Why Choose Salkantay Trek Machu as Your Trekking Operator?

At Salkantay Trek Machu, we do things differently. While many companies focus only on getting you to Machu Picchu, we think about what happens to the trail long after you've gone home. Every trekking route we operate — from the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu to the Inca Trail, Choquequirao, and beyond — is treated as a living, breathing part of Peru's natural and cultural heritage, not just a path to a photo opportunity.

That's why our operations rely exclusively on tents and mobile camping equipment. We handpick the best campsites along each route, where our experienced trekking staff sets up your tent and all necessary gear before you arrive — and takes everything down and leaves the site clean once you continue on. No permanent structures. No concrete. No glass domes built into the mountainside. Just the trail, the way it has been walked for centuries.

We do this because these routes were once considered sacred by our ancestors, and they still hold deep meaning for the local communities who live alongside them today. Respecting that history means respecting the land itself. Even if we're one of the few operators committed to trekking this way, we believe it's a stand worth taking — because once a trail is paved over with hotels and permanent camps, there's no going back.

Unfortunately, not every operator shares this vision. Some claim to be "responsible" while building permanent lodges and infrastructure directly along the trail — construction that displaces wildlife, scars the landscape, and slowly erases the wild character that makes these routes so extraordinary in the first place. We believe Peru's trails deserve better, and our travelers agree.

Salkantay Trek Machu is an experienced, established, and locally rooted tour operator with more than 10 years guiding travelers through Machu Picchu tours and trekking adventures across Peru. Our reputation isn't built on marketing — it's built on the travelers who come back trip after trip, and the ones who refer their friends and family to us. Behind every trek is a team of highly trained local guides and support staff, ready to deliver a personalized experience shaped around you, not a one-size-fits-all itinerary.

From high-altitude mountain crossings to jungle descents into the cloud forest, we offer adventure trips in a wide range of styles — built for first-time trekkers and seasoned adventurers alike.

Come join us on the trail. We'll take you to some of the most breathtaking landscapes on Earth — and we promise it'll be one of the most rewarding adventures of your life.