Salkantay Trek - 4 Days / 3 Nights - Dome to Dome to Machu Picchu

Take a 4-day, 3-night trek down the Salkantay trek to see the stunning sights of the Vilcabamba mountain range, including fascinating archeological sites along the way. You’ll be hiking the slopes of the Apu Salkantay, which is considered a sacred mountain according to Inca mythology, reaching a height of 15,232 feet (4,643 m) along the Salkantay Pass, passing through strikingly different environments along the way.

This tour provider ensures that you’ll get to see this remote trail without having a negative effect on the environment. You’ll get to do quite a bit of hiking during the day, although this trek includes bus trips and train rides, with most your tickets included in the price of the trek (with the exception of the train ride from the Hydroelectric station to Aguas Calientes). Porters will carry the bulk of your equipment and prepare all of your meals during the trail – be sure to let them know ahead of time if you have any dietary requirements.

**Note: All your meals are included, except breakfast the first day and lunch on the last day.

At the start of the trek, you’ll get to give your sleeping bag and any other items you don’t want to carry to your porter. They’ll even provide you with a small duffel, with a weight limit of 15.4 lbs (7 kg).**

##Itinerary

Day 1: Mollepata - Soraypampa - Arayaniyoc

You’ll depart from your hotel to Mollepata, a mountain town just a three-hour drive outside of Cusco. Here, you’ll stop for breakfast. Then, you’ll drive an hour to Soraypampa, where the hiking begins. You’ll stop for lunch, and then continue to the Salkantay Pass. At this stunning height, you’ll stop to take pictures. Then, your group descends in the afternoon to the small village Arayaniyoc, where you’ll stop to camp for the night.

Hiking time: 6 hours Meals: Lunch and dinner

Day 2: Arrayanniyoc - Chaullay - Collpapampa - La Playa

After breakfast, you’ll hike downhill through the cloudy mountains. You’ll stop for lunch, and then continue through the jungle, or over a path that crosses over a series of little brooks to reach the village of La Playa. Your path cuts through a tropical landscape, through valleys that offer views of distant waterfalls. Now that you’ve reached a lower altitude, you’ll notice that your campsite is a bit warmer than the previous night’s.

Hiking: 7 hours Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Day 3: La Playa - Santa Teresa - Collpani - Hydroelectric - Aguas Calientes

Breakfast is served early, at 6 AM. You’ll take a bus from your campsite to reach the town of Santa Teresa, crossing a bridge and following the course of the river. Next, you’ll resume hiking, passing by coca and banana plantations until you reach a hydroelectric train station. You’ll stop here for lunch, before hopping on the train to take the three-hour ride to Aguas Calientes, the small town outside of Machu Picchu. Once you arrive, you’ll have dinner at a local restaurant, and then spend the night at a local hostel – a stay that’s included in this tour.

Hiking: 5 hours Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Day 4: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Cusco

Depart early in the morning on the bus that brings visitors to Machu Picchu. If you want, you can also take a hike up the nearby peak of Huayna Picchu, which offers spectacular views of Machu Picchu. If you’ve seen pictures of people on a mountaintop with Machu Picchu in the distance, chances are they were taken from Huayna Picchu.

Next, you’ll visit the temples and agricultural terraces of Machu Picchu, which once functioned as a micro-universe, where the Inca lived, farmed, and prayed. The site’s layout is based on astrology, and the movement of the stars through the sky – your guide will explain more about their sacred symbolism.

Take the bus to return to Aguas Calientes, where you’ll catch the train to Ollntaytambo, and then a final bus to return to Cusco. Keep in mind that the train leaves at 2 PM and 7 PM, and the train back to Ollantaytambo takes 1 hour and 40 minutes. Depending on which train you catch, you’ll arrive back in Cusco between either 5:30 to 6:00 PM or 9:30 to 10:00 PM. While you wait for your train, you can unwind with a visit to the Aguas Calientes hot springs.

Passport, sleeping bag, backpack, good hiking shoes, clothes for cold weather, warm socks, extra batteries for cameras and flashlights,, water bottle (ideally a canteen), flashlight, broad-brimmed hat, sunscreen, bug spray, toiletries, toilet paper, small towel, swimsuit, snacks, walking sticks (optional), as well as cash (either soles or USD) for the train from the Hydroelectric station to Aguas Calientes, tips, souvenirs, and any other personal expenses,

• Transport hotel Cusco - Mollepata * Expedition Train: Aguas Calientes - Ollantaytambo * Entrance fee to Sanctuary of Machu Picchu * Bus ticket Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes * Bus: Beach to Santa Teresa * Hotel in Double room in Aguas Calientes (Day Four) * Professional Guide: English Language * assistant Guide: From 12 people * Cook: In charge of meal preparation * Carriers: Responsible for the management of horses * Horses: Carry tents, food, cooking equipment, backpacks, sleeping bags and mattresses (5 kg of personal equipment per person) * One or two horses for emergencies according to group size.* Food: 4 breakfasts / 4 lunches / 4 dinners and snacks * Equipment: tents, inflatable mattress, dining tent, toilet tent, kitchen tent, chairs, tables and first aid kit including emergency oxygen bottle.