SALKANTAY TREK (WITHOUT MACHU PICCHU) 3 DAYS - BUDGET

Price
$165.00
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For all trekking lovers who already made alternative arrangements for Machu Picchu, you can book your Salkantay trek returning to Cusco from Santa Teresa on Day 3 instead of going all the way to the site. Daily departures. A visit to stunning Humantay Lake is also included in the itinerary.

OVERVIEWOVERVIEW

For all trekking lovers who already made alternative arrangements for Machu Picchu, you can book your Salkantay trek returning to Cusco from Santa Teresa on Day 3 instead of going all the way to the site. Daily departures. A visit to stunning Humantay Lake is also included in the itinerary.

ITINERARYITINERARY
DAY 1 – Cusco – Soraypampa – Humantay Lake
Meals: lunch and dinner
Pickup at your hotel in the morning between 4.30 and 5 AM and we start our drive to Mollepata (2900 m) where we will meet with the horsemen and horses that will carry our camping equipment (you will also pay your entrance fee of 10 soles). On the way we will also have a 30-min stop at a local restaurants in order for you to have breakfast (not included). Already it is possible to see the snowcapped peak of Salkantay mountain (6267 m) from this area. We start our trek and will walk for about 2 hours ascending up to Soraypampa (3920 m), our first campsite, passing through some wonderful mountainous scenery along the way. Here we will then take a break and have lunch to recover our energies. After lunch we will hike for about 1.5 hours up to the stunning Humantay Lake. We will stay there for about 1 hour in order to take in the views and take pictures of this incredible lagoon. We then make our way back to Soraypampa for dinner. Tonight we go to bed very early in order to wake up early on Day 2.

DAY 2 – Soraypampa – Salkantay Pass – Salkantay Lake (optional)  Chaullay
Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner
We wake up at 5 AM and start this day with a hot tea or coffee. After a good breakfast we start walking for about 3 hours to the Salkantay pass at an altitude of 4600 meters (this is the highest point of our trek). This is the toughest stretch of the whole trek and if you don't feel like walking all the way up you can also rent a horse on site (about 90 soles). Once we arrive at the Salkantay pass we pause to take in the views and take some rest. Here our guide will also explain about the relationship that the Incas had with their mountains and we will also take part in a short ritual. We then continue our adventure descending towards Wayrapunku where we will stop to have our lunch. On our way down we might even be able to visit another lake, the Salkantay lagoon, but this entirely depends on the group speed and timing (it takes about 1 hour total to reach the lake and return back to the normal path). After eating and a break we will continue in high jungle areas populated with large trees that contain a number of bromelids and orchids. We will arrive to our camp site in Chaullay (or Colcapampa) and relax, have dinner and sleep here for the night. Total trek time for the day is about 9 ot 10 hours.
 
DAY 3 – Chaullay  Santa Teresa  Cusco
Meals: breakfast and lunch
On the third morning, after breakfast, we will set off along the trail passing through several different ecological zones and an abundance of flora in what is one of the most beautiful parts of the trek. We will trek for about 5 hours until we reach La Playa (2200 m) and we will stop for lunch before taking a bus to the town of Santa Teresa (1700 m). From here you take your 4 pm bus to return to Cusco arriving there at around 10.30 PM (dropoff near Plaza de Armas).

INCLUDED / NOT INCLUDEDINCLUDED / NOT INCLUDED
INCLUDED
  • Accommodation pickup
  • Transportation (bus to start of trek, bus from Santa Teresa to Cusco)
  • English-speaking guide
  • Pre-tour briefing the evening before tour
  • Horse to carry tents, food and cooking equipment, and up to 5 kg personal equipment (additional personal equipment horse available at extra cost)
  • Professional trekking cook
  • Meals as indicated in description
  • Camping equipment (tent, mattress, dining tent, kitchen tent)
  • First aid kit and assistance in case of problems
  • Sleeping mattress (sleeping bag can be rented for an extra price)
 
NOT INCLUDED
  • Extrance fee - 10 soles
  • Sleeping bag (can be rented)
  • Extra horse to carry personal belongings (available at extra cost)
  • Trekking poles (can be rented)
  • First day breakfast and last day lunch (or dinner)
  • Water and snacks (can be bought on the way)
  • Personal medical kit (recommended)
  • Travel insurance (recommended)
  • Sunglasses and sun cream 
  • Insect repellent 
  • Accommodation dropoff (tour ends in San Francisco square)
  • Tips for guide, horseman, cook

IMPORTANT INFORMATIONIMPORTANT INFORMATION
  • You can hire an extra horse for personal belongings at an extra price.
  • Groups are usually from 6 to 12 but can be up to 16 people per group. You will join a group of people who are ending their tour with a visit to Machu Picchu and you will leave them in Santa Teresa, from where you take your bus to return to Cusco.
  • We recommend that you acclimatize to an altitude of around 2500-3000 meters for some days before attempting this trek and that you are in reasonable physical condition. Temperature changes quickly together with altitude (from 4000 to 2000 m). If you have any illnesses or conditions you MUST inform of these when booking. In some cases we will require a medical certificate in order to permit you to take part in tour.
 
WHAT TO BRING
  • Original passport 
  • Hiking boots or strong footwear, waterproof recommended!
  • Trekking poles (can be rented)
  • A backpack (30 to 40L) with a change of clothes for the whole period of the trek
  • Water bottle - minimum 2 litres or plastic bottle
  • Rain gear - jacket + trousers or rain poncho (plastic ponchos can be purchased in Cusco)
  • Warm clothes, including fleece jacket. Thermal clothing is highly recommended and can be also worn in the sleeping bag during cold nights
  • Trekking pants, zip off model is recommended
  • Gloves or mittens, scarf, woollen hat for cold nights
  • 3 pairs of warm socks
  • Sandals or jogging shoes for comfort while at camp
  • Sleeping bag  (you can rent one from us -$15 for the whole trip)
  • Flashlight / headlamp and extra batteries
  • Camera, films and batteries (batteries consume more quickly under cold conditions) and waterproof bags for your camera
  • Hat or cap to protect you from the sun, rain and cold
  • Sun block
  • Insect repellent
  • Sunglasses
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Personal medical kit / supplies
  • Extra cash for snacks, water and energy drinks to buy on the way
  • Travel insurance

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