Private Salkantay Trek: 4 Days, Tents, Hotel and Vistadome Train

What You Still Pay for

Three meals sit outside the price: breakfast on day 1, lunch on the last day in Aguas Calientes and the last dinner. Tips for the guide, cook and porters are yours to add, and travel insurance is excluded. Sleeping bags and walking sticks are rented separately rather than included, so confirm the rental cost with the operator before you go.

The trek entrance fee of S/20 payable at the start of the route, listed by Wikivoyage, is not mentioned in this listing, so ask the operator if it is covered. Never assume the sticker price is the final bill on a trek at this level.

An Honest Note on the Price

At $1,265 this is the dearest listing on the site, and the booking is non-refundable. The fix is simple: lock your flights first, then book, and consider travel insurance that covers the pass altitude. Intrepid notes that many insurers exclude altitude above 4,000 m, and the pass is listed at 4,630 m.

Day 1: Cusco to Soraypampa, Humantay Lake and Sorococha

An early private pick-up at your Cusco hotel starts the day, then the drive to Soraypampa, the trailhead. From Soraypampa, which sits at about 3,900 m, you make a moderate hike to Humantay Lake, the turquoise glacier lagoon the listing highlights. After lunch you climb on to Sorococha, the high camp for the night.

The listing gives no distance or walking hours for this day. Breakfast on day 1 is your own cost.

Day 2: Sorococha Over the Salkantay Pass to Chaullay and Lucmabamba

This is the big one. The route crosses the Salkantay Pass at 4,630 m (15,190 ft), the figure this listing gives, though other sources put the pass between 4,580 m and 4,660 m. From the top you descend into cloud forest, past waterfalls, to Chaullay and on to Lucmabamba, where you camp among coffee plantations.

One trekker's account of the same Soraypampa to Chaullay stretch records about 8 hours of walking and 810 m of gain, which gives a sense of the day's scale. The listing itself states no hours for this trek.

Day 3: Lucmabamba to Llactapata, Hidroeléctrica and Aguas Calientes

You walk an original Inca Trail section to the Llactapata ruins, which look across the valley to Machu Picchu. After a break you descend to the hydroelectric station for lunch, then follow the railway through the jungle. The listing includes a train from Hidroeléctrica to Aguas Calientes, a ride that PeruRail puts at about 30 minutes, in place of the roughly 2.5-hour walk.

You sleep in a hotel with a private room and bathroom, and the celebration dinner in a restaurant is included.

Day 4: Machu Picchu and the Vistadome Back to Cusco

A shuttle bus takes you up from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu early. Your private guide leads the tour, with the Temple of the Sun, the Sacred Plaza and the Intihuatana Stone named in the listing. Lunch in town and the last dinner are your own cost.

Then the Vistadome train runs to Ollantaytambo, a journey that takes about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, and a private transfer carries you on to Cusco, arriving in the evening.

Children, Pregnancy and Health Limits

The listing is not suitable for children under 8, pregnant women, or people with back or heart problems. The 4,630 m pass is the reason, since altitude sickness usually begins above 2,500 m. If your group includes young children or anyone with those conditions, look at a shorter option such as the Humantay Lake and Salkantay Pass 2-day trek, which still does not solve the pass, or read the altitude and fitness page before deciding.

No Refunds and No Reviews

This activity is non-refundable, and the listing is new with no ratings yet. That combination asks a lot of your confidence. If you want a track record, the Classic 5-Day Salkantay Trek carries thousands of verified reviews.

If you want flexibility, the Salkantay Sky Lodge Domes trek offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

The Solo and Budget Travellers

The price is per person in a private group, so a solo trekker carries the whole private format alone and the listing does not state a solo supplement. Budget travellers should note the rentals and missed meals on top of $1,265. The 4-day Sky Camp trek and the 5-day Vistadome trek with TreXperience both run as group departures at a lower price.

The Passport Rule

Operator guides say Machu Picchu entry requires a passport matching the ticket purchase. Because this booking is non-refundable and the ticket is subject to availability, book with the passport you will actually travel on. If your passport is mid-renewal, wait until the new one arrives.

Acclimatise in Cusco First

Cusco sits at about 3,400 m (11,200 ft), and altitude sickness usually starts above 2,500 m. The listing itself tells you to acclimatise before the trek. Wikivoyage recommends at least 2 to 3 days at Cusco's altitude before setting out, and the NHS advises against jumping from below 1,200 m to above 3,500 m in one day.

Build the rest days into your plan, not around it. The altitude and fitness page has more on symptoms and descent rules.

What to Pack

The listing asks for warm clothing, a hat, hiking shoes, sunscreen, water, snacks and a camera. One operator guide puts night temperatures in the high areas as low as minus 10 C, while the cloud forest days are humid and warm, so carry both hot and cold layers. Remember the mules carry personal items up to 7 kg, and the sleeping bag is a rental rather than included.

The full Salkantay trek packing list covers the details.

The Way Home

After the guided visit you bus back down to Aguas Calientes, lunch in town at your own cost, and board the Vistadome train to Ollantaytambo. The listing states no departure time for the train, only that arrival in Cusco comes in the evening, with a private transfer dropping you at your hotel. The last dinner is on you, so either eat in Ollantaytambo or wait for Cusco.