Salkantay Trekking ToursSalkantay Trek 5 Days: Hiking Holiday with Tickets Included
This Salkantay trek 5 days listing from Machu Picchu Holiday Tours costs $500 per person and covers 72 km over four hiking days. It bundles the Machu Picchu entrance ticket, the train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo with the transfer to Cusco, and 12 meals. You sleep two nights in a Mountain Sky Hut, one night in tents and one night in a hotel in Aguas Calientes. The catch is that the listing is new and has no ratings yet, so you book on trust rather than on reviews. This page sets out the days, the inclusions and the extras so you can weigh it against other Salkantay trek tours.
About This Trek
Machu Picchu Holiday Tours sells this as a 5-day Salkantay hike from Cusco with a small group limited to 10 participants. The fine print elsewhere on the listing mentions a maximum of 15. The four hiking days run about 10, 22, 16 and 24 km, with the Salkantay Pass given at 4,700 m on the listing. You overnight two nights in a Mountain Sky Hut, one in tents and one in a hotel in Aguas Calientes.
The price is $500 and it includes the Machu Picchu entrance, the train tickets from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, hotel pickup in Cusco, professional guides, camping equipment, horses for the main luggage and a first-aid kit. The Cocalmayo hot spring ticket of USD 15 is paid on top, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure.
$500 per person, plus a Cocalmayo hot spring ticket of USD 15 paid on site
5 days, 4 nights, with four hiking days totalling 72 km
Mountain Sky Hut for 2 nights, tents for 1 night and a hotel in Aguas Calientes for 1 night
Included. Entrance tickets to Machu Picchu are in the price
Train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo, then a transfer to Cusco, both included
Limited to 10 participants. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund, and reserve now, pay later
Check Dates and Availability
Starting times are not fixed in the listing, so check availability for your date. Groups are limited to 10.
Quick answer Price, days and what is included
This Salkantay trek 5 days costs $500 per person, lasts 5 days and 4 nights, and includes the Machu Picchu entrance ticket, train tickets and 12 meals. The Salkantay Pass is given at 4,700 m and the total hiking distance is 72 km. A Cocalmayo hot spring ticket of USD 15 is extra. The listing is new, so it carries no ratings yet.
Key takeaways
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure, and you pay nothing today when you reserve. See what the price covers.
- The pass day is about 22 km and 9 to 10 hours. Read how the trek runs day by day.
- Want a booking with thousands of reviews behind it? Compare the Classic 5-Day Salkantay Trek or the Salkantay Glass Cabins Trek.
- For the route, altitude and seasons beyond this listing, see the guide to Salkantay trek tours.
What the Price Actually Covers
The $500 price for this Salkantay trek 5 days bundles the Machu Picchu ticket and the train. The table below comes straight from the operator listing.
In the $500
The listing includes entrance tickets to Machu Picchu, train tickets from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, all necessary transport with Cusco hotel pickup, professional guides in English or Spanish, high-quality camping equipment, tents for the camping night, one hotel night in Aguas Calientes, horses for the main luggage and a first-aid kit. Meals are breakfast x 4, lunch x 4 and dinner x 4, so 12 of your meals are covered.
The Machu Picchu ticket and the train are two items that several other listings on this site mark as excluded.
- Machu Picchu entrance ticket
- Train tickets Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes and the transfer to Cusco
- Cusco hotel pickup and all necessary transport
- 12 meals across 5 days
- Guides, camping equipment, horses and first-aid kit
Paid on Top
The mandatory extra is the Cocalmayo hot spring entrance ticket, USD 15, paid on the trip. Gratuities, personal expenses and travel insurance are excluded. Drinks are not stated as included. The listing counts 4 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 4 dinners.
Check the sleeping bag too. The listing includes tents and camping equipment but does not state a sleeping bag, so confirm with the operator before you go or compare the Salkantay 5-Day Trek with Gear, which lists a sleeping bag and trekking sticks as included for $650.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Machu Picchu entrance | Yes | Entrance tickets included |
| Train to Ollantaytambo and transfer to Cusco | Yes | Included on the return |
| Cusco hotel pickup | Yes | All necessary transport included |
| Meals | Yes | Breakfast x 4, lunch x 4, dinner x 4 |
| Cocalmayo hot springs | No | USD 15 paid on top, listed as mandatory |
| Sleeping bag | Not stated | Included list covers camping equipment but no bag is named |
| Travel insurance | No | Excluded, arrange your own |
| Gratuities | No | Excluded |
Nevado Salkantay seen from the approach to the Soraypampa campsite. Photo: McKay Savage from London, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Trek Day by Day
Four hiking days of 72 km total, then Machu Picchu on foot from Aguas Calientes. All figures below are the operator listing's own.
Day 1: Cusco to Lake Humantay and Quiswarniyoc
A moderate opening day of about 10 km (roughly 6 miles) over 5 to 6 hours, exploring Lake Humantay before camping at Quiswarniyoc at 4,000 m. Meals are breakfast, lunch and dinner and the night is in the Mountain Sky Hut. The listing warns of cold, windy nights in the dry season with temperatures that could drop to -5 degrees Celsius.
Day 2: Quiswarniyoc to Salkantay Pass and Chawllay
The big day. Challenging, about 22 km (roughly 14 miles) over 9 to 10 hours, climbing to the highest point at Salkantay Pass, given as 4,700 m on this listing. Other guides put the pass between 4,580 and 4,660 m, so treat 4,700 m as the operator's figure.
You then descend to the Chawllay camp at 2,900 m, again in the Mountain Sky Hut.
Day 3: Santa Teresa Valley to Lucmabamba and Cocalmayo
An easy day of about 16 km (roughly 10 miles) over 5 to 6 hours through the Santa Teresa valley, camping in tents at Lucmabamba at 2,000 m. The day includes the Santa Teresa thermal baths, which is where the USD 15 Cocalmayo ticket comes in. It is hot and humid by day and cold at night.
Day 4: Llactapata Ruins to Aguas Calientes
The second hard day: about 24 km (roughly 15 miles) over 8 to 9 hours, up to 2,700 m at Llactapata. You explore the Inca ruins and the Machu Picchu viewpoint, then descend through jungle to Aguas Calientes at 2,000 m for a hotel night. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included.
Day 5: Machu Picchu and Back to Cusco
Up around 4 am for breakfast at the hotel, then a walk towards Machu Picchu starting about 4:30 am. The listing gives the hike from Aguas Calientes as about 1.5 hours, mixing 30 minutes of flat trail with an hour of stone steps to the main entrance. After the visit you take the train to Ollantaytambo and then a transfer to Cusco.
Who This Trek Rules Out
The listing sets hard limits. Check them before you commit.
Age, Health and Fitness
The listing says the trek is not suitable for children under 10 or people over 70, for pregnant women, or for people with back or heart problems. Travellers must be of average physical condition, and the operator rates day 2 and day 4 as challenging. If you are unsure about the pass day at 4,700 m, read the guide to how hard the Salkantay trek is.
Booking and Ticket Rules
The Machu Picchu entrance is included. One ticket guide states that entry requires a passport matching the purchase, so book with the name on your passport. The good news here is the cancellation terms: free up to 24 hours before departure, and you can reserve now and pay later.
If you want maximum flexibility over gear and tickets in one booking, the Salkantay 5-Day Trek with Gear runs a similar Mountain Sky Hut itinerary with sleeping bag and hot springs included for $650.
Who Should Book Elsewhere
This is a new listing with zero ratings, so if you want a booking backed by thousands of reviews, look at the Classic 5-Day Salkantay Trek with 5,267 reviews at 5.0, or the Salkantay Glass Cabins Trek with 2,900 reviews. Prefer more comfort underfoot and no camping at all? The Salkantay Sky Lodge Domes Trek sleeps you in domes with private bathrooms, though its Machu Picchu ticket and return are extra.
The Cocalmayo hot springs near Santa Teresa. Photo: TMbux, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Before the Pickup and After Machu Picchu
The trek starts and ends in Cusco, so acclimatisation and packing decide how day 2 feels. The return needs no extra planning, it is in the price.
Acclimatise in Cusco First
Cusco sits at about 3,400 m, and the NHS notes altitude sickness usually begins above 2,500 m, with symptoms starting 6 to 10 hours after arrival. The NHS advises against jumping from below 1,200 m to above 3,500 m in one day, and above 3,000 m it suggests no more than 300 m of sleeping-height gain per night. Wikivoyage recommends at least 2 to 3 days at Cusco-like altitude before the trek.
Day 1 of this trek sleeps you at 4,000 m and day 2 crosses the pass at 4,700 m, so arrive early. More on this in the homepage section on altitude and fitness.
What to Pack
The listing asks for sunglasses, a hat, biodegradable sunscreen, rain gear, cash, clothes that can get dirty, a flashlight, personal medication, closed-toe shoes, biodegradable insect repellent and trekking gear. Night temperatures on the high camps can reach -5 degrees Celsius in the dry season, and the lower valley days are hot and humid, so you need both warm layers and light clothing. The full Salkantay trek packing list covers the details.
The Way Back
The return is handled. After Machu Picchu you walk back down to Aguas Calientes, take the included train to Ollantaytambo, then an included transfer to Cusco. The listing does not state the arrival time in Cusco, so leave a generous buffer before any evening flight or book a night in Cusco.
See the homepage section on what the listing price covers for how this return compares with rivals that charge the train separately.
Itinerary at a Glance
Five days from Cusco pickup to the Machu Picchu visit and the train home, as the operator listing describes them.
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Day 1
Humantay Lake and the Mountain Sky Hut
Pickup in Cusco, then a moderate 10 km hike of 5 to 6 hours exploring Lake Humantay. Camp at Quiswarniyoc at 4,000 m in the Mountain Sky Hut with breakfast, lunch and dinner.
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Day 2
Over Salkantay Pass
The hardest day: about 22 km in 9 to 10 hours to the pass at 4,700 m, then down to Chawllay at 2,900 m. Second night in the Mountain Sky Hut.
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Day 3
Santa Teresa Valley and hot springs
An easy 16 km, 5 to 6 hours through the valley to a tented camp at Lucmabamba at 2,000 m, with the Santa Teresa thermal baths. The Cocalmayo ticket of USD 15 applies.
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Day 4
Llactapata ruins to Aguas Calientes
A challenging 24 km, 8 to 9 hours over the Llactapata ruins at 2,700 m with the Machu Picchu viewpoint, then down to a hotel in Aguas Calientes at 2,000 m.
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Day 5
Machu Picchu and the return
Walk from about 4:30 am, roughly 1.5 hours up stone steps to the entrance. Visit Machu Picchu with the included ticket, then take the train to Ollantaytambo and transfer to Cusco.
What Works and What Does Not
An honest read of this listing against the wider market of Salkantay departures.
What we genuinely like
- The Machu Picchu entrance ticket and the train back with the transfer to Cusco are in the $500 price
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure and reserve now, pay later
- Group listed as limited to 10, though the fine print mentions a maximum of 15
- Horses carry the main luggage and 12 meals are included
The honest downsides
- The listing is new with no ratings, so you cannot check past travellers' experiences
- The Cocalmayo hot spring ticket of USD 15 is a mandatory extra
- No sleeping bag is named among the inclusions, so confirm with the operator
- Day 2 is about 22 km and 9 to 10 hours at up to 4,700 m, a long high-altitude day
Who it's NOT for: Not for travellers under 10 or over 70, pregnant women, people with back or heart problems, or anyone who wants a booking backed by thousands of reviews.
Questions About This Trek
How much does this Salkantay trek 5 days cost?
$500 per person, with a mandatory Cocalmayo hot spring ticket of USD 15 paid on the trip. Gratuities and travel insurance are excluded. For a wider price picture, see the guide to Salkantay trek cost.
Is the Machu Picchu ticket included?
Yes, entrance tickets to Machu Picchu are in the price, along with the train tickets from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes and the transfer back to Cusco. One ticket guide states that entry requires a passport matching the purchase. See what the price covers.
How hard is the pass day?
Day 2 is rated challenging: about 22 km over 9 to 10 hours to Salkantay Pass, given as 4,700 m on this listing, before descending to camp at 2,900 m. The listing requires average physical condition. More detail in how hard the Salkantay trek is.
Where do I sleep each night?
Two nights in a Mountain Sky Hut, one night in tents at Lucmabamba at 2,000 m and one night in a hotel in Aguas Calientes. Tents and high-quality camping equipment are included but no sleeping bag is named, so confirm before booking or compare the Salkantay 5-Day Trek with Gear which includes one.
Can I cancel if my plans change?
Yes. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later. That flexibility matters because one ticket guide reports that Machu Picchu tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable once issued. Check dates on the availability widget.
This listing has no reviews. Should I book it?
It is a new activity with zero ratings, so you are relying on the operator's description and the 24-hour free cancellation. If reviews matter to you, the Classic 5-Day Salkantay Trek has 5,267 reviews at 5.0 and the Salkantay Glass Cabins Trek has 2,900.
What should I bring on the trek?
The listing asks for sunglasses, a hat, biodegradable sunscreen, rain gear, cash, clothes that can get dirty, a flashlight, personal medication, closed-toe shoes, biodegradable insect repellent and trekking gear. Nights on the high camps can hit -5 degrees Celsius, so pack warm layers too. The full Salkantay trek packing list has the complete kit.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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