The Salkantay and Inca Trail Combination 7d/6n

Lying between the Urubamba River and Apurimac River, the mountains of the Cordillera Vilcabamba are a magnificent display of Peru’s biodiversity and beauty. On this journey we will pass through Salkantay towards Machu Picchu via the Inca Trail. The first half of the trip will bring you through tropical cloud forests and snowcapped peaks while the second half connects you with the classic Inca Trail. Arrive at Machu Picchu the sixth night to explore and enjoy the sunset before heading back to Aguas Calientes for the night. We conclude the trek with a guided tour of Machu Picchu and free time to better explore the ruins. Don’t miss out on this exceptional gem of the Andes.

Tour Itinerary

Day 1
Cusco - Mollepata - Cruzpata - Soraypampa - Salkantaypampa

We will pick you up from your hotel at 6 AM to drive to Mollepata. We will make a brief stop along the way at the Ruins of Tarawasi to explore this famous Incan temple. After some exploration, we continue on the road to Mollepata, arriving at 9 AM or so. From Mollepata (2800 meters or 9,186 feet), we will drive another forty minutes to arrive at our starting point of Cruzpata (3200 meters or 10,499 feet). We will meet our “arrieros” (horsemen) here and trekking crew who will cook your meals and carry your luggage. We will start our ascent from Cruzpata to Soraypampa, passing through unspoiled Andean valleys between snow-capped Vilcanota Mountains, arriving at Soraypampa (3800 meters or 12,467 feet) in approximately 3 ½ hours. We will stop for lunch at Soraypampa to rest our legs and recharge our batteries. From here, we will continue on another 3 hours to arrive at Salkantaypampa (3980 meters or 13,507 feet), where we will camp for the night. Here we will enjoy views of Salkantay (6264 meters or 21,082 feet) and Humantay (5217 meters or 17,116 feet), a hot dinner buffet, and our first campfire.

Day 2
Salkantaypampa - Paso Salkantay - Sisaypampa

We’ll start today at 6:30 AM for a hot breakfast and tea before climbing to Pampa-Japonesa, where Japanese climbers created a base camp over 30 years ago. From here, we will cross through the pass of Salkantay, where we will be rewarded with spectacular views of the eternal snowcaps. This part our trek will take us between 4-5 hours before we reach the Incachiriaska Pass at 5200 meters or 17,060 feet. Incachiriaska is surrounded by the snowy peaks of Humantay (5217 meters or 17,116 feet), Tucarhuay (5450 meters or 17,880 feet), and Soray (5428 meters or 17,808 feet) - as well as pristine lakes and green valleys. From here, we will descend 15 minutes to the grass-covered valley of Ichupata, stopping for a well-deserved lunch. After our lunch break, we will continue to descend down to our beautiful campsite at Sisaypampa (3790 meters or 12,434 feet). At this tranquil campsite, you will see llamas, alpacas, and possibly a condor. Dinner buffet and hot tea next to the campfire to end day 2.

Day 3
Sisaypampa – Paucarcancha

After breakfast, we will start our 3-hour descent to the Pampacahuana Community, passing by eye-catching flora and magnificent views. This day is far more relaxing than the rest as you’ll need some time get your legs under you. We will stop when needed along the way after Pampacahuana before continuing on to the ruins of Paucarcancha. Here we will explore the ruins and receive a tour, a perfect place for some photos. We will set up camp here for the night and have a luxurious dinner buffet around the campfire after sunset. 

Day 4
Paucarcancha -Wayllabamba – Llulluchapampa

You’ll wake up to a hot breakfast and some tea before we start our day with a short trek to Wayllabamba (3000 meters or 9,842 feet). From here, we will start to lightly ascend towards Ayapata and Carralpunku, arriving in 3-4 hours. We will have lunch here and take a small rest before climbing up the steep Llulluchayoq Valley. We will pass through an incredible display of native trees and a beautiful Andean stream on the way to the “Punas” (treeless grasslands). It becomes warmer as we near our campsite for the night at Llulluchapampa - where we will also find incredible views of snowy peaks and the Huayanay Valley behind us. We will arrive about 2 hours before dark, set up your camp and prepare your dinner as the sun sets behind the Andes.

Day 5
Llulluchapampa – Warmiwañusca (Dead Woman’s Pass) – Pacaymayo - Runkuracay - Sayaqmarca Phuyupatamarca

We will start as usual with breakfast before we will climb for about two hours to reach the highest point of our journey, Warmiwañusca (Dead Woman Pass), located at 4200 meters or 17,779 feet. Here we are presented with a tremendous view of the surrounding areas on the traditional Inca Trail before continuing on to the Apacheta Pass. From here, we will take a short break for a few photos before descending 2 hours to Pacaymayo Valley. Pacaymayo leads us to an ancient mountain stairway, heading through the Incan site of Runkuracay, before we’ll arrive at Apacheta Pass (3860 meters or 12,073 feet). We will cross to find a stunning view of the snowcapped Pumasillo Range as we descend to the ruins of Sayaqmarca at 3650 meters or 11,975 feet. At this point, we will truly be able to take in the beauty of the Inca Trail on our way to the ruins of Phuyupatamarca as the scenery becomes more amazing with each step. We will pass through astonishing flora and fauna on the way to our third pass. Here we will get to gaze down below at the incredible Incan complex of Phuyupatamarca (Cloud-level Town). We will arrive to our campsite shortly after the third pass for possibly the most beautiful views and scenery of our trek. We will cook dinner while you appreciate your surroundings and relax for tomorrow’s journey to Machu Picchu.

Day 6
Phuyupatamarca – Wiñay Wayna - Inti Punku (Gate of The Sun) – Machu Picchu – Aguas Calientes

Tea and breakfast awaits you before we start a 3 hour descent on the Inca Trail to the Incan Complex of Wiñay Wayna. After some exploration, we descend down through the cloud forest to the Ruins of Wiñay Wayna for a guided tour. This is one of the most amazing sites of our journey as many prefer it over Machu Picchu. After Wiñay Wayna, we head to a nearby hostel (located along the Inca Trail – no road access) for a shower and some lunch before heading to reach the famous outlook point of Inti Punku (The Sun Gate). Here awaits your first view of Machu Picchu, lying only one hour ahead of us. We will descend down to arrive at Machu Picchu, where we will have 2-3 hours to enjoy and explore before we head to our Hotel in Aguas Calientes. Enjoy a dinner indoors before you head to the hot springs to rest your muscles for the last day of our adventure.

Day 7
Machu Picchu! - Cusco

This is the day you’ve been waiting for.  We will wake up before first light and trek 1 ½ hours to the entrance of Machu Picchu to be among the first to arrive at the famous ruins (for those who are tired out, we can wait and take the bus).  Machu Picchu, the “Lost City of the Incas,” is located at approximately 2500 meters (or 8,000 feet, which is significantly lower than the city of Cusco). Machu Picchu is situated between two peaks, Mt. Machu Picchu (“Old Peak” in Quechua) and Wayna Picchu (“Young Peak” in Quechua). We will enjoy a 2-hour guided tour of the ruins in which we will learn about Incan architecture and uses of different structures, as well as visit the Main Square, the Temple of the Three Windows, the Sacred Sundial and the ancient burial grounds.  After the guided tour, you will have free time to continue to visit the world-famous ruins.  Some possible activities besides visiting the main ruins include:

Around 4 PM we will descend to Aguas Calientes where we will grab a quick dinner before heading to the train station and returning to Cusco where you will arrive after nightfall and be dropped off at your hotel.  This concludes the unforgettable Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu!