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Cusco: Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu 5-Day Small Group

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1/18

Duration5d

GroupUp to 10

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Five days crossing the Andes to Machu Picchu without the Inca Trail crowds

You start in Cusco, climb to Humantay Lake and cross the Salkantay Pass, descend through cloud forest and coffee plantations, hike a section of the original Inca Trail, and finish with sunrise at Machu Picchu. The five days include all transport, three nights in mountain camps, a hotel night in Aguas Calientes, meals, a guide, entry fees, and a two-hour tour of the ruins. Book five months ahead to secure your spot.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Cusco to Soraypampa and Humantay Lake

Pickup from hotel in Cusco
Travel to Mollepata for breakfast
Arrive at Challacancha and meet team
Hike to Soraypampa Sky Camp
Lunch at Soraypampa
Hike to Humantay Lake and return
Dinner and overnight at Sky Camp

Day 2 — Salkantay Pass to Colcapampa

Breakfast with view of Apu Salkantay
Hike to Abra Salkantay summit
Descend to Huayracmachay for lunch
Continue hike to Colcapampa through cloud forest
Dinner and overnight at Mountain Sky View Camp

Day 3 — Santa Teresa Valley to Super Jungle Domes

Breakfast and start hike in Santa Teresa Valley
Hike past rivers, waterfalls, and plantations
Vehicle transfer from Zona Propiedad to La Playa
Visit organic coffee farm
Travel to Lucmabamba for lunch and check-in
Free time and dinner at Super Jungle Domes

Day 4 — Llactapata to Aguas Calientes

Breakfast and start hike to Llactapata
Explore Llactapata archaeological site
Descend to Ahobamba for lunch
Hike or optional train to Hidroelectrica
Continue hike or train to Aguas Calientes
Dinner and overnight in Aguas Calientes hotel

Day 5 — Machu Picchu visit and return to Cusco

Early morning climb to Machu Picchu
Two-hour guided tour of Machu Picchu
Optional climb Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain
Return to Aguas Calientes for lunch
Train to Ollantaytambo
Private transport back to Cusco

The Experience

The alarm goes off at 5:00 a.m. in your Cusco hotel, and the truck is already waiting. You climb in with a small group—usually no more than a dozen people—and drive toward Mollepata while the city is still asleep. Breakfast happens at a roadside stop, then the real work begins at Challacancha, 3,800 meters up, where you meet your guide and the porters who'll handle the heavy gear. The first day is a three-hour walk following an ancient Inca canal, climbing to Soraypampa and the Sky Camp, where you'll sleep in a panoramic dome with a direct view of Apu Salkantay. After lunch, there's a three-hour round-trip hike to Humantay Lake—turquoise water backed by a glacier, the kind of view that makes you stop talking and just stare.

Day two is the hardest. You wake to coca tea and the mountain looming above, then climb for three hours to the Salkantay Pass at 4,630 meters, the highest point of the trek. The descent takes another three hours, and by afternoon you're dropping into the cloud forest where the air gets warm and thick and the vegetation turns tropical. Waterfalls appear between the trees. You sleep at Mountain Sky View Camp, surrounded by the sound of water and birds you can't name. The third day is gentler—the trail descends through the Santa Teresa Valley past banana and coffee plantations, and you stop at an organic coffee farm to learn how they grow it and taste it fresh. That night you're in the Super Jungle Domes at Lucmabamba, 2,000 meters down, where the jungle sounds take over.

Day four is the last push. You hike for two hours on an original section of the Inca Trail to Llactapata, an archaeological site where your guide explains the engineering and you get your first real view of Machu Picchu from a distance. Then you descend to Hidroeléctrica, passing a 250-meter artificial waterfall that powers Cusco. From there, you can take the train or walk three more hours along the tracks to Aguas Calientes, where a hotel and dinner are waiting. On the final morning, you take the bus up before sunrise and walk into Machu Picchu while the mist is still thick. The two-hour guided tour covers the temples, terraces, and water channels—the guide points out the hydraulic system that still works after 500 years. You can climb Huayna Picchu if you booked it in advance, or just sit and look. Then the train back to Ollantaytambo, a private vehicle to Cusco, and it's over.

Book at least five months ahead—Machu Picchu spots fill fast. You'll need your passport details when you reserve, and it's worth arriving in Cusco two days early to adjust to the altitude. The trek is challenging; you need to be in solid physical shape. Vegetarian and vegan meals are available if you request them at booking.

What’s included

Your five days include hotel pickup and drop-off in Cusco, all transport to and from the trailhead, three nights in exclusive mountain camps (Sky Camp, Mountain Sky View, Super Jungle Domes), one night in a 3-star hotel in Aguas Calientes, an experienced mountain guide, expert porters and chef, all meals and daily snacks on the trail, water and tea, entry fees to Salkantay and Humantay Lake trails, Machu Picchu entrance and a two-hour guided tour, a visit to an organic coffee farm, train tickets (one-way Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu and return from Ollantaytambo), backpack cover, personal duffel bag for gear, walkie-talkies and first aid kit, and a pre-departure briefing in Cusco the day before you start.

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 travelers who want the main Machu Picchu experience without the crowds on the Inca Trail, and who are willing to spend five days hiking and camping to get there—the small group size and remote route are what make the alternative possible.