There are a lot of ways to get to Machu Picchu. You can take the train, hop on a bus, or join one of the many guided tours that zip tourists from Cusco to the ancient ruins and back in a single day. All of those options work just fine. But if you want to actually feel Peru, to move through it slowly and earn the view at the end, then the Salkantay Trek is a completely different kind of experience. And when you do it right, with the right company and the right package, it becomes one of those trips that you genuinely never forget.
The Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu Premium 5 Days / 4 Nights, starting from $549 USD per person, is one of the most popular trekking packages in Peru right now, and for good reason. It balances serious adventure with enough comfort to make the whole thing enjoyable rather than just grueling. Whether you are an experienced hiker or someone doing their first multi-day trek, this route is designed to take you through some of the most dramatic scenery the Andes has to offer, at a pace that actually lets you stop and appreciate where you are.
What Is the Salkantay Trek, and Why Do People Love It?
The Salkantay Trek is an alternative trekking route to Machu Picchu that runs through the Salkantay mountain range in the Cusco region of Peru. Unlike the famous Inca Trail, which requires permits that sell out months in advance, the Salkantay Trek has fewer restrictions and offers a more open, wild feel. The route takes you from high glacial terrain, past snow-capped peaks and turquoise mountain lakes, and gradually descends into lush cloud forest before reaching the Machu Picchu area.
National Geographic once named it one of the top treks in the world, and it is easy to see why. The variety of landscapes you pass through in just five days is something that most people never experience in a lifetime of travel. High-altitude passes, glaciers, tropical vegetation, waterfalls, local villages, coffee farms, and finally the iconic Incan citadel waiting at the end. It is genuinely a journey through multiple worlds.
The premium version of this trek adds a layer of comfort that makes a real difference after long days on the trail. Think proper lodge accommodation instead of basic tents, hot meals prepared by skilled local cooks, and support from experienced guides who know these mountains inside and out. At $549 USD per person, it offers solid value for everything that is included, and when you compare it to what you would spend cobbling together a similar experience on your own, it makes a lot of sense.
Day One: Cusco to Qoyllor Lake and Inkachiriasqa Lake and On to Salkantaypampa Basecamp
The first day sets the tone for the entire adventure. You leave Cusco in the early morning, typically around 4:00 or 4:30 AM, because the goal is to make the most of daylight and avoid afternoon rain in the mountains. The drive from Cusco to the starting point of the trail takes a couple of hours, winding through the Sacred Valley and into smaller mountain communities where life moves at a completely different pace.
Once you hit the trail, the first major stop is Qoyllor Lake. The word “Qoyllor” means “star” in Quechua, and the lake has a calm, reflective quality that makes the name feel right. Sitting at high altitude surrounded by rocky terrain and glacier views, it is a peaceful and somewhat surreal place. Many trekkers pause here for photos and to catch their breath, because the altitude is already making itself felt at this point.
Not far from Qoyllor Lake, you reach Inkachiriasqa Lake, which adds another layer of natural beauty to the day. The two lakes together create a landscape that feels ancient and untouched, like you have wandered into a part of the world that most people will never see. The water is clear and cold, the surrounding peaks are massive, and the silence up there is the kind that actually feels loud after the noise of city life.
The route from Cusco, through both lakes and on to Salkantaypampa Basecamp, covers around 16 kilometers and takes approximately 7 hours. That might sound like a lot, but the trail is well-paced, and the scenery keeps changing enough that the distance does not feel as heavy as the numbers suggest. By the time you arrive at Salkantaypampa Basecamp, you are tired in the best possible way, the kind of tired that comes from moving your body through open air and big landscapes all day.
Salkantaypampa sits directly beneath the Salkantay Mountain itself, and camping or staying here means waking up with that massive glaciated peak staring down at you. On a clear evening, the mountain turns pink and orange at sunset, and the sky fills up with stars at a density that you simply do not get at lower altitudes. It is a proper basecamp experience, and it gives you a real sense of the wild, powerful place you are about to pass through the following morning.
What to Expect on the Rest of the Trek
Day two is widely considered the toughest day of the whole trek. You leave basecamp early and climb to the Salkantay Pass, which sits at about 4,600 meters above sea level. The air is thin, the cold is sharp, and every step forward takes a little more effort than it would at sea level. But reaching the pass is one of the most exhilarating feelings of the entire journey. You are standing between two worlds, with glaciers and snowfields behind you and a vast green valley beginning to open up ahead.
After the pass, the descent is dramatic. The landscape changes fast, going from bare, rocky alpine terrain to thick subtropical forest within a matter of hours. Waterfalls start appearing, the temperature rises noticeably, and the vegetation gets greener and more tropical with every kilometer you walk down. By the time you reach the lower camps on day two and three, you feel like you have walked from one climate zone to another, because you have.
Days three and four take you through the cloud forest and into the lower agricultural zones where local families grow coffee, bananas, and other tropical crops. You can stop at a working coffee farm and try freshly brewed coffee made from beans picked just meters away. The trail passes through small villages where kids wave at trekkers from doorways and locals go about their daily routines in a way that feels refreshingly unhurried.
By the fourth evening, you arrive in Aguas Calientes, the town that sits at the base of Machu Picchu. After four days of trekking, the hot springs in town feel like pure luxury. A proper meal, a comfortable bed, and the anticipation of seeing Machu Picchu the next morning create a particular kind of excitement that is hard to replicate.
The Final Morning: Machu Picchu
Day five brings you to Machu Picchu, and even though you have seen countless photos of the place, nothing really prepares you for standing there in person. The citadel is enormous and intricate, built with a level of precision that still baffles historians and architects. The terraces cascade down the mountainside; the peaks rise sharply on all sides, and a low mist often hangs over the ruins in the early morning that gives the whole scene a dreamlike quality.
Having earned this view after five days on the trail makes it hit differently than it does for someone who stepped off a train that morning. That is not a knock on anyone who visits differently, but there is something about having walked through the mountains and cloud forests and passed the same rivers and valleys that the Incas themselves knew that makes the connection to the place feel more real.
A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Book
Altitude acclimatization is the single most important thing to sort out before starting this trek. Spending at least two or three days in Cusco beforehand, drinking lots of water, resting, and eating light meals will make the first day significantly more manageable. Many people underestimate how much the altitude affects them, and getting it wrong can derail the whole experience.
Pack layers because the weather on the Salkantay route can shift quickly. Mornings near the pass are freezing cold, while afternoons in the lower cloud forest can feel almost warm and humid. A waterproof jacket, thermal base layers, and good hiking boots with ankle support are all worth investing in before the trip. Trekking poles are optional, but most people who bring them are grateful they did by day two.
The premium package typically includes airport or hotel pickup, transport to and from the trailhead, all meals on the trek, accommodation in lodges, an English-speaking guide, a porter, and entrance to Machu Picchu. Confirm exactly what is included when you book, since different operators package things slightly differently. At $549 USD per person, you are getting a well-supported experience without the budget-tour feel, and that balance matters when you are spending five days in the mountains.
Conclusion: Some Trips Just Stay With You
The Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu Premium 5 Days / 4 Nights is the kind of trip that ends up becoming a benchmark for everything that comes after. People who have done it tend to measure other adventures against it, not because nothing else is good, but because this particular combination of challenge, beauty, culture, and reward is genuinely rare.
From the Quiet Shores of Qoyllor Lake and Inkachiriasqa Lake on that long first day, through the wild crossing of the Salkantay Pass, down into the green warmth of the cloud forest, and finally into the stone corridors of Machu Picchu, every part of this route earns its place. Nothing feels like filler. Nothing feels rushed. It is a journey that unfolds exactly the way the best journeys do, one step and one view at a time.
If Peru is on your list and you are trying to decide how to experience it, this trek gives you the real thing. It is not just a walk to an ancient ruin. It is five days of being fully alive in one of the most remarkable places on earth. Book it, prepare well, and then just show up and let the mountains do the rest.
