Itinerary
- Day 1
Cusco to Soraypampa
Your hotel pickup happens early in Cusco, then it's a two-hour drive out to Mollepata village. After eating a traditional breakfast there, you'll trek for about 3 hours to reach base camp at 3,900 m/12,800 ft. You'll grab lunch with local products once you arrive, and then hike another 1.5 hours to Humantay Lake at 4,220 m/13,845 ft where snow-capped peaks surround the water. Head back to camp for hot coca tea and dinner to finish the day.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Traditional breakfast in Mollepata), Lunch (Nutritious lunch with local products at base camp), Dinner (Freshly prepared dinner at camp)
Included Activities
- Pick-up from hotel in Cusco
- Traditional breakfast in Mollepata
- Approximately 3-hour hike to base camp (3,900 m)
- Lunch at base camp with local products
- 1.5-hour hike to Humantay Lake (4,220 m)
- Guided tour with expert guide sharing local stories and legends
- Free time to explore Humantay Lake
Landmarks/POIs Humantay Lake Salkantay Mountain Range Mollepata - Day 2
Soraypampa to Chaullay
You're up around 5:00 am for coca tea and breakfast with mountain views to start things off. The day involves a 3-hour ascent to Salkantay Pass at 4,620 m/15,157 ft, which is the highest point on the trek. From there, you descend toward Wayrac Machaq and have lunch around 1:00 pm. The rest of the afternoon takes you through high jungle where you'll see large trees, bromeliads, and orchids growing around you. By around 5:00 pm you reach Chaullay camp for hot beverages and dinner at 7:00 pm.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast with fantastic views of the mountains), Lunch (Lunch at Wayrac Machaq around 1:00 pm), Dinner (Dinner at approximately 7:00 pm)
Included Activities
- Coca tea and breakfast with mountain views
- 3-hour ascent to Salkantay Pass (4,620 m)
- Hike to Wayrac Machaq
- Lunch at Wayrac Machaq
- High jungle trekking through cloud forest with bromeliads and orchids
- Descent to Chaullay camp
Landmarks/POIs Salkantay Pass - Day 3
Chaullay to Lucmabamba
After breakfast around 6:00 am, you trek for 3 hours through the cloud forest with nice views of rivers and waterfalls the whole way. Then you continue for 3 more hours until reaching Lucmabamba where lunch happens around 1:00 pm. Once you settle into camp after lunch, there's a zip line activity available to try. You can also check out optional activities on plantations and see how coffee gets processed. Dinner's served around 8:00 pm.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast around 6:00 am), Lunch (Lunch at Lucmabamba around 1:00 pm), Dinner (Dinner at approximately 8:00 pm)
Included Activities
- Breakfast at approximately 6:00 am
- 3-hour hike through cloud forest
- Observation of rivers and waterfalls
- 3-hour hike to Lucmabamba
- Lunch at Lucmabamba around 1:00 pm
- Zip line activity at Lucmabamba camp
- Activities on plantations and coffee processing
Optional Activities
- Visit to Cocalmayo hot springs (30 minutes from camp - transportation and entrance fees not included, advance arrangement required)
Landmarks/POIs Lucmabamba Cocalmayo Hot Springs - Day 4
Lucmabamba to Aguas Calientes
Starting early at around 5:00 am with a solid breakfast before a 3-hour hike to Llactapata, you'll get great views of the landscape and Machu Picchu in the distance. From there, it's downhill the rest of the way to Hidroeléctrica where lunch comes around 1:00 pm. You walk 3 more hours from there to reach Aguas Calientes by evening. That night you stay in a hostel and grab dinner at a restaurant around 7:00 pm.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Excellent breakfast at approximately 5:00 am), Lunch (Lunch at Hidroeléctrica around 1:00 pm), Dinner (Dinner at a restaurant at approximately 7:00 pm)
Included Activities
- Breakfast at approximately 5:00 am
- 3-hour hike to Llactapata with views of Machu Picchu
- Downhill walk to Hidroeléctrica
- Lunch at Hidroeléctrica around 1:00 pm
- 3-hour walk to Aguas Calientes
Landmarks/POIs Llactapata Machu Picchu Hidroeléctrica Aguas Calientes - Day 5
Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu
Your hotel departure gets coordinated based on when your entrance time is for Machu Picchu. After eating breakfast, you'll head up to the entrance for roughly a 2-hour guided tour where you'll see the different sectors of the citadel. After the tour you have free time to walk around Machu Picchu on your own before heading back down to Aguas Calientes. How long you spend there overall depends on whether you take the train or bus back to Cusco, which is based on your reservation.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Breakfast (timing dependent on Machu Picchu entrance time)
- Ascent to Machu Picchu citadel entrance
- Approximately 2-hour guided tour of different sectors
- Free time to enjoy Machu Picchu citadel
- Descent to Aguas Calientes
Landmarks/POIs Machu Picchu
