Inca Trail 7d/6n Salkantay Trek Itinerary

Salkantay / Inca Trail 7 day

The mountains of the Cordillera Vilcabamba rise to form a ragged chain  between the regions' two great rivers; the Urubamba and the Apurimac. Along the cordillera's northern side, massive snow peaks collide with lush tropical rain forests.

Located northwest of Cusco, Nevado de Salkantay, the cordillera's tallest peak, is at the eastern end of the chain and rises to 6271 meters above sea level. The name Salkantay means 'Savage Mountain' which may refer to the swirling clouds that rise up from the jungle lowlands and engulf the peak.

The Salkantay to Machu Picchu trek normally takes 7 days and has become popular with trekkers wanting to combine a quieter less trodden route with a visit to the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu. For the first 4 days you will be surrounded with magnificent scenery and rarely see other groups of trekkers. On the fifth day you join up with the Inca Trail at Wayllabamba and continue to Machu Picchu arriving early on day 7.

The trek is only a little more difficult than the Inca Trail, and horses can be used for the first 4 days to carry food and equipment. Since horses are not allowed on the Inca Trail, you'll swap over to using human porters for this final section.

Only a few tour companies operate this trek and, since trek permits are required, it's always best to reserve a space many months in advance.

(The following trek itinerary has been kindly provided by Qente www.qente.com)

DAY 1: CUSCO - MOLLEPATA - MARKOKASA
We will pick you up from your hotel and travel by bus to the town of Mollepata. Along the way, we will pass through the picturesque towns of Pampa de Anta (Izcuchaca, Zurite, and Ancahuasi). Our journey will take us into the Limatambo Valley, where we will see the ruins of Tarawasi, and then toward Mollepata, where we will begin our adventure. At Mollepata, we will complete the arrangements for our trek and then hike to our first camp at Markokasa.

DAY 2: MARKOKASA - CHOQUEKICLLA - SORAYPAMPA
We will begin Day 2 with a trek to Choquekiclla, where we will view the majestic Salkantay Humantay, a sacred mountain capped with snow peaks and on whose skirts we will make camp (4,000 meters/13,123 feet above sea level).

DAY 3: SORAYPAMPA - PAMPA JAPONESA - CANAL INCA
Day 3 will be in a spectacular day, hiking through the pass of Salkantay, close to the mountain's eternal snowcaps. Afterwards, we will descend toward the Inca Canal. During our trek, we will be able to fully appreciate and take in the imposing Andean topography.

DAY 4: CANAL INCA - TRES PIEDRAS - LLULLUCHAPAMPA
We begin Day 4 by hiking through the Inca Canal, which leads us to Paucarcancha. At Paucarcancha, we will enter the Cusichaca Valley and hike onward to Llulluchapampa (Incaracay).

DAY 5: LLULLUCHAPAMPA - PAKAYMAYU - SAYACMARKA
On Day 5, we ascend the pass of Warmiwañuska at 4,200 meters/13,780 feet above sea level. This is the highest point on the Inca Trail. From here, we descend toward the Pakaymayu Valley and continue our journey onward to Sayacmarka.

DAY 6: SAYACMARKA - PHUYUPATAMARCA - WIÑAYWAYNA
Day 6 of our trek will bring a noticeable change in climate (warmer), flora, and fauna, as we move close to Peru's cloud forest. During the course of the day, we will visit several archaeological sites.

DAY 7: WIÑAYWAYNA - MACHU PICCHU - CUSCO
Our reward at the end of our epic 7-day journey is the amazing panorama as we arrive to the great Inca citadel of Machu Picchu. We will enjoy a 2 1/2 hour guided tour of Machu Picchu and then take the bus down to the town of Aguas Calientes, where we will catch the train back to Cusco. We will transport you from the train station in Cusco to your hotel.