Follow in the ancient footsteps of times gone by with Sam Travel Peru, a unique off the beaten track journey filled with intense emotion, culture, escalating adventure and upmost satisfaction and personal growth. In the trek, conquer the exotic snow capped Salkantay Peak dubbed as the most spectacular peak in the Andes, as you walk in the shadows of this spectacular outstretched mountain and visit two turquoise glacial lakes. You will hike through the puffs of cloud forests and be nurtured in mother natures warmth in her natural hot springs. Finally, explore the forgotten Llactapata Inca Ruins and collect your front row tickets to Machu Picchu as you pass through the original Inca Trail to embrace your long awaited dream of seeing the sunset and sunrise over the majestic Machu Picchu.
5 Days
5 DAYS From $787 PP
This unique and specially designed Wilderness Salkantay Trek & Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, take you around the stunning spectacular peak of ....
4 Days
4 DAYS From $577 PP
This unique and specially designed Wilderness Salkantay Trek & Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, take you around the stunning spectacular peak of ....
7 Days
7 DAYS From $997 PP
The Salkantay & Inca Trail Trek is the best route for those travellers who wish to get off the beaten track and experience a wilderness trek but s ....
The Salkantay Trek distance ranges from 48-70 km (30-43 miles), spread out accordingly over 3-5 days. However, not all days are created equal. While the first day is generally shorter, at ~8-14 kilometers (depending on whether you go up to Humantay Lake or not), the longer days can range from 24-26 km of hiking.
That said, there are different options to decrease the Salkantay Trek distance for those who do not want to hike the whole thing, including horse rentals or taking a train from Hydroelectric Station to Aguas Calientes.
With its wide variety of terrains, the Salkantay Trek elevation ranges from 1,600 to 4,650 meters (~5,250-15,255 feet). Although the elevation varies significantly, you’ll start up higher and gradually work your way downhill.
***Before the trek, we do highly recommend taking 1-2 days at a minimum to acclimatize in Cusco, as the maximum Salkantay Trek elevation is significantly higher than in the Cusco city.
The Salkantay Trek difficulty is moderate to difficult, but is attainable for most people with some hiking experience. Also it will be depending your fitness.
Although it is accessible to most levels of hikers with good fitness levels, the altitude, length of trekking each day, and tough uphill/downhill stretches definitely increase the difficulty of this hike. We recommend being fully acclimatized to the altitude before embarking on the Salkantay Trail.
Much like any other multi-day trek, you’ll want to pack as lightly as possible for the Salkantay Trek.
Usually, the tour operators will let you pack a small duffel with some extra clothes and toiletries. These get transported by mule from campsite to campsite. In addition, you’ll want to carry your own day pack with essentials like water, sunscreen, and clothing layers. We do recommend to take 30L hiking backpack.
Some list of what you must packed.
There are two main seasons in the sub-tropical Peruvian Andes:
But, When is the best time of the year to do Salkantay Trek?
The trek can technically be completed all year round, the peak trekking season to Machu Picchu occurs during the dry season and is busiest between May and September. So, the best time of year to do Salkantay Trek run from the shoulder of wet months March/April all the way through to the shoulder of dry months October/November.
Overall, the Salkantay Trek is a memorable, challenging, and jaw-dropping hike that any outdoor or adventure enthusiast would love. If you’re looking for an experience you’ll never forget, and landscapes like none other, the Salkantay Trek definitely won’t disappoint
Cusco offers an extensive network of reasonably priced hotels in the city’s historical part, and you don’t need to stay anywhere on the outskirt to save money when traveling on a budget.
If your hike starts soon, it pays off to learn where’s the meeting point or whether the company offers the pick-up.
Suppose you travel independently to the trailhead, research where’s the closest bus terminal. Also, we recommend staying in a reputable hostel where you can store your luggage safely.
We’ve handpicked the best three hotels in Cusco for every traveler you can use as a base for Salkantay Trek.
Mid-range: Tierra Viva Cusco Centro – This hotel provides a tranquil environment, beautiful rooms and also has one of the top-rated locations in Cusco.
Luxury: JW Marriott El Convento Cusco – The hotel features impressive interiors, has a charming colonial courtyard, luxury rooms, and Cusco’s cathedral or main square are only three blocks away.
SAM Travel was born of our love for sharing these beautiful places with travelers. Our owner ( Saúl Alvarez ) went from porter to guide to business owner, without losing sight of his roots. We know how to show you the most beautiful places and give you the most authentic experiences. For Sam Travel our guides are the most important in the business, they all are fluent in Ingles and passoinated about teh culture. They are all trained and retrained in first aid and carry satellite phones for any emergency to be connected to a medical professional when or if needed. We can guarantee our guides will make you feel like hiking with your own family or friends
All our Tours & Treks are provided only by SAM Travel Peru staff and professional guides. What that means for you is that SAM Travel Peru will never pass you onto another company or 3rd Party .
Enjoy a good night sleep in our 4 season igloo waterproof, spacious and professional EUREKA tent. All our tents are 4 person tents. ONLY 2 people will sleep in each, leaving lots of room to spread out comfortably and store your duffel bag.
To ensure a more personalized service for our guests, at SAM Travel Peru we have a policy that our groups will not exceed 8 people. This fact alone sets us apart from other companies that operate departures with bigger groups..
We have the most customized tours and packages for all budgets. They are created to meet our clients’ desires and needs when looking for something unique in a travel experience.
SAM TRAVEL PERÚ has one of the most outstanding meal services. Our chefs have been highly trained to prepare the best peruavian food our treks.
SAM Travel Peru has annual clean-up campaigns that creates awareness towards people across the planet that have the same desires to help protect the environment. It is our commitment in creating a positive and sustainable contribution towards the quality of life for rural Andean communities. .
Had a great trip with our guide Ray Herrera and driver Alfredo. Lots of good experiences in a short period of time 4 days. Learnt a lot not just about the main tourist destinations but Peru in general by Ray. Ray has a passion for Inca history and local produce. Ray knows all the good photo spots and we managed the sun out every day .. Good culture and if you want to get on a tour ask for Ray at Sams Travel = amazing
Ray was our Tour Guide and Alfredo was our driver for a 4 day tour we did with SAM Travel Peru. Ray's knowledge of the history of Cusco and Machu Picchu was outstanding. Ray was very accommodating with all our needs. He stayed alongside us when trekking and helped where he could. His sense of humour was pleasant to be around. Ray spoke very good English. He is such a nice guy. I would strongly recommend Ray to be your tour guide to visit Machu Picchu. Ray explained everyday what the plans were for the next day, which was reassuring what we needed to take etc
Our 1 day tour thru the Sacred Vally with Danny was wonderful. He was very knowledgeable and able to answer all our questions in detail. I would recommend asking for him personally if you are able.
We booked the Classic Cusco to Machu Picchu tour with SAM travel which we really had a good experience. SAM travel is very responsive during the communication and cater to our changes needed. Our guide is Ray who is also an very awesome guide. He is knowledgeable, patient, humorous as well reliable, he help us take many good photos and also go extra mile to help with our request. Thanks Ray! Thanks SAM travel that gave us good memories in Peru! Highly recommend if you consider booking any tour in Cusco.
Wow. We had such an incredible experience in Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Our guide, Dayvit, is the most knowledgeable guide we have ever had. He has such an extensive knowledge of the history and is very friendly and helpful. If you are planning a trip to Peru, I highly recommend SAM travel and be sure to request Dayvit!
2 day tour sacred valley / Machu Picchu highly recommend! David was the best tour guide. He knows an incredible amount about Incan culture and is personable and funny. He also kept us up to date on a political situation happening when we were there and was informative. Overall, this tour checks all the boxes. Thank you!
We used SAM Travel for a 2D/1N trip from Cusco to Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu on Dec 25-26, 2022. The team was good with communication from the start - both Saul and Junior were very helpful and professional with answering any questions and clearing up any misunderstandings. Our guide, Miguel, was prompt, pleasant, and quite knowledgeable. We enjoyed his company and insight over the 2 day trip and recommend him to anyone booking with SAM Travel.
We booked the Classic Cusco to Machu Picchu tour with SAM travel which we really had a good experience. SAM travel is very responsive during the communication and cater to our changes needed. Our guide is Ray who is also an very awesome guide. He is knowledgeable, patient, humorous as well reliable, he help us take many good photos and also go extra mile to help with our request. Thanks Ray! Thanks SAM travel that gave us good memories in Peru! Highly recommend if you consider booking any tour in Cusco.
My wife and I just completed two excursions with SAM Travel Peru and we absolutely loved them. We did the 4 Day Salkantay Wilderness + Machu Picchu and then the 2-Day Rainbow Mountain + 7 Lakes trek with guide Carlos Estrada, chefs Nerio & Lucio, and horseman Unarato. Over the last 6 days we have learned so much about the Inca culture, discovered some of the most incredible sights, and ate delicious food every step of the way. We would definitely recommend SAM Travel (especially with Carlos!) to anyone that wants an incredible Peruvian adventure. The Wilderness trek is a much quieter trail than the standard Salkantay and goes a bit higher elevation, but camping at the base of Salkantay was incredible. Carlos's guided tour through Machu Picchu was so informative. We would have missed so much without him taking the time to share his knowledge.
Big thanks to David he was an amazing tour guide who really cared for our group. He allowed us to go at our own pace and was a brilliant photographer He was really funny and is full of interesting information & his passion for his inca ancestors is very obvious and warming. He also brought us to great restaurants! This company are very good and from what I can recall were cheaper than most. Thank you!
They took care of everything! Saul the owner is very responsive and helpful. Johnny our guide was fantastic, as were our chef, assistant chef and horsemen. I can’t recommend them highly enough and will definitely use them again if we return to Peru!
Three of us decided to choose Sam Travel Peru, reason being is it is a local travel company that help indegenious communities. We picked Lares Trek 4D3N to have cultural experience while hiking. Good foods provided by talented Mario Chef! Johnny is our tour guide, very helpful tour guide. He even helped me to carry my daypack as I was too exhausted to carry it on day 1 hiking. Strongly recommend to those like to have local experience while hiking.
We are ISO 9001 certified, which ensures that all our customers get consistent, good quality services and products. Sam Travel honors and is committed to these principles.
ISO 14001 sets an internationally agreed upon standard for Environmental sustainability. They encourage organizations to protect the environment through the efficient use of resources and reduction of waste. Sam travel adopts a holistic approach to environmental sustainability and management.
We are honored to have been chosen by our travelers as their travelers’ choice of 2022. Trust us to plan your travel, for an unforgettable, once in a lifetime experience. We are humbled and proud to provide the best tours to Machu Picchu, trekking the Inca trail and other tours and treks throughout the Cusco region and beyond.
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