5-Day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu from Cusco via Aguas Calientes

• Depart early, around 6:00 am, from your accommodation in Cusco to Mollepata.
• Make a short stop for breakfast and shop for any personal supplies for the trek.
• Drive to Cruz Pata. From here, horses will be organized to carry the supplies and backpacks.
• Start the hike - around 3 hours of walking, followed by a stop for lunch at Challabamba.
• After lunch, walk for around 4 more hours before the valley broadens and flattens out, and the beautiful conical snow-capped peak of Nevado Salkantay comes into view.
• Reach Salkantay Pampa (4000 m), have dinner, and camp for your first night.

• Wake up early and have breakfast. Nevado Humantay (5917 m) dominates this morning's views. Today is the most challenging day, as you will climb up to a pass close to Nevado Salkantay - the highest part of the trek.
• Descend into the upper cloud forest, where the climate changes towards semi-tropical, and stop for lunch.
• Arrive at your second camp in Colca Pampa (3,200 m).

• After an early breakfast, start your third day of hiking.
• Walk for around 5 hours, descending 2,000 m through changing vegetation to the warmer camp at the village of La Playa. Much of the path follows a small river with waterfalls, and you may see parrots, hummingbirds, orchids, bamboo, and much more in the tropical forest. La Playa is the biggest village on the way, where you can find some small shops to buy snacks.
• See small plantations of coffee and bananas.
• On arrival at La Playa, continue to Santa Teresa, where you will camp overnight.

• Enjoy your breakfast and hike to Hidroelectrica.
• After arriving in Hidroelectrica, hike from Hidroelectrica to Aguas Calientes and spend the night there in a hostel.

It is also possible to take the train from Hidroeléctrica to Aguas Calientes instead of hiking, but you will have to pay extra for the cost of the train.

• Get up early at 5:00 am to take the first bus, at 5:30 am, to Machu Picchu.
• Reach Machu Picchu and enjoy a guided tour of the citadel for about two and a half hours.
• Explore the site on your own, or climb up to Wayna Picchu, which takes about one hour. You must be back in Aguas Calientes depending on your train time back to Cusco.

Note: Sometimes Peru Rail arranges for the train to be met in Ollantaytambo by buses, and you then travel from there to Cusco by bus. Apologies for any inconvenience.

Departs: 6:00 am from your hotel on day one.

Returns: Around 9:00 pm on day four.