5-Day Salkantay Trail to Machu Picchu

Day two is the most challenging and rewarding part of your trek to Machu Picchu. After an energizing breakfast, begin your steady ascent through Salkantaypampa and Soyrococha, passing small glacial lakes and rocky terrain. After 3 hours of uphill trekking, you’ll reach the legendary Salkantay Pass (4,650 m / 15,250 ft), the highest point on the trail.

Here, take a moment to absorb the panoramic views of Peru’s snow-covered giants: Salkantay, Humantay, and Tucarhuay. Your expert mountain guide will explain the historical and spiritual importance of these mountains to Andean cultures.

After resting and taking photos, begin a 2-hour descent to Huayramachay (3,800 m / 12,470 ft), where a delicious lunch awaits. From here, continue your trek for another 3 hours downhill, entering a dramatically different landscape—the edge of the Amazon rainforest. You’ll notice the shift from cold alpine winds to the warm, humid air of the jungle. Tonight, you’ll camp in Collpapampa (2,850 m / 9,350 ft) in comfortable dome tents, surrounded by lush vegetation and the sounds of the jungle.

• Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
• Distance Covered: 22 km / 13.6 miles
• Walking Time: Approximately 8-9 hours
• Starting Elevation: 3,900 meters / 12,800 feet
• Highest Elevation: 4,650 meters / 15,250 feet (Salkantay Pass)
• Accommodation: Campsite domes at 2,850 meters / 9,350 feet
• Difficulty: Moderate to Challenging
• Climate: Warm with moderate winds during the day, and cool nights
• Sights: Salkantay Pass and the beginning of the Amazon Jungle, Lush Vegetation

After two high-altitude days, your third day on the Salkantay Trail to Machu Picchu leads you deep into Peru’s cloud forest and tropical jungle. After breakfast, embark on a gentle 5.5-hour trek filled with waterfalls, orchids, and colorful butterflies.

This region, known as the ceja de selva (eyebrow of the jungle), is rich in biodiversity. You’ll walk past coffee plantations, banana trees, and coca fields, and learn about traditional Andean farming and medicinal plants. You’ll also see evidence of Inca irrigation systems still used by locals.

Lunch is served along the trail, and in the afternoon you’ll have the option to soak in the natural hot springs of Cocalmayo (optional, not included)—a perfect reward after days of hiking.

Your evening concludes at your jungle campsite in Lucmabamba, where you’ll enjoy a freshly cooked dinner and relax under the stars, surrounded by the sounds of the rainforest.

• Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
• Distance Covered: 14 km / 8.7 miles
• Walking Time: 4-5 hours approximately
• Starting Elevation: 2,850 meters / 9,350 feet
• Camping Elevation: 2,000 meters / 6,561 feet
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Climate: Hot, warm, and humid, in a tropical area
• Sights: Amazon Jungle, Coffee Tour, and Medicinal Hot Springs

Today, you’ll reconnect with Inca history as you hike a restored portion of the Inca Trail. After breakfast, ascend for approximately 2.5 hours through cloud forest to reach Llaqtapata, an ancient Inca site offering spectacular panoramic views of Machu Picchu Mountain and Huayna Picchu.

This peaceful site, far from crowds, offers a unique perspective and a powerful spiritual connection to the past. Your guide will share the archaeological significance of the site before you descend through lush valleys to Hidroelectrica, where lunch will be served.

In the afternoon, you have two options: hike 3 more hours along the railway to Aguas Calientes, or take the scenic train ride (optional, $36.00). Upon arrival in Aguas Calientes (also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo), you’ll check into your hostel and enjoy a celebratory dinner in a local restaurant.

• Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
• Distance Covered: 22 km / 13.6 miles
• Walking Time: 8-9 hours approximately
• Starting Elevation: 2,000 meters / 6,561 feet
• Highest Elevation: 2,700 meters / 8,858 feet (Llaqtapata Inca Site)
• Accommodation: Hostel in Aguas Calientes at 2,050 meters / 6,725 feet
• Difficulty: Challenging
• Climate: Hot, very humid, and tropical
• Sights: Inca Trail, Llaqtapata (Machu Picchu view point)

Today is the culmination of your Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu. You’ll rise early to take one of the first buses to the entrance of Machu Picchu and experience the sunrise over this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Enjoy a 2-hour guided tour of the citadel, visiting sacred temples, solar observatories, ceremonial plazas, and agricultural terraces. Your guide will reveal the history, culture, and mysteries of this majestic Lost City of the Incas. After the tour, you’ll have free time to explore or, if pre-booked, climb Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain (limited availability).

In the afternoon, descend to Aguas Calientes, have lunch (not included), and board your train to Ollantaytambo. A private transfer will then take you back to Cusco, where your unforgettable trekking experience officially ends.

Start hiking around 4:30 am to “Puente Ruinas” for approximately 25 minutes. Puente Ruinas is the first checkpoint for hikers and opens at 5 am. Here, you’ll need to show your passport and Machu Picchu tickets. Cross the bridge and hike up the stairs to Machu Picchu for about 50 minutes. You will meet the team at the Main Gate of Machu Picchu Inca City before 6 am. Machu Picchu opens at 6 am. Note: You should allocate 1 hour and 30 minutes to hike up to Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes Town.

This ticket will allow you to visit Circuit 3, which is located in the lower part. With this ticket, you can explore the area of product storehouses, agricultural terraces, the urban sector, the Temple of Pachamama (Mother Earth), the Temple of the Sun, as well as the Inca House, among other places belonging to Circuit 3. After your visit, you can ascend to Machu Picchu Mountain, which involves a minimum 3-hour round-trip hike. During your ascent, you’ll have the opportunity to capture the classic photo of Machu Picchu.

This ticket allows you to visit Circuits 3 and 4, which are located in the lower part. These circuits will take you to the base of Huayna Picchu Mountain, the most popular mountain in Machu Picchu, which takes approximately 2 hours round trip. From its summit, you’ll be able to see and enjoy the beauty of Machu Picchu and the mountain bearing the same name.

With this ticket, you will visit Circuits 3 and 4, concluding at the entrance to the smaller mountain called Huchuy Picchu, which is located beside Wayna Picchu Mountain. Climbing Huchuy Picchu will take about 45 minutes round trip, perfect for those who wish to make a brief ascent, allowing you to view Machu Picchu from a different perspective. From this point, you can observe the Pyramid of the Sundial stone, Machu Picchu Mountain, among other sights.

This ticket allows you to visit Circuits 1 and 2, taking you to the upper platform where you can capture the classic photos of Machu Picchu. Afterward, you have the option to visit and admire the Inca Bridge