Cross Salkantay Pass and descend into the cloud forest on a private five-day journey to Machu Picchu. Spend three nights glamping with hot showers and meals prepared by your private chef, followed by a hotel stay in Aguas Calientes.
Operated by Peru & U
At Salkantay Pass, pause beneath the mountain’s snow-covered slopes before descending toward the greener valleys of Collpapampa. On this private luxury Salkantay trek, your guide accompanies you from the high Andes into the cloud forest.
Near Playa Sahuayaco, visit a local coffee farm and taste a freshly brewed cup. The next day, follow Inca pathways toward Llactapata for a distant view of Machu Picchu, then continue to Aguas Calientes before your guided visit to the citadel.
Your five-day journey starts and ends in Cusco, with three nights of glamping and one hotel night in Aguas Calientes. Follow the daily route below, from Soraypampa to your guided visit to Machu Picchu.
Cusco → Soraypampa → Soyrococha
A private transfer takes you from Cusco to Soraypampa, where your luxury Salkantay trek begins among steep mountain slopes and open Andean valleys. This first day offers the opportunity to visit Humantay Lake, with its turquoise water beneath the surrounding peaks.
After lunch prepared by your private chef, continue toward Soyrococha and your first glamping camp. Put down your pack, enjoy a hot shower and unwind with a massage before dinner. Settle into camp before tomorrow’s ascent to Salkantay Pass.
Walk: Approx. 12 km / 7.5 mi
Overnight: Glamping at Soyrococha
Meals: Lunch, dinner, snacks and tea time.
Soyrococha → Salkantay Pass → Collpapampa
After breakfast, begin the ascent to Salkantay Pass, the highest point of your trek at 4,638 m. Pause beneath the mountain’s snow-covered slopes and take in the scale of the surrounding Andes. Ask your guide about exploring the surroundings of Salkantaycocha Lake.
After lunch, follow the descent toward Collpapampa as the open mountain landscape gives way to greener valleys and the cloud forest. Arrive at your glamping camp, change out of your hiking boots and settle in for dinner after the trek’s most demanding day.
Walk: Approx. 16 km / 10 mi
Overnight: Glamping at Collpapampa
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and tea time.
Collpapampa → Lluscamayo → Playa Sahuayaco
Leave Collpapampa after breakfast and follow the trail through the cloud forest toward Lluscamayo. The scenery changes as you descend, with thick vegetation, small communities and farms growing coffee, cacao and fruit along the valley.
Reach Playa Sahuayaco for lunch, then visit a local coffee farm. Learn how the beans are grown and roasted before tasting a freshly brewed cup. Return to camp for tea time and dinner, and enjoy your final night of glamping before tomorrow’s walk toward Llactapata.
Walk: Approx. 18 km / 11.2 mi
Overnight: Glamping at Playa Sahuayaco
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and tea time.
Playa Sahuayaco → Lucmabamba → Llactapata → Hydroelectric → Aguas Calientes
After breakfast, a private vehicle takes you to Lucmabamba for the start of your walk. Follow Inca pathways toward Llactapata, where you can look across the valley toward Machu Picchu. Pause at the viewpoint and enjoy lunch surrounded by the mountain landscape.
Continue downhill to Hydroelectric and board the train to Aguas Calientes. Your hotel stay brings a change of pace after three nights in camp. Settle into your room, enjoy dinner and rest before tomorrow’s guided visit to Machu Picchu.
Walk: Lucmabamba to Hydroelectric, via Llactapata
Overnight: Hotel in Aguas Calientes
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and tea time.
Aguas Calientes → Machu Picchu → Cusco
After breakfast, meet your private guide for the final highlight of your journey: Machu Picchu. Explore the citadel’s stonework and terraces while your guide explains how the Incas built this mountain settlement and the significance of its spaces. Take time to notice the details in the masonry and the landscape surrounding the site.
Return to Aguas Calientes for lunch before boarding your return train. Your private driver meets you for the final transfer to Cusco, bringing your five-day luxury Salkantay trek to a close.
Walk: Guided visit to Machu Picchu
Overnight: None included. The tour ends in Cusco.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch.
Walking distances are approximate.
Spend your first night at Soyrococha, then continue to camps at Collpapampa and Playa Sahuayaco as the landscape changes around you. Your final night is in a hotel in Aguas Calientes, ready for your visit to Machu Picchu.
Settle into a spacious tent with a comfortable bed, pillows and warm bedding. There’s room to keep your belongings close and prepare your layers for the next morning on the trail.
Private bathroom facilities and hot showers are available at camp. After crossing Salkantay Pass and descending to Collpapampa, wash off the trail dust and change into fresh clothes before dinner.
The dining tent is a place to slow down after a day on the Salkantay route. Your private chef prepares fresh, balanced meals for your days on the trail. Share dinner with your group, then linger over a warm cup of herbal tea.
Your five-day trek includes 13 meals: four breakfasts, five lunches and four dinners, from lunch on day one to lunch in Aguas Calientes after your Machu Picchu visit on day five.
Tell us about food allergies and dietary preferences when you plan your trek. Our team will review them with your chef and confirm suitable menu options before departure.
If someone in your group has a birthday during the trek, let us know in advance. Our kitchen team can prepare a cake to share at camp, bringing everyone together for a celebration in the mountains.
Your five-day journey brings together private guiding, glamping, meals, transport and your Machu Picchu visit. The details below explain what is covered and what to budget for separately.
Your five-day Salkantay trek combines high mountain trails with long descents into the cloud forest. The highest point is Salkantay Pass at 4,638 m (15,216 ft), crossed on day two.
Build up to longer walks on hills and uneven ground, wearing the footwear and daypack you’ll use on the trek. Practise descents as well as climbs, then include walks on consecutive days as your fitness improves.
Plan a gradual ascent before starting the trek, including time to adjust before the first high camp at Soyrococha. Keep activity light during your first days at altitude. Fitness does not prevent altitude illness; discuss your itinerary with a travel medicine clinician before departure.
Keep your passport, drinking water, sunscreen, personal medication, a warm layer and a waterproof jacket in your daypack. Add a hat and gloves for the high sections, and pack lighter clothing for the lower valleys. Protect spare clothes and electronics from rain.
Prices are per person for the five-day private trek to Machu Picchu, with three nights of glamping and one hotel night in Aguas Calientes.
Rates are in US dollars, per person.
Tell us your preferred dates and group size, even if it isn’t listed here. Our Cusco team will check availability for Machu Picchu and the services in your itinerary, then prepare your personalized quote.
For bookings made more than 45 days before departure, a non-refundable 50% deposit confirms your trek.
Pay the remaining balance no later than 45 days before departure. Bookings made within 45 days of departure require full payment at the time of reservation.
Send any change or cancellation request in writing. Availability, cancellation charges and supplier conditions apply. Review the full booking terms before confirming your trek.
Your Luxury Salkantay Trek is operated by Peru & U, based in Cusco, Peru. Meet the people who coordinate your five-day journey, from planning before you arrive to support on the trail.
Our Cusco travel specialists work with guides, chefs and camp crews to coordinate transport, equipment and daily arrangements for your Salkantay journey. Before departure, we review your dates, group size and preferences.
Along the route, your private guide accompanies the walk while the chef and support team look after meals and camp. The same planning connects your mountain nights with the hotel stay in Aguas Calientes and your visit to Machu Picchu.
Practical answers to help you plan your five-day journey to Machu Picchu, from altitude and glamping to private guiding, travel dates and entry tickets.
Share your preferred travel dates, group size and any special requests. Our Cusco team will check Machu Picchu availability and prepare a personalized quote for your private five-day Salkantay trek.
If this trek is part of a longer Peru itinerary, include the places you’d like to visit before or after it.
