Moray, Maras, Salt Mines & Inca Trail
This impressive tour combines the globally renowned Inca Trail journey to Machu Picchu with Cusco
This Salkantay trek is NOT ONLY the most famous alternative treks to get the one of the new sever wonders of the world named Machu Picchu. This Salkantay trek is nowadays one the most spectacular trails to do a hike on the Andes with a lot of mega diversity and natural beauty, the trek is located in the medley of the Andes Mountain Range called Vilcabamba zone. The trek passes through stunning landscapes varying from the cloud forest to the high mountains. Along the way are fantastic sceneries of glacier cooper highest mountain in Cusco area, a remote and ancient footpath in the same region of the Inca trail, but less traveled, this trip offering more spectacular views you never sow in your entire life, Salkantay (āSavage Mountainā) standing at 6,271 m/19.685 ft. This tour is for the adventurous.
This Salkantay Trek route provides a magnificent wilderness alternative for those people who wish to escape the more congested trekking routes.
It was Recently Named in to the 25 best Treks in the World by National Geographic Adventure Travel Magazine.
We will pick you up from your hotel at 5:00 a.m. to drive for about 2 hours to Mollepata village. Here weāll stop in a local restaurant and have breakfast, and then weāll continue drive for half hour more to the start point of our Salkantay trek from a place named Challancha. As soon as we get there weāll find a horseman who is going to waiting for us, he and our cook they will pack all the camping equipment and cooking stuff, we will give them our duffel bags, they are going to take care of our extra staff and our everyday food, so we will start hiking together with our tour guide who will be responsible of hiking group, the first 1/2 hours will be a little bit uphill to get Inca Canal where we will have a spectacular and brief taking lands escapes, from here is easy till lunch spot named Soraypampa (3800 m/11750 ft.); after enjoy a very delicious Peruvian food we will hike up to the beautiful snow- mountainsĀ Lake of (Humantay; 4120 m/13500 ft.)
After take a good rest in the Humantay lake we have to continue for about 2 more hours to our camping spot, we will walk dawn to close to the lunch spot and continue walk up hill till Salkantay pampa here we will be very close to the highest Salkantay snow-capped mountain.
We use this day to get a good acclimation that is reason we try make a kind of easy day, and we are not put you directly to the highest pass like other companies do, like this you can be more prepared for the second day and cross easy the highest pass and we always camp in very exclusive places with less people to enjoy more the nature on entire trip.mantanay-lake-tierras-andinas
After having our breakfast, we start walking early, because this day will be the longest but the most beautiful day crossing the Andes mountain ranges, our first 3 hours it“ll be uphill to get the highest point of the Trek (4650m/15200ft) located between 2 hugest mountains; Salkantay on the right and Tucarhuay on the left. By the way we will have a lot of opportunities to take wonderful pictures, once we get the top is even better landscapes of the glaciers is definitely spectacular. There is always a possibility of snow, rain, hail here so we have to go always ready for everything.
After the little break and very nice explanations of our tour guide about the local traditions, religious, of local people, we will continue our walk (downhill) through a dramatic cloud forest towards named Huayracmachay Quechua language means (The shelter of the wind), about 2 hours later we will have a very good lunch. We“ll hike about 3 more hours again after delicious lunch in the direction of the jungle“s beginning till we reach our second Salkantay Trek camping spot of chaullay or Colpampampa (3000m/9800ft).tirras-andinas-salkantay-trek
After breakfast, we will say thank you so much to the horseman and take the last pictures with him, because from here there a car service already all our equipment it“ll be carrying on the car, for us starts an easier day, only about 15 km / 9 miles from here everything became easier, we start walking through the upper part of the jungle crossing the Lluskamayo River and a variety of little brooks to reach Lucmabanba walking about 6 hours. Today we will pass through valleys and have wonderful views of waterfalls, tropical fruits and more different type of plants fully of vegetation, as soon as we will get Lucmabamba our cook is going to waiting with amazing food, this is a small village one of the places around Machu Picchu produce ecological coffee, in the afternoon we will have option to join in to these local family for a beautiful explanations and elaboration of the organic coffee you will be able to buy some coffee from this family and support them too if you like, remember as well this is going to be the beginning of the recently discovered Inca trail for the day 4th.
Nota Optional: if you heard about nice hot springs, that is located 1 more-hour drive to the place named Santa Teresa, if you are very interesting you can rent a local car and drive down and back in the afternoon to the camping place named lucmabamaba and extra cost it“ll pay for you.
Today is go into be one of the long hike day as well, that is the reason to have breakfast early and start to walk to LLACTAPATA one of the beautiful view point to see Machu Picchu from faraway still. We beginning to walk up using the original Inca path for about 3 hours to get the small Inca site where you will get a chance to take one of the most spectacular pictures and landscapes of Machupicchu from faraway, to continue walking, passing a variety of crop plantations, coffee, banana, avocados etc. walking down till we reach the hydroelectric train station here our cook is going to providing a very good food and say good bye. After the lunch we keep walking about three hours along the train road till reaching Aguas Calientes town where we will spend the night in a good hostel and have dinner in a good local restaurant where we will organize everything for the 5th day.
In Aguas Calientes, you can take advantage of the thermal springs in the town (entrance 10 soles) a real treat after finishing the Salkantay Trek covering more 75 km or 46 mi. longest.
Salkantay trek important day, depending of the different options we choose we wake up early morning about 4 am to start walking at 4:30 dawn hill the first half hour and them uphill per about one hour to the main gate of Machu Picchu, but there is another option to catch on of the first buses which leaves 5:30 to Machu Picchu (25-minutes long) in order to appreciate the magnificent city as the sun is rising.
All together after already use restrooms, because toilets are located only outside, we will enjoy of the Guiding tour exploring the most important sites in to the Machu Picchu and after this you can explore the mysterious city by yourselves. If you still have energy you can also climb Huaynapicchu (2720m/8890ft)!!! It takes 45 minutes to reach the top or the not very famous Machu Picchu Mountain it takes about one and half hour to get the top. And after enjoying everything you have to go down to Aguas Calientes to take the train back to Ollantaytambo and then bus back Cusco.
Bathing clothes for the hot springs (optional).
When it comes to planning an unforgettable adventure in Cusco, Peru, the choices can be overwhelming. With so many travel agencies vying for your attention, it’s essential to select one that stands out and offers a truly exceptional experience. That’s where “Tierras Andinas” Travel Agency comes into play. Here are some compelling reasons why you should choose us for your Cusco adventure:
PERMITS FOR INCA TRAIL:Ā according the regulations of Inca trail by Peruvian government are allow only 500 trekking permits per day and everyone need to purchase a permits including tour guides, cooks and porters. Are only about 200 travelers approximately having access to the Inca trail per day the rest of spaces are for the companyās crew (guides, cooks and porters) ThatĀ“s why, we recommend you to book in several months in advance to secure your place.
Once we purchase all the permits from the national ministry of culture you are 100% confirmed to start the trip this day, cannot be changed or transferable to others.
Inca trail permits are not complete nonrefundable or transferable, so you have to make sure the date you“ll book and as soon as we“ll purchase the Inca trail permits we will send you a confirmation with all permits added
If you change your passport after booking your permit or you are planning to travel with other passport, you HAVE to bring the passport you used to book your permit, in other way you“ll not be able to have access in to the Inca trail.
STUDENTS: If you are student you have an especial discount. Thatās why you have to use your International Student Identity Card green (ISIC) you must have this card and make sure the expiration date must be more over time that weĀ“ll do the trip, if you donĀ“t bring with you will not allow to enter into the Inca trail. ThatĀ“s the rules of ministry of Machu Picchu have.
HUAYNA PICCHU MOUNTAIN: Are allowing only 400 people to climb this mountain per day, so it needs to be booked in advanced and the price is S$80 per person we recommend you do in the second time between 10-11 am, minimum have to book two month in advance based on availability.
MACHU PICCHU MOUNTAIN: Are allowing only 400 people to climb this mountain per day, it needs to booked in advance, the price is S$80 per person it is located in from of Huayana Picchu mountain but is more higher takes about the 1:20 minutes to climb this mountain between 7-11 am.
EXTRA NIGHT IN AGUAS CALIENTES CITY:Ā If you want to stay longer and going back to Machu Picchu to explore more or climb one the famous mountain surrounded, you have to buy a new entrance fee or we can do too for S$80, than you can book an extra night at Aguas Calientes town. We can organize your accommodations in hostel for S$30 or hotel if you prefer but price depend the type of hotel you choose more information contact us. And if you want to book by yourself you can do too. Just let us know that you are planning to stay an extra night so we organize your return train for the next day.
RETURN TRAIN TO CUSCO: The return train is going to be the Expedition service train, which departs at 6.25 pm. Always Based on Peru Rail availability and will be confirmed at your briefing. There is an option to upgrade Vistadome train service with large windows which is an extra S$60 per person. Please let us know your preference at the time of booking. Train services are only between Aguas Calientes city to Ollantaytambo train stations and then bus to Cusco and drop you off in your hotel.
FOOD ON THE TREK: all our meals are a kind of buffet. It is always fresh and most of it is organic. We are used to eat together and we go out of our way to accommodate all dietary requirements including vegetarian options, began and any food allergies. We do not provide any alcoholic drinks on the trek but if you would like you can bring on your own.
OUR EQUIPMENT: all the equipment is the first quality; we provide 4 man tents for only 2 hiker and TERM-A-REST self-inflating air sleeping mattresses no extra fee!!! For everyone, our equipment includes a spacious dining tent, tables and chairs, plates and utensils. We do NOT supply sleeping bags, walking sticks, but all can be rented from us the moment you are booking or in your pre-meeting briefing.
Very important note if you are over 1.95 meters / 6“4Ⳡtall then you won“t be able to rent a sleeping bag in Cusco. In this case it is recommended to bring your own.
OUR GUIDES, COOK AND PORTERS: all our local tour guides speaks English, Spanish and Quechua is a local language, is because more of names on the Inca trail and Cusco is in this language that is the reason is very important to know, Our cooks provide amazing family style food a nice kind of buffet for all our team, Our porters will carry everything for you which makes your trek as easy and comfortable as possible, equipment, all the product for cook, tents. All of them are amazing, helpful, patient, very informative, caring and great persons, if you like give thanks to them you can do with some tips.
We never overload our porters thatās why we make sure that all our team are well looked after and we provide all the equipment that they need, we treated like our family so that they feel like in home as you too.
FITNESS: Many people worry about altitude sickness because on the day two we have to crossing two highest mountains and worry if we can be able to do it with a regular life?. To be hones we had people of all ages (from teenagers to pensioners) and age itself is no barrier if you are positive minded and lives an active lifestyle. Before departing for your tour, we recommend visiting your doctor who will be able to provide you with more information about.
The Inca Trail is certainly not easy but you do not need to be an athlete or a trekking expert to complete it. Fitness is naturally important but the Inca Trail is one of the most beautiful hikes in the world, is also a kind of trek that anyone with a positive attitude and determination can do. If you want to enjoy the entire Inca trail we recommend you to training couple months to come here and you will see how easy it is.
STORAGE DURING YOUR TREK: During you doing the Inca Trail trek your main luggage will be stored in Cusco. We recommend you to leave at same hotel booked in Cusco if you will back after the hike to same hotel they usually have a good lookers because weāll provide you a small duffle bag at your Inca Trail briefing (pre-meeting briefing is normally set for the evening before you start the trek) to pack clothes for 3-4 days. Your team of porters will carry these bags together with the food and equipment for the trail. Please note that you will not have access to these items until the end of each day as the porters will always be behind and ahead of the group, therefore you must bring a small day pack in which you can carry personal belongings such as your rainy gear, camera, water and sun screen etc. By Peruvian law the duffle bag carried by the porters must not weigh more than 6kg (12pounds). If you will need an extra 6 kg duffel bag you can rent for S$75.