Why choose the 6-day Salkantay and Inca Trail tour?
This tour is designed for travelers who love a challenge and want to step off the beaten path, combining two legendary routes into one unique experience that blends nature and history. You will encounter breathtaking landscapes, unique lakes, and glaciers, culminating in an arrival at Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate (Inti Punku).
Why Choose Guiding Cusco Expeditions?
Guiding Cusco Expeditions is a 100% locally owned tour operator based in Cusco, with no middlemen and no outside shareholders. Our years of hiking experience in these mountains mean your trip is planned and led by people who know every trail personally.
Our goal is simple: to make your journey unforgettable and leave you eager to return. We offer high-quality, personalized service where you set the pace and never feel rushed.
We take pride in being a responsible and sustainable operator. Our team is family to us, and we pay fair wages because their dedication is what makes every trek possible.
Small Groups
Our groups are limited to a maximum of 10 travelers (minimum 4), so you receive real attention from your guide and enjoy a more authentic experience, unlike companies that run much larger groups.
Our Guiding Staff
All our guides are highly qualified professionals, certified by GERCETUR and MINEDU. Each year they renew their training in first aid and foreign languages, so you are in safe, well-informed hands.
Our cooks also receive ongoing training and lead our mountain cooking classes, serving fresh, delicious meals at altitude. We are proud of our entire team, including our logistics staff and muleteers, who work tirelessly through every challenge on the trail. Without them, these adventures would not be possible.
Our Equipment
Our guides, cooks, muleteers, and support staff are all fully equipped with professional gear. We also go a step further than most companies by giving every hiker a welcome kit that includes:
- Rain poncho
- Backpack rain cover
- Distinctive trek shirt
- Toilet paper
On top of this, we provide comfortable camping equipment so you can rest well after each day on the trail.
Our Campsites
After each day on the trail, you'll rest in camps chosen for their scenery and for what they let you experience along the route.
Night 1: Salkantaypampa Camp (4,150 m / 13,615 ft)
After visiting turquoise Humantay Lake, descend to Salkantaypampa, where you spend your first night in the high Andes, surrounded by mountains.
Night 2: Accopata Camp (3,850 m / 12,630 ft)
After crossing the Incachiriasca Pass, you arrive at a remote and unique camp in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by high Andean vegetation and rock, with a view of the back of Salkantay.
Night 3: Wayllabamba or Ayapata
After descending through the Inca Canal valley and visiting Paucarcancha, you camp in the warmer valley as you join the traditional Inca Trail. Depending on the annex, the camp is at Wayllabamba or at Ayapata, 45 minutes further on and surrounded by unique vegetation.
Night 4: Chaquicocha Camp (3,620 m / 11,876 ft)
After the demanding day over Warmiwañusca Pass, rest at Chaquicocha, where an extraordinary sunset over the Vilcabamba mountain range awaits you before dinner.
Night 5: Wiñay Wayna Camp (2,600 m / 8,530 ft)
Spend your last night on the trail in the cloud forest, next to the archaeological site of Wiñay Wayna, ready for the final walk to Machu Picchu.
