Salkantay Trek, 4 Days
The same pass and the same ending, in one day less
- 4 days
- 4,630 m max
- Challenging
- Cusco to Cusco
Humantay Lake, the Salkantay pass at 4,630 m, the coffee farm at Lucmabamba, the view of Machu Picchu from Llactapata and the citadel itself — the full route, compressed into four days and two nights in glass domes.
This is the five-day Salkantay with the rest day taken out. Everything that makes the route worth walking is still here — Humantay Lake, the pass at 4,630 m, the descent into the cloud forest, the coffee valley and the view of Machu Picchu from Llactapata.
What it asks in return is two consecutive days of eight or nine hours, the first of them starting at 4,000 m. People with a few British hill seasons behind them manage it comfortably. People who booked it because it was a day shorter and a little cheaper sometimes do not.
If your dates have a fifth day in them, spend it. If they do not, this route loses none of the mountain — only the chance to sit down in the middle of it.
What you'll see
Nothing important left out
The lake, the pass, the coffee valley, Llactapata and Machu Picchu are all here. What you lose against the five-day version is recovery time, not scenery.
The Salkantay pass
4,630 m, under the glaciers of Apu Salkantay — 6,271 m, and the second-highest mountain in the Cusco region. You cross it on the morning of day two.
Humantay Lake on day one
A turquoise glacial lagoon at 4,200 m, reached within a few hours of leaving Cusco. It is a hard first morning and an unreasonable reward for it.
Two nights in domes
Geodesic domes with clear panels above the bed at Quiswaraniyoc and Lucmabamba, then a hotel room with a hot shower in Aguas Calientes.
Book it three months out
Salkantay has no government permit cap, so this route stays available when the Inca Trail has been full since January.
Salkantay Trek, 4 Days: day by day
Times are what we actually aim for, not a best case. Traffic into Cusco and the train timetable move them by a little.
Day 1
Cusco to Quiswaraniyoc, and up to Humantay Lake
Ten kilometres and five to six hours, climbing to 4,200 m and back down to camp. A hard introduction, deliberately.
- 04:30We collect you from your hotel or flat in Cusco. Pick-ups run until about 05:00, and your guide uses the drive to set out how the four days work.
- 07:00Buffet breakfast in Mollepata, with the last proper lavatories and the last shop for a while.
- 08:45Soraypampa. You meet the horsemen and the pack horses, and your guide runs a warm-up before anyone climbs anything.
- 09:15The ascent to the lake, an hour and a half to two hours depending on how you are handling the altitude. Horses can be hired here from the community if you would rather ride it.
- 11:15Humantay Lake at 4,200 m, beneath the glacier that made it, with time to sit and photograph and get your breath back.
- 13:30Down to our camp at Quiswaraniyoc, with the Salkantay massif ahead of you, and lunch cooked on site.
- 15:00The afternoon is free. Your dome looks straight at the mountain and the panels overhead are for the stars.
- 19:00Dinner, then the briefing for the pass.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Night
- Sky dome at Quiswaraniyoc
Day 2
Over the Salkantay pass and down into the cloud forest
The big day. Eighteen kilometres and eight to nine hours, up to 4,630 m and then a long descent into an entirely different climate.
- 05:00Coca tea brought to the dome, then breakfast and packing.
- 06:30The climb begins. Three to four hours of steady uphill towards the pass.
- 10:00Abra Salkantay at 4,630 m, facing the glaciers, with the Vilcabamba range laid out behind you. The highest point of the trek.
- 11:00The descent, and the fastest change of scenery in Peru — rock and ice giving way to waterfalls, ferns and orchids within a couple of hours.
- 13:30Lunch at a viewpoint on the trail.
- 16:00Chaullay, where a vehicle meets us for the short drive to Lucmabamba. It cuts out several kilometres of road walking, which nobody has ever complained about.
- 17:00The domes at Lucmabamba, with a shower and time to sit still before dinner and the briefing for the coffee valley.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Night
- Sky dome at Lucmabamba
Day 3
Coffee, Llactapata, and the railway into Aguas Calientes
Sixteen kilometres and six to seven hours, with a climb to Llactapata in the middle and a flat walk beside the rails at the end.
- 07:00Breakfast at camp in the cloud forest.
- 08:00A family coffee plantation, where you follow the whole process from the tree to the cup and then drink the result.
- 10:00The climb to Llactapata, an Inca site on a ridge facing the citadel across the canyon.
- 11:30Llactapata itself, and — cloud permitting — your first sight of Machu Picchu, from a viewpoint most visitors never reach.
- 13:00The descent to Hidroeléctrica through waterfalls and butterflies, with lunch waiting at the bottom.
- 14:30The flat walk beside the railway and the Urubamba, two and a half to three hours into town.
- 17:30Aguas Calientes. Your hotel, a hot shower, and the afternoon's last hour to yourself.
- 19:00Dinner in town and the briefing for the citadel — entry time, circuit, and how you are getting up there.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Night
- Hotel in Aguas Calientes
Day 4
Machu Picchu, then home by train or by road
An early breakfast, up to the gate, and two and a half hours inside with your guide. The afternoon is travel, long or short depending on what you chose.
- 04:30Breakfast at the hotel, timed against the entry hour printed on your ticket.
- 05:15Up to the gate — the pedestrian staircase takes about an hour and a half, or the shuttle bus takes twenty-five minutes if you added it.
- 07:00Into the sanctuary and a guided tour of about two and a half hours, across the temples, terraces and ceremonial ground.
- 09:30Free time, or the trailhead for Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain if you booked one.
- 14:30The afternoon train to Ollantaytambo and a private transfer to Cusco, or the walk back along the railway to Hidroeléctrica if you chose the road.
- 19:00Back in Cusco by train. By road it is closer to 21:30.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Night
- Not included — you are back in Cusco
What the price covers
Before you set off
- Briefing in Cusco the evening before, covering the route, the weather and the altitude
- Your duffel bag, handed over at the briefing, for the 7 kg the horses carry
- Door-to-door collection in Cusco between 04:30 and 05:00
- Private transport from Cusco to the trailhead at Soraypampa
- Free storage of your main luggage in Cusco for the whole trek
Guides and safety
- Certified English-speaking mountain guide, on the trail and inside the citadel
- Emergency oxygen and a full first-aid kit on every departure
- Small groups, and our operations team reachable at any hour
Crew and gear transport
- Muleteers and pack horses carrying the camp, the food and your duffel bag
- 7 kg allowance per person, sleeping bag included in that weight
Where you sleep and what you eat
- Two nights in geodesic domes, at Quiswaraniyoc and Lucmabamba
- One night in a private hotel room in Aguas Calientes, with a hot shower and wifi
- Four breakfasts, three lunches, three dinners and snacks each day
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free diets at no extra charge, given notice
Machu Picchu and getting home
- Machu Picchu entrance, on the Classic Circuit wherever it is available
- Guided tour of the citadel, about two and a half hours
- Your chosen return to Cusco, by train via Ollantaytambo or by road via Hidroeléctrica
Not included
- The Humantay Lake fee, about 20 soles, paid in cash at the Mollepata checkpoint
- A sleeping bag and trekking poles, both of which you can hire from us
- The shuttle bus between Aguas Calientes and the citadel gate — you walk up unless you add it
- Bottled water, though hot drinks and purified water are provided at camp
- Hot showers at some camps, and wifi where it exists, both payable locally
- Horses on the steep sections, arranged with their owners at the trailhead
- Travel insurance, which for this trek you really should have
- Tips, which are genuinely optional — our crew is paid properly before any tip
Salkantay Trek, 4 Days: prices and options
Add-ons
- +£80
Return by train instead of the road
Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo by rail, then a private transfer. Hours shorter, and compulsory if you add a peak.
- +£15
Sleeping bag hire
Rated to -10 °C, for the whole trek. The first two nights drop below freezing.
- +£15
Trekking poles
A pair for the whole trek. Day two's descent is where they earn it.
- +£60
Huayna Picchu
The peak behind the citadel, on day four. Train return required.
- +£60
Machu Picchu Mountain
Higher and longer than Huayna Picchu. Also requires the train return.
As a private trip
Your own guide and vehicle, on your dates. Per person — the more of you there are, the less it costs each.
| Group | Each |
|---|---|
| 2 people | £770 |
| 3 people | £730 |
What to bring
Papers and money
- Your original passport, checked at the citadel gate
- 400 to 600 soles in small notes, for everything the mountain charges for
- Your medication and any personal first aid
- A head torch for the domes and the last morning
On your back
- A daypack of 20 to 30 litres for what you carry yourself
- A two-litre bottle or hydration bladder
- Dry bags for anything that must stay dry
- A power bank, a camera and a quick-dry towel
Clothes for the cold half
- Walking boots, broken in well before you fly
- Trekking trousers, hiking socks and thermal base layers
- A fleece and an insulated jacket for the first two nights
- A waterproof jacket and overtrousers
- A warm hat, gloves and a neck buff
Clothes for the warm half
- Quick-dry t-shirts and a long-sleeved shirt
- Camp shoes or sandals
- A sun hat and sunglasses with UV protection
- Factor 50 or higher sun cream, lip balm and insect repellent
Questions we get asked
What do I actually lose by taking four days instead of five?
Recovery time, and one night. Both versions cross the same pass at 4,630 m, both visit the coffee farm, both climb to Llactapata for the view of the citadel, and both finish with the same guided tour. The five-day adds a night in the panoramic huts at Chaullay and an afternoon off on day three with the hot springs or the zipline, which turns two very long days into three manageable ones. Nothing on the route is missed here — it is simply harder work.
Is this really only Moderate?
No, and we have graded it Challenging rather than repeat the word the industry uses. Day two is eighteen kilometres and eight to nine hours over a 4,630 m pass, and day three is another sixteen. There is no technical ground and no scrambling, but there is a great deal of walking at altitude. Reasonable hill fitness is the minimum.
How does it compare with the Inca Trail?
Higher, wilder and available. Salkantay tops out at 4,630 m against 4,215 m, passes through four ecosystems, and has no government permit cap, so it can be booked three months ahead rather than six. What it has almost none of is archaeology — no ruins along the road until Llactapata on day three, and no Sun Gate finish. It is a mountain walk that ends at Machu Picchu rather than a walk through Inca history.
How long should I be in Cusco first?
At least two full days, and three if you can. You are standing at 4,200 m before lunch on day one, and there is no gentle build-up. Those days also protect you if the connection through Lima runs late.
Do I have to walk up to the citadel on the last morning?
Only if you do not add the bus, and it is worth deciding in advance. The pedestrian route is a long stone staircase, about an hour and a half, on legs that have done three days of this already. The shuttle takes twenty-five minutes. Neither is wrong, but nobody should discover the choice at half past four in the morning.
Which circuit at Machu Picchu will I get?
We ask for the Classic Circuit, which is the most complete route through the site, and get it most of the time. The Ministry of Culture controls the allocation and caps it daily, so it is not something any operator can promise outright. We tell you which circuit and which entry hour as soon as they are confirmed.
How cold is it at night?
Below freezing at the first camp, and not far above it at the second. The domes hold heat better than tents but they are not heated, so hire the -10 °C sleeping bag from us unless you are bringing a serious one of your own.
Can you cater for my diet?
Yes — vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free at no extra cost, along with allergies. The chefs cook everything fresh on the mountain. Tell us when you book so the food goes up with the horses.
Can I come on my own?
Yes. Groups are small and mixed, there is no single supplement to walk, and by the second evening nobody is a stranger.
Is there a reduced rate for students or children?
Yes. Under-18s and university students pay about £20 less per person. The student rate needs a physical plastic card with your university, your name, your photograph and an expiry date valid when you trek — digital cards and ISIC cards are refused at the checkpoints, and you must be under 25.
When should I come?
May to September for dry trails and clear nights in the domes, which is the point of the domes. April and October are quieter and usually fine. January to March is the wet season, when the cloud forest sections turn to mud and the stars stay behind cloud.
Ask us about Salkantay Trek, 4 Days
Tell us your dates and we'll come back with availability, the circuit we'd recommend, and a firm price. No deposit to ask, and we answer within one working day.