About this trip
This 8-day trip takes you from Cusco and the Sacred Valley over the Salkantay Pass to Machu Picchu, with a few days built in to let your body adjust to altitude before the trek proper begins.
You walk beneath snow-capped peaks, past the turquoise Humantay Lake, and along quiet Inca paths through cloud forest, with a support team carrying your gear and a small group moving at a steady pace together. Nights are spent in proper tents with hot meals rather than freeze-dried rations.
The trek builds to your first sight of Machu Picchu from Llactapata, followed by a guided walk through the citadel itself. You head back to Cusco on the Vistadome train, a scenic and comfortable way to end things after days on foot.
What you'll do
- Explore Cusco and the Sacred Valley before setting off
- Hike to Humantay Lake and cross the high Salkantay Pass
- Walk quiet Inca trails through cloud forest, away from the main tourist routes
- Get your first view of Machu Picchu from Llactapata
- Take a guided tour inside the Machu Picchu citadel
- Return to Cusco on the panoramic Vistadome train
- A support team carries your main bag, so you hike with just a daypack
- Camping trip with tents provided, not hotels, for most of the trek
- Days involve sustained high-altitude walking, with acclimatization time built in beforehand
Worth it if you're fit enough for a genuinely tough trek and want guides who excel at Inca history and group care. Think twice if you need quieter campsites or expect Machu Picchu summit tickets included.
- Guides consistently knowledgeable on Inca history, attentive to injuries and blisters, genuinely caring beyond the standard brief.
- Food is plentiful, varied, and well-executed from minimal camp conditions; includes cooking classes and birthday cakes for groups.
- Second night campsite can be loud and cramped in small towns; summit tickets for Sun Temple or Wayna Picchu not included.
- This is a physically demanding eight-day trek requiring strong fitness and mental stamina, not a casual walk.
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Getting there
Opens Trip.com, pre-filled — one-way so you can book your return whenever. Prices & booking shown there.
Where to stay
A night before your tour in Cusco · 20 Jul – 21 Jul
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