Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu
9 DAYS Starting from $4,290 per person
Trek to Machu Picchu by going “off the beaten Inca Trail” on the exotic Salkantay Trek. Described by National Geographic as “the cool way” to get to the ancient Incan citadel, this challenging hike takes you through Andean peaks, cloud forests, Incan ruins and small villages where people still live as they have for hundreds of years. You’ll camp in style, beat the crowds to Machu Picchu, and visit cosmopolitan Lima and charming Cusco, the erstwhile capital of the Incas.
Trip at a Glance
HIGHLIGHTS
- Start with a free day to acclimatize to the altitude and explore Cusco at your leisure.
- Take a fascinating tour of Cusco, comparing the differences between Native American and European Architecture.
- Camp in ultimate comfort and warmth, with quality sleeping bags and Therm-a-Rest sleeping mats in your spacious two-man tent. Porters will carry your kit, and you'll even have the use of a private tented bathroom in the campsite.
- Visit Andean villages and ancient Incan sites including Killarumiyoc and Mollepata.
- Make camp on Salkantaypampa, the highest peak in the Vilcabamba mountain range, 13,100 feet above sea level.
- Witness the majestic Soyrococha glacier lake and take in views of the peaks of Salkantay and Humantay from a high mountain pass of 15,100 feet.
- Hike through gorgeous scenery from tropical cloud forests to bamboo groves, tiny Andean villages, valleys of rich vegetation and waterfalls.
- Trek along the challenging trail to the terraced Incan site of Llactapata.
- Stay overnight in comfort in Aguas Calientes, to beat the crowds to Machu Picchu the next morning.
- Enjoy a guided tour of Machu Picchu, with free time to explore the citadel for yourself.
- Time allowing, take in a fascinating tour of Lima, with stops at the Larco Archaeological Museum, the San Francisco Monastery and the waterfront district of Miraflores.
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