Hiking the 5 day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu

Peru and Machu Picchu go hand in hand. No trip to Peru is complete without a visit to this wonder of the world and world famous archaeological site. Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu continues to top bucket lists.

From the get go, walking was the way I wanted to arrive to Machu Picchu. However, since we’d booked flights to South America pretty last minute, trekking the Inca Trail was no longer an option. Due to the trail’s popularity, the Peruvian government set up a permit initiative to control the number of people walking the route and protect it. Permits sell out months and months in advance and in our case the ship had already sailed. If the Inca Trail is a must-do experience for you, then book book book well in advance to avoid disappointment!

Inca Trail sold out? Fear not, it’s only a small hiccup as there are plenty of great appealing alternatives:

Salkantay trek – trek to Machu Picchu crossing the Salkantay Pass and descending into cloud forest.

Inca Jungle trek – the most adventurous option. Trek to Machu Picchu and go rafting, zip-lining, biking along the way.

Lares trek – trek through the Lares valley passing villages, mountains and lakes.

Getting to Machu Picchu – trek vs train

If you’re debating between trekking to Machu Picchu vs getting the train, this little tidbit might interest you:

Throughout our trip we stayed in hostels. Whilst sharing travel stories and favourite destinations, we noticed a common theme emerge when Machu Picchu cropped up in discussion. Those who had incorporated a trek into their Machu Picchu experience (whatever it may be) tended to be more enthused and awed by Machu Picchu itself. It’s the journey that counts not the destination so to speak. In my case, the sweat, tiredness, altitude and aching limbs made it such an achievement and so memorable. Did that help? Or has it left you more indecisive than ever?

Of course, other factors sometimes make our decisions for us. For those who can’t trek to Machu Picchu because of time constraints or ability, Machu Picchu is easily accessed by train. Getting the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes is a popular choice.

Booking the Salkantay Trek

We booked our 5 day Salkantay trek in person at our agency’s office in Cusco. Doing the alternative treks to the Inca Trail does mean the booking lead time is much lower. This was a huge plus for us as we couldn’t say for sure when we’d get to Cusco. Once in Cusco, we were then able to look around and compare treks offered by various agencies.

Do check with the agency what’s included and not included in your trek package. Our Salkantay group was made up of people who had booked with a mix of agencies. No one had the exact same package so it was good to confidently know what our package was.

You can design your trek to a degree: 4 or 5 days, return journey transport options, hiking equipment, tickets to climb Machu Picchu mountain or Huayna Picchu etc. We included tickets to climb Machu Picchu mountain and hired sleeping bags and walking poles. I really recommend getting walking poles. Admittedly I was a bit reluctant at first but I’m so glad I was persuaded. My knees thank them and they were life savers for the steep ascents and descents; especially on the second day.

When booking the trek, we chose the train for our journey back to Cusco. The bus is another option and the cheaper of the two. However, buses leave around 2/3pm and you have to walk three hours back along the rail tracks (that you walk on Day 4) to Hidroelectrica to catch them.

To get there in time you will need to leave Machu Picchu around 11am. Travelling on a budget, we were tempted by the cheaper option. However, it does reduce your time at Machu Picchu which for us was a major disadvantage. We wanted to maximise our time at Machu Picchu after having gone all that way. Plus, after climbing Machu Picchu mountain and a 5 day trek, the idea of another 3hr walk (repeating the second part of walking on Day 4) didn’t fill us with enthusiasm.

The Salkantay Trek in action

The day before our trek we returned to our agency’s office (Local Trekkers) to collect our duffel bags (for the donkey to carry), sleeping bags and walking poles. They’ll give you a final brief and remind you the pick-up time for the next morning (no surprises, it’s early!). Do ask any questions you may have. We checked the weight allowance for the duffel bag that the donkeys carry; I think it’s 8kg which sounds a lot but our sleeping bag weighed about 3kg.

Day 1 – Cusco – Mollepata – Soraypampa

Distance walked: 13km 
Hours walked: 5hrs

Pick up is early; we were collected from our hostel at 4.30am. The drive to Mollepata takes around 3 hours. After breakfast in Mollepata, there’s one more drive up windy narrow roads to the trek start point. The drive was a mini adventure to be honest; it amazes me it’s safe for a coach to be on them. We didn’t want to meet another bus coming in the other direction! Hats off to the cool as cucumber drivers!

We started the walk mid-morning and arrived to our campsite around late lunch time. The meals on this trek were incredible; I couldn’t believe what the cook made at such high altitudes and in simple facilities. I’ll give you a heads up now; it’s pretty likely I’ll mention food again in this post!

After lunch, you can walk up to the stunning bluey-green Humantay Lake. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains at an altitude of 4200m, it’s great prep for the Day 2 walk and utterly worth it for the scenery and landscapes alone. Rain threatened to stop play, but thankfully the rain cleared and we were good to go. It’s absolutely beautiful up there – I loved it!

Back at camp with the sun starting to set, it was popcorn (yes popcorn!!) snack time followed by dinner. The first night of the trek is the coldest so pack layers. With all my clothes on, I just about fitted into my sleeping bag!

Day 2 – Soraypampa – Salkantay Pass – Collpapampa/Chaullay

Distance walked: 22km 
Hours walked: 9hrs

Day 2 is undoubtedly the toughest and longest day of the trek. You climb to and cross the Salkantay Pass at 4650m and then descend through cloud forests. The climb to the pass is steep and the altitude rises. Altitude can affect anyone so listen to your body on the climb up. A member of our group fainted and I was shorter of breath than normal and had to pause frequently. Coca leaves help with altitude sickness. Day 2 is the day to drink the coca tea brought round in the morning. Your guide will likely be carrying coca leaves too for chewing on the trek itself.

Slow and steady, we made it to the top of the pass around midday. Once up there, I cooled down fast and was soon putting my layers back on. The ever-changing weather revealed every now and then the snowy Salkantay mountain in the background.

At the top, our guide spoke to us about Pachamama and we thanked her by sharing a beer (taking a sip and pouring a bit on the earth) and making a tower of stones.

The descent down to our next campsite was the long second half of the day. Broken up by a stop for lunch, it was pretty much constant walking. The change in scenery and temperature was crazy. In a matter of hours, we’d gone from cold snow-capped mountains to tropical lush cloud forests. I absolutely loved it! You will want insect repellent!

The camp for the second night is at a much lower altitude. In one day, we passed through a lot of altitudes. I’d been careful at going up slowly, yet I went down quicker. I had blocked and popping ears for the next few days! Dusk was falling by the time we arrived at the campsite and a lot of our group arrived in the dark.

Day 3 – Collpapampa – La Playa – Santa Teresa

Distance walked: 16km 
Hours walked: 6hrs

Chocolate and banana pancakes for breakfast got Day 3 off to a fantastic start. The walk was a blend of uphill and downhill through leafy scenery and along rivers. There were a few rest points and kiosks on route. At one kiosk, we discovered the most incredible avocado sandwiches. Hands down the best I’ve had! We got to La Playa for lunch and that was that for the day’s walking.

Following lunch, we hopped in a minivan for the drive to Santa Teresa and our next campsite. The first challenge, on leaving La Playa, was crossing the small wooden bridge. Pausing the music in full swing, our guide Saul asked people to get off. We all thought it was a great joke, yet he turned out to be quite serious. Along with a few others, my friend and I more than happily crossed the bridge on foot and the van followed slowly behind.

Once in Santa Teresa, we headed to the local Colcamayo hot springs in the early evening. You’ll need to pay the entrance fee as it’s an optional activity. Totally worth it after walking hard for three days. A wonderful way to relax and relieve our aching muscles.

Later that evening, the campfire was lit and a night of singing and dancing commenced.

Day 4 – Santa Teresa – Hidroelectrica – Aguas Calientes

Distance walked: 19km 
Hours walked: 6hrs

Day 4 is the penultimate leg of the journey to Machu Picchu. Before I talk about the walk, I need to mention the food one last time. As you might have picked up the meal offerings for this trek impressed me and surpassed my expectations. The last breakfast with our chef was incredible; he made a magnificent sponge cake with chocolate icing and fruit loops. How he did it I will never know!

Day 4 doesn’t just mark the chef’s last day. It’s the porters’ and horsemen’s last day as well. Before starting the day’s walk, you thank them, say goodbye and give a tip. Your guide will mention this the previous night and suggest an amount. It’s a collective tip and a member of the group will distribute it out to the chef, porters and horsemen.

We were a little surprised by the amount suggested and being on a budget hadn’t factored this in. We tipped what we could but it’s definitely something I’d liked to have known in advance.

Back to the trek. There are two options: you walk to Hidroelectrica or go zip lining. If you go zip lining, you skip the walk and join up with your group for lunch at Hidroelectrica. It’s an optional extra; some of our group booked it at dinner the night before and others had it already included in their trek package.

We chose to walk and, to everyone’s confusion, managed to lose our guide within the first hour. Not to be deterred, we continued along the dirt road and he eventually caught up. Turns out he’d gone for coffee with his mum! Along the way, signposts for Machu Picchu started appearing for the first time vamping up the excitement and the almost there feeling!

The last leg of walking (3hrs) to Aguas Calientes is along the train tracks. It’s an active railway and trains pass by. It’s hard to miss a train approaching – the horn is super loud.

In Aguas Calientes, we got the rest of the afternoon off. Around 5pm we headed to collect our duffel bags from the train and then had a fab shower. It felt so good to be clean.

Day 5 – Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Cusco

Distance walked: 4km
Hours walked: 1hr  
*not including hours or distances spent walking around Machu Picchu and back down to Aguas Calientes

Time to see Machu Picchu!!!! You could either get the bus up or walk. To get the bus, you needed to buy your tickets the night before and get to the stop early to avoid ending too far back in the long queue.

We chose to walk, starting the climb in the dark at 5am when the path opened. It takes about an hour and the steps are endless (you’ve been warned!), but it felt great to get there on our own two feet!

I was simultaneously excited and curious about how I would feel and react to seeing Machu Picchu in real life. Having already seen hundreds of photos, I was really hoping it wouldn’t be anticlimactic. Getting my first glimpse around 6.30am, seeing the ruins appear out the clouds before vanishing back again into the mist, was pretty surreal.

The clouds and mist certainly add to the mysterious aura surrounding Machu Picchu. It’s easy to see why it’s a wonder of the world; that that the Incas managed to build this city on a mountain at 2430m is a feat in itself.

Whilst the cloud and mist do add to the mystery, I’d heard a handful of tales from other peoples’ trips about Machu Picchu not emerging from the mist for their visit. I was super keen for the sun to come out so we could see Machu Picchu in all its splendour. Thankfully it did and we got the classic tourist photo with blue sky.

We then went to start our climb up Machu Picchu mountain. At 3061m, it was a steep uphill hike and took us one and half hours to reach the top.

The views from the top were brilliant and well worth the climb. I loved having a birds eye view over Machu Picchu and it was crazy how small it looked from high up.

Back down at Machu Picchu level (as if we hadn’t done enough walking), we followed signs to the sun gate. Approximately a 30 minute walk, the sun gate was further out than we expected. A good thing really as there weren’t many people there. Seeing Machu Picchu from a distance and at a different angle was really nice. We sat there for a while taking in our surroundings at our own pace.

After one final loop, we finally left Machu Picchu and walked back down to Aguas Calientes. I don’t think we could have done any more walking if we wanted to; saying my legs were tired was an understatement. Treating ourselves to a well-deserved pizza, milkshake and crepe, we put our feet up and waited for our evening train to Ollantaytambo. From there, we were picked up and driven back to Cusco.

Machu Picchu – things to know

Acclimatise properly

All the treks to Machu Picchu reach high altitudes. Cusco’s not exactly low at 3399m! When planning our trip through Peru, we weren’t factoring altitude into our decisions. As it was, the route we took steadily gained in height and we were able to slowly adjust. That said, we still gave ourselves three days in Cusco to acclimatise before starting the Salkantay Trek. See my things to do in Cusco post to see what we got up to.

Make the most of your time at Machu Picchu

Entrance to Machu Picchu is organised into two slots: morning and afternoon. Because the route around Machu Picchu is one way you’re allowed to enter twice. We went around with our guide the first time and then explored at our own pace the second time (climbing Machu Picchu mountain, going to the sun gate and doing one last loop).

In theory, our ticket was for the 6am-12pm morning slot, yet it was 3pm by the time we’d finished our second spin. As long as you enter for the second time before the end of your slot, you should be fine and can stay up there as long as you’d like.

Machu Picchu Mountain and Huayna Picchu

During your visit to Machu Picchu, you can hike Machu Picchu Mountain or Huayna Picchu for fabulous panoramic vistas over the lost city. Huayna Picchu is the better known of the two; its peak appears in pretty much all photos of Machu Picchu, and Machu Picchu mountain the taller. We chose to climb Machu Picchu mountain because we wanted to see the classic Machu Picchu view from above. It might sound obvious, but if you’re on Huayna Picchu you won’t see it!

Permits are limited for both mountains and, to climb either you will need to book in advance (especially for Huayna Picchu). We were able to book tickets for Machu Picchu mountain a week before our visit. Your ticket will be valid for an hour’s time slot; this is the hour you can start your climb. Once in, you can stay at the top for as long you like.

Final thoughts on Machu Picchu and the Salkantay Trek

Machu Picchu had been on my bucket list for a long long time. As soon as our trip to South America became more than just an idea, it was a given that Peru and Machu Picchu would appear on our destinations list. I mentioned earlier that I was worried our actual visit to Machu Picchu would be anticlimactic. Although it wasn’t massively anticlimactic, it was to a degree. The ruins and the city were incredible with an amazing history. It was surreal to be there; however, I didn’t quite feel as awed as I expected to be. I think this was in part due to the number of people there.

For me, the Salkantay Trek was the best decision we made for our Machu Picchu experience. I’m extremely glad we did it. It was absolutely fantastic and I associate my memory and opinions of Machu Picchu with the trek. I reckon if I’d just gone to Machu Picchu by train, I would have been a bit put out. The trek really makes the Machu Picchu experience and leaves you with some fantastic memories. If you’re thinking of going to Machu Picchu, I’d 100% suggest hiking there.

Have you been to Machu Picchu? How did you get there?