu Picchu
Optional climb Huayna Picchu or Mountain
Free time for lunch in town
Return by Vistadome or 360° train
Transfer to hotel in Ollantaytambo

The Experience

The first morning of our Salkantay trek didn’t go exactly as planned — my alarm never rang (classic), so I was scrambling around the hotel lobby at 4:40am, shoes half-tied. Our guide, Diego, just grinned and handed me coca tea. “Don’t worry, you’ll wake up soon,” he said. The drive out of Cusco was quiet except for the sound of someone’s playlist leaking through cheap headphones. I remember the air getting thinner as we climbed higher into the Andes — it had that cold mineral smell you get before sunrise.

I’d read about Humantay Lake but seeing it after a couple hours of hiking — that unreal blue against white peaks — felt different. We sat on rocks eating sandwiches Diego’s aunt had packed (I think there was quinoa in everything), and he pointed out where condors sometimes fly. My hands were numb from the wind but I didn’t care. Later that night at camp, stargazing from a glamping dome with a mug of hot chocolate… honestly, I almost forgot how sore my legs were. Someone nearby tried to name constellations in Spanish and we all just laughed because none of us really knew.

The second day was tough — Salkantay Pass is no joke. The stones underfoot felt sharp and slick from last night’s frost. At one point I stopped just to listen: nothing but wind and the faint clatter of mule bells somewhere below. When we finally dropped down into cloud forest, everything changed — suddenly it smelled like wet leaves and coffee blossoms instead of ice. Dinner that night in Collpapampa was simple but so good; I still think about that soup with potatoes and herbs I couldn’t name.

By day three we were deep in green valleys, helping bury hot stones for Pachamanca lunch with some locals who made fun of my “shovel technique.” Li laughed when I tried to say “gracias” in Quechua — probably butchered it. The coffee farm stop was more interesting than I expected; grinding beans by hand is harder than it looks (my arms can confirm). That evening we made it to Aguas Calientes, muddy boots and all, and checked into an actual hotel bed which felt like pure luxury after two nights on mountain mats.

Visiting Machu Picchu itself is hard to describe without sounding cliché — early morning mist everywhere, llamas chewing grass by ancient walls. Our guide walked us through stories about the Incas that made me see the place differently; not just ruins but someone’s home once. On the train back to Cusco I kept staring out at rivers flashing between trees, thinking how strange it felt to be heading back already.

What’s included

Your journey includes hotel pickup in Cusco, all transportation throughout the trek plus your return by panoramic train and bus back to your hotel. You’ll have three nights’ accommodation (glamping dome near Salkantay Mountain, Andean hut at Collpapampa village, 3-star hotel in Aguas Calientes), daily meals including a Pachamanca barbecue lunch prepared with locals, entry tickets for both Salkantay Trek and Machu Picchu itself—all guided by experienced local experts—and visits such as an organic coffee farm tour along the way.

Good to know

Demanding physical levelInfant seats availableNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by TreXperience