- Duration5 days / 4 nights (classic) or 4 days / 3 nights (without the Llactapata day); three camp nights plus one hotel night in Aguas Calientes either way
- StartCusco, pickup between 4 and 5 am; briefing the day before at the operator's office. The operators themselves recommend two nights acclimatising in Cusco
- DemandsPass at 4,630 m on day two, stages of six to eight hours; operators require “high” or “moderate” fitness and advise against it for cardiovascular conditions
- Machu PicchuEntry included with Salkantay Trekking (circuit 2 only when booked early), excluded with Machu Picchu Expeditions
- Tour languageEnglish and Spanish at all four products
- CancellationAll four: non-refundable. Salkantay Trekking confirms manually with a 48-hour booking cut-off
- List priceUSD 290 (without ticket and return) to USD 1,270 (premium, everything included); classic complete USD 760
Who the Salkantay suits – and what it demands
The Salkantay is the most common alternative to the permit-limited Inca Trail: no quotas, but more altitude. On day two you climb from about 3,900 to 4,630 m and descend below 3,000 m the same day. If you fly in from Lima or abroad, you have no adaptation for that. All four operators therefore recommend at least two nights in Cusco (3,400 m) before the start; those nights are not part of any product.
Days three and four are cloud forest: warm, humid, coffee and banana plantations, a section of original Inca trail up to Llactapata with the first view of Machu Picchu. The 4-day version drops exactly this section and replaces it with a vehicle and the railway walk.
The camps at all four operators are fixed installations with a kitchen, dining room and huts or domes – no pitching tents, no self-catering. The last night is in a hotel in Aguas Calientes so you can take the first buses up to Machu Picchu in the morning.
Three options for three kinds of trip
Three of the four products compared come from the same operator, Salkantay Trekking. This is not a comparison of three independent companies but a comparison of one brand's variants plus one cheaper competitor. We say so because a comparison that hides it is of no use to you.
Salkantay Trekking – Classic 5 days
Machu Picchu entry, hotel night, bus up, train back to Ollantaytambo and transfer to Cusco are included. On site you pay the return bus from Machu Picchu, the optional train from Hidroeléctrica and the rental fee for sleeping bag and poles.
Main limitation: Non-refundable. Circuit 2 only when booked about five months ahead, otherwise circuit 3 or 1. Sleeping bag and poles extra.
Check on Viator →Salkantay Trekking – Short 4 days
Same start, same pass, same hotel. On day three a vehicle replaces the Llactapata climb; you reach Aguas Calientes on foot along the tracks. If you only have four days and can skip the Inca-trail section, you save USD 65 and a day.
Main limitation: Non-refundable. No Llactapata section; day 3 ends in Aguas Calientes after a drive and the railway walk.
Check on Viator →Salkantay Trekking – Premium 5 days
Everything that the classic trek charges on site is in here: train from Hidroeléctrica, return bus, Vistadome train, sleeping bag and poles, Cocalmayo hot springs, 10 kg duffel. The USD 510 premium buys comfort and predictability, not a different route.
Main limitation: Non-refundable. About USD 500 more than the classic version; the extra buys the Hidroeléctrica train, return bus, Vistadome train, 10 kg duffel and rental gear.
Check on Viator →Affiliate links to Viator: if you book, we earn a commission and the price stays the same. Converted at Viator's rate on 23 September 2026; Viator converts at the day's rate at checkout.
