Hiking the Salkantay Trail: What You Need to Know

This blog includes everything you need to know about hiking the Salkantay Trail from choosing a tour company to when to do the trip.

You’re here because you want to know what to expect on the 5-day Salkantay Trek from Cusco to Machu Picchu. You’ve come to the right place!

I walked the Salkantay Trail over a 5-day period to reach Machu Picchu in Peru in the first week of May 2022.

It’s not easy to summarize this epic 5-day Salkantay Trail trek into one blog post, so I’ve broken it down into a few posts with all the necessary info. This post will include: Why we chose the Salkantay Trail, our tour guide gossip, what is and is not included in the price of the Salkantay Trail, and what we would have done differently.

Read more: What to pack on the Salkantay Trek and Day to Day on the Salktantay Trail.

What is the Best Trail to Machu Picchu?

There are several possible trails that lead you to Machu Picchu, with the Inca Trail being the most famous, but also the most overrated and the hardest to make plans for. You need to book the Inca Trail 4-6 months in advance, at least. So what can the more last-minute planners do? Fortunately, we have options: Salkantay, Lares, Jungle Trail, etc. Trip lengths can be from one day, all the way up to 15 days.

My friend and I chose to hike along the Salkantay Trail because of the trip length (5 days) and the required skill level (easy – intermediate).

Salkantay Trail Companies

5 Day/4 Night Salkantay Treks

There are several tours available online with GetYourGuide and Viator if you want to book your Salkantay Trail in advance. There are several companies in Cusco that you can book with at the last minute.

If you feel more comfortable having a solid plan, I suggest booking in advance. I booked about 6 weeks in advance. There are several options available. Take your time and look over all the details to determine which company is right for you. These are two trips that are similar to what I did:

One-Day Trip to Humantay Lake

If you don’t have time to walk the entire Salkantay Trail, you can still see parts of it. This one-day tour brings you to Humantay Lake, which is absolutely stunning. This is where all the 5-day hikes begin, so you’ll have a chance to get a taste of the Salkantay Trail.

The tour is 12 hours long and includes hotel pickup, downtown drop-off, transportation, bilingual tour guide, breakfast and buffet lunch (vegetarian option), first aid kit, oxygen bottle (for emergencies), and 1 Wood stick (optional).

Is the Salkantay Trail Free?

No. There are places to eat and sleep along the way if you do not want to pay for a guide or go with a company. But you will still need to pay for them. Bringing your own tent is an option to save money. You need to pay a fee to enter the area so the trail itself is not exactly free either.

Years ago, my aunt and uncle did the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Since then, I’ve always had it in my head that doing a formal, organized group trip to Machu Picchu was not only necessary and required but also the only way to do it. I was wrong, but found that out too late. If you think you might want to hike to Machu Picchu on your own, without a guide, I suggest watching this great video which I found too late.

Salkantay Trail: How Much Does it Cost?

If you do the Salkantay Trail on your own, without a guide, it should cost between $300-$400. That price includes transportation, housing, the permit/park entry fee, and food. Things will be more rugged this way, but it’s possible.

If you prefer to pay a company to have a guide and porters, the cost is about $610 per person. We paid $550 per person in May 2022. This cost includes three meals per day, a guide, porters, horses that carry your 7kg duffle bag, water, bus tickets to Machu Picchu from Machu Picchu Pueblo, and entrance tickets to Machu Picchu, etc.

The porters will arrive at each location before you, in order to set up the tents and cook the meals. This is more expensive, but everything is taken care of for you. Plus you won’t have to carry your own tent. More details on what is included below.

Do you Need a Permit for the Salkantay Trek?

Yes. If you go through a tour company, they will arrange this for you. You just sit in the van while they get out and sort it out. If you do this alone, you’ll need to have your taxi driver stop at the lodge before entering the area so you can purchase your permits.

How Can I Prepare for the Salkantay Trek?

One of the most important things on a long walking journey like this is to protect your feet. Buy the hiking boots you plan to use on the Salkantay Trail and spend a lot of time walking in them before you go, to wear them in. Do not wear old tennis shoes, you will regret it. Hiking boots is the way to go.

For packing ideas, read more: Salkantay Trail Complete Packing Guide.

What is the Best Month to Hike the Salkantay Trail?

Keep in mind that seasons in South America are opposite those in the northern hemisphere. We hiked the Salkantay Trail in early May 2022. The weather was perfect for us.

There were some colder moments at higher elevations, like near the Salkantay Pass. It rained on our first day in the evening, and the morning was quite cold. However, after the Salkantay Pass, the weather just kept warming up and it started to feel quite tropical.

The wet season goes from late November to early April, and some of the train stations are closed during that period. Don’t go between January and April. May was a fantastic time for us to visit. November and December are also great months to hike the Salkantay Trail.

Why We Chose to do the Salkantay Trail

Out of all of the available options to reach Machu Picchu, we decided on the Salkantay Trail. It had more of what we were looking for. Five days felt like the right amount of time. We didn’t want a shorter trek, nor did we want anything super long.

The price also felt right for what we would get for it, for that amount of days. The scenery along the Salkantay Trail seemed to vary a lot, and we figured we would have a great chance to see beautiful landscapes.

Is the Salkantay Trek Hard?

The answer to this question depends on the person.

I grew up in Boulder, Colorado. I’m used to high elevations and I hike a lot. I had good hiking boots and was well prepared. I found the Salkantay Trail to be relatively easy.

My Salkantay Trail companion, Art, is from Sao Paulo, Brazil. He is a city boy who is not used to high elevations. Unfortunately, he got pretty sick in Cusco before we started the trek due to the altitude. He doesn’t hike much and is more of an indoorsy kinda guy.

Art wore New Balance shoes because he didn’t have any hiking boots, and therefore found the trek more challenging, especially the ascent to the Salkantay Pass. Ultimately he was glad to have done it, but it was not easy for him. He should have invested in better shoes or hiking boots.

Read more: What to pack for the Salkantay Trail

How Long Does the Salkantay Trek Take?

The Salkantay Trail takes 5 days/4 nights and goes through some pretty incredible scenery, including the additional Humantay Lake. We usually got up pretty early to have breakfast and started walking around 8 am or 9 am. We usually reached our destination for the day around 4 pm, give or take.

Is the Salkantay Trail Dangerous?

No, the Salkantay Trail is not dangerous. It is quite well-traveled. Many groups with guides, some groups and individuals without guides, porters, and horses can be seen all day along the trail. I did at times feel unsafe as a woman along the Salkantay Trail though. The discomfort came from comments made to me by my tour guide. If you want the tour guide gossip, keep reading. The hot tea comes at the end!

Read more: What to Expect DAY BY DAY along the Salkantay Trail

What is Included in a Guided Salkantay Trail Trek

Of course, you probably want to know what is and is not included if you pay for a tour, right? The price per person of our 5-day/4-night Salkantay Trek in May 2022 was USD 550. I have seen online that most tours in 2024 are going for around 610 USD.

Read more: what the Salkantay Trail is like day by day

This is what was included in the Tour

Tour Guide

A knowledgeable, but annoying ‘professional’ guide who didn’t speak English very well at all (but thinks he does). It was difficult to understand him most of the time (can you tell I don’t like him?). Because of this, we only received about 30% of the information he was trying to give us. Even when I spoke to him in fluent Spanish, he usually responded in English (his first language is Quechua).

Duffle Bag

The company gives you a duffle bag to put your overnight gear in (toothbrush, extra clothes, shoes, etc.). You can put up to 7kg in this duffle bag, and it gets carried by a horse and a porter for the first few days. It allows you to travel light during the day.

Water

Each morning the chef will boil water that you can then use to fill your bottles and hydration pouches for the day.

Food

We had a fantastic chef, Mario, on our trip. He was a man of few words, but cooked amazing meals. He prepared for us three meals a day, all of which were delicious. In the mornings he woke us up early with a mug of hot cocoa leaf tea at our tent door. We absolutely adored our silent chef. Dinner in a restaurant once we arrived in Aguas Calientes was also included (except for drinks).

Tent and set up

Every day we arrived at our campsite and the tents were already set up and ready for us, thanks to our porter, Daniel, and our chef, Mario!

Transportation and logistics

This was the best part of having gone through a tour. They organized everything and we didn’t have to worry about it. Two days before the trip began, the guide came to our Airbnb to explain details about the trip and drop off our duffle bags.

The morning of the trip, they picked us up at the Airbnb bright and early. They drove us hours away to Mollepata and then Soraypampa where we started the walk. They also purchased the bus tickets to Machu Picchu and back in advance.

To conclude the trip, the train tickets from Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo) to Ollantaytambo were included. There was also a taxi driver waiting for us with our names on a sign in Ollantaytambo who drove us back to Cusco.

Permits and fees

They organized all permits and fees to enter the parks and areas. They had all sleeping arrangements pre-booked, including the hotel on the last night. Machu Picchu entrance tickets. Having all of this organized for us, definitely made things easy. We could have done it, but it was nice we didn’t have to.

Hotel

This was a real treat. When we arrived in Aguas Calientes, we stayed in a 4-star hotel, with the most comfortable bed, and the best shower I had experienced in all of Peru. I even took two showers within 12 hours just because I could. It was glorious. Delicious breakfast was also included at the hotel in the morning.

What was NOT included in the Tour

Travel Insurance

You never know what can happen while you’re out in the wilderness. It’s better to be prepared.

I use SafetyWing, which is great travel medical insurance created by nomads for nomads. You can sign up for as many days as you need, and cancel whenever you want. They have particularly good prices, especially for those under 40 years old. Check them out here.

A day bag

You’ll need to bring a personal backpack that you carry with you during the day while walking. I kept water, snacks, and extra clothes in mine. The weather changes fast so you should be prepared.

Walking sticks

The company provided these for a cost of $15/pair. I had my own that I bought when I climbed Volcano Misti, but my friend rented them. They are absolutely essential.

Read more: What to Pack for the Salkantay Trail

Sleeping bags

The company provided these for a cost of $25/each. Personally, this feels like something that should be included in the total cost considering how expensive it was, but c’est la vie. We obviously needed them so we paid the extra $25.

Snacks

The company fed us really well, and most of the time we didn’t need a lot of extra snacks. We did bring a few cereal bars and some trail mix, and we were glad to have it. I also suggest bringing some hard candies as they can give you some quick energy at high altitudes.

Water on the first day

As previously mentioned, the chef boils water every morning, but we needed to bring our own that very first day to drink until we reached the campsite.

Some meals

The very first morning, we stopped in Mollepata for breakfast. The cost of this was on us, s/15 (4 USD) each. The lunch on the last day (after visiting Machu Picchu) in Aguas Calientes was also not included. Every meal in between was definitely included.

Thermal baths

On day 3, we slept in Santa Teresa, where just outside of town, you can find beautiful thermal baths. The entrance fee was s/10 (2.70 USD) each. There are snacks and beer you can purchase just outside of the thermal baths as well (but you can’t have glass near the baths).

Bathrooms along the way

Of course, when you are hiking, you have a nature toilet everywhere you look. But if you desire something more private, they do have a few structures along the route where you can stop to do your business for s/1 (0.25 USD).

Taxis

There were some stretches of the route where we needed to take a taxi due to construction and dust. We split these costs 50/50 with the company. We also split the cost of a moto-taxi between Santa Teresa and the thermal baths, both ways.

Extra drinks and snacks

There are several shops along the way where you can get a popsicle, a beer, a banana, a bag of chips, a Gatorade, etc. all of which you will need to pay for.

Showers

We had imagined that the only shower we would take for 5 days was the one at the hotel on the last night and with wet wipes all the days in between. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find that on night 2, we could pay s/10 (2.70 USD) each for a low-pressure, yet very hot shower.

Tipping on the Salkantay Trail

As in most tours around the world, tipping is generally the rule, and this is no exception. Before the trip, the guide gave us an information pamphlet about the trip which included a section about tipping.

It is recommended that the chef receive s/65 (18 USD), the cook receives double that (s/130, 36 USD), and the guide can receive whatever you wish to give. The recommendation was the total for an entire group, not per individual.

Because we were just a small group of 2, we gave s/50 (13 USD) to the porter, s/100 (27 USD) to the chef, and another s/100 (27 USD) to the guide. The tips were given on the last day each person was present.

Our porter left on the morning of day 3 because he couldn’t take the horses any further than that point. The chef left on the morning of day 4, after having prepared lunch packs for the day. We tipped our guide on day 5, once we returned to Aguas Calientes from Machu Picchu.

Spilling the Tea: Salkantay Trail Guide Gossip

Finding a Tour Company

Because I thought a guide was required, I did a lot of research into different companies and finally found one I thought would be perfect. They seemed to care about their porters, they had a great website and a great FAQ section; they were also recommended on a YouTube channel I trusted. But I messed up.

The Tour Guide

Unfortunately, we did not have the great experience I had dreamed of. Not because of the services provided by the company, which were great, but because the guide made me incredibly uncomfortable.

Early on day 2, he started making comments about my body, calling me ‘very sexy‘ because of the pants I chose to wear. Later in the evening, he asked us to look at other women on the trail to compare them and decide who was ‘the sexiest.‘

Our guide constantly asked my good friend (who is a man) and me probing questions regarding our relationship, trying to sort out if we were just friends, or more. If I tripped, he would feign help just so he could touch me in inappropriate ways. He called me ‘babe‘ and ‘baby.’

I felt I was constantly being monitored and watched. When I walked through the campsite with a roll of toilet paper, he would ask if I went to the bathroom. If I ate an orange at breakfast, he would comment on it. If I coughed in the tent at night, I could hear his voice through our thin tent walls “Nicki, you cough?“

I felt I could not move or do anything without some comment from our guide, since his eyes were always watching me. In stark contrast, he completely ignored my male friend, dismissing things he said, even though he also paid for the tour.

This kind of behavior is unprofessional, and I would never wish for this kind of experience for anyone else, particularly when doing a lifelong bucket list trip to Machu Picchu. His behavior was unwanted, unwarranted, and extremely inappropriate.

How I handled my situation

On the third day of the trek, we had lunch in a very public space with several other tour groups around. I talked to my friend and told him what I was planning to say to the guide so that he was ready to support me. When we sat down for lunch, I told my guide that I needed to talk to him.

I tried to remain as level-headed and calm as possible. I told him “You are making me uncomfortable.” Then I laid out the many examples of the inappropriate things he had said to me, how I didn’t like when he touched me, etc. He listened and then apologized. He was very embarrassed and ashamed.

I do hope that conversation changed his behavior moving forward, but I’ll never know. He put me in so many uncomfortable situations on the trail, that I hope no other woman will ever have to experience that because of him.

Calling out sexual harassment on the Salkantay Trail

Initially, I didn’t want to call out the guide or the company by name because I didn’t want to cause damage to their business. However, I have since been contacted by other women who have experienced sexual harassment on the Salkantay Trail as well, and this needs to end. Women should have the freedom to exist in nature without constant harassment.

I don’t believe you need to boycott the company itself (Inkanyi Tours – they provided good service), but ask for the name of your guide in advance. If it is Roland*, refuse the trip with that guide.

Regardless of whichever company you choose, I strongly suggest you say something to them before the trip begins. That way you can set expectations and the company can mention it to the guides before the trip begins.

*He most likely works for multiple companies

Salkantay Trail Advice to Choose the Right Company

There are several companies out there to choose from. If you do want to do a guided tour, these are my recommendations:

1. Ask if they have women-led groups (female tour guides).
2. Ask if they have a sexual harassment policy for their guides (set expectations early).
3. Don’t book online unless you’re planning to do the Inca Trail. Any of the other treks are easily organized with short notice, right in Cusco. I noticed that one really popular company seemed to be “Salkantay Trekking,” which has an office right near the Plaza de Armas. You may even get better prices. Of course, if you get travel anxiety, book ahead of time!

Is the Salkantay Trekking company worth it?

Am I happy I did it? Absolutely! Would I do it differently if I did it again? Probably! Having the tour company made things much easier, like not having to deal with train tickets, bus tickets, entrance tickets, organizing sleeping arrangements, thinking about food, etc.

After finishing the trip, and seeing others doing it on their own, I was intrigued. There are A-frame cabins along the entire route at each camping spot (bring your own sleeping bag though).

There are small shops and restaurants and every rest point. Yes, you will need to bring a lot more cash with you on the trip as you’ll be pulling out your wallet every day, but in the end, it will be cheaper. It also seemed easier to make friends.

We had been hoping for a group experience, meeting people, playing games, making lifelong friendships, etc. That didn’t happen for us. Our tour ended up being private, by accident.

But we saw the way all the individual people slowly found their way to one another, formed groups, and friendships, hung out at night, and we felt slightly jealous. We of course enjoyed our own company, but did feel that we missed out on the social aspect of the trip.

Salkantay Trail Expectations vs Reality

I had envisioned a primitive 5-day camping trip. It was not that at all. The first day, yes, was the most primitive. The night was freezing, and we were right in the center of a beautiful valley. We pooed in a giant hole.

All the other nights, however, we slept in tents on balconies of private homes or campsites. There was running water. Showers. Regular toilets (but with no lids). There was much more infrastructure than expected.

Seeing all this, I knew I could have done it on my own. Especially after having walked on the Camino de Santiago for 25 days. Doing the Salkantay trail for five days with all this infrastructure did not seem as complicated as I had originally imagined.

Mainly though, doing the trail without a guide would mean, exactly that, doing it without the guide- the worst part of the trip. I would gladly take on all the extra responsibility of dealing with the logistics if it meant that I could do a sexual harassment-free trip.

In an ideal world, I would be free to exist in nature without his disgusting gaze, constantly telling me to walk in front of him. I would be free to enjoy myself on a bucket-list trip of a lifetime without spending hours walking alone, fuming about what I should have said when caught off-guard by the first comment about my ‘sexy body.’

I would also have the freedom to look back at my trip experience and reflect on the beautiful nature, the challenge of climbing in high altitudes, and the companionship with my friend. Instead, I look back and feel resentment for having paid to be sexually harassed in nature.

Salkantay Trail Final Thoughts

I had a hard time during the 5-day Salkantay Trek due to the behavior of my tour guide. It painted the trip in a negative light for me and made me regret doing the trip with a company. I would have loved the freedom to hike at my own pace, and meet other people along the trail.

But looking back at it two years later, I think I would still choose to hike the Salkantay Trail with a company. I would definitely ask who my guide was and set an expectation regarding sexual harassment at the beginning. But having so many logistics taken care of for us made a lot of things easier.

I think it would be very tiring to walk all day, only to then find a place to sleep, a place to eat, figure out transportation, etc. I really appreciated having all of those things taken care of for us. The most important thing is to find a company that you can trust.

Read more: What the Salkantay Trail is like day by day

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