Amazon Rainforest to Salkantay Trek

There are no activities planned for today. At the airport one of our representatives will be awaiting your arrival, holding a sign with your name on it. They will take you to your hotel.

We take a flight to Puerto Maldonado, deep in the Peruvian rainforest; then a motorized boat across the Madre de Dios river to the lodge, nestled in the rainforest. On the way you can spot bird species typical to the region. The lodge is very authentic, constructed with simple materials in order to be environmentally friendly, but comfortable, with all necessities included (there is no hot water in the shower). The staff speak English and are very knowledgeable about the region. You will discover and explore the delights of the Amazon with our guides.

Today you take your flight to Cusco, high in the Andes. You will be welcomed by our representative who will take you to your hotel. The rest of the day you are free to relax and acclimatize to the altitude or do as you please. Cusco is a captivating city with charming cobble stoned street, and the capital of the Incas. When the Spanish came they built their buildings on top of the Incan monuments and transformed Cusco in to a new colonial city. This magnificent city has a lot to offer, including nearby Incan ruins, museums, beautiful churches and a lively atmosphere. The museums we recommend are: the Inca Museum, Qoricancha Museum, Archaeological Museum, Regional Historic Museum, and the Religious Art Museum. Nearby archaeological sites include Sacsayhuaman, Qenko, Tambo Machay, and Puca Pucara, where you can also do horseback riding.

Today, you have a free day to explore. We recommend a trip to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, or Maras-Moray-Salineras, where the adventurous can go bike riding or white river rafting on the Urubamba River. The Sacred Valley was a region that the Incas valued highly because it was a principal source of their food production, and also one of the main areas of settlement. The pleasant weather and abundant land make an exceptional combination for the high Andes. It was also the path to the jungle, so with access to fruits and plants of the tropical low lands. The Sacred Valley served as a buffer zone, defending Cusco from attacks from the Antis, the violent jungle tribes, who now and again raided the highlands. Today the Sacred Valley remains a rich farming area, supplying the city of Cusco with much of its produce, like maize, fruit and vegetables. The town of Pisaq offers majestic ruins and a famous handicraft market. Ollantaytambo is a picturesque town with an Incan fortress that overlooks the beautiful Urubamba River Valley.

Early morning we take a 3 hour drive from Cusco to Mollepata where we stop for breakfast. Then we carry on till Soraypampa where we start a gentle hike to a valley. After a four hour hike we reach the Salkantay and Huamantay pass, where we step back to view the spectacular scenery. We then drop gently down to the Soirococha lagoon where we have lunch. After we carry on till Wayracmachay, our first campsite where you are served dinner and relax for the night.

After an early breakfast we say goodbye to the Salkantay Mountain. We enter a tropical cloud forest, seeing beautiful flowers, plants and birds along the way. After a four hour descent we reach Collpapampa where we set up our next campsite and have lunch. Then we can relax or have a walk around the area.

After a hearty breakfast we keep descending through the forest through increasingly tall trees and bamboo groves providing bird watching opportunities, and viewing the Santa Teresa River. We then take an untamed path, with wild fruit growing all around, decorated by colorful flowers until we arrive at our third campsite, La Playa.

We rise early today to begin an uphill walk with amazing views. After a 3 hour hike we arrive at Abra Q'elloqasa (or El Mirador) which overlooks Machu Picchu. We view the recently restored Inca ruins at Llactapampa from where we can view both Machu Picchu and the Salkantay Mountain. Then we descend for 3 hours through bamboo groves, orchards and coffee plantations to the hydroelectric plant where we have our lunch. Then on to our last campsite at Puente Ruinas at the foothills of Machu Picchu.

After an early breakfast we traverse up Machu Picchu mountain for about 2 hours where we enter the site nice and early for the best photo opportunities. We get our tour of the Incan City, then we can enjoy trekking around Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu at our leisure. In the afternoon we take the train back to Cusco.

• Welcome by our representative upon arrival;
• Accommodation: Hotel*** (4 Nights), Camping (3 Nights), Hotel Machu Picchu (1 Night), Jungle lodge with mosquito nets (2 Nights);
• Airport arrival and departure transfers;
• Domestic Flights Lima- Puerto Maldonado-Cusco;
• All entrance fees according to the itinerary;
• Professional bilingual Tour Guide;
• Professional Cook;
• Horseman;
• Horses to carry food, camping and cooking equipment and 7 kg of each passenger's stuff;
• Meals: 9x breakfast, 6x lunch, 6x dinner and 3x afternoon hot beverages;
• Camping equipment: personal double tents, Therma-a-rest mattress;
• A sleeping bag (for up to -5°C);
• Tables and chairs, a cooking tent with cooking equipment, dining, and toilet tents and bottled gas;
• Tourist train from Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu) to Ollantaytambo;
• Tourist bus from Ollantaytambo to Cusco and Salkantay Trek.
• Motorboat transportation while in the jungle

• Pre & post tour accommodation,
• Last flight Cusco - Lima,
• International flights and airport departure taxes,
• Meals not mentioned,
• Entrance fee to Huayna Picchu ($80);
• Peru Travel insurance,
• Tips and baggage portage to local staff (please note: it is a custom to give tips in Peru; however, it is not obligatory),
• Other extras not specified.

Meal budget: Please allow USD 100-150 for meals not included.

Solo Traveler: Please note that if you have booked the "Solo Traveler" option for this tour, you receive your own single room for all overnights and a single tent for the Salkantay Trek.

Local flights: There are two local flights included in the cost of your tour. It is very important that we have got your passport details at the time of booking in order to process all air tickets! Internal flight tickets are issued locally and will be given to you prior to each flight departure!

All Salkantay Trek Machu tours in Peru include a dedicated representative, professional guides and support staff to ensure that your trip is comfortable, well organised and truly memorable.

Our guides are destination specialists and certified professionals with university degrees and language training (English or other languages) from accredited institutes. They have extensive knowledge of Peru’s cities, tourist attractions, history, culture and traditions, which they will be happy to share with you. They will also provide helpful recommendations during your stay, such as the best restaurants and places to buy souvenirs. They will be attentive throughout your trip, ensuring that everything goes smoothly.

Our Salkantay Trek Machu representative is responsible for overseeing the logistics of your journey, including airport pick-ups, accommodation and transfers. They will make sure that all services provided by Salkantay Trek Machu match what was promised and that your experience meets your expectations.

During the Amazon Jungle to Salkantay Trek, a professional trekking cook will accompany you, preparing delicious meals using fresh, local ingredients and surprising you with what can be achieved in the middle of the Andes. The muleteer carries the trekking and camping equipment with the help of pack horses, making your hike easier and more enjoyable.

All our guides, trekking cooks and representatives undergo annual training with Salkantay Trek Machu in areas such as group management, food safety, first aid and emergency response, ensuring your safety and comfort at all times.

CONSIDER

• Maybe you have to doubt to walk in this trek, you can hire the extra emergency horses, the price is USD 80.

WHAT KIND OF CLOTHING TO PACK OF PERU

If you plan to visit Peruvian mountains (Andean mountain range or Altiplano), then we recommend you to take some trousers suitable for hiking, shorts, T-shirts and trekking shoes for the days; and sweaters, fleeces, hats, scarves and warm jackets for the nights. You also should take a sun protection cream, sun glasses and in some cases, mosquito repellent (depending on a route chosen). It is very convenient to have a light rain-gear available in a daypack (e.g. a waterproof poncho or jacket and/or waterproof trousers) as weather changes quickly and rains can suddenly occur. For more details, please check the below link of “What to Bring on the Inca Trail & Amazon Rainforest tour”.

If you like to see the Amazonian rainforest (Manu, Puerto Maldonado, Iquitos, etc.), then the most important item of your luggage must be a mosquito repellent (20 DEET as a minimum recommended)!! Except that, you should take some light clothing with long sleeves and long trousers (to put into your shoes as a kind of protection against insect). You should not forget some waterproof cloths (especially, if you plan to visit the rainforest during a rainy season), comfortable and closed footwear, long socks and a hat.

WHAT TO BRING ON THE SALKANTAY & AMAZON EXPEDITION

• Passport Original and copies
• Travel insurance(+ copies for a case of lost),
• Flight tickets,
• Cash in USD or credit cards,
• Our service voucher (sent by us to you),
• Entry visa and a proof of vaccination (if applicable),
• Day pack (to carry your personal items during daily travels),
• Rain gear (a rain-jacket and a waterproof trousers or a rain poncho - this can be purchased in Cusco),
• Resistible footwear, waterproof trekking shoes are recommended,
• Sandals (for a higher comfort while at a campsite),
• Warm clothes such as a jacket, a fleece (thermal clothing is also recommended for cold nights during camping),
• Hat or a cap (to protect you against the Sun, rain as well as cold),
• Sun cream or sun block,
• After-sun cream or hydrating cream for face and body,
• Insect repellent– recommended minimum is 20% DEET (please note that no malaria has been reported during this trip!),
• Camera and its charger/batteries (please note that batteries are consumed quickly under cold conditions),
• Flashlight/headlamp + batteries,
• Handkerchiefs and toilet paper,
• Small towel and toiletries,
• Sufficient reserve of underwear,
• Swimsuit (to visit the thermal baths of Aguas Calientes),
• Snacks (biscuits, energy bars, chocolate, raw fruits, muesli, etc.)
  Please note: we do provide a daily morning snack and our meal service is very complete and well supplied. The recommendation of taken own snack applies only for customers who like a specific snack that might not be in our menu.
• Bottled water for the first morning and a water bottle.
  Important: plastic bottles are not allowed on the Classic Inca Trail! Please bring a metallic (alternatively Nalgene) bottles!
• Optional: walking sticks (please note: rubber covers are required for the Inca Trail!!); you can also rent it from us,
• Please note: we provide with filtered boiled water during entire Inca Trail, but if you like to use water from streams along the trail, you need to take some water-purifying tablets with you.

Many people include the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in their “Things to do” list before they depart the planet, although what most people don’t know is that there are various Inca Trails Trips to Machu Picchu to pick from in the Cusco region. The difference lies in what kind of an experience you want, hiking the Inca trail and how challenging you like your treks.

You have to take into account that usually you will need to book in advance the Inca Trail, and in case it is fully booked, we recommend other best alternatives:

• Lares Valley Trek to Machu Picchu (4 days / 3 nights)
• Salkantay Short Trek to Machu Picchu (4 days / 3 nights)
• Salkantay Trek & Sacred Valley (8 days / 7 nights)
• Choquequirao Trek to Machu Picchu (9 days / 8 nights)
• Classic Salkantay Trek Peru (9 days / 8 nights)