Cusco, Sacred Valley and Salkantay Trek

Transfer from airport to hotel free to explore Cusco. There is no place more beautiful to take a leisurely stroll than the ambient streets of Cusco. In the main square, the Plaza de Armas you can see the Baroque style cathedral of Cusco. There are plenty of archaeological sites in and around Cusco if you wish to see, such as Sacsayhuaman, Qenko, Puca Pucara, Tambomachay etc or the Qoricancha temple is exquisite if you just feel like a short walk.

You will be picked up by bus in the morning and head to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. We arrive at Pisac where you will visit the wonderfully vivid market of Pisac and a great place to pick up souvenirs such as artisan products and practice your bargaining skills! Next up is the attractive mountain town of Chinchero, where the Incas claimed that the rainbow was born! A few of the things that Chinchero has to offer are, charming Inca ruins, ancient textile dying and weaving tecniques and products and a vibrant market and a colonial church. Afterwards we carry on till Urumbamba where we have lunch, and then on to Ollantaytambo where there are plenty of ruins to admire and back to Cusco.

Today you begin the hike to Machu Picchu. These days follow the same itinerary as the Salkantay Trek to Machu Pichu 5 days. Involves about 6 hours of trekking daily. On the first day we will reach the awe inspiring mountains, Salkantay and Huamantay and have lunch at the Soirococha Lagoon. On the second day we enter a tropical cloud forest where you have the chance to discover exquisite plants and flowers, as well as beautiful birds. We will set up camp at Collpapampa. On the third day we go deeper in to the forest, where you will be surrounded by soaring trees and bamboo groves; wild fruit and pretty flowers, also the Santa Teresa River, before setting up camp at La Playa. 

On Day 4 of the trek after a 3 hour hike we will reach El Mirador from where you can admire Machu Picchu the "Lost City of the Incas". We will view the Inca ruins of Llaqtapata, then lunch at the Hydroelectric plant before the trek continues through bamboo groves, orchirds and coffee plantations till we reach our final campsite. Ruins Bridge at the foothill of Machu Picchu. On Day 5 of the Machu Picchu Salkantay trek we continue up to the city of Machu Picchu where you will have a guided tour. Then you are free to explore Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu (not included), and take your pictures. In the afternoon you will be taken back by train to Ollantaytambo, from where you will be taken back to Cusco by van.

Airport transfer - Time to extend you Peruvian trip or return home!

• Welcome by our Representative at arrival;
• All airport arrival and departure transfers
• Accommodation: Hotel*** (3 nights), Campsites (3 nights), Hotel in Machu Picchu (1 night);
• Entrance fee for the Sacred Valley, Salkantay Trek and Machu Picchu citadel;
• Meals: 6x breakfast, 5x lunch, 4x dinner and 3x afternoon hot beverages;
• Professional bilingual Tour Guide;
• Professional Cook;
• Horseman;
• Horses to carry food, camping and cooking equipment and 5 kg of each passenger's stuff;
• Camping equipment: personal double tents, Therma-a-rest mattress;
• Tables and chairs, a cooking tent with cooking equipment, dining and toilet tents and bottled gas;
• A sleeping bag (for up to -5°C);
• Tourist train from Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu) to Ollantaytambo;
• Tourist bus on the Sacred Valley, Salkantay and transfers.

• Pre & post tour accommodation,
• Local flight, International flights and airport departure taxes,
• Meals not mentioned,
• Entrance fee to Huayna Picchu ($80) or Machu Picchu Mountain ($80);
• Extra Horses to help you carrying up to 5 kg of your personal belonging (USD 130; the Extra Horses can be shared between 2 persons);
• 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.

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

Local flights: It is not included in the cost of your tour. 

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:

• Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu (5 days / 4 nights)
• Luxury Trekking Salkantay (7 days / 6 nights)
• Salkantay Trek & Inca Trail (7 days / 6 nights)
• Choquequirao Trek to Machu Picchu (9 days / 8 nights)
• Classic Salkantay Trek Peru (9 days / 8 nights)

OPTIONAL SERVICES TO BE HIRED

• Walking sticks or trekking poles USD 20 for both
• You need to take 5 kilos of personal belonging included in the tour price carried by horses ...If you would like to request more porterage for personal items each extra 3 kilos requested is USD 20 additional charge but you can just request this in the office at your checking.
• Maybe you have to doubt to walk in this trek, you can hire the extra emergency horses, the price is USD 80.

LUGGAGE AND BACKPACKER FOR YOU TREKKING

Generally speaking you should pack as lightly as possible. The horses carry your luggage from Soraypampa (3rd day) to Playa camping (5th day). 6 day hike, our chef takes your luggage by bus to Hidrolectrica. From there to Aguas Calientes, you are expected to carry your own luggage (max 3 hrs), in case, the local train running, our chef take your luggage to the town. We recommend keeping the weight under 5 kg/10lb. You will need to carry clothes, sleeping bag.

If very important your take best cover backpacker, because the weather in Salkantay trek is change every date, we can’t predict it raining or no. If you don’t have, we recommended to put your clothes, sleeping bag and other personal equipment inside the plastic bag.

SUGGEST ITEMS FOR THE SALKANTAY TREK

• Original passport (+ copies for a case of lost),
• Original ISIC (an international student card if applicable)
• Travel insurance (+ copies for a case of lost),
• Pocket money in Nuevos Soles,
• A backpack
• A small rucksack,
• 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 cases have 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 to be refill.
• Optional: walking sticks; you can also rent it from us,
• Please note: we provide with filtered boiled water during the entire trek, but if you like to use water from streams along the trail, you need to take some water-purifying tablets with you.