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120 hours
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Enjoy an incredible Salkantay trekking with a connection to the high Andean glacier. Feel the connection with mother nature (medicinal plants, animals of the area). Appreciate the sunset and sunrise in the mountains with incredible landscapes. Enjoy the Humantay Lake the most famous lake in Cusco. Observe incredible views of mountains, lagoons, waterfalls, canyons and glaciers. Get to know the Andean wildlife. Visit the wonder of the world Machu Picchu in 5 days by a route of the Inca Trail of Salkantay.
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
First-aid kit including an emergency oxygen bottle
Duffle Bag for 4 Kilos of your personal gear(carried by the horses)
One way Bus Ticket to Machupicchu
Private Transport during your trip with a profesional tour guide
Train ticket to return Aguas Calientes - Ollantaytambo
Tips for our staff
Select a pickup point
Camping in a comfortable and reliable tents
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
LUNCH
Lunch
DINNER
Dinner
Cusco
After pick up from the hotel (4:00 a.m. approx.), we will ride in our private van towards the town of Mollepata for approximately 3 hours.
Mollepata
Upon arrival at this town, we will have time to enjoy breakfast before continuing another hour in the van until Challacancha, where we will start our trek. We will walk for 3 hours alongside the water channel until we reach the Soraypampa camp.
We will have our organic lunch and we enjoy clean water to drink and fill our water bottles, all with a panoramic view of the Salkantay Glacier Salkantay and Humantay mountains, and others.
Humantay Lake Peru
In the afternoon we will visit the Humantay Lagoon (4200 masl), where our guide will lead a Pachamama Kintu, a type of offering to connect with Pachamama - Mother Earth. The offering is to the Salkantay and Humantay mountains, and in exchange for these gifts, we hope they offer us protection.
We finally finish with the descent to the Soraypampa camp (3850 masl) where we will have tea time, dinner, and a well-deserved rest.
Camping in a comfortable and reliable tents
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
LUNCH
Lunch
DINNER
Dinner
After a strengthening breakfast, we will have clean water to fill our water bottles, before we start our trek to the Salkantay pass, located at 4,620m, and the highest point of our trek.
On the way to the Abra Salkantay, we will be able to observe llamas, alpacas, birds such as the Salkantay condor, and Andean landscapes. We will then have a short rest to appreciate the wonder of the mountains that make up the Andes Mountain range. Along the hike we will find stone mounds called Apachetas, and our guide will provide an explanation about these and other features, we will also have a small ceremony with Leaves of plants in the area to Pacha Mama (Mother Nature) take care of us and protect us during the classic Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu. Then we will descend for approximately 3 hours to the Wayracmachay.
Lunch point, by the edge of the Amazon jungle in the Cusco region. After lunch, we will continue walking for approximately 4 hours until we reach the Chaullay camp.
Along the way, we will appreciate hummingbirds and other species of birds, small mammals, and reptiles, and then we have tea time and dinner before spending the night in Chaullay Camp.
Camping in a comfortable and reliable tents
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
LUNCH
Lunch
DINNER
Dinner
After our delicious breakfast, we will fill our bottles with clean water to drink, and then we will leave Chaullay at 6:00 am approx.
Along the way, we will be connecting with the tropical jungle where we will pass through narrow trails and waterfalls, valleys with abundant flora and fauna typical of the area such as different species of Orchids, medicinal plants, Peruvian Hummingbirds, and local family farms where you will taste the tropical fruit granadilla. After an organic lunch, we have an organic coffee tour and tasting. which will take around 2 hours, then at the campsite, we will have tea time and dinner.
Stay in a 3-star hotel
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
LUNCH
Lunch
DINNER
Dinner
After a 5:00 am wake up with a drink and a breakfast with tropical fruits, we will fill the water bottles with clean water, and then say goodbye to our chef and kitchen assistant.
Mirador de Llactapata
We will begin to walk through the tropical forest area and coffee plantations before arriving at the archaeological center of Llactapata and enjoying the panoramic view of Machu Picchu, Huayna Picchu mountain, Huchuy Machu Picchu and the sacred city of the Incas and their valleys and ravines.
Aguas Calientes
The adventure continues with a descent to the Hydroelectric dam, which should take around 2 hours, where we will have our lunch, before continuing with 3 hours of walking along the flat railway path until we reach the Machu Picchu town of Aguas Calientes where we will settle in the hotel, have dinner and an explanation for the Machu Picchu tour for the next day.
BREAKFAST
Breakfast
Aguas Calientes
Today is an important day because you will explore Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Machu Picchu sanctuary is open from 6:00 am. For this activity, we will start with breakfast at our hotel. Our guide will explain the restrictions of Machu Picchu. We recommend taking the bus from Aguas Calientes town up to Machu Picchu, but the other option is to walk uphill for an hour and a half until you reach the historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu
To pass the control points, we need to have entrance tickets to Machu Picchu and a personal passport. Once we enter, we have a 3-hour guided Machu Picchu Tour. In Machu Picchu LLaqta, we will observe the Inca architecture and the Inca hydraulic engineering and the important sites of the archaeological center. We will stop by the classic photo spots, the main gate to the urban sector of the Incas quarries of Machu Picchu, the main temple of Machu Picchu (Temple of the Sun), the Royal Tomb, the Intiwatana sundial, the Temple of the 3 Windows, the central square and Sacred Rock of Machu Picchu, the Craft Sector, the Temple of the Condor and others. Our official guide will explain in detail about Machu Picchu and its key places.
Aguas Calientes
We recommend taking the bus back down to the village 3 hours before your train departs. In Aguas Calientes town you can have lunch, visit the hot springs, or walk through the city and the craft market.
Ollantaytambo
At the indicated time we will take the train back to the sacred valley of Ollantaytambo where the representative of Dog Travel Peru waits for you.
Cusco
So you can board the bus that will take us back to Cusco. We will there finish our classic Inca Trail adventure.
Pickup included
5 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
cecek139,
Sep 21, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
I recently finished the trek with a friend. As two young female travelers with limited trekking experience, we couldn't have imagined a better guide or more meaningful adventure than the one we had with David and Peruvian Culture Tours. We chose the classic 5-day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu. This business is the definition of integrity. Unlike big companies, Peruvian Culture Tours directly helps local families and sustains local cultures. David, who founded the company with his wife, has deep roots in the region, is himself indigenous, and only hires indigenous teams from the region. He also pointed us to various local producers for where to purchase coffee/chocolate etc. He cares so deeply about using Peruvian Culture Tours to lift up his region and puts sustainability–cultural and environmental–at the heart of the business. Everything you could need is included. David carried oxygen and is trained in first aid, we had ample snacks, and were woken up each morning with a cup of coca tea! Every campsite was stunning and incredibly comfortable. The food was amazing, fresh, and abundant!! We left feeling like we had a wonderful new friend/family in our lives. It was truly an experience of a lifetime!! This is a new business and absolutely one worth supporting!! I have traveled extensively and have never met a guide like David. If you’re thinking about doing any trek to Machu Picchu, look no further than David and Peruvian Culture Tours.






G2283WBisabellev,
Sep 21, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
My 5 day trek on the Salkantay trail to Machu Picchu was nothing short of incredible. From the very beginning, the experience was deeply rooted in the local culture and traditions, making it far more than just a physical journey. Our guide, David, a native of the Sacred Valley region, brought the mountains and their history to life through his knowledge of the region’s plants, animals, people, history and culture. He is also just an incredibly inspiring and kind person. We encountered so many different landscapes on one trek: mountains, lakes, glaciers, hills, cloud forests, and jungles. Our guide knew the terrain expertly well, and took us off the beaten path to see hidden sects of wildlife, including Llamas, toucans, and showing us medicinal plants! Peruvian culture tours supports indigenous communities in the region by employing indigenous people, guiding us to sustainable business to purchase things, as well as being run by an indigenous family. David also has a passion for helping the many stray dogs in the area, and donates part of the profits to this effort. As a female solo traveler, I felt incredibly safe, cared for and prepared. David anticipated everything, carried first aid supplies and Oxygen, and was patient with everyone’s pace. The logistics were seamless, and the lodging was very comfortable and they kindly set up the tent each night. The food was beyond delicious, the chef prepared beautiful and elaborate meals with local ingredients. And we were woken up each morning with a hot cup of Coca tea! Everything needed was included, and they didn’t miss a thing. If you're looking for an adventure that goes beyond the typical tourist experience, I can’t recommend this trek enough. It was absolutely worth every penny, and I would recommend Peruvian culture tours to absolutely everyone!





Nicola B,
Jun 3, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
David from Peruvian culture tours organised my Salkantay 5 day hike extremely well. I did not have to worry about a thing. David had included in the cost hotel booking , bus and train tickets and my pre purchased Machu Picchu ticket. Which many travellers did not have on this hike which added stress to the last days of this trip. David and his wife were very helpful and extremely kind. Beautiful people I felt so grateful.






jameshZ9376KQ,
Jun 1, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
No question Peruvian Culture Tours with David is the way to do Salkantay. His business is just starting to take off and there may not be a ton of reviews, but don't let that distract from the fact that David (and PCT) is an awesome professional. I met him on an Amazon expedition before he started Peruvian Culture Tours and was blown away by his genuine passion for his country and its beautiful peoples, cultures, landscapes, and nature. When my friend visited, there was no doubt in my mind we should hike the Salkantay trail with David. And man was our trust in David rewarded. Firstly, the Salkantay trail is beautiful start to finish. I've done a decent amount of backpacking/hiking, and I've never done a trail so diverse and beautiful. From the base of Salkantay to the depths of the Andean cloud forest, there was never a dull sight. And David is the perfect person to guide you and unpack everything to be experienced at every point in the trail. He knows the ins and outs of the trail, as he grew up in a small town near Cusco. He perfectly structured the days so that we were never overwhelmed with the day's route nor bored with only a small walk on any given day. He also has assembled a great family team to take care of all the logistics. Every meal was hot and fresh cooked, the tents were comfortable, and most of your gear is carried by donkey or bus to the next campsite, allowing you to enjoy the trail with minimal gear. Additionally, the price is better than any other company I could find. David is also a true expert in everything related to Salkantay. He can identify every plant and animal encountered over the various terrain. He knows the comprehensive history of the Inca Empire and Quechua people. He also has extensive knowledge of the geography and geology of the area, both past and present. Whatever you're interested in, David can cover it extensively. Finally, David lives his life with an ethical conviction that is deeply admirable. He runs a true family operation where profits help the family, not get funneled into the pockets of rich owners of the larger operations in the area. He also contributes a portion of revenue to his ongoing effort to improve the lives of the large population of stray dogs (big problem in Peru) living in and around Cusco. Bottom line - choosing Peruvian Culture Tours with David is the right decision for every possible reason.




Katherine L,
May 30, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
Incredible Salkantay trek with David. My boyfriend and I (23 years old and female) have lived in Peru for nine months and had visited Machu Picchu twice before going just now with David post-trek. I am incredibly inspired by his enthusiasm and passion for work. A private salkantay trek with David is cheaper and more individualized than any other company I had researched. Instead of being in a group of 25, left miles behind the guide on the trail, David was with my group of three every step of the way. Every day we woke up with a steaming cup of coca tea. The pace of the trek was set by you, and David was always providing insight into animals and plants which other guides were clearly skipping. On the third day we went to the thermal baths, which was also a great experience. Daily snacks were provided as well as an unlimited amount of water. We learned about quechua traditions (current and old) and ate absolutely delicious food. His english, spanish, and quechua are perfect as well. I sincerely could not recommend Peruvian Culture tours more!!





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