4 Day Salkantay Trail Llactapata Hike
Description
Short Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu 4 days is the best alternative to the Classic Inca Trail and best alternative trail to reach Machu Picchu. On this 4 day hike you overcome the highest point of the trek, which is the Salkantay Mountain at 4,550 meters above sea level! In the first part of the trek you also enjoy amazing mountain sceneries with snowy peaks, mountain lagoons and remote Andean villages to later experience a subtropical area of Cusco with its warm climate! Llactapata ruins near to the Machu Picchu mountain! The icing on the cake is obviously a guided tour of Machu Picchu in the end! Our Salkantay Trail is an alternative to the classic Inca Trail. This Sacred route is an innovative experience for adventure tourists that want a bit more solitude and credibility. With more impressive surroundings, the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu offers you the chance of a calm but rich meditation on the nature. You will appreciate the testing ecosystem and the splendid appearance of the frost-topped Salkantay Mountain (6264m/20551ft.), known as the mountain that represents the mountain range of Vilcabamba the most. The short version of the Salkantay Trail is available for hikers with less time.
What to Expect
4 Day Salkantay Trek Overview
Sustainable Tourism: At Tierras Vivas, we are happy to promote and practice sustainable tourism by being eco-friendly and supporting local communities
Service Level: Superior service all inclusive, extra horses for your equipment and private transport.
Physical Rating: 3 - Demanding - Some high-altitude hikes or more strenuous activities, but accessible to most healthy travellers
Age requirement: 4+ / All travellers under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Tour Operator: Tierras Vivas Travel
Crew: A professional Tour Guide, A Cook, Horseman and Horses.
Accommodation: Campsites (2 nights), Hotel (1 night).
Meals: 3x breakfast, 3x lunch, 3x dinner, 2x afternoon hot beverage.
Transportation: A private transportation, 1x train (Expedition Class).
Camping equipment: Double tent, Sleeping bag, Inflatable mattress, a blanket, a pillow, day pack and duffel bag. You can view our Salkantay Trek camping equipment.
Starting & Meeting Point
Departure Point: Cusco - We pick you up from your hotel.
Departure Time: 05:00
Briefing Point: Our guide will visit your hotel 2 or 1 day before the trek
Briefing Time: Between 17:00 - 18:00
Return Point: Cusco - Our driver will drop-off in your hotel or Airbnb department
Quick Itinerary:
Day 01: Cusco - Soraypampa - Wayracmachay - Los Andenes
Day 02: Los Andenes - Luscamayo - La Playa
Day 03: La Playa - Llactapata ruins - Hidroeléctrica - Aguas Calientes
Day 04: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Cusco
Highlights of the Salkantay Trail:
- 4 day trail to Salkantay with a professional Tour Guide, cook, horseman and horses;
- Discovery of this new alternative trek to Machu Picchu;
- Visit of the Llactapata Incan site;
- Andean highlands and cloud forest exploration;
- Learning about the sacred mountain of the Incas - Apu Salkantay!
- Enjoyed the best scenic trail during the hike,
4 Day Salkantay Trek:Camping equipment included!!
Departures 100% guaranteed!!
Do I need to book it in advance? The Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu 4 Days has departures guaranteed, but train tickets and entrance to Huayna Picchu Mountain are subjet to availability. For that reason, we HIGHLY recommend booking it in advance to ensure you receive exactly what you want!
PLEASE NOTE: May, June and July are peak months of a HIGH TOURIST SEASON in Cusco. It means that train tickets ARE SELL OUT QUICKLY!! Please be aware that the trek leaves daily; however, return train tickets may not be available, if you like to book on last moment. To avoid this inconvenience, please book it several weeks in advance!
Not destroy the Salkantay trail with your trip
Salkantay Trek Devastation |
Every day, there are 500 traveller during this beautiful Salkantay Path and there are local tour operators built igloos and camping from solid materials without responsibility. They are distroying the landscapes and usually the all travellers help to this devatations. We recommend to reserve with responsibility. Not distroy this Sacred Mountain with your trip! |
More information about the Short Salkantay Trek
Itineray Details
Day 01: Cusco - Soraypampa - Wayracmachay - Los Andenes
Early in the morning you are collected from your hotel for a 3 hour ride to Mollepata. We stop for breakfast and can buy some last minute supplies. We then carry on to Soyrapampa, the trail head. Here we meet the support staff that help us pack all our gear on to the horses. We then begin our hike. The first few hours are uphill. Vegetation is not natural at this altitude, so the landscape is quite stark apart from some grass that has adjusted to the altitude. Eventually we reach the highest point of the hike, the apacheta path (4590m).
The Salkantay Mountain is at 6271 meters above sea level and a powerful sight from this close. Salkantay is a Quechua word that means "Wild Mountain". The rest of the trekking today is easy, we descend to 2890 meters, where there is more vegetation and warm weather, to our campsite.