We booked this tour after learning that Inca trail passes were sold out for our dates. However I don't regret a bit of choosing this tour as we experienced a real beauty of Peru far from the touristy paths. Our guide Wilfredo was amazing. He shared with us a lot of interesting facts about Inca's people and their culture. The hike was quite challenging for me personally but with his help and support I got through it with the minimal discomfort. I highly recommend bringing rainproof jackets or ponchos on the trip regardless of how nice the weather seems to be. We got tricked by the sunny morning and were soaked in the afternoon. Also it gets very very cold in the mountains at night. Please layer up and have pair of gloves on you. SPF is a must thing to use even on a cloudy day. My nose got burned from the cold wind and a sun and starting peeling. Bring coca candies or leaves with you. Helps a lot with the altitude sickness.
Overall me and my friend were very happy with the trip!
The guides, chef, and porters are all amazing. The food on the Inca trail is exceptional. How they do it, I don't know. This is a hard hike but you are well taken care of.
Worried that you could not get the permit for the Inca Trail? We bring to you an opportunity to participate in an equally exhilarating journey through the Andes all the way down to Machu Picchu. Join us on this 4-day trek and travel through a variety of landscapes, ranging from snowcapped mountains to tropical forests and finally dense jungles, past small villages, towns and highland pastures, skirting herds of llamas en route.
Cross the Salkantay Pass (4650m). Enjoy the serene beauty of Humantay Lake (4200). And visit some of the most important Inca sites in Peru, including the majestic Machu Picchu. If you are planning for a trekking trip in Peru along with a visit to Machu Picchu and you want to travel off the beaten path while appreciating the beautiful and diverse nature of Peru, then this trek is for you.
I can't recommend this tour enough. Well organized, amazing experience. Hiking was beautiful and the porters and staff were so hard working, they carried everything, set-up camp for us every day/night and allowed guests to immerse in the magic of the Incan culture and natural beauty unencumbered. Also - the food, which was cooked fresh every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner was delicious, healthy and made with care.
Travel to Peru to retrace the steps of the Incas – Peru's fascinating ancient civilisation. Travel from Cusco, through the fertile heartland of the Sacred Valley and to the magnificent Ollantaytambo ruins before the ultimate destination – Machu Picchu, one of the famed Seven Wonders of the World. This week-long trip is a choose-your-own-adventure type of deal – you can hike the Inca Trail, the Quarry Trail, or take it easy in Cusco and take the train to Machu Picchu. Allowing travellers of all abilities the opportunity to see this wonder first-hand, this trip is a perfect way to see Peru’s highlights when you don’t have more than a week.
Well prepared Salkantay trek 5d/5n zone with Saul G as a guide and Gregorio as a chef and Cesar and Walter as porters. Good food all the way and amazing places to sleep such as the hobbit houses and the star gazing houses the very first night. Bonus was the lomo saltado cooking class and the visit of a coffee farm.
Salkantay Trek is a popular alternative to the very-crowded classic Inca Trail. It offers more distance, more mountains, more scenery, and a wider variety of landscapes, but still concludes with a visit to the iconic city of Machu Picchu. As the route does not have as many regulations as the Inca Trail, this also means that it can provide a “back door” trek to Machu Picchu when Inca Trail permits are sold out. This new itinerary, Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu via Llaqtapata, includes the highlights of the other Salkantay trek, but avoids many of the areas that are becoming crowded with other trekkers.
This trip is fully-inclusive, including a guide, accommodation, meals and transportation.
Duration: 5 days/4 nights
Distance trekked: about 50km
Elevation: 1900-4600m
Difficulty: Moderate
Crowds: Moderate
An absolutely fabntastic holiday, well planned and our guide just made this so enjoyable. I've never been on a holiday where I got to see so much - I enjoyed every minute of it and would recommend it to anyone who wishes to go and explore Peru.
This 5-day 4-night Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu is an excellent substitute for the Inca Trail — considered by most to be the best alternative route, and maybe even better!
This magnificent trail is perfect for adventurers who wish to become personally integrated in changing ecosystems from one day to the next. You will walk through sweeping, magical landscapes of a snowy mountain paradise to a tropical jungle where you will find a wide range of animals, medicinal plants and flower varieties. Witness with your own eyes a living but ancient culture in remote villages hardly ever seen by foreigners. End your trek at the famed Machu Picchu for an experience of a lifetime.
Let’s start exploring the mountains!
The trek was very well organized from the beginning to end. I was quite nervous to do it but the team was very motivating and attentive, which I really appreciated. The guide was very informative and the food was great.