Salkantay Trek hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Salkantay Trek is the best-known alternative route to Machu Picchu. It crosses the Cordillera Vilcabamba below Salkantay (6,271 m), the highest mountain near Cusco, then drops from glaciers and alpine grassland into cloud forest and coffee farms before it reaches Aguas Calientes, the town below Machu Picchu. Most hikers walk it in 4 days and visit Machu Picchu on day 5. Unlike the Inca Trail, it needs no permit and has no daily quota. You sleep in camps, domes, family refuges and lodges, and you can walk it with an agency or on your own.

The route

The trek starts at Challacancha (about 3,800 m), the road end above the village of Mollepata, 3 hours by road from Cusco. A short first day follows an old irrigation channel to Soraypampa (3,900 m), where most groups spend the afternoon on the steep side trip to Humantay Lake (4,200 m, 3 to 4 hours return). Day 2 is the big one: a climb of about 700 m past Salkantaypampa to the Salkantay Pass (about 4,630 m), then a long descent past the lunch stop at Huayracmachay to Chaullay (2,900 m). Day 3 follows the Santa Teresa river down through Collpapampa and the cloud forest to La Playa (Playa Sahuayaco) and on to the coffee farms of Lucmabamba (about 2,000 m). Day 4 climbs the old Inca path to the Llactapata pass (about 2,800 m), where you see Machu Picchu across the valley, then drops to Hidroeléctrica and follows the railway for about 10 km to Aguas Calientes.

This guide follows the route mapped on OpenStreetMap from Challacancha to Aguas Calientes and splits it into 4 stages, about 16.3 km each. Humantay Lake is an out-and-back side trip and is not counted. Many 4-day itineraries skip Llactapata and take a van from La Playa to Santa Teresa and Hidroeléctrica instead.

Highlights

• Humantay Lake: a turquoise glacial lake below Humantay peak, the classic side trip from Soraypampa
• Salkantay Pass: the highest point of the trek, below the ice of Salkantay
• From ice to jungle: in two days you descend more than 2,500 m, from glaciers to orchids, bamboo, waterfalls and passion fruit
• Lucmabamba: coffee farms where many camps offer a coffee tour
• Llactapata: a little-visited Inca site with a distant view of Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu
• Machu Picchu: the reward on day 5, best seen early in the morning

When to go

The dry season from May to September brings clear skies, cold nights (often below freezing at Soraypampa) and the busiest trail, especially June to August. April, October and November are quieter, with some rain. The wet season from December to March brings daily rain, mud and landslides in the forest section, and snow is possible on the pass in any month. The trail stays open when the Inca Trail closes in February, but Llactapata may be replaced by the valley road after heavy rain. Machu Picchu has more tickets on high-demand dates (5,600 a day from 19 June to 2 November 2026), but Circuit 2 still sells out weeks ahead.

How hard is it?

The Salkantay Trek is a hard high-altitude walk on clear paths and dirt roads. The challenge is the altitude: you sleep at 3,900 m on the first night and cross a pass of about 4,630 m on day 2, before your body has adapted. Spend at least 2 or 3 days in Cusco (3,400 m) or the Sacred Valley first. Day 2 means 6 to 8 hours of walking with about 900 m up and 1,900 m down, and day 4 has a steep, rough climb and descent through forest. Horses can be hired for the climb to the pass. Altitude sickness is the main danger: a headache, nausea or breathlessness at rest are reasons to go down, not up.

Permits, tickets and booking

No permit is needed for the Salkantay Trek. Local communities charge small cash fees, for example for Humantay Lake (about PEN 30 for foreigners). The one thing you must book is your Machu Picchu ticket, on the official site tuboleto.cultura.pe. Since September 2026 there is no reservation step: you choose the date, circuit, route and entry time and pay within 15 minutes, and the ticket is linked to your passport. The site has 3 circuits: Circuit 2 (the classic route) is the one most hikers want, Circuit 1 includes Machu Picchu Mountain and Circuit 3 includes Huayna Picchu. From 1 May 2026 an adult foreigner's ticket costs PEN 163 (press reports). You have 30 minutes after your entry time (45 minutes in high season) to reach the gate. Large packs, trekking poles, food and drones are not allowed inside.

Agency treks cost from about US$500 to over US$1,500 and include transport, guide, cook, mules and camps or domes; check that the Machu Picchu ticket, the bus up and the train back are included. Independent hikers can stay with local families (Refugios Salkantay and others) or camp, but should carry cash for meals and fees. Book Aguas Calientes rooms early in the dry season.

Getting there and away

Agency groups are collected in Cusco at about 4 to 5 am and driven via Mollepata to Challacancha or Soraypampa. Independent hikers take a minibus from Cusco to Mollepata (about 3 hours) and a local car up the road. From Aguas Calientes the Consettur bus goes up to Machu Picchu (25 to 30 minutes), or you can climb about 1.5 hours of steps from Puente Ruinas. To return, take a PeruRail or Inca Rail train to Ollantaytambo and a bus to Cusco, or walk or take the train back to Hidroeléctrica for the cheaper 6-hour minibus to Cusco. Outest also has a guide to the Inca Trail if you want to combine both.

Money and phone signal

Bring Peruvian soles in small notes for fees, drinks, snacks, hot showers and tips; there are no cash machines on the trail. Aguas Calientes has cash machines and card payments. Mobile signal is patchy: some camps at Soraypampa, Collpapampa and Lucmabamba have Wi-Fi or a signal, but there is none on the pass. Most camps have limited power, so carry a power bank.

What to pack

• warm layers, a down jacket, hat and gloves for nights near 0 °C and wind on the pass
• a waterproof jacket and trousers, and a rain cover for your pack
• sun protection: sunglasses, sun hat and high-factor sunscreen
• strong insect repellent for the forest section (days 3 and 4)
• a water filter or purification tablets
• your passport, which you need for your Machu Picchu ticket and train
• a small day pack (under 40 x 35 x 20 cm) for Machu Picchu

Safety

There is no mountain rescue on the route. In an emergency call 106 for an ambulance or 105 for the police, but help can only reach the road ends, and horses or a helicopter arranged through travel insurance are often the only way out. Acclimatise in Cusco, walk at your own pace, and turn back if altitude sickness gets worse. Every stage page lists the nearest help.