Salkantay 5-Day Trek, Peru
- Emmy
- May 7
- 7 min read
In May 2024, I went on Salkantay's 5-Day Trek, The Savage Mountain Trail to Machu Picchu.
The trip was my friend Amber’s idea—an adventurous way to celebrate her 40th birthday. I prepared by doing a lot of spin classes to build my endurance (thank you, SoulCycle), taking long weekend walks in my hiking boots, and carrying my backpack around (in hindsight, I should have done more of this, and put rocks in it). And of course, by buying a lot of new gear and supplies to help me survive. Hiking boots, a cozy sleeping bag, head lamp, bug spray, toilet paper, a battery pack, protein bars, etc. For my full recommended packing list, click here.
We started our journey in Lima, then spent a few days acclimating to the altitude in Cusco before beginning the trek. The days were tough—nothing can really prepare you for the altitude or the strain of trekking through the mountains, while being very, very out of your element.
We lucked out and traveled with a great group of people brought together by LegitTrips (strangers who were friends by the end of the journey)—all helping each other along the way, sharing supplies, and offering words of encouragement. And of course, we had the absolute best guides—Fredy A. and Elias from Salkantay Trekking. If you're planning a trip like this, I can’t say enough good things about the Salkantay Trekking team. I still can't believe our guide, Fredy, was playing a flute while we were all huffing and puffing our way through the mountains.
Below is a quick day-by-day breakdown. I could go on and on about this trip—after all, the ones that push us out of our comfort zone are often the most rewarding—so feel free to reach out if you want to hear more or have questions. I’m happy to share my experience and help prepare you for what's to come! It was definitely one of the hardest, but most memorable and rewarding trips I’ve ever taken.
Day 1: Salkantay 5-Day Trek
Cusco - Mollepata - Challacancha - Soraypampa - Humantay Lake - Sky Camp
4 am departure from Cusco - 2 hour drive to Mollepata for breakfast - 1 hour drive to Challacancha
We started the trek at Challancancha (9,350 ft) and hiked 7 km to Sky Camp at Soraypampa (12,795 ft). After a great lunch and settling into our sky domes, we ventured 1.5 km up to the beautiful Humantay Lake (13,780 ft).
Day 1 was tough but rewarding. It wasn’t easy to breathe going up hill, and hard on the body going down.
Hiking to Humantay Lake was a good test for Day 2, which would be 4x as long climbing up in elevation to 15,190 ft and gave us a taste of the difficulty of going down.
Sky Camp accommodations were chilly but comfortable, and we got power in our domes from 5-8 pm to charge up. My favorite part, of course, was seeing a sky full of stars and the milky way. ✨
Day 2: Salkantay 5-Day Trek
Soraypampa - Salkantay Pass - Huayracmachay - Chaullay - Collpapampa (Mountain Sky View)
After experiencing the grueling 2 km climb up to the Lake (13,780 ft) on Day 1, I opted for a horse for part of the trek on Day 2, as did the majority of our group.
Props to Amber, Melissa Dos, and Chelsea for braving the climb! The rest of us traveled 7 km up to Salkantay Pass (15,190 ft) via horseback ($130 soles/person), and then all down 15 km to Collpapampa (9,678 ft) on foot.
Going down hill was HARD on the body, my knees revolted, and we didn’t make it to camp at Mountain Sky View until after dark. Thank goodness for my stellar guide, Elias, who helped carry my backpack in the dark to give my shoulders a break and so I could move faster. I don’t think I would have made it to camp without him.
Heads up to future travelers: when you get to Mountain Sky View, the work isn’t done. It’s a lot of stairs up to collect your bags, and get to your dome and to the dining room. But a hot shower was waiting and our accommodations were definitely an upgrade from the night prior. I didn't wash my hair, but was very glad to wash my face and rinse my body. While there is a shower in the room, there was no soap or towels so we were at the mercy of what we had packed.
All in all, Day 2 was a very challenging day filled with amazing views at every turn. (After hitting 45,720 steps, my Fitbit officially died - an indication of just how grueling the day was.)
Day 3: Salkantay 5-Day Trek
Collpapampa - La Playa - Lucmabamba - Jungle Domes
After a tough Day 2, I opted for a ride to the organic coffee farm. Some of the group hiked there, so we had downtime to relax at Mountain Sky View after breakfast. It was nice to just sit, take in the views, and rest—playing cards, braiding hair, and letting our bodies recover.
We also had time to rest at the coffee farm while waiting for the hikers to arrive. As much as I enjoyed disconnecting from the world, I did pay for WiFi at the farm so I could tell my family I was alive and let my photos sync to the cloud, just in case something happened to my phone during the trek. We learned about coffee farming and had the chance to buy coffee and chocolate before heading on.
Later, we checked into our camp for the night—the Jungle Domes. It didn’t take long to settle in and change into our swimsuits for a trip to the Cocalmayo Hot Springs. Nestled in the valley of the Urubamba River, three naturally heated pools are surrounded by stunning mountain views. Before entering, we stopped at Sonia’s to rent towels (30 soles).
My body was so sore, and the warm soak felt amazing! Afterward, we headed back to camp for dinner and rest. I brushed my teeth in a sink full of bugs and squatted over a toilet surrounded by spiders and critters (I was especially grateful for my headlamp in the middle of the night). The jungle was humid and buggy, but having power to charge our devices was nice and I enjoyed having an "easy" day.
Day 4: Salkantay 5-Day Trek
Lucmabamba - Llactapata - Aobamba - Hidroelectrica - Aguas Calientes
By day 4, I was really ready for a long hot shower and to wash my greasy hair - especially after hitting the jungle climates. I was starting to lose stamina from lack of sleep and pure body exhaustion, but knowing the end was in sight kept me going.
We were woken up at 4:45 with our coca tea and had breakfast at 5. Several of us passed on the up and down “gringo killer” morning hike, so got to go back to bed after breakfast. We hitched a ride in a very crowded mini van to Ahobamba Restaurant in the jungle (for 25 soles), which we got to by crossing a suspension bridge on foot and then hiking up a few switchbacks to wait for our group of hikers to arrive.
I loved the free time and exploring the area around the restaurant - the views were beautiful, there were more butterflies than I’ve ever seen in one place, and it was nice to sit and have a cup of coffee and chat with other travelers about their experiences. You really see the good in people when you're in a situation like this—fellow hikers shared supplies and survival tips, and everyone encourages each other to keep going.
After our group of hikers arrived, we enjoyed lunch and then started the 6 mile hike to Aguas Calientes, where a hotel room was waiting.
The last stretch of the hike was mostly flat and along the train tracks. Not much shade meant it was hot hot hot and required lots of sunscreen and bug spray.
We were dragging but oh so proud as we made it into Aguas Calientes.
After a hot shower and blow dry, we met the group for dinner and walked the streets of town before bed so we could get up at 4 am for Machu Picchu.
Day 4 hiking was the easiest for me because it was fairly flat and I’d always rather be hot than cold. We also had real bathrooms along the way and opportunities to buy yummy snacks (like a Snickers bar!).
Day 5: Salkantay 5-Day Trek
Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Ollantaytambo - Cusco
Day 5 is the big day! After several days of trekking ~50 miles through the Andes, we made it to our final destination: Machu Picchu.
What a magical sight! After being taken entirely out of my comfort zone on the trek, it felt especially good to make it to the end and experience this beauty.
We took a bus from Aguas Calientes and were among the first in around 6 am. It quickly fills up with tour groups and crowds of people, so get your pictures early so you can enjoy roaming around and learning from your guide. And be sure to load up on sunscreen, as the sun rises quickly and you are close to it!
Rules for entry:
No large backpacks (mine is 22L and was allowed)
No visible water bottles (they don’t want your trash)
Camelbacks are allowed
No snacks, drugs, etc.
Must have a guide with you
Must present passport or valid ID that exactly matches the name on your ticket
No baños inside; pay 1 sol to go before you enter
After Machu Picchu, we had some time to explore the town of Aguas Calientes and grabbed lunch with our hiking family. Of course, I hit up the market and walked around taking photos while my friends popped in a bar. Then, we boarded a very scenic outbound train to Ollantaytambo, where our private transfer was waiting to take us back to Cusco.
All in all, it was an amazing trip and I'd recommend it to anyone looking to do something different, get out of their comfort zone, and breathe in fresh air while disconnecting from the world. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, and the most magical, all at the same time. Would I do it again? Probably not. I'm so glad I did it, but one time was enough for me.
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