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Salkantay Trek and Short Inca Trail–Spend five days trekking through Peru’s highland landscape on this Salkantay and Short Inca Trail Hike to Machu Picchu. Explore Humantay lake, Salkantay trail, Inca temples, Inca Trails, Gate of the Sun, see Machu Picchu twice, and more. Hike through the Andean landscape, past massifs glacier moraines, to the cloud forest, and through forested mountain ranges. Spend each night in our cozy tents for rest and great food before the next day’s adventure.
Since the classic Inca Trail and Salkantay Trek are often touted as Cusco’s must-do treks and became very crowded, this led us to open new routes, routes even more special in every way, this is the case of this Peru Summit Adventures new signature release for 2021. A trail where to experience a bit of Classic Salkantay Trek, Classic Inca Trail, and the Short Inca Trail. What else to ask! Giant towering Salkantay mountain, Incan aqueducts, Patallacta Inca ruins, Winaywayna Inca ruins, birdlife (many endemics) make this trail one of the world’s premier hiking and trekking dreamed destinations to reach Machu Picchu.
Finish your hike at Machu Picchu, which set at a dizzying 2440 meters above sea level (8,005 ft), roaming the 15th-century royal estate and religious site is awe-inspiring (both literally and figurative)–palaces, dwellings, tombs, terraces, and temples are dwarfed by the surrounding mist-shrouded green mountains of Machu Picchu and Wayna Picchu, whilst llamas graze lazily on the grassy terraces make the hike even more sublime–Salkantay Trek and Short Inca Trail
Join us for the adventure of a lifetime – give us a call at +51 984 464 391 or shoot us an email at [email protected] to learn more or book your spot today!
This trip is officially operated by Peru Summit Adventures, a 100% local tour operator based in Cusco.
Traveling with us you are making a big difference in favor of the environment, our trips are rated as eco-friendly trips to ensure that fragile ecosystems are protected and maintained for future human generations, also maintain ecosystem and environment integrity through considering a sustainable and ethical business model. Making genuine and sustainable itineraries often translates to real costs, with a host of responsible travel practices that underpin our prices.
Upgraded Comfort
UPGRADED COMFORT: Premium or Comfort trips are led by Peru Summit Adventures experts, an experienced crew at your side, or top trip leaders/guides, and tap into private local experts' resources to allow for in-depth exploration and special access to unique sites that only the local leaders/guides know. Itineraries are carefully crafted and fully planned, with plenty of free time to roam. Camping gears are high-end and accommodations are high-end or best available. Ground transportation and most meals (especially in hikes) and activities are included in the trip price.
STRENUOUS: Designed for experienced active travelers in excellent physical condition. Full-day hikes (6-9 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 ft) on many hikes. 4-day to 6-day trips with hiking at average altitudes of 10,000 to 14,500 ft are in this category with some exposed sections.
Hiking, Camping, Archaeology & Cultural Adventures
While we expect the tour will run as the itinerary describes to Salkantay Trek and Short Inca Trail 6 Days. Participants should accept that there is the possibility of changes, being necessary liable to local conditions, eg, strikes, natural disasters, these changes might be at the discretion of your travel company.
Pro 4-season tents in Black Diamond and North Face with Pro Sleeping pads in Therma-Rest and pillows, tents are roomy and cozy designed for 3 people but used only for 2 guests. Our hotel in Machu Picchu town is the Inti Punku Suites & Hotels (or a similar hotel) a lovely hotel for pleasant rest.
Min 2 ppl, Max 8 ppl
Minimum of 02 people is needed to depart. Family groups, couple travelers, friends, or even if you’re a SOLO traveler, you are welcome to our trips. Price is per person, which is based on two people who might share a room/tent. The itinerary is described and based on shared services as well as semi-private service; however, if you are looking for a private service, that would be upon request.
YES. To protect the historical trail, the number of people allowed to hike the Short Inca Trail each day is limited to 250. That is why you should reserve your space as soon as possible. Spaces can be filled up three to four months in advance. Spaces fill more quickly in the high tourist season, from May to September.
Please allow a minimum of 2 days in Cusco before your hike begins to Salkantay Trek and Short Inca Trail.
Since 2014 and since the very first day of our operation, Peru Summit Adventures has been blazing new trails, new ways of experiencing in Salkantay Trek and Short Inca Trail 5 days. Our trailblazing is just one reason we are a uniquely qualified local company to ensure you have a trip of a lifetime.
At 4:30 am, your Peru Summit Adventures private crew will come to your hotel to pick you up, you will then drive for 2 hours to Mollepata town, the main town before getting to the trailhead, where you will have time for breakfast (this is not included). After a short stop at this town, we will keep driving for one more hour to the trailhead located in Soraypampa 3,800 m/12,467 ft, en route we will pass by small towns, and we will even see Salkantay mountain from a far distance, once in Soraypampa, we will get our rucksacks ready to make the adventure started.
As soon as we get off the van, we will have amazing views of tall mountains around us, among them the Salkantay and the Humantay mountain, undeniably impressive to make first snaps. From here we will start hiking uphill to get to the Humantay lake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, this lake is located at the skirt part of the Humantay mountain, its beauty is astonishing since the color of the water is turquoise at the backdrop with towering Humantay mountain. After enjoying the views, we will return by the same trail to Soraypampa, where our just prepared lunch will be ready to enjoy.
Our next hike after lunch will be to reach the first campsite, this hike will be towards the Salkantay mountain for 4 hours, this section is mostly uphill with some short gentle sections. After an exhausting hike, we will get to our first campsite called Ichupata located at an elevation of 4,350m/ 14,272 ft. Upon our arrival, we will find our tents already set up. In the evening we will enjoy our mountain happy hour (tea time) followed by a delicious dinner. Before going to bed (tents) you will have a nice stargazing with your guide spotting some Andean constellations.
Moderate to Demanding
Early in the morning, you will be woken up with a hot coca tea in your tent, next you will have a hearty breakfast. After breakfast, we will still hike uphill to get to the Incachiriaska Pass (Frozen Inca Pass) at 5,000 m/ 16,404 ft, during this hike you will enjoy the breathtaking views of the Salkantay, the glacier moraines, and the different mountain ranges fading away in different directions. After 2 hours of hiking, we will reach the highest pass–Incachiriaska, a chilly windy spot, with some drizzles sometimes or sunny sometimes will welcome us, but the views will be very impressive in every direction.
Eagles, hawks, and condors will put on a show gliding above soaring ice-tipped peaks of Salkantay and its ranges as we make our way down to the next lunch site, from the pass to the next lunch place is pretty much downhill for 2 hours, upon our arrival, we will have a succulent lunch. After lunch, we will still have 2 more hours to reach our next campsite located in Pampacahuana at 3,750m/ 12,303ft. Once at our campsite, we will have happy hour (tea time) subsequently dinner.
Very Demanding
A great breakfast will make us ready for today, a day of archaeology since we will cover a section of the Classic Inca Trail, Incan sites, and much more.
After breakfast, we will walk down to the Paucarcancha Incan site for 2 hours, a place with some dwellings, terraces, here your guide will start delivering a great history of the site and the Incan empire, it’s how we will reach the classic Inca Trail section, along this section, you will see more Incan ruins, one of the most impressive ones is the Llactapata Incan site, an obligatory stop to make great snapshots. After 5-6 hours of hiking, we will arrive at Km 82, a place for lunch. From Km 82 you will be transferred to Ollantaytambo by our private van, in this town you will stay at a cozy hotel. At night dinner at a local restaurant.
Moderate to Demanding
At 5:30 am we will come to your hotel to transfer you to the train station because our train departs at 6:10 am to Km 104, which is the beginning of the trail. At Km 104 the train stops to get off and go walking to the main checkpoint for the respective registration, this place is located at an elevation of 2,150 m/ 7,052 ft, after the registration, we will walk for a couple of minutes and we will reach to the first Incan site called Chachabamba that consists in having temples, the main patio, sacred rock, etc. In which, our guide will deliver great information about this site.
Next, we will continue walking gradually uphill enjoying the spectacular sceneries until reaching the Wiñaywayna Incan temple whose meaning is “forever young”. After the exploration of the Incan temple, we will take our snacks or packed lunch at the checkpoint of Wiñaywayna. We will then continue hiking to Machu Picchu for two more hours, on this section we will reach the Gate of the Sun, from where we will have the first views of the famed Incan city, and take our time to make great pictures. After making some snaps from the Sungate, we will continue for other 45 minutes to Machu Picchu, once at Machu Picchu we will take our time to make great snapshots of the Incan city, as the afternoon is usually with fewer people. We will eventually take the bus to Machu Picchu town (Aguas Calientes town) where we will stay at a cozy hotel and will have dinner at the local restaurant (this dinner is not included).
Moderate to Demanding
oday a great breakfast at the hotel makes us ready for a full morning exploration of Machu Picchu on a private tour with your Peru Summit Adventures Trek Leader. We will take the bus back to Machu Picchu early in the morning for an amazing tour until 12:00 pm (Machu Picchu permits will issue for the first group which is from 6:00 am to 12:00 pm). If you have booked a permit for Wayna Picchu mountain, you will climb the mountain before the tour; however, spaces are subject to availability, in the unlikely event that Wayna Picchu permits are not available for your requested date, you will climb Machu Picchu Mountain instead (this hike to the mountain might be unguided).
After a great time at the Incan emperor’s palace, we will take the bus down to Machu Picchu town (Aguas Calientes town), where we will have lunch (not included). In the afternoon we will take the train back to Ollantaytambo train station and/or Poroy train station, from the train station you will be transferred on a private van to your hotel in Cusco. End of the adventure!
Easy to Moderate
Although we do our very best possible to adhere to the schedule above, this itinerary is subject to change for several reasons beyond our control, including strikes, weather, natural disasters, and terrain conditions. On some occasions, these conditions may demand us to deviate from our original schedule, in which case we will provide the best available alternative options. And we’ll make a great experience of it!
| Number of participants | Price per person | Total ($ USD) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Participant | We have special rates for SOLO travelers. Get started by filling out the inquiry form. | Enquire Now | |
| 2 Participants | $ 2,600.00 | $ 5,200.00 | Enquire Now |
| 3 Participants | $ 2,500.00 | $ 7,500.00 | Enquire Now |
| 4 Participants | $ 2,400.00 | $ 9,600.00 | Enquire Now |
| 5 Participants | $ 2,100.00 | $ 10,500.00 | Enquire Now |
| 6+ Participants | We have special rates for groups, which are over 6ppl. Get started by filling out the inquiry form. | Enquire Now | |
| # | |
|---|---|
| 1 person (We have special rates for SOLO travelers. Get started by filling out the inquiry form.) | Enquire Now |
| 2 people $ 2,600.00 | Enquire Now |
| 3 people $ 2,500.00 | Enquire Now |
| 4 people $ 2,400.00 | Enquire Now |
| 5 people $ 2,100.00 | Enquire Now |
| 6+ people (We have special rates for groups, which are over 6ppl. Get started by filling out the inquiry form.) | Enquire Now |
Prices are quoted in US Dollars and all payments must be made in US Dollars. Prices are per person based on SEMI-PRIVATE service; we depart with 2 ppl as a minimum, 8 ppl as maximum, and an average of 4 ppl in a group. This trek is also based on double occupancy for tents in the trail and a double twin-bed (matrimonial if requested) for hotel rooms. We guarantee that your tour will be limited to a maximum of 8 people.
Making a choice of your right travel company/ tour operator is the most important decision you will make as you make your plans for a long-anticipated dreamed adventure. At first glance, some companies may seem cheaper. However, when you research a little deeper, you will see why traveling with Peru Summit Adventures assures that you will have the most memorable travel experience possible. In fact, we guarantee it, our TripAdvisor reviews say that.
Making genuine and sustainable itineraries often translate to real costs, with a host of responsible travel practices that underpin our prices, here are the reasons why you should go with us!
Besides, Machu Picchu offers one of the world’s most spellbinding travel experiences. But it’s also a world-renowned destination, and touring the site in a big group with multitudes of tourists shoving for photos, and competing to hear the guide, your once in a lifetime visit to this World Heritage Site may lose its magic. Our Machu Picchu Trips are scheduled with an average of just four travelers, allowing for a deeper exploration of the lost city of the Incas, with our Local Experts / Tour Leaders.
We are very confident the quality of our Salkantay Trek and Short Inca Trail will get your expectations and that you will savor the best possible of cultural travel experience, nature travel experience, and adventure travel experience if you are dissatisfied, we’ll happily give you credit for an extra trip or for a future journey. It’s, to our knowledge, the best guarantee in the travel business.
Probably you will see that most of the tour operators mention it on their websites that are local tour companies, however, if you research a little deeper you will find out that’s not true, they might be although half of the operation is done from here and another half abroad, they even have NorthAmerican phone number or European phone numbers, which is a clue to find out, we are not against the foreigner companies or half foreign companies, what we are against is that they lie.
In Cusco exist just few truly local tour operators. If you did not know, foreign companies come to Peru to get rich without paying a General Sales Tax or Tax Contribution to our country. If you did not know that, according to the United Nations, for every US $100 spent on a tour in a developing country or foreign travel companies, only $5 stays in the local economy. Normally, almost all of the money flows back to large companies operating outside the destination countries. As we are a local family enterprise, we guarantee that your travel expenditures will support the local economy, and improve the lives of Peruvians through contributing to general sales tax.
Be a responsible traveller! Let’s make this world a better place for everyone and for everyone that lives in it! The natural environments that we travel to are fragile and abundant with beautiful culture and traditions that are often reliant on tourism. We have a responsibility as travelers to minimize the impact of our presence, protect what is delicate, and leave a positive influence everywhere we can.
As a locally owned and based Peruvian tour company, we integrate these practices into our in-country operations we are aiming for a style of travel that makes the world a better place for everyone, and for everyone that lives in it. Since our very first days as a tour operator, responsible business has been at the heart of what we do. Peru Summit Adventures is committed not just to treading lightly, but to making a real difference by helping and investing in local communities, education initiatives, environmental conservation projects. These values are not more than just words, they are ingrained in the culture and philosophy of our crew, daily operations of Peru Summit Adventures trips, and at our office too.
The perfect custom-made private tours, adventure tours, or expeditions don’t just happen. It takes a team of talented, knowledgeable, passionate, and experienced professionals to bring it all together and possible. Our team of Peru Summit Adventures Leaders is comprised of local trip veterans, seasoned tour veterans with rich backgrounds on history, archaeology, culture, cuisine, geology, biology, and more.
With the highest staff-to-guest ratio in the travel industry, our Trip Leaders safely deliver your trip-of-a-lifetime to maximize your Peru journeys and adventures every step of the way. Our Tour/Trek Leaders have worked extensively in the Peru isolated mountains, archaeological sites, hiking the Inca Trail (at least 150 times), Amazon jungle, and being at Machu Picchu for over 400 times at least, this guarantees your trip a unique and memorable experience.
Camping Equipment: Great gear is a key part of every great journey, so we’ve made our gear warehouse featuring top-performing brands like Black Diamond, Patagonia, North Face Summit Series, Therma Rest, Marmot, Leki, this is a fantastic collection of our outdoor gear, accessories, which are offered in all trekking adventures, expeditions, and Peru Summit Adventures Logo items.
In all hikes, you’ll enjoy Pro 4-season tents in Black Diamond and North Face with Pro Sleeping pads in Therma-Rest and pillows, tents are roomy and cozy designed for 3 people but used only for 2 guests.
Hotels: We select carefully our hotels in each destination all over the country. And we select our accommodations for how well they represent the distinctive character of the destination you’re in. Some of these rooms and cabanas draw their inspiration from history and others from the views they offer. What’s consistent, however, is that we stand by each and every one of these for what they’ll add to your experience.
We have created a custom comprehensive listing of Salkantay Trek and Short Inca Trail 6 Days, Machu Picchu and Peru, Machu Picchu, and Peru travel books for this trip. Our reading list Peru is custom-designed to complement specific Peru Summit destinations. We feature a handpicked selection of travel guides, maps, literature, books on art, cuisine, nature, and culture, designed to help you get more out of your travels to Machu Picchu & Peru.
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