El 2 Days Humantay Lake and Salkantay Trek is a great way to explore the highlights of the Andes Mountains in a short amount of time. The Humantay Lake is one of the many hidden gems of Peru’s highland region and well known for its insanely bright blue and green water and its snow-capped mountain backdrop.
DAY 1:: CUSCO – QUISARNIYOC – SALKANTAY PASS – CHAWLLAY
Early start in your hotel in Cusco. We pick you at 2:00 am in morning to transfer you to Soraypampa.
It is going to be about 3 hours by car to Soraypampa which is the place where you start the hike.
Once in Soraypampa, You will join the Salkantay group for breakfast then you get ready for the 20 kilometers hike. Around 6:30 am you start hiking to the highest point of the whole Salkantay trail 4630 m.
After 3 hours hike you reach the top to celebrate and enjoy beautiful views of the Salkantay mountain once at the top you have the chance to make an offering for the APUS (Andean gods).
We start hiking downhill to get 2900 m / 9510 ml in todo 15 km downhill hiking. You are going to do it in two sections. The first section will be from the top to the lunch point which takes 2 hours approximately and then after lunch 3 hours more to the second camp called Chawllay.
On the way you are going appreciate the Fascinating type of landscapes such glacier mountains, lagoons, rocky mountains, grassy hills, by the time that you will be close to the camp you are going to be in the jungle area.
Once at the camp time to relaxing if you like you can enjoy cold beers while the cooks make the te time and the delicious dinner.
DAY 2:: CHAULLAY – SANTA TERESA – HIDROECETRICA – AGUAS CALIENTES.
On the second day, you will already be in the jungle area. We wake you up around 6:00 am with a cup of coca tea, then we provide you with a delicious breakfast.
Around 7:00 am you start the hike to la playa Sahuayaco for 5 hours approximately along the Santa Teresa Valley which is formed by the Salkantay River.
Along the valley, you have the chance to see plantations such a coffee, bananas, avocados, Coca, passion fruit, and much more.
After five hours of hiking, you will arrive at La Playa Sahuayaco, from where you will take local transportation for one hour to Santa Teresa, where you stop to have lunch then you continue by car 45 more minutes to Hidrolectrica then walking 3 more hours along the train tracks to Aguas Calientes town on the flat trail.
Then we take you to the hotel for showering and relaxing, in the evening around 7:00 pm we organized a dinner in a restaurant in Aguas Calientes after we go to sleep.
DAY 3:: MACHU PICCHU – CUSCO
On the last day of the tour, you are going to visit Machu Picchu. You need to wake up around 4:00 am to get ready for the hike to Machu Picchu main entrance.
After you grab your pack breakfast you start walking to Puente Ruinas checkpoint for 30 minutes which is open at 5:00 am where you have to show your passport and your Machu Picchu tickets.
After you pass the first checkpoint, you will hike all upstairs for one hour to Machu Picchu main gate to be there around 6:00 am. Once everybody meets at the gate, you go into Machu Picchu for the guided tour for 2.5 hours to learn everything about The lost city of the Incas.
After the guided tour you have free time to explore on your own the Inca city of Machu Picchu. The time that you will spend in Machu Picchu will depend on how you like to go back to Cusco and also will depend if you want to climb the Machu Picchu montaña or Huayna Picchu mountain which must book it in advance.
After your 3-Day Salkantay Trek, We offer you two options to go back to Cusco after visiting Machu Picchu.
You can visit Machu Picchu for a longer time and have enough time if you are planning to do HUAYNAPICCHU or MACHU PICCHU MOUNTAIN, which require a minimum of 3 hours approximately.
After visiting the area of Machu Picchu for 7 to 8 hours, you have to return to the town of Aguas Calientes to take a train at 18:20 to Ollantambo for 1.5 hours then by car to Cusco for 2 hours more to arrive in Cusco around 10:30 pm
You arrive at Machu Picchu around 6:00 am for the guided tour for 2.5 hours then you have free time to explore the site on your own.
If you take this option, and you are thinking to do HUAYNAPICCHU or MACHU PICCHU MOUNTAIN is possible but will be too very tight and rush because you need to leave Machu Picchu at 11:30 to walk back to Hydroelectric for 3 hours in order to be in Hidrolectrica at 2:30 pm to take a car for 6 hours back Cusco.
If you are considering doing this option and doing one of the mountains, we recommend you stay one more night in Aguas Calientes and return the 6th day to Cusco by car.
At Ausangate Trekking, we specify the included and non-included services under all the tour itineraries listed on our website. We take care of all the logistics, but please pay attention to the details to avoid missing anything. Some items may be different for specific programs, so please read carefully before booking with us.
INCLUDED:
- Salkantay trek briefing at 7:00 pm a day before of the departure at Machu Picchu Reservations office
- A duffle bag to pack 7 kilos of your belonging that will be carried by horses during the trek
- English/Spanish speaking professional tour guides
- Professional chef and cooking equipment
- Horses for carrying up to 7 Kilos of personal luggage and other required equipment
- Pick up from your hotel in Cusco
- Private transportation to head of Salkantay trail
- 3 breakfasts
- 2 lunches
- 2 dinners
- 1 night of camping
- 1 night hotel in Aguas Calientes
- Mountain Sky Huts with Thick Mattresses, glass door, Night Lighting, and Panoramic for the first
- Personal pad (double foam – 2.5 inches thick)
- Pillows at the first camp
- Transportation from La Playa to Hidroelectrica
- Entrance ticket to Machu Picchu
- Guided visit to Machu Picchu
- Return journey from Aguas Calientes to Cusco BY TRAIN or BY CAR depending on your choice
- Vegetarian/Vegan options available on request with no additional charges
- First-Aid equipment and oxygen bottle for emergencies
NOT INCLUDED:
- Entrance to Humantay lake charged by the local government of Mollepata = 20 soles
- Sleeping Bags – If you do not have one you can rent from us for $15 USD for the whole trek
- The entrance fee and transportation to the hot springs of Santa Teresa (20 to 25 soles)
- Travel insurance
- Extra expenses
- Tips
We want to make your trip to Peru as memorable and as carefree as possible. In this section, you’ll find the answers to all the questions you have about traveling with Ausangate Trekking in one place. Please read the following information carefully – it will help you with any questions about our services.
Have another question that we haven’t answered here? Drop us a line and we will get back to you asap!
WHAT TO BRING
- A backpack to carry water, some snacks, a camera, sunscreen, valuable things, Jacket, rain gear, etc. We recommend bringing a backpack of 25 – 30 liters, but if you like to can bring a daypack or any size of the backpack as long as you feel comfortable with it.
- Sleeping bag at least minus 5 cº. If you doN’T have one, you can rent from us for USD 10 dollars for the whole trek.
- Trekking Poles – We recommend for people with problems of knees, ankle, or you are used to using hiking poles. If you do NOT have one, you can rent a pair of trekking poles for USD 10 dollars from us.
- Original Passports
- Wool hat or beanie
- Sun hat
- Scarf
- Gloves
- 2 – 3 t-shirt, if you have long sleeve better
- layers (sweater, fleece)
- 1 – 2 pairs of long pants if you have leggings, you can do on leggings
- Hiking shoes
- 2 – 3 pairs of wool socks
- Rain gear (Pants, jacket, if you do not have you can buy rain poncho) it is crucial, especially for the wet season.
- A small headlamp
- A small towel
- Shorts
- Sunglasses
- Toothbrush and other personal toiletries
- Toilet paper
- Sun cream
- Insect repellent
- Sandals / Flip flops
- Waterbottle
- Swimwear
- If you have thermal clothing you can take them which is not that important, you will use them at least for the first night which is at 4000m
- Some snacks such as chocolate, cereal bars, candies, nuts, energy bars, etc
- Extra Cash in Soles
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