We didn’t arrive in Cuzco with the idea of hiking the Salkantay. We didn’t even know that this hike existed, but strolling around the city we kept on seeing the posters for 5 days/4 nights Salkantay trek pretty much in every tourist office so after a while we decided to investigate.
The hike seemed to be our cup of tea but the price tag was over our daily budget. Prices we were quoted on the spot varied between $165/person (without a return transport included from Machu Picchu to Cusco), to $400/person, all inclusive with a train ride back to Ollantaytambo and then bus to Cuzco. All packages had the entry ticket to Machu Picchu included. Extra costs: sleeping bags at $2/day/bag, shoes if needed at $2/day/pair, drinking water, walking sticks, extra snacks and additional activities, tips for guides, cooks, porters, camping places, etc. We figured out that the cheapest our family of four could do the hike with an organized tour would be around $850, but going with the lowest price meant that the quality would be unpredictable. After a day of comparing different companies we decided to simplify things and venture out on our own.
From that moment on gathering information proved to be difficult. Tour operators tried to scare us by saying that hiking in Peru is unlike hiking in any other mountain. According to many solo trekking was dangerous not only because of the altitude but also because we could possibly meet some really bad people! I kept imagining us in the role of the little red riding hood surrounded by big bad wolves:) In one tourist office we inquired about transport to the start of the hike and instead we were subjected to an endless emotional monologue in Spanish that touched on all the possible threats to our emotional, psychological and physical health if we decided to do Salkantay on our own. The South American Explorers Club was of no help either. Their topo map of Salkantay was for sale for $22 and the lady in charge was not happy to even answer our question about public transport to Mollepata. If we were members, things would have been different, but we were not.
So in a nutshell, if you decide to hike independently, just proceed without asking tourist offices for information. Also, check and double check any hiking equipment that you rent. Tour operators might be concerned about your safety but some will still try to trick you with shitty sleeping bags suitable for a tropical beach. Nights at Salkantay are cold, so plan on having a -15 deg. sleeping bag.
We left for the trek with no map and with trepidation that we were about to jeopardize ‘the life and the well being of our children’. None of our fears proved to be justified, so I decided to write about our experience so you won’t have to go through the doubts we had to deal with.
Day 1 – 7 hrs.
Got up at 4 am and walked to the parada for the Mollepata’s micros (any local person will be able to direct you to it). We had to wait for 45 min for the mini bus to get full. Arrived at Mollepata around 7.30 am. From Mollepata it was very easy to arrange transport all the way to Sorayapampa, but we wanted to hike the 20 km. At the square we headed up the street in front of the church until we reached a T. This was where we saw the first blue sign marking the trail. Because of these new signs there is absolutely no way you can get lost! The whole trail turned out to be beautifully marked, from the beginning to the end. Do not fear taking the trail instead of the road. From what I saw the road was dusty, endless and boring. It would be a torture to walk on it for hours:)
The beginning of the hike turned out to be challenging as the weather was hot, our packs were loaded and the path was mainly uphill. We took it slow allowing for plenty of breaks. Stopped for lunch at the Mirador above, surrounded by horses and mountains on all sides.
Around 4 pm we caught a glimpse of the snow peaks in the distance. Breathtakingly beautiful!
By 5.15 pm though we had reached the point of complete exhaustion and were ready to call it a day. 1 km from Sorayapampa a friendly lady invited us to camp on her property for free. Unpacking our tent we found out that we had a problem with one of the tent poles, but it was too cold and too late in the day to try fixing it in the dark. Dang! I imagined headlines ‘Polish Bulgarian family freezes overnight at the foot of Salkantay’. The sweet lady saved us from newspaper fame by housing us in her house for S/.50 in a modest and clean room with two beds and no electricity. We fixed the tent, ate dinner and hit the sack early thinking about the day ahead – 10 hrs of continuous walking needed to go over the 4625 m pass to reach Chaulley.
Day 2 – 10 hrs
We didn’t start as early as we wanted to as getting up in cold darkness in not our forte. We managed to strap our backpacks on around 7.45 am, long after all the tour groups ahead had departed, thus we didn’t even see them. It was just us and the giant snowy mountain in front bathed in brilliant morning light. 30 min after Sorayapampa we passed a great camping spot by the river. I wished we had camped there instead, but then I remembered that we didn’t even have a tent the previous night.
Even though it was the dry season once we got to 4.000 m it started to drizzle and it didn’t stop for hours. Very quickly we got cold and wet. The weather up high is unpredictable so make sure you have warm clothes, rain gear and decent shoes. Mine got soaked in no time:(
Going down from Abra Salkantay was slow. Trekking poles would have been helpful as some parts of the path were like mud ski runs. We improvised with wood sticks. The weather was wet and we didn’t have time for a decent lunch, so we just had a quick bite and kept on walking. 2-3 hrs below the pass there was a place to stay for the night and further down we passed by a campsite. After that the path got super steep on both sides and the descent seemed endless. Around 6 pm we arrived exhausted in Chaulley. It was pitch dark. We dumped our heavy packs at one of the campsites. The friendly owner offered us free camping. S/.10 bought us a delicious dinner. S/.10 more got us much needed beer.
Day 2 was very beautiful. The hike started at the open landscape of Sorayapampa, climbed towards majestic snowy Nevado Salkantay and Nevado Huamantay and then sharply descended into a cloud Forrest. Just be prepared that this will be the longest and the most challenging day on the trek, so give yourself plenty of time. Also, there was plenty of water sources on the trail – no need to stock up.
Day 3 – 5 hrs
This was supposed to be a short and easy day compared to the previous two, so we chilled in the morning and made friends:)
30-40 min after Chaulley there was a surprise waiting for us. From the road we saw two beautiful swimming pools nestled next to the river, both filled with mineral water. The setting couldn’t be prettier. Entry was S/.5 per person and we were completely alone except for the man minding the pool. How can you pass this spot without making a stop?
After soaking for an hour we continued on the path towards Playa which crossed the river next to the pool. It might be a good idea to check on the trail condition with local people. A mudslide in the middle between Chaulley and Playa could be challenging to navigate during heavy rain. Unless the trail is not passable I don’t recommend hiking on the road. We saw some people choosing to continue that way, but from what I saw the road was under merciless sun all day and there were vehicles passing now and then, caking everything in dust.
Update April 2018: a reader wrote to us that the path to the left of the river is unpassable! All hikers should take the road to Playa.
Playa was somewhat of an eyesore. We continued on the Lucmabamba- another 30 min of hiking. At the first house a cute grandpa took us to a beautiful campsite right next to the soccer field – both the campsite and the soccer field were not visible from the road, so just ask. There was a shop at the campsite so we could stock up on food. They had !APPLES! bananas, eggs, avocados and hot shower for S/.5. The owners owned the coffee plantation above the camp and they took time to explain the local ways of processing of the coffee beans. At the end we were gifted a can of locally grown coffee. My coffee addict of a husband was in heaven.
Day 4 – 5.5 hrs
In the morning we discovered that all the camping in Lukmabamba was in coffee plantations. Sleeping in one was not a ‘special feature’ as advertised by many agencies, rather it was the norm.
Lukmabamba was the place where all the organized groups of hikers loaded their luggage in mini vans to be transported to Aguas Calientes. For S/.10 we got one of our backpack loaded to the brim and sent it with the porters of a group to wait for us at Hidroelectrica. Lightening our load was a huge help as the trail of the day was not easy. We had to climb 360 m up and go down 830 m.
The path up was an old Inkan trail. By 11 am we reached the ruins of Llactapatatha, an Inkan rest stop and roadside shrine on the journey to Machu Picchu. From here we got our first glimpse of Machu Picchu in the distance! I would have loved to camp here and wake up to the amazing view:)
We got to Hidroelectrica around 2 pm, had lunch, retrieved our overloaded backpack and started walking on the railroad towards Aguas Callientes at 3 pm. 3 km before AC we stumbled upon a place that looked inviting – Los Jardines de Mandor. Too tired to keep on going we decided to stop. We paid S/15 for a camping spot and left the kids with the responsibility to set up camp, while we continued walking the 3 km to AC to buy our Macchu Picchu entry tickets for the next day.
Staying at Los Jardines de Mandor proved to be a brilliant move. I loved the vibe of the place compared to the Municipal campground and everything else we saw in AC.
Day 5 – Macchu Picchu!
Surprisingly we walked a lot on day 5, but at this point climbing up a hill had become our specialty and we didn’t mind negotiating the endless steps up the hill to the entrance of MP. It took us 1.5 hrs to get there, faster on the way back. There we bargained with two guides – one who only spoke Spanish and one who offered English. Spanish proved to be cheaper, so we asked the guide to speak slowly and then let him walk us around for 2 more hours:)
Salkantay trek was very easy to do on our own. It required minimum preparation, the trail was well marked and we were never too far away from help if we needed any. The main challenge was the high altitude on Day 2 and the tiresome long days at the beginning of the hike when our backpacks were heaviest.
Is Salkantay trek worth it? Yes. The scenery was fantastic!
Did the trail feel safe? Absolutely! Everyone we met was super friendly and eager to chat. Not once we felt threatened.
On the trail we were in wilderness but there were locals and small homesteads all along the trail. The only section that was not accessible by vehicle was Sorayapampa to Chulleay, but even there groups of horses with horsemen passed by pretty often.
Is there a fee to hike Salkantay? Nope.
How much money did we spent? Prices below are for 2 adults and 2 children:
Sleeping bags $46
Shoes $12 (1 pair)
Cooktop and gas bottle $23
Decided to buy one instead of renting. Make sure you use up the gas containers if you have to board a plane. We had to leave one at the Lima airport as gas containers are not allowed on the plain.
Batteries for lights and water purifier $16
Transport to Mollepa $20
Machu Picchu entry tickets $128 (2 adults and 2 children)
Food $100
Transport back to Cusco $40
Camping/Room $23
Random $15
Machu Picchu guide $27
Total cost came to $450
After the trek we didn’t go straight to Cuzco but hung around in Ollantaytambo for a few days- a great place to chill and explore:)
Happy Trekking and if you have a specific question just ask away!
~M.
awesome! thanks for sharing!
Tbone, time is running out! You wanna meet us in Cartagena in a month:) Just saying!
love it! awesome pics and travel stories! happy trails, and cant wait to see you4 in 2 mo’s! obich!
Nie sasto! Broim dnite veche! Ne ostana…..!!!!!!
Although we’ve done the Inca Trail a few years ago… we’re heading back to Peru this year and have bookmarked this track as a possible. Cusco will be our base for a couple of months so look forward to Machu Picchu being our playground! Thanks for sharing your experience with a non guided walk.
My pleasure! Even though hiking in a group is fun and can be a great experience we loved that we could pull this hike on our own for not much money at all (our only way of doing things:)
Enjoy! Two months in Cuzco sounds amazing. The area has so much to offer!
Me and 3 friends will be doing this trek in 2 months, so I am glad I came across your blog! It has helped me out a lot, especially with your suggested places to camp. I am thinking of making the stop in Playa to have dinner and then hiking the little bit further just to camp at Llactapatatha! I do have some questions though. Any further insight you can provide would be awesome!
Were fires allowed anywhere on this trek?
Do you remember where you rented your gear? (sleeping bags, tents, and cookware)
How much food did you bring?
How did you get back to Cuzco from MP/AC?
Hi Justin,
Will try to answer as best as I can.
We never tried to light a fire and I am trying to remember if we saw fire pits. The first night because of the high elevation I didn’t see much firewood to be honest with you. The second – we slept in the yard of house so no fires were allowed and same with the third night. Honestly, we were SO tired that fire was the last thing on our minds.
I do remember where we rented the gear – it was a FABULOUS tiny shop run by a lady and her father. They had the best sleeping bags! The shop is 5 min walking from Plaza de Armas on Calle Rumi Qoyllor and according to google maps next to Amazon Reserve Peru. But that being said, there are ton of rental shops, just make sure you get light and warm sleeping bags and double checked them. A guy promised us good ones just like one he had in the store and when we went to pick them up he tried to give us crappy ones. We almost didn’t check as we operated on trust.
We brought food for 2-3 days.
We walked back to Hydroelectrica and there we got a van to Ollantaytambo. We stayed there 2 days and then another van to Cusco. There are ton of transport options available.
Have fun and be safe!
On the question about the food – I didn’t answer correct:) You should take food for at least 3 days as there are basic food shops in Playa. We stocked up on fresh stuff there, but we already had the basics for the 4 days with us.
I loved reading this post! Thank you for writing it. We hiked the Inca Trail on our honeymoon. We now have kids aged 2 and 5 and we have done short overnight hikes near home, but I can’t wait until they are old enough for adventures like these! I hope we can get away from work and mundane life and go explore the world as a family.
HI Maria! Thanks for your awesome post. I’m a 23 year old girl traveling alone and I was hoping to do the Salkantay Trek without a tour company as well. Like you, I hear many warnings from people against going alone, but I was wondering if you ever felt unsafe or if you ever saw any other people trekking along? Thanks so much!
Addie, in terms of hiking safety – there is plenty of local traffic on the trail so if something goes wrong you can get help easily. We personally never felt unsafe and everyone we met was super nice and helpful, but if you are a single woman hiker… not sure how to advice you. I would assume that all the rules of being a woman trekking alone would apply to this trek – nothing more and nothing less. We saw a group of three independent trekkers and also there were a few organized groups trekking parallel to us – you can always camp in proximity. I felt that doing it by ourselves was easy and reasonable. Best of luck!
Hi Addie
Did you manage to do the Salkantay trek yourself? I am planning to do this in January 2016…
To the blog authors: thanks very much for the info. It’s helped me decide to do it myself too!
Paul
Hey guys, really enjoyed the blog with all the info. My partner and I, always the frugal type, have decided to complete Salkantay ourselves to help keep costs down. Also looking at completing Jan 2016 (around mid month) so if anyone wants some “unguided” company in the form of a 30 year old and 28 year old Kiwi couple, sing out!
Happy hiking!
Loved your post! We are planning on doing Salkantay Trek without a guide next week. Trying to figure out if there are hostals or if locals rent rooms instead of carrying camping stuff – especially with November being the rainy season :). Also, I know they have those ‘nice’ lodges; however, not sure you can just show up and try to find a bed.
Kendra, there are hostals on the trail. I think you will be ok if you go without a tent. There was a fancy lodge before the summit for Salkantay and the room we slept at was 20 min before the lodge in a house by the road. There was no sign advertising that the house has a room for rent, the owner stopped us and offered us to stay with her. She also had a small shop. After the pass there were a few lodging options. We never inquired as we had the tent with us, but my guess is that you will be fine if you just show up. Also Playa seemed to have local rooms for rent. Good luck and safe travels!
Hi Maria,
I’ enjoyed reading about your trek up the Salkantay. I am looking at doing this same hike in March. You mentioned that sleeping bags should be good down to -15 C, what time of year did you do the hike?
Derek, we hiked in April and honestly just the first night needed the warmer sleeping bag. After the pass the trail dropped in elevation and a lighter sleeping bag would have been fine. Good luck and happy trails!
Thank youMaria! This helps me out while packing ! Lots of great information- your effort is so much appreciated!
We’re leaving next week- wondering if the path btwn. Charley and Playa is passable yet? (- for the end of May /18 )
Greetings Maria, I am heading out to Cusco in May and have dicided to do the Salkantay trek alone. Thank you for sharing your experience It help me a lot. I had a question regarding how the weather was? what temperatures did you experience?
Carlos, we had a UV water purifier with us, so make sure you have some kind of water treatment in your pack. Also, there was plenty of water on the trail so we didn’t have to carry too much on us. The temperatures – for us it was hot during the day and cold at night, so layering is a good idea. Also, rain gear – we got soaked on day 2. Happy trails and stay safe!
Did you need a tent? we are going in late february, and we are wondering whether to do it alone, or just take tour company.
Adam, we had a tent – it gave us flexibility. You can probably rent a good tent in Cuzco and all the gear you need. We preferred the freedom of hiking on our own but for some the logistics of organizing everything proves to be too much and going with a tour company is just an easier options. Whichever way you choose to go – have a great time!
Hello,
Thanks for the great blog post!! Very informative and full of great tips.
One quick question, where and how did you purchase your machu piccu day passes for the last day of the journey?
Thanks again for sharing!!
Leon,
We bought our passes from the Machu Picho office located off the square in Aguas Caliente. We bought them the night before we visited (I think they close the office at 7 pm). Cheers!
Hey!
Thank you so much for all the Information, really helpful!
I just heard that it’s prohibited to do it without a guide (http://www.incatrailperu.com/inca_trail_trek_regulations.html), do you know anything about this?
Saludos 🙂
Christoph, the link in your comment is referring to the Inka Trail, not the Salkantay. Cheers!
I have been considering this hike and after reading your experience I think I am going to give it a try but I was wondering if you have visited any of the other ruins in Peru or done any more hiking that you would recommend instead of this particular one
Thank You
Frankie, we didn’t spend much time in Peru, so this is the only hike we did. I am sure that there are many other great options for self guided hikes. Good luck on your adventure!
How feasible is it to hire a porter to come with you if you want to do the hike on your own?
Hi Maria,
Awesome post! Bookmarked it for future reference. I’m going to be doing the same trip with a friend of mine in a few weeks.
I’m wondering what size of backpack you’d recommend, doing the trip solo? Every recommendation I’ve seen so far says ~20-25 litres, but that’s with porters and we plan on carrying everything ourselves – sleeping bags, food, tent, clothes, etc.
Jerridan, we hiked with bigger backpacks as that’s what we traveled with in general. I think ours were 40-45 litres. This size should be enough to fit all you need. You might be able to pack lighter – we had to carry food for the kids as well:) Happy trails!
Awesome, that’s about what I was estimating as well. Thanks!
Hey there,
Am planning on doing this trek, thanks for the info! Did you guys have any malaria precautions for this trip? Or have you heard of the need for them?
Thanks for a great post.
Why did you choose to hike from Mollepata to Sorayapampa? Was it a nice walk? Just trying to decide if we should save energy and get transport to the start of the trek.
Also how many kilos would you say you carried?
And did you take dehydrated food/was it available to buy in cusco? Or what was your main food source?
Cheers 🙂
Megan, sorry I missed your comment. We started from Mollepata because our son didn’t want to cheat by going to Soryapampa with the bus lol. Starting lower though is good for you getting used to the elevation and also it prepares your body for the next day which was the hardest. It was a nice walk on the path, but long and difficult. My pack was heavy, but not sure how many kilos. We stocked on food in Cuzco but got regular stuff, not dehydrated which was going to be expensive for a family of four. I am forgetting what the main food source was to be honest with you. Pasta, sandwiches, fruits and nuts. Hope that helps!
Hi Maria,
Thanks for all your great recommendations. I was planing on doing the hike with a hammock, tarp for the rain, bug net and a sleeping bag (18-30 degrees F). I have heard there might not bet too many trees once you get to the higher peaks of the trail. Were any of your nights spent on the very top and do you thing camping out with a hammock would be a problem?
Julio
Julio, I think you will be fine as on Soryapampa there are man made shelters that you might be allowed to stretch your hammock on – this is just an assumption though. This is the place you sleep before you start the climb to the pass – Sorayapampa is an open landscape, no big trees. After the pass you should be able to find trees to stretch the hammock. Cheers!
Hey Julio!
I´m planning to do the same thing this year, with a hammock and all. Have you done it or can you tell me if it can be done with a hammock and without a tent? Thanks!
Lasse
Hello Maria. I have a quick questions regarding your trip. Myself and a friend will be traveling through Peru in December and we will be hiking the Salkantay independently. How did you get back to Cusco from Machu Picchu? I understand there are a couple trains, however I’ve found that there are weight and size restrictions to luggage. We will be carrying our mountain rucks with all of our essentials and will weigh roughly 40-50 pounds. Did you experience any issues with the train services with your packs? Or did you find another means to travel? Thank you.
John, we got back with mini buses as the train was too expensive for us. No problem with the packs – the driver tied to the roof of the van. I would think it would be even easier to transport the geer on the train. Cheers!
Hi Maria, were you able to take a colectivo/minibus from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo?
Hi John,
My family and I are planning to hike the Salkantay trail in November and are wondering the same thing as you about gear. What did you end up doing with your packs? Were you able to take them on the train? If not, is it possible to bus from AC to Ollantaytambo with the packs?
Maria your awsome for posting this experience . I had similar experiences in Nepal when opting to go alone but it was so rewarding . Thanks for your insurances here
Hi Maria,
Thanks so much for this post. I am planning on trekking Salkantay in June/ July and the photos/ detailed information helped a LOT.
Hi Claire – I am looking at doing this with my family July 9th/10th – 14th – does that coincide with your time-frame?
Thanks for the awesome article! I have a couple of questions:
1) What time of year did you go?
2) Do you speak the language?
3) How experienced are all of you in hiking?
Alyson, we did the hike in May. We studied Spanish for a month in Bolivia prior to visiting Peru, so we did ok language wise. We have hiked before but nothing hard core. Hope that helps!
My brother and his wife hiked the Salkantay Trail earlier this year, and it has been in my head ever since. I found your blog when I searched “Salkantay trail with kids”, and I’m so glad I did. I look forward to reading more about your adventures! I would do the same in a heartbeat if I could convince my husband! For now I have to be content with occasional travel…which is better than no travel.
Anyway, our kids are younger than yours, 5 and almost 7, (and then the oldest is nearly 16, so it is almost like having a third adult for gear carrying anyway). What do you think is the youngest age that would be reasonable for this hike with kids? We are open to a guided trip or on our own; we have backpacked a fair bit. Whether we do it in the next couple years or wait a bit longer, the Salkantay is definitely on our list. Thanks and happy travels!
Hi, thanks so much for the blog. Super helpful. My fiancé and I are going to do this trek next week and since reading your blog have decided to go it alone. Can I please check a few things with you?
What season did you go in?
Do you know if it’s possible to get a horse to carry your stuff? We can do it ourselves but just finished 3 weeks in Patagonia and I would love a break!
Thanks so much.
And it’s so inspiring to see you doing it with kids! We have been talking about doing this when we have kids and it’s great to see it can be done!
Harmony.
I will be hiking this route next week as well, starting the hike on the 12th of Jan. Safe travels and maybe see you two out there!
I will be starting the 11th or 12th, single dude from Colorado… hope to see you guys on the trail
Very helpful! Thank you.. this gave us a good understanding of the route!
I would add to whoever is planning this trip in the rainy season, We did this in January and it was very wet and the footpath on day three between Chaullay and Playa was very dangerous and very nearly IMPASSABLE due to landslides and rock fall! We heard from a local that towards the end of the rainy season the wooden bridges get washed away from the heavy water and then replaced the following season… definitely worth asking conditions before setting off on day 3!!
It’s a long day of walking and turning back could add 5 hours to your day. All the other days were easily done alone and very beautiful.
Enjoy!
Hi,
Thanks ever so much for this blog, really useful. I hope to do this independently too, around mid/late-May this year. I have a question regarding Machu Picchu: Am I to infer that you just showed up and bought tickets on the spot to go there for a day? I’ve heard that you need to book these months in advance.
Any information on this would be much appreciated!
Thanks
Will, we showed up at the ticket office in Aguas Callientes to buy the MP tickets the day before we visited. Probably during the busy season you have to buy your tickets in advance but May should not be a problem…We were there in May. That being said please call the ticket office in Cuzco to make sure:)
Hi! What a fantastic post; this post inspired my FI and I to hike this trail during our Honeymoon.
I picked up a Lonely Planet guide to Peru that places the Salkantay trek at 5-7 days, but we would like to do it in 4. Did you use a particular map for the route you took? I’d imagine starting off where you did shaved off a great deal of time [rather than hiking from Cuzco] — thanks!
Cheers,
Ariella
Ariella, we just asked the local tourist agencies where to start and followed their route. We did the trek in 3 nights/4 days. Good luck!
Hi! Do you need to bring all your food?
I recommend carrying food for at least 2 days
Hello Maria,
We are doing this trek at the end of May based on your blog 🙂
I have got just two questions – where did you leave your bags before entering Machu Picchu? is there luggage storage in AC?
We are planning to stay in Los Jardines de Mandor same like you. Is there a chance of getting shower on this campsite?
Many Thanks,
Agnieszka
Agnieszka, we left our bags in Los Jardines de Mandor. There is a shower there, yes! Happy trekking!
Cześć Agnieszka. Sorry for a delayed response – we don’t go to the blog very often recently. Hope it’s not too late for an answer. Yes, we stayed 2 nights at the Jardines and left all our stuff there. There are showers there too. Good luck, powodzenia, have fun!
Excellent post – thanks for sharing – hoping to do this hike with my family of 6 (kids ages 12, 16, 18, 21) July 9th/10th 2017, like others, I wonder if we can pick up a single porter/horse and if do, what the cost might be.
Simon, we didn’t have a porter so I am not sure what the cost is. You can check in place in Cuzco. All the best!
Great post thank you!
We will do the trek this Saturday or Sunday for who ever Would like to join a team of 5 🙂
This post is very helpful. Thank you very much!
I’m so excited! Words cannot express how excited I am. So many people are telling me that I, as a young female, shouldn’t trek alone. After reading all the reviews, it’s pretty much the consensus that the Salkantay trek is safe. I am glad I will be able to travel alone.
Vicky, the trek goes through some pretty high elevations and it is remote. I would always advice you to not trek alone, no matter if you are a female or male. It is probably easy to hook up with a group of independent hikers…Please be safe!
Did you make it all the way to the Sun Gate? And there was no pass fee to start the hike? I wanted to do the Inca Trail but I didn’t want to have to take a guide.
Incrível o relato de vocês, muito inspirador! É muito legal ver famílias fazendo trilhas assim. Quando tiver filhos quero ser igual! 🙂
Thank you for such a wonderful post! Sorry if I missed it in your comments, but just curious what mode of transportation, or hiking, you did going from Macchu Picchu to ollantaytambo? Thanks!
Terrific! Thank you so much for these valuable pieces of information. I am looking forward to doing the same trek Oct 14-19. Have a warm greeting from rainy Croatia !
😀
Amazing experience for the Machu Picchu journey. Actually the are different routes to get to Machu Picchu, for example: Salkantay Trail, Lares, Cachiccata, Choquequirao, Inca Jungle and the trip to Machu Picchu by bus via Hydroelectric.
Thank you so much for this detailed post – this is exactly what I have been looking for!! One question for you Maria – Would you be able to get by with just speaking English?
I’m planning a trek in early November (9-12) – would love to join a group if anyone else is going at that time.
😊
Thanks Maria nice journey to Machu Picchu, excellent experience. Salkantay Trek is a tour full of adventure into the sanctuary of Machu Picchu,
thank you so much for this detailed description. I am considering doing this hike with my family (husband/wife two kids 24 and 26). Can you tell me where the start is; what is the best airport to fly into (coming from USA east coast). THANK YOU!1