Hiking the Salkantay Trail to Machu Picchu, Peru (2023)
A complete budget friendly review for the best alternative hike to the Inca trail.
(LAST UPDATED 2023)
This article presents our Salkantay Trek Review including:
- the reasons why we loved this hike and why we think you should do it too
- daily summary of the 5-day trek with total costs, accomadation and trek difficulty
- a detail description of the activities per day
- the highlights (plus the not so good stuff)
So, ready, set, go! This is.... our budget friendly
Salkantay-to-Machu-Picchu Trek Review
The Salkantay-to-Machu-Picchu Trek is the perfect hike for those that love a bit of mixture between beautiful breath-taking mountain landscapes, lust rain forests and ancient archaeological sites that are one of UNESCO’s wonders of the world. Do we think you should do it? Yeah! No doubt, join the club!! Plus, this hike is a knee-saver, budget friendly and nature-lover alternative to the Inca trail.
It is 75 km hike from start to finish, however our gadgets say we hiked almost 90 km in reality! The recommended hike lasts 5 days spreading the kilometres throughout and giving your knees more time to rest. On the last day you will reach Machu Picchu.
We went with the most reliable budget friendly option we found in Cusco and we did plenty online and on-site negotiations on the two days before booking the tour. It is recommended you stay in Cusco (or around) at least 3 days before the tour so your body has time to adjust to the altitude and your hike to Machu Picchu is drama free.
We did this hike with Machu Picchu Reservations, and this is our honest review. In the next section below, we will give you a full description of the overall costs, accommodation provided and daily trek difficulty with this company. As all companies take the same trail, the real differences can be seen in the price, accommodation and food quality provided.
The company offers both 4-day and 5-day hiking experiences. In the 5-day hiking experience, the 4th day hike is the hardest (check daily trek difficulty below) and, in my opinion, the least interesting one. This day is removed from the 4-day hiking experience although the downside is that you don’t get the option of visiting the thermal waters of Santa Catarina. We will discuss this in more detail upfront but, in my opinion, the 5-day hiking experience has more on its plate and the thermal waters of Santa Catarina are really really a plus!
Another important thing to mention is that the Machu Picchu ticket is included with your booking. You can choose to add on Machu Picchu Mountain or Huayna Picchu but they both extra cost. Have a browse through Machu Picchu official website to have a look at the circuits available. Be aware that some might be fully booked at the time of your reservation but try to negotiate because these agencies have always sets of tickets reserved in advance for their customers.
Overall, the hike has a Moderate difficulty, but the altitude makes it seem tougher! If you are worried that it might be too tough for you, you can always rent a mule or just do the 4-day trek instead. Either way, I can tell you that as a very stubborn asthmatic that is not in her best fitness, I survived (!) and, honestly, I would do it again 🙂
First, lets see what are the Highlights of this hike
Humantay Lake
Salkantay pass (Highest point – 4630 m above sea level)
Stunning nature and dramatic ecosystem change from high mountains to rainforest
Steep mountain cliffs
Hike on parts of the original Inca trail – there is more than just one!
Thermal waters of Santa Catarina
Machu Picchu
You might get to do friends for life 🙂
Overall Costs
- Tour Cost returning by van- $210 USD + $20 USD for extra night
- Return by train adds extra cost of $90USD/per person.
- Sleeping bag rental- $10 USD per sleeping bag rental and per person
- Walking pole rental- $10 USD per pair
- Tips (guide, chefs and mule leaders) – 160 soles (we gave 80 soles each)
- Transport to Santa Teresa hot springs and entry – $10 USD per person
- Spending money (water, beers, food, extra toilet paper, rain poncho, souvenirs) – 100 soles each
- $305 USD per person all included – return by van.
Note: We only booked this tour two days in advance!
Accomadation
1st night
Good wooden mountain huts.
Glass igloos are available but are limited – not everyone can get them. Also our friends that got them said two things about them: can get really cold during the night, and condensation does not allow the instagrammable views. No shower on the first night.
2nd night
Nice cabins, the more hidden ones have a view to a waterfall. Shower wait was long but the water was hot. Don’t expect 5 star, but super fun to hang out and play some games after dinner!
3rd night
0ld tents. Crammed conditions, least impressive of all nights. One working toilet for many people (just use it during lunch or dinner time when everyone is eating and you will be fine). Might be different for your trip. Hot showers available if you get to the hot springs (highly recommended).
4th night
Hotel room, private room and ensuite (Not included in normal Trek Packages).
Not included: We added a 5th night which we requested at the agency and stayed in the same hotel ($20 USD)
Disclaimer: Our trek was definitely a no frills and budget option and it will not be the best option for everyone. If you need a little more comfort, I encourage you to look around. Don’t forget, it never hurts to contact the company directly to ask for a better price!
Daily trek difficulty
1st day
Medium due to altitude. 3-4 hours. 9 km.
2nd day
Tough, 3-4 hours up Salkantay pass, then another 5 hours down to the camp site.
22 km at least.
3rd day
Easy day, early start but finished hiking by 11:30 am. 9 km
4th day
Most difficult day, uphill for 3 hours, back down before walking along the railroad. 33 km. We left at 6 am and arrived at 7 pm, but we were suppose to be there at 5 pm.
5th day
It is a 2:15 h track from Aguas Calentes to Machu Picchu old town (~10 km) which 1.50 h of those are climbing up through the inca trail stairs. It is really hard on the knees – an alternative with public transport exists. You get out at 4.30 am to be there ready for the tour at 7 am.
Now.... lets get into detail!
The adventure started the night before our trek!
We attended our compulsory briefing at 7 pm and received the duffle bags where we will have to fit all our clothes and gear for the 5 days including the sleeping bags. We were allawed a maximum of 7 kg that will be cared by a mule up the mountains. We were also given a general overview of what each day would look like, the distances, what to expect and any relevant information to put our minds at ease (similar to as what we wrote above).
The guides also let us know that the newly revised departure time was 3:45 am due to road works and closures but normally would be a 4:45 am of day 1.
Day 1 – Lake Humantay
We left Cusco and, for 2 hours, we were driven half asleep through windy roads before we had our first stop for breakfast. Then, we got to meet some of our trek group and strike up some initial sleepy-eyed conversations while nibbling bread with jam, scrambled eggs, and tea .
We jumped back into the vans for another 50 minutes drive before arriving at the start of the trek in an area called Soraypampa. A last minute stop at a local house market and our bags were taken to the nights camp by mule. It was about two hours of easy to moderate hiking to Lake Humantay, but nothing is ever a walk in the park at almost 4000 m of altitude.
Lake Humantay was stunning! Up in the mountains our guide told us the history of his origins and his connection to Mother Earth and Inca culture. Then it started snowing a very light snow that turned into rain as we started descending the mountain. Luckily the weather held out and we spent about two hours there but could have spent much longer appreciating the area. Remember to take a moment and enjoy the view in front of you (put that phone, or in my case the camera, down!).
We headed back down the hill for another two long hours before reaching our camp for the afternoon. Accommodation for us was in mountain huts as the igloo domes were all taken by the three groups using the site.
Next up was a feast for a late lunch, the food kept on coming and it was some of the best we had in Peru!
Most people opted for an afternoon nap induced by a mix of food and altitude adjustment. I was too excited and continued the hike by walking around the area and taking photos.
Dinner followed quickly and everyone went to bed by 9 pm in anticipation of a tough day in front of them.
Here some photos of that day:
Day 2 – Salkantay Pass
We woke up to hot coca tea at early o’clock (4:50 am), which made it a little easier to get out of bed and head up the hill for a quick breakfast at 5:30am. The breakfasts for this trek were standard and generally consisted of bread, jam and scrambled egg plus some hotly fought after coffee and coca tea.
We set off with the daunting Salkantay mountain in our view and it took four or five hours of hiking to reach the Salkantay pass at over 4600 m and it was tough but achievable; go slow and take plenty of rest stops. In the highest point, our guide performed a small traditional Andean ceremony, which provided ample time to reflect on our surroundings and life in general!
Some of our group decided the night before to ride a horse up to the pass for 100 soles. It seemed like a fun option if you don’t feel like walking, or the altitude hits you.
We then began to descend through a rapidly changing environment, before stopping for another feast, where we were greeted by some very friendly dogs, cats. and pigglets. Next was a final three hours to our camp site for the night. All summed up, we hiked over 20 km in nine or ten hours, and we were happily exhausted by the time we arrived.
We rushed to put our name on the hot shower list which cost 10 soles and had a list of 35 people in front of us. Aside from the shower situation, this campsite was the best of the trip, and we really enjoyed the communal tables where all the hikers could share a few stories and beers.
Day 3
The cooks brought us hot coca tea at a more sociable hour of 05:30 am before breakfast and after breakfast we wished farewell to the mules and their guides. This farewell was quite strange as our guide got us in a circle and then asked for tips. We found this to be a bit odd and left us wondering if the company actually pays their people enough or if it is just a way of getting a little extra.
The hiking for today was the easiest of all the days with many points for resting and photos. The first main stop was at a local farm where we bought one of the best avocado sandwiches I have ever tried (3 soles) and some local Maracuja juice. After another three hours of hiking, we were finished and jumped into a van stopping at a coffee plantation for a small tour before heading to our campsite for lunch. Lunch was the usual feast and we soon jumped back into the van for an hour of windy roads to reach Santa Teresa hotpools (Aguas termales de Santa Teresa). The cost of this van transfer and entry to the pools was an additional cost included in the price (10 USD each). We stayed for just over two hours before heading back to camp. This was a wonderful experience – the pools were filled with locals and the waters did marvels to our sore muscles. A quick dinner, brief for tomorrow and bed followed.
This campsite was not comfortable, and we were all squished into a small undercover area with our pre-set-up tents. Unfortunately, there was one working toilet for 50 people, and it was less than ideal. Going to Santa Teresa hotpools allowed me to have a hot shower and toiletries.
Day 4
What a day!
31 km of up and down hiking, which sure tested our resolve! We set out just after 6 am (after the farewell to the cooks and the tip circle which was well deserved) from where we began the first 3-hour section of tough uphill hiking. A life saving rest point came in the form of a local shop where we bought some snacks and got attacked my mosquitos (oops – Don’t forget the mosquito spray). We made it to the highest point for the day and were treated to a fantastic view of Machu Picchu in the distance and Salkantay Mountain to our right. We made a brief stop at the Inca ruins of Llactapata and continued downhill for two and a half hours in a section we named knee killer.
We made it to hidroeletrica (hydroelectric power station), and quickly tucked into a meal. The final three hours seemed to go on forever but our final destination was in reach, and we were a mix of motivated and delirious. Luckily, there were plenty of rail side shops selling delicious cakes that we indulged in.
Checking in to our hotel for the night was easy and we were surprised to see that we had a nice private room! Dinner consisted of a set menu and a few too many drinks with our group to celebrate our successful trek. We should have all gone to bed at a sensible time, but it turned out to be a bit of a super fun party night – probably best to get a early night on your trip!
Day 5 – Machu Picchu
The last early wake up! I decided to finish off the hike and climb the stairs to Machu Picchu and Carol opted for the more sensible bus option. I left from the hotel just after 4:30 am and Carol lined up for the first bus of the morning at 5:30 am. You will need to be at the bus stop at least 30 minutes before as the line can be long and you may miss the first bus. The stairs were a mission but still a great way to finish off the hike. We opted to stay another night in Aguas Calentes, which we highly recommend so you can explore the town and relax in thermal pools .
Top tip – Ask your waiter if they have a menu of the day – Menu del dia, its likely to not be on the menu! We found the menus were around 20 soles each and included a soup plus a main.
Optional day 6
Sleep in! We had a nice recovery sleep in before exploring the town and beginning our final walk back to “hidroletrica”. We left at 10:30 am and expected to walk for three hours but completed it in under two. The recovery day really helped us here! We caught the minivan back to Cusco which was a interesting trip due to the road works and recent rock avalanches. Hopefully, this won’t be the case in the near future!
As a final remark, as if you did not guessed our opinions, we highly recommend this trek! Many Thanks to the special ones that did it with us!
Please don’t expect luxury if you book with a budget company but do expect to have fun while seeing some amazing sights.
Let us know if you also enjoyed the hike!
read our later stories
