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Visiting Machu Picchu is a dream for most people as it’s 1 of the 7 World Wonders. Trekking Machu Picchu was one of the hardest and most rewarding things I’ve ever done through the Salkantay Trek. The Inca Trail used to be the most popular trek to get to Machu Picchu but I think the Salkantay Trek is better. Here is everything you need to know about the Salkantay Trek.
I chose the Salkantay Trek for many reasons: it’s the most affordable trek, the views are incredible, and it’s very manageable physically. Since I booked the trek the week of and in the off season, it was only $200 whereas the Inca Trail is usually $600 minimum. The Salkantay Trek also uses mules/horses to carry the equipment so that’s why the costs are a bit cheaper while the Inca Trail uses Porters who are the people carrying everything on their backs. And in terms of views, you see Lake Humantay which is an incredible lagoon and the Salkantay Pass which is one of the highest peaks in Peru and you’re also in the jungle for a bit so the landscapes change drastically which makes the trek very enjoyable.
Here are alternate transportation options to Machu Picchu.
If you’re nervous about trekking, don’t worry! This was my first trek too!
If you’re unsure of what to pack and how to prepare, the trek company gives you a packing list and a duffle bag to put your belongings. I would also recommend spending a minimum of 2 days in Cusco before the trek to acclimate to the elevation. The altitude on the Salkantay Trek is pretty high and the first night, you are staying at 3800 meters and the highest elevation is 4600 meters at the Salkantay Pass. It also gets very cold at night so you will have to bring thermals and layers. I also brought coca leaves and you are served coca tea at every meal.
In terms of physical exertion, I thought it was challenging but not impossible. My legs were very sore by the end, but I was determined to keep going every step of the way. After the trek, you can get a massage in Cusco (literally anywhere around the main square), and that was a life saver.
Since I took the Salkantay Trek, I’ll be sharing my experience with that trek but I’ll also do a run down of other options to get to Machu Picchu. It is 4 or 5 days and I chose the 4 day route since it was my first ever trek. I was glad I chose 4 days because I was exhausted by day 3 but if you do the 5 day option, you get to see another mountain and hot springs.
Where to stay in Cusco before trekking: Kokopelli Hostel
You can store all of your bags that you don’t need for the trek here and they have great breakfasts and comfy dorms.
You can also watch my series on Tiktok where I go in depth on what each day is like.
Here are the main ways to get to Machu Picchu:
- Day trip: Most tour agencies offer a day trip with a very early start and you take the train to Machu Picchu and back. The train is also the most expensive option because there are only 2 train companies so they are able to charge high prices for tourists.
- Inca Jungle Trek: This is an “adventure trek” where you get to zipline, go rafting, and other fun activities. It’s usually 3-4 days and it isn’t a ton of actual trekking.
- Inca Trail: This is the most common trek to Machu Picchu because it’s using the original Inca steps and you are visiting all of the ruins. Price wise, this is probably the most expensive option because it’s very well preserved and the Porters and guides are more expensive.
- Salkantay Trek: This is becoming more popular especially amongst backpackers because the landscapes are so diverse and it is very budget friendly.
- Go on your own: You can also plan a trip without a guide/tour and take a bus to Ollantaytambo, check out the ruins there, and take the train to Aguascalientes and spend the night, and go to Machu Picchu the next morning
Also, Machu Picchu tickets sell out quicker than trekking spaces, so I would recommend buying a ticket to Machu Picchu first, and then reserving your trek spot. Unless your trekking company sells them together.
Alright so now that you know the options, let’s get into everything you need to know about the Salkantay Trek.
I did the 4 day tour with KB Adventures which was highly recommended by other backpackers I met. KB Adventures was also super helpful by giving me a packing list and a duffle bag to carry 5kg of stuff outside of my daypack. You can also rent walking poles from them which I did and they helped immensely.
Let’s go through my 4 day itinerary of the trek. All meals are included on the trek until we arrive at Machu Picchu and the chef is incredible! There is also zero camping (which I was nervous about). I would also recommend bringing around 500 soles (around $125) for renting equipment, blankets, snacks, water. (I am not a huge nature girlie)
Although they give you a packing list, some additional things I brought were: extra water bottle, sandals to walk in, rain poncho (it did pour for an hour), thermals and extra cash (around 500 soles).
Day 1: Lake Humantay
Day 1 is around 8 miles of hiking.
We get picked up in Cusco around 4:30am (this is typical for all trips in Peru) and get to breakfast around 7:30 am. The trek starts and we hike around 3 hours and arrive at Soraypampa which is the basecamp for the night. The trek in the beginning of the day is fairly flat and temperate. It’s was probably the easiest part of the whole trek but I was still exhausted from it since it was my first trek. 
The basecamp that KB has is pretty nice and the bathrooms are also very clean but they don’t have showers. We got to rest for a bit and then we all had lunch together. The chef with KB is SO GOOD and every meal was delicious and incredibly filling. There’s always a soup, and then a bunch of options (vegetarian too) family style. 
After lunch, we started the hike to Lake Humantay. The hike is typically around 3 hours total, probably less but the altitude made it more difficult. I had heard the hike was “easy” from other people I met but it was still pretty steep to me and I struggled a bit, but it’s definitely doable! 
It’s also very chilly (I went in the beginning of June) so I would recommend bringing layers. The altitude is around 4200 meters at the base of the lake. The views are absolutely stunning though and the hike is still worth it.
Going down is much easier and takes only about 40 minutes. The one thing about going downhill is that it might make your knees sore, so I would be careful or use poles. Another pro tip: cut your toe nails before the trek or else it will make your feet very sore in your shoes because of all the downhill hiking.
You’ll get back to basecamp around 5pm and we get to chill until dinner. It gets pretty cold at night since the altitude is so high so we were all pretty bundled up. We got some snacks as everyone was coming back and we drank some coca tea and got to know each other. There were about 13 people in my group, mostly Europeans and Brazilians. 
We were done with dinner around 8pm and we met the chef and horse wrangler and learned some Quechua since they mostly spoke Quechua. Then we got ready for bed. 
We had to wake up at 5am the next day so wanted to get an early night. I rented a blanket from the shop for 10 soles (I think) because it was so cold and I even worse all of my layers in my sleeping bag.
Day 2: Salkantay Pass
Day 2 is around 15 miles of hiking.
Day 2 is the hardest day of the trek but the guide wakes you up with coca tea handed to you which made getting up much easier. You don’t even need to set an alarm because the guide will knock on your door to wake you up with the tea!
The service from the guides and the chef is seriously so luxurious, it makes trekking so much easier.
The plan for the day is to hike around 4 hours uphill to 4600 meters at the Salkantay Pass, then 5 hours downhill through the jungle to basecamp.
After breakfast, we get ready to start trekking with our daypacks. Me and about half the group decide to actually take a horse up the Salkantay Pass. I knew that if I trekked up the hardest part, I would not have enough energy to hike down. The horse cost around 100 soles ($25, kinda pricey but worth it). 
This part of the trek is also called the “Gringo Killer” because it’s super windy, steep, and at a high altitude. 
When we made it to the top, we got so lucky with the weather and Salkantay Mountain cleared up for us. We did a ritual for Pachamama and had some snacks. Our guide taught us about how the mountains are melting due to climate change and how this was also part of the Inca Trail with the stone steps. 
After around 30 minutes at the pass, we started our descent down. It was all downhill which was a nice change but it did start raining. The path down is pretty steady, but there are some parts that are a bit steep so your knees definitely get sore after a while. After 1.5 hours of hiking (and in the pouring rain for the last 10 minutes), we made it to our lunch spot!
We were all freezing in our wet clothes so the hot lunch was the perfect break. We had lomo saltado which is one of my favorite Peruvian dishes. It’s like a Chinese beef stir fry. Another fun fact about Peru: the cuisine has a lot of Chinese and Japanese influence due to the immigration there.
After lunch, we hiked for another 3 hours. We had a variety of skill levels in our hiking group which was great. You can go at your own pace and you don’t need to worry about being too slow or too fast.
We took a break at a rest stop halfway and took a bathroom break and ate some snacks. There are a few stands during the trek where you can buy snacks and use the bathroom (always bring toilet paper) and of course, let your feet rest.
By this time, we were already in the jungle and the weather was warmer and it felt amazing. We were also walking along a river the whole time and the views were incredible. The altitude is also much lower at 2800 meters so breathing was also much easier.
We reached our camp for the night at around 6pm. Here, we had cute domes to sleep in and there were showers and wifi you could pay for. You also had to pay for hot water but a cold shower was free. (Kind of a scam). 
Everyone was even more exhausted the second day so we all had dinner quickly and went to bed around 8:30pm.
Day 3: Aguascalientes
Day 3 is the longest day if you’re doing the 4 day trek because you have to walk along the Hidroelectrico too. It’s a total of about 17 miles. If you do the 5 day trek, day 3 is chill with just a 3 hour hike in the morning and then you can go to hot springs in the afternoon.
Our guide woke us up with coca tea again and we had breakfast (with cake!) and were ready to go around 7:30am and we headed on our 4 hour hike in the morning. 
Since we were in the jungle, our guide took the time to teach us about the indigenous flora and fauna and their uses in Incan culture. Our guide even showed us a bit of how the Incans used berries for face paint and he painted all of our faces. 
I’m not going to lie, the hike was pretty exhausting but it wasn’t too hard. There were a lot of little, steep hills, but then we’d go downhill so it was a good mix but after trekking for 2 days, my legs were starting to get sore. We took a break at a open field halfway where you could buy some snacks, fruit, and use the bathroom. If you haven’t tried granadilla, you need to! It was my favorite fruit in Peru. 
After an hour and a half or so more of hiking, we crossed a bridge, and made it to the road where we were picked up by a van to go to lunch! It was the best sight I’d ever seen and it felt so good to finally be able to rest.
We arrived at our lunch site which is also the camp where the rest of the group would stay for the night. For me and a few other group members, we would go on to Aguascalientes for the night. 
We had an incredible last meal with our whole group, and the chef put together the prettiest designs in the food. We said our goodbyes, and me and 3 other group members headed off to a van to the hidroeletrico where we had to still walk another 10 km along the railroad tracks. 
We could also drop off our duffel bags if we wanted and pick the bags up at the hotel.
It was a flat walk, but we were mostly walking on rocks which made my feet hurt. We took one break when we saw a shop for snacks, but other than that, we trekked on and kept going the whole 2-3 hours. Since this was the last long trek until Machu Picchu, I could not wait for it to be over.
Finally, we reached Aguascalientes where we walked to our hotel room and checked in. Having a hot shower after trekking for 3 days was probably one of the best feelings I’ve ever experienced because I was COVERED in dirt and sweat. The hotel was also covered with the trek fees and it was pretty nice. 
We all met up for dinner and met our new guide since we joined another group for the last day. I’m not going to lie when I saw my legs hurt so bad walking to and from dinner (and it was just a few blocks).
We went to bed at around 9pm to get ready for the final day: MACHU PICCHU!
Day 4: MACHU PICCHU
This is the day we’ve all been waiting for. We woke up at 4:30am because we wanted to start walking at 5am. The trek up to Machu Picchu takes about an hour and it’s around 1800 steps I believe. We all had Machu Picchu tickets for 6am and we can enter until around 7am.
You can also take a bus from Aguascalientes to Machu Picchu for around $12 but we wanted to trek because we wanted to finish it right.
And the walk to the entrance was about 3 km. Our hotel arranged breakfast to go so we brought that with us on the trek and started walking. We left our duffle bags at the hotel to pick up after Machu Picchu. It was still dark out and my legs were sore as soon as we started walking. 
After MANY breaks (I’m talking one every 5-10 steps) because my legs were on FIRE, we finally made it to the top. I genuinely shed a tear or 2 on the last step because I was so exhausted and relieved. And these steps are pretty big too because they are the original Incan steps. 
We entered Machu Picchu and it was a glorious moment seeing the city for the first time. Every step on the trek was worth the reward. It surpassed every expectation I had and we walked through the Sun gates at around 8am. It was still a bit cloudy but the sun was just starting to peak through and push the clouds away. You could also faintly see Salkantay on the other side of Machu Picchu. 
Our guide sat us down and we learned a bit about the history of Machu Picchu and how it was “discovered”. We then walked through the Machu Picchu city where we got to see some alpacas roaming and we learned about each room and how the Incans told time by using shadows. It’s incredible how big and well preserved the city is.
After spending about 2 hours at Machu Picchu, we were ready to leave at around 11am. I would also recommend getting an early ticket because it gets extremely hot and crowded mid day. 
I ended up taking the bus down for $12 because there was no way I would walk down the stairs. My legs could not handle any more walking, and it was such a good decision.
After 4 days of trekking, I had walked a total of over 115,000 steps and 45 miles.
I also got to explore a bit of Aguascalientes before I left because it’s a beautiful town with a river running through it. 
I separated from the rest of my group because they had to walk the hidroeletrico back but I was able to take the train. I think the train is worth it but it is an additional $75 because there are only 2 options. 
