Itinerary
- Day 1
Challacancha to Soraypampa
You'll get picked up from your hotel between 4:30 and 5:00am for the start of your trek. The drive to Mollepata takes about 2 hours, where you'll have breakfast before heading out again. After another hour driving to Challacancha, the actual hiking begins. You'll spend roughly 3 hours trekking uphill to reach Soraypampa, and along the way the views of the snow-capped Humantay and Salkantay mountains come into view. Lunch happens during the hike, then you'll continue on to Humantay Lake before making your way back to the Soraypampa campsite, which sits at 3,800m elevation for the night.
- Start point
- Plaza de Armas de Cusco, Plaza de Armas, Cusco, Cusco 08002, Peru (From your Hotel, Cusco, Cusco, Peru, 04:30 - 05:00)
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at Mollepata), Lunch (Lunch at Soraypampa with panoramic views of snow-capped mountains), Dinner
Included Activities
- Hotel pickup and transfer to Challacancha trailhead
- Breakfast at Mollepata
- Guided hiking to Soraypampa (approximately 3 hours uphill)
- Lunch at Soraypampa with panoramic mountain views
- Hike to Humantay Lake and return to Soraypampa campsite
- Overnight glamping accommodation at Soraypampa
Optional Activities
- Walking poles rental (US$10)
- Entrance fee to Salkantay and Humantay Lake (20 soles)
Landmarks Humantay Mountain Salkantay Mountain Humantay Lake - Day 2
Soraypampa to Aguas Calientes
An early 6:30am start kicks off your second day as you tackle a 4-hour uphill hike to the trek's highest point at 4,650m, positioned between the Salkantay and Tucarhuay mountains. The views from up there are really something, and there'll be time to rest and take a group photo at the top. After that, you head back down to Soraypampa for lunch. In the afternoon, you'll board a bus to Ollantaytambo, then catch the train to Aguas Calientes where you'll spend the night in town.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch at Soraypampa), Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided hiking to Salkantay Pass (4,650m highest point)
- Return hike to Soraypampa
- Lunch at Soraypampa
- Bus transfer from Soraypampa to Ollantaytambo
- Train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes
- Overnight hotel accommodation in Aguas Calientes
Optional Activities
- Vistadome train upgrade from Aguas Calientes ($60 per person)
Landmarks Salkantay Pass Tucarhuay Mountain - Day 3
Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu
You'll wake around 4:00am and have breakfast by 4:30am before heading to Machu Picchu to catch the sunrise. Getting there takes either about 1.5 hours on foot or roughly 25 minutes if you take the first bus at 5:30am, depending on your preference. Once you arrive, a guide takes you through a 2-hour walking tour of the site, then you're free to explore on your own. If you've still got energy left, there's an optional 45-minute climb up Huaynapicchu to the summit. Later in the afternoon, you'll take the train back to Ollantaytambo from Aguas Calientes, then catch a bus to return to Cusco.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Breakfast in Aguas Calientes
- Bus or hiking transfer to Machu Picchu
- Entrance fee to Machu Picchu
- Guided walking tour of Machu Picchu (approximately 2 hours)
- Independent exploration of Machu Picchu
- Train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo
- Bus transfer from Ollantaytambo to Cusco
Optional Activities
- Climb Huaynapicchu mountain (45 minutes, 2,720m elevation)
- Entrance fee to Hot Springs in Aguas Calientes
Landmarks Machu Picchu Huaynapicchu Mountain
