Salkantay Trek 5 Days

THINGS TO KNOW

• During the peak season, from May through August, it is advisable to secure your reservation for the Salkantay trek 5 days at least two months in advance.
• Throughout the entire five-day journey, bottled water is available for purchase; however, it’s important to note that prices tend to rise as you progress further along the trek.
• This 5-day trek to Salkantay is not recommended for travelers with back problems
• We dont organize Salkantay trek 5 days in Januay and in February due to the landslides. Since the second day in the afternoon, we will hike in the hillside and you see very oftern landslides blocking the path. Also the trail is very muddy, slippery and dangerous to hike.

PRO TIPS

• Make sure your trekking shoes are broken in before you Salkantay trek 5 days.
• Spend at least 2 days in Cusco before your Salkantay 5-day hike to get used to the altitude.
• You must remember to trim your toenails super short before your Salkantay Peru Tours! Toenails that are too long may rub against your hiking boots on the descent section and could be painful or even result in your nails popping off.
• Place your clothing within your sleeping bag while sleeping. This way, if the morning is cold, you can put on warm clothes. This practice significantly simplifies your morning routine by ensuring your clothes remain at a comfortable temperature.
• Consistently be prepared for rain, even during the dry season of the 5-day Salkantay hike to Machu Picchu. Unforeseen rain can transform your journey into an unpleasant experience if your cloths become thoroughly soaked without any opportunity for drying.
• Additionally, consider bringing sandals or comfortable leisure shoes to wear after a strenuous day of hiking in your trekking boots.

DUFFLE BAG

We will provide you with duffel bags at our office following the conclusion of your briefing. These bags will be transported by your horses and will be accessible only at designated campsites. Use them to store clothing and personal items unnecessary for hiking. Essential items such as water, snacks, a first aid kit, and rain gear should be packed in your day pack.

Ensure that the weight of the duffel does not exceed 7kg, with only 4kg allocated for your personal belongings. The remaining 3kg should be reserved for your sleeping pad and sleeping bag

STRIKES

Strikes and roadblocks are a common occurrence in Peru and have the potential to disrupt our scheduled Salkantay trek five days, as well as the rail service to and from Machu Picchu.  We will do our best that your hike to Salkantay continues as planned with some changes.

• In the event of a strike happens on the initial day of your Salkantay five-day tour, we will arrange for your transportation to the trailhead on the evening preceding your scheduled start date.
• If the strike happens the day that you finish your Salkantay 5 day hike. We will send our vans to Hidrolectrica. So you will need to hike an extra 2 hours from Aguas Calientes to Hydroelectric. Then we will drive in a van to Cusco. We will drop you off at your hotel.

RETURNING FROM MACHU PICHU TO CUSCO.

Returning from  Machu Picchu to Cusco needs a lot of logistics. But it is already organized by us.

Bus from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes. You will take a bus down to Aguas Calientes for about 30 minutes. Buses run every 15 minutes. Then Train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo or Poroy train station. Our guide will give you your train tickets. Make sure to get to the train station 30 minutes earlier.

• The estimated time on the train is 1 hour and a half from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo.
• The estimated time on the train is 3 hours and a half from Aguas Calientes to Poroy.

Once at the train station, our transfer will wait for you with the American Trekking logo. He/She will then transfer you back to Cusco and then to your hotel.

• The estimated time from Ollantaytambo to Cusco is 1 hour and a half.
• The estimated time from Poroy to Cusco is 40 minutes.

SALKANTAY WEATHER WEATHER

Salkantay trek located is the Andes, Therefore the weather is unpredictable, so you need pack for both warm and cold temperatures, and rainy and dry conditions. There are two main seasons in the Peruvian Andes, the rainy season (November-March) and the dry season (April-October).

During the rainy season, the weather is rainy and wind at the campsite and Salkantay Pass, the temperatures is around 15°C / 60°F during the day and 5°C / 40°F at night. When it is raining the temperature decrease and it is very cold.

During the dry season the weather is sunny and clear, and the temperature is 20° C / 70 °F during the day but much colder at night, around -7 °C / 19 °F.

Those temperatures are applied to the first and second day. After the second day, as we will hike through rainforest, the weather changes to a more humid and warmer climate and the temperature start increasing.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

We advise obtaining travel insurance as it serves as a safeguard in case you need to cancel your 5-day Salkantay tour unexpectedly. This insurance can provide reimbursement for your pre-paid, non-refundable Machu Picchu permit. Additionally, in the event of illness or injury during your travels, particularly when you are far from home, the insurance can offer reimbursement for medical expenses incurred as a result of a covered emergency.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

This hike is difficult, it’s highly recommended to be in good physical condition; The Salkantay trek elevation changes make the hike tough.

UPDATING PASSPORT NUMBERS

If you are in the process of renewing your passport, kindly proceed by sending us a digital copy of your current passport via email to initiate the reservation of your Salkantay 5-day permits. If you no longer have your old passport, any government-issued ID will be accepted, as long as the name is the same. Once you receive your new passport. Please email us a copy of your new passport ASAP to change the information on your permit.

ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS FOR SOLO TRAVELER

On the Salkantay trek, individual adventurers will be matched with a fellow solo traveler of the same gender to cohabitate in a shared tent, while couples will be accommodated in a dedicated tent for their exclusive use.

PRE-DEPARTURE BRIEFING

There is a pre-departure briefing at our Cusco Office at 06:00 p.m. one day before your departure. If you are not able to make this time, you should coordinate another time with the American Trekking team by email. Briefings last 30 -45 minutes roughly. At the briefing, you will meet your guide and He/she will give you detailed information about your Salkantay trek 5 days: for example, a list of what to bring, rental equipment, or questions in general. Our office is located at Marquez Street 250, Second Floor. Office 03. Cuzco, Peru.

TIPPING

Tipping is common on Salkantay tours 5 day. On the third day in the morning, we will say goodbye to our amazing horsemen. This is the time that you will give a tip to all of them, please. We will say bye bye to our cook on the third day in the afternoon after our lunch. Anything extra is always really appreciated. Please know that tipping is not Mandatory and that you should never feel forced into this.

Usually, our customers pool their tipping money together for the chef and horsemen. For your tour guide, you tip after your guided tour at Machu Picchu. You decide the amount of money based on your experience with them. Soles is better for Our Horsemen and Chefs. Guides can receive U.S. dollars or Soles without any problem.

• Tips could be for our horse: 30 – 70 soles per porter.
• Tips could be for our Cooks: 130 – 180 soles per cook.
• Tips for the tour guide would be more than the cook.

GROUP SERVICE

Group tours consist of a diverse range of travelers, each varying in physical condition and age. When booking group services, it is important to acknowledge that some individuals may move at a different pace than you. Therefore, it is understood that each traveler will proceed at their own speed.In case the group decide to modify the tour, the guide will consult the whole participant, then we can modify if possible.

TYPICAL MEALS ON THE TREK

We train our cooks every year during the low season to provide you with the best-tasting meals on the mountain, with specialty menus and the freshest local ingredients available on all of our Treks to Salkantay. Here is an idea of what you will be eating during your trek.

*Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and more Options are Available Upon Request (please let us know at the time of booking).

Breakfasts:

Hot porridge, quinoa or oats, fried eggs, omelet or pancakes with fresh bread, fried bananas, Thick oatmeal with large fresh chunks of sweet apples. and boiled water for hot teas, coca tea, coffee, chocolate, and milk.

Lunch & dinner:

First Course: Quinoa, corn, noodle, asparagus, mushroom or vegetable soup, stuffed avocado, or potatoes.

Second Course: Chicken breast, beef stew, quinoa, fried rice, fried chicken, spaghetti bolognese, typical dishes: aji de gallina (chili pepper chicken), escabeche de Pollo (marinated chicken), or ajiaco de ulluco (spicy ulluco stew).

Desserts:

Fried plantains, chocolate pudding, chocolate or vanilla cake, peach.

Snacks:

candies, cookies, juice, crackers, and a variety of Peruvian fruits such as Banana, Chirimoya, Granadilla, Apples, oranges, Mandarine.