Itinerary
- Day 1
Mollepata to Soyrapampa
Your early morning pickup from the hotel starts with a 3-hour drive to Mollepata, stopping for breakfast and to pick up any last-minute supplies you need. Once at the Soyrapampa trailhead, the support team gets your gear packed onto horses so you can travel light. The hike begins with several steep uphill sections through bare, high-altitude terrain until you reach the apacheta path at 4590m, where Salkantay Mountain rises dramatically at 6271m. From there, the landscape shifts as you descend through increasingly green vegetation to your campsite at 2890m.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast stop in Mollepata), Dinner
Included Activities
- Breakfast stop in Mollepata
- Hike to apacheta path (4590m)
- Descent to campsite
Optional Activities
- Purchase last-minute supplies in Mollepata
Landmarks/POIs Salkantay Mountain Apacheta Path - Day 2
Upper Jungle Trek to La Playa
After breakfast, the hiking continues through the upper jungle where everything changes with each step forward. Vegetation gets thicker, waterfalls start appearing, and the weather turns noticeably warmer. You'll cross small brooks and the Lluscamayo River before reaching Lluscamayo settlement for lunch after about 5 hours of walking. The afternoon brings another 3 hours of trekking past a large waterfall that's worth stopping to photograph, with green valleys and mountain views surrounding you. Birdlife is plentiful here, and by evening you'll arrive at La Playa village where you can choose between two different route options for the next day.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch at Lluscamayo settlement), Dinner
Included Activities
- Hike through upper jungle
- Crossing Lluscamayo River
- Lunch at Lluscamayo settlement
- Waterfall viewing
Optional Activities
- Two optional route choices from La Playa (details in Day 3 itinerary)
Landmarks/POIs Lluscamayo River - Day 3
Llacatapata Ruins to Aguas Calientes
Starting from La Playa, you'll trek uphill on an ancient Inca Trail that passes through old coffee and coca plantations and citrus orchid groves before climbing into high-altitude meadows and ancient forest. The path features distinctive tall stone steps, each one taller than a park bench, built centuries ago and still solid underfoot. After just over 2 hours you'll reach Llacatapata ruins with Machu Picchu coming into view on the horizon. The descent to the Hydroelectric plant covers 913 meters in about an hour, then you'll walk 12 kilometers mostly flat along the railway tracks into Aguas Calientes, passing under a dramatic waterfall from the plant on the way. Once in town, check into your hotel and grab dinner at a restaurant where you can discuss plans for tomorrow.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch nearby Hydroelectric Station (for Santa Teresa route option)), Dinner (Dinner at restaurant in Aguas Calientes)
Included Activities
- Hike through coffee and coca plantations
- Ascent to Llacatapata Ruins
- Visit Llacatapata Ruins with Machu Picchu views
- Descent to Hydroelectric plant
- Trek to Aguas Calientes along railway tracks
- Waterfall viewing en route
Optional Activities
- Santa Teresa alternative route: 1-hour bus trip and approximately 2-hour hike past Urubamba River to Hydroelectric Station with lunch nearby
Landmarks/POIs Llacatapata Ruins Machu Picchu Hydroelectric plant - Day 4
Machu Picchu and Return to Cusco
Your alarm goes off well before dawn so you can start the final 2-hour trek to Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate (Intipunku), positioning yourself to catch the sunrise over the citadel with smaller crowds around. After roughly 1.5 hours from Aguas Calientes, a guide leads you through the ruins for 2 hours, then you'll have time to explore on your own and take photos. Lunch happens back in Aguas Calientes at a restaurant of your choice and your own cost. You'll catch the train back to Cusco with two departure options: either 14:55 (arriving 18:00) or 19:00 (arriving 22:00).
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Early morning trek to Machu Picchu via Sun Gate
- Sunrise viewing at Machu Picchu
- 2-hour guided tour of Machu Picchu
- Self-exploration time at Machu Picchu ruins
- Train journey from Machu Picchu to Cusco
Optional Activities
- Entrance fee to Huayna Picchu mountain ($25)
- Shuttle bus between Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu ($12.00 one-way)
Landmarks/POIs Machu Picchu Sun Gate (Intipunku) Huayna Picchu
