Hike The Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu, through the Peruvian Andes and cook traditional Peruvian food in the mountains!
CUSTOMIZED TOURISM IN SMALL GROUPS
Experience the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu, a 5-day hiking route combined with a unique Andean culinary experience deep in the Peruvian Andes, prepared with local products.
During the trek, you will participate in a hands-on Andean cooking class, using fresh local ingredients such as native potatoes, quinoa, corn, and traditional herbs. Guided by trekking chefs, you will learn ancestral cooking techniques and enjoy the food you Prepare your own Andean lunch with a high-mountain chef at Wayracmachay after crossing the Salkantay Pass.
This small group trek follows the classic 5-day Salkantay Hike route and offers breathtaking views of snow-capped peaks, turquoise lakes, and high-altitude valleys, while adding a cultural and culinary dimension that makes your trip truly special and exceeds your expectations.
During one day of the 5-day Salkantay Trek, you will participate in a traditional Andean cooking class taught by mountain chefs. You will learn how to prepare a typical Peruvian mountain meal using regional ingredients and ancestral methods. This experience will allow you to understand Peruvian Andean culture through food, sharing stories and flavors in a unique natural setting.
Highlights of the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu
Itinerary
If you love adventure, hiking, and gastronomy, this is the best tour you can choose for your trip to Cusco, especially the 5-day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu. On this trip, you will visit the impressive Humantay Lake, the imposing Salkantay, and participate in a Peruvian cooking class in the Peruvian Andes. The Salkantay Trek is one of the best hikes in the world, and This itinerary combines the classic 5-day Salkantay route with a hands-on Andean cooking experience led by a high-mountain chef. visiting organic coffee and cacao farms, and enjoying the adrenaline rush of the Salkantay Trek and the original Inca Trail to Llactapata, a breathtaking viewpoint of Machu Picchu? It’s the perfect combination for lovers of extreme challenges.
Are you ready for this great challenge?
Today marks the start of our great adventure to the wonderful Salkantay. We’ll pick you up at your respective hotels between 4:15 and 4:30 a.m., and our transportation will take us to our first stop, where we’ll have breakfast (in Mollepata) at a local restaurant. After breakfast, we’ll continue for 45 to 55 minutes to the starting point. We’ll begin our hike at Challacancha, the starting point for the climb up Mount Humantay (5,381 meters above sea level). Lake Humantay is located at an altitude of 4,200 meters above sea level. The distance to this destination is 8 km/4.5 miles. The hike takes approximately 3 to 4 hours, depending on your pace and physical condition. Once we arrive at Lake Humantay, we’ll have time to explore it, get to know it, and enjoy this majestic lake with its turquoise waters. Next, we’ll return to Soraypampa, where we’ll have lunch and time to relax in the afternoon, taking in the natural beauty of the Soraypampa Canyon. We’ll have dinner, receive a briefing for the next day, and rest up for the great challenge that awaits us.
Hiking distance: 8 km
Duration: 6 hours
Camp altitude: 4,150 msnm
Maximum altitude: 4,200 msnm
Meals: Breakfast, snacks, lunch, tea, dinner
Lodging: Camping Domes or Huts
Difficulty: for travelers with good physical condition and previous hiking experience.
This is the most impressive day of the Salkantay trek. We’ll wake up very early with a delicious cup of coca tea at 5:00 a.m. Breakfast will be served at 5:30 a.m. After breakfast, we’ll receive our final instructions and set off along the Salkantay Trail with steady steps and plenty of confidence for about 3 to 4 hours, depending on your physical condition. We’ll make a few stops for short breaks to gradually acclimate. After a strenuous hike, we’ll reach the Salkantay Pass, and this is where we’ll have the best opportunity to enjoy this natural wonder: the snow-capped Salkantay (6,430 meters above sea level), the highest point. Here we’ll have time to explore and learn more about the snow-capped Salkantay Mountain and the Salkantay Pass (4,634 meters above sea level). It is here that we’ll ask for permission to cross the trail and continue on our way to our lunch spot, Wayracmachay, where we’ll also have our cooking class—included in the tour—with the help of our professional high-mountain chef.
Each person will prepare their own lunch, which is a unique and great cooking experience in the mountains on the 5-day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu. After finishing our cooking class and enjoying our lunch, we will continue descending at our own pace, witnessing the beautiful sights of our natural surroundings. Each point of descent is impressive. This trail will be our route until we reach our camp in Chaullay (2,900 meters above sea level), where a delicious dinner prepared by our mountain chef awaits us. We will also receive information about the next day. After dinner, we will rest up for the next challenge.
Hiking distance: 22 km
Duration: 9 hours
Camp altitude: 2,800 msnm.
Maximum altitude: 4,630 msnm.
Meals: Breakfast, snacks, Cooking Classes – Lunch, tea, dinner.
Lodging: Camping with a private toilet
Difficulty: Challenging
We will wake up early today and have an energy-packed breakfast to fuel us for the day, although it will be a gentler, more relaxing day. We will go on moderate hikes, where we will observe the Santa Teresa Valley, with its wonderful flora and fauna, arriving at our camp for lunch. We will relax and have time to learn about the production and processing of organic coffee and cacao and taste them. If we still have time, we can visit the Cocalmayo hot springs (transportation to Colcamayo can be arranged with your guide and other travelers who wish to visit this relaxing place). If you visit the Cocalmayo Hot Springs, please make sure to return for dinner, which will be served at 7:00 p.m., where we will also receive information for the following day.
Hiking distance: 14 km
Duration: 6 hours
Camp altitude: 2,750 msnm.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Camping
Difficulty: Moderate
This fourth day is the longest. We don’t get up early, but we recharge our batteries with the last breakfast prepared by our mountain chef. We say goodbye to them and set off on the Inca Trail, as we will have to climb up to the archaeological center and viewpoint of Llactapata. We will have an uphill hike of approximately 3 to 3.5 hours to the Machu Picchu viewpoint, where we will be able to see the Machu Picchu Sanctuary, Huayna Picchu Mountain, and Machu Picchu Mountain. After visiting Llactapata, we will carefully descend using our walking sticks to the hydroelectric plant, where we will have lunch.
After lunch, we will relax for a moment and continue with the last leg of our hike from the hydroelectric plant to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo). This hike takes approximately 3 hours along the side of the railroad tracks, although you also have the option of taking the train. Upon arriving in Aguas Calientes, we will head to our 3-star hotel to rest, take a relaxing shower, and continue with our itinerary. We will have dinner at a local restaurant in Aguas Calientes and receive instructions from our guide for the following day.
Hiking distance: 24 km
Duration: 9 hours
Maximum altitude: 2,840 msnm.
Camp/Hotel altitude: 2,000 msnm.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: 3-star hotel
Difficulty: challenging
This is the best day and the most eagerly awaited by all travelers: our visit to the great world wonder, the archaeological site of Machu Picchu. Depending on the time on your entrance ticket to the citadel of Machu Picchu, you can board the bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu citadel, present your entrance ticket, and visit every beautiful place in this majestic world wonder. The guide will accompany you throughout the tour for approximately 2 hours, showing you everything Machu Picchu has to offer, from its temples and guardians to its complete history. Once the visit is over and we have taken millions of photos and videos in Machu Picchu, it is time to return to the town of Aguas Calientes. You have two options: return by bus (12 soles per ticket) or continue walking for approximately two more hours. We arrive at the town of Aguas Calientes, have lunch at the place mentioned by the guide, receive final instructions and our train ticket, and head to the train station to board the train to Ollantaytambo, where the company’s transport will be waiting to take us to Cusco for approximately 2 hours.
Machu Picchu visit: 3 hours
Altitude: 2,430 mesnm
Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: N/A
Difficulty: Easy
Pre-Trek & Logistics
Team & Support Staff
Accommodation & Meals
Entrances & Guided Tours
Return Logistics (Machu Picchu to Cusco)
EXTRA EXPENSES
Discover what makes this experience unique and why travelers love it.
At Guiding Cusco, we believe the best journeys are personal, meaningful, and thoughtfully designed.
Personalized Small Groups
We keep our groups small so you receive genuine, attentive service throughout your journey. Every experience is designed with your comfort, interests, and pace in mind.
Supporting Our Local Community
We work closely with local guides, cooks, drivers, families, and small businesses, helping create employment and keeping the benefits of tourism within our communities. We also support people and families with limited resources, because we believe tourism can make a positive difference beyond travel.
Licensed & Trustworthy
Guiding Cusco is a formally established and authorized Peruvian tour operator, operating in accordance with the requirements of the relevant Peruvian authorities. Your safety, comfort, and peace of mind are an essential part of every journey we organize.
A More Meaningful Way to Travel
When you travel with Guiding Cusco, you experience Peru with a local team that genuinely cares about its people, culture, and landscapes.
Personal attention. Local connection. Meaningful experiences.
To make your trip as comfortable as possible, we recommend bringing the following items:
Please read these recommendations carefully to prepare for your trip.
WHAT TO PACK IN YOUR BACKPACK FOR THE 5-DAY SALKANTAY TREK
Our recommendation for the Salkantay trek is a small 25- to 35-liter backpack for the daily hikes. Large backpacks are not allowed inside Machu Picchu. Your belongings, which you will pack in the duffel bag, will be transported by the Cusco Expeditions guiding team using mules and muleteers.
Essentials for Your Backpack (Day Hikes):
Items for Your Duffel Bag (Porters Carry up to 7 kg / 15 lbs): Included Sleeping bag.
Enhance your trip with these optional upgrades available upon request.
HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL BE IN THE GROUP?
The maximum group size is 10 travelers. Our groups typically consist of between 2 and 6 people. Guiding Cusco Expeditions specializes in SMALL and PRIVATE groups, offering personalized service.
The Salkantay route ranges from moderate to demanding in difficulty, primarily due to the altitude and long days of hiking rather than technical terrain. The second day is the most challenging, as it involves the descent after crossing the Salkantay Pass at approximately 4,630 meters (15,200 feet). No mountaineering experience is required, but a moderate level of physical fitness is recommended.
Altitude affects everyone differently, even hikers in excellent physical condition. To reduce the risk of altitude sickness, spend at least 2 or 3 days in Cusco before the trek, drink plenty of water and electrolytes, try coca tea (only in the morning), walk at a slow and steady pace, and watch your diet (don't overeat). Our guides carry a first-aid kit and emergency oxygen. Consult your doctor about altitude sickness medication before traveling.
The best time to travel to Salkantay is during the dry season, from May to September; skies are clearer during this period, although nights are cold. April and October are quieter months with greener landscapes. The rainy season, from December to February, brings muddy trails and less predictable weather—weather in the Andes is a crucial factor, as it can rain at any time during the season.
The 5-day Salkantay Trek covers a distance of approximately 60 to 74 km. Our 5-day itinerary spans about 68 km, with most days involving 6 to 9 hours of hiking, including breaks. The second day is the most demanding due to the altitude, while the fourth day—via Llactapata—is the longest and most challenging.
The price for this 5-day trek with Guiding Cusco Expeditions—which includes an Andean cooking experience—starts at $650 per person. This covers accommodation, services, staff, transportation, our guides, meals, our expertise, and everything else included in the package.
Costs vary among operators depending on what is included—specifically regarding meals, Machu Picchu entrance fees, staff, accommodation, and so on. Furthermore, lower quoted prices do not always reflect the true cost; you may end up being required to pay extra for every item needed for your trip.
It is best to choose a direct operator with a moderate price that truly meets all your needs, ensuring a wonderful, stress-free trip without unexpected additional charges.
Do we sleep in tents?
No, we sleep in modern, cold-resistant structures (domes, hanging nests). For the second and third nights, the accommodations feature private bathrooms and showers inside; for the last night, we stay at a hotel in Aguas Calientes.
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