Trekking to Machu Picchu should be on everyone’s “bucket list”! This Ancient Inca City sits high on a mountaintop in the Andes Mountains roughly 50 miles (80 KM) from the city of Cuzco. Machu Picchu is listed as one of the “7 wonders of the new world,” and has been a popular tourist attraction since its discovery. Because of its remote location getting to Machu Picchu does take some planning and effort. Once visitors arrive in the historic city of Cuzco there are several ways to reach Machu Picchu.
For those that are limited on time and mobility, there is a 3.5 hour train ride to Aguas Calientes. Aguas Calientes is the closest town to Machu Picchu where people usually arrive from Cuzco.
If you are up for an adventure and want an authentic experience while seeing more of Peru then I recommend doing one of the several treks offered by Salkantay Trekking.
There are at least three routes I am aware of, the Traditional Inca Trek, Salkantay Trek, and the Lares Trek. Jill and I decided on the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu for several reasons. First, this trek is far less crowded then the more popular Inca Trail hike. Secondly, the Salkantay Trek is full of nature, from glacial lakes to dense jungle. Although we decided on the Salkantay Trek, you can’t go wrong with any of the treks offered. In fact, we would love to go back to Peru and do the Inca Trail, just because!
Below are a few details on each trek mentioned above, Salkantay Trek, Inca Trail, and the Lares Trek.
- Inca Trial – This is the most popular route to Machu Picchu and is generally a 4-day excursion, 3 day Trek (26 miles) and 1 day at Machu Picchu. If you are a decent hiker and acclimated to the altitude, this is considered an easier hike. Beware, this trail is closed for maintenance for the entire month of February.
- Salkantay Trek – This is the trek we decided to do. Day two is the toughest day, you hike up to 15,000 ft. around Salkantay Mountain which has an elevation of 20,500 ft. This trek was 5 days in total, 4 days trekking and one day at Machu Picchu. While trekking this trail, visitors walk through a lot of diverse landscapes from towering mountains to rain forest.
- Lares Trek – Our guide mentioned, the Lares Trek is a great alternative to the other two hikes and great if you want to see local culture. There is a 3 and 5 day option for this trek.
We booked our tour online, months prior to our trek with Salkantay Trekking. Salkantay Trekking is a local company based in Cusco, they offer several various day trips and multi-day treks. The price was about $450 for 5 days, which seems ridiculously cheap. Included in the price was breakfast, lunch dinner, and even snacks. The crew at Salkantay Trekking even boiled water daily for us to use as drinking water and or hot coca tea in the morning.
Lodging varied on a day to day basis. The first night was incredible, we stayed in glass igloos. The remaining nights we stayed in spacious tents with the exception of the last night, we stayed in a small hotel in Aguas Calientes.
The price also included entrance fees to Machu Picchu and the train ride back to Cuzco from Ollantaytambo.
The night before the trek we met at the Salkantay Trekking office. We met our guides and members then went over a briefing on what to expect and prepare for. The guides were amazing, accommodating, and knowledgeable. I highly recommend Salkantay Trekking, but there are several other Machu Picchu Tour Operators that are worth looking into that offer other treks and package tours.
Preparing and how to pack!
Preparing for a 5 day trek seemed daunting at first, but after our briefing with Salkantay Trekking, everything seemed to be much easier then originally expected. They provided duffel bags for us. These were large bags the size of a large backpack used to store clothes and toiletry items.
The bags provided were loaded up on mules and horses to be carried up the trails. The bags made it to the campsites before we arrived. Specifically for this trek, I bought a Deuter backpack, 55L. To be honest, I felt bad for the horses and wanted to carry my own stuff, not to mention I enjoyed the extra challenge of hauling my own gear. But for normal people, a day backpack is all that is needed. Something big enough to carry a few extra layers, water, snacks, and camera equipment. The climates changed drastically during the trek, so pack for warm days/cold nights, sunny/rainy days. Be prepared for all climates, but do pack light, especially if you are not used to high elevations.
Salkantay Trek to Machu Pichu
Seeing Machu Picchu has always been high on both our travel lists. The day was finally here, not to see the famous Inca site, but to trek there, and we had four tough yet rewarding days ahead of us.
Day 1
We left Cuzco for Mollepata (the start of the trek). The drive through the Andes was spectacular, bumpy, and a tad scary at times! The driver handled the roads well and got us all to the beginning of the Salkantay Trek without any issues.
Thankfully there were guides as there were no trail markers or signs where we began the trek. The first day was a short 7.5 mile hike to our first campground. Hiking was easy, small gradual inclines surrounded by mountain peaks and forests. Once we arrived at the campground, we noticed that the tent site was no ordinary site, we were surprised and excited to see glass igloos laid out in a row facing Salkantay Mountain. Each igloo housed two twin beds and a night stand in the middle with a 180° view looking through the glass. I believe, they are wanting to convert all their campgrounds with these igloos. Below are photos of our sleeping arrangements at Sky Camp.
After getting settled in and resting for an hour or so, we hiked to a nearby glacial lake, Humantay Lake. This glacial and snow melt fed lake is only a mile hike. But the hike was almost the most difficult throughout the entire trek as the incline of the trail was very steep and the weather dropped. Although a strenuous mile, the views were worth every minute of it.
Humantay Peak towers behind the turquoise colored lake. The lake was freezing and some people (mainly a group of Brits and one German gal) were crazy enough to jump in the freezing glacial water! Hiking up to the lake was adventurous enough, we skipped the whole jumping in the lake part!
After a few hours, we gathered inside for dinner and a briefing on the next day. We went back to our igloo to snuggle inside our warm sleeping bags, gazing at the star lit Andean sky dreaming about seeing the famous Salkantay Mountain the following morning.
Day 2
The second day of the trek was said to be the most strenuous. Our guides were not lying not lying. This stretch was 14 miles around Salkantay Pass at elevations around 15,000 ft. After a few hours into the trek, our crew reached the highest point along the trail. We took a much needed break at this point and I was mesmerized by the beauty of Salkantay Mountain and the surrounding peaks. Our guide (Roy) gave us a great history lesson about the Inca people doing the same trek and their mythology. While listening, we saw a small avalanche in the background (another first).
Side note, listen to your body, if day one was rough the second day is much more difficult. The trekking company gave people the option to ride horses up the pass, Jill did and is glad she did. You do have to pay but it was cheap. Don’t worry the horses get a very nice long break after the trek. They do not take them downhill while strapped with gear and they rest for several weeks afterwards.
After resting for an hour or so, we continued on, hiking downward and immediately the landscape changed from towering jagged peaks to lush rainforest.
The trail here was dusty, so we became very dirty by the end of the day, thankfully there were showers at the second campground. The sleeping accommodations were not as luxurious as day 1, but we had a normal tent surrounded by a straw hut. Each morning, the guides would wake us up with cocoa tea and give us a half hour to get things ready before meeting for breakfast.
Day 3
This day was pretty relaxed after day two. We hiked just over 11 miles, through more rainforest. This day we actually did a few activities. We hiked to a small village and had lunch at a coffee plantation. We learned and even got to be involved in picking of the coffee beans, grinding, and drinking the coffee. For lunch we had Cuy (Guinea Pig) with chicken and vegetables. You can read more about our Cuy experience in my post on some of the strange foods we’ve eaten around the world. Cuy had a distinct gamey flavor but was satisfying after a long hike, especially when paired with an ice cold Cusquena (Peruvian Beer).
Toward the end of the day, the group split up for different activities. A few people went ziplining, the other option was to go straight to a hot spring. Since we did not shower for a few days and were feeling sore from hiking, we went directly to the Cocalmayo Hot Springs. I’ve never felt so relaxed and clean, I think we spent 4 hours here just wading in the water, it was magical! After a relaxing soak at Cocalmayo Hot Springs, it was time to head to the next campground.
Day 4
One day closer to the main event! Our destination was Aguas Calientes, we had another another 11 mile hike ahead of us. This day was pretty standard. A lot of up and down hiking with stunning views and a few suspension bridges.
We stopped at one Inca ruin for a breather before following the train tracks into town. Aguas Calientes was bigger then expected. It has to be I guess hosting millions of tourists. Aguas Calientes is lined with restaurants and shops. We stayed at a hostel with an actual bed and shower.
Day 5
The entire 5 day trek will forever be one of my best memories. Day 5, was the main event and we were all so excited to wake up and begin our journey to the ancient Inca site of Machu Picchu.
Sure, you can take a train and bus to Machu Picchu from Cuzco, but it just didn’t seem satisfying enough. Why not push yourself as the Incans did and enjoy the journey to this spectacular site.
The day started early. I believe the site opens at 6:00 am, most the buses and tourists arrive later though, around 8:00 am. There is an alternative though and it involves hiking. YES! more HIKING!
At 4:00 am, you can start hiking up a near vertical incline for an hour to reach the entrance. One of the benefits about this, is you get to stand in line at the entrance prior to opening and can be one of the lucky first visitors of the day to visit the park.
Our guide gave us an overview and tour for about an hour and then let us explore. Honestly, you need a lot of time to explore Machu Picchu. At first, the ruins were not visible as the fog was so dense. But slowly, as the fog cleared the city began to appear.
Be prepared to walk a lot! We had the option to hike Huayna Picchu, which is that iconic mountain behind the ruins you see in just about every photograph. There are certain time slots to hike it, so go at the time provided, they keep track of every visitor. I highly recommend doing this, as there are ruins at the top, and you get great views of the ruins and the Urubamba River Valley. The hike, is not easy! It can take anywhere from 30-50 minutes. The hike is vertical and narrow, but well worth it!
After we explored Huayna Picchu, we walked around the ruins to the Inca Bridge. the Inca Bridge was a secret entrance to be used by military. The bridge was just a few wooden planks over a wide gap hugging the cliffs of the mountain. There was about a 2,000 ft. drop, so the military would just remove the planks so enemies had no chance of attacking Machu Picchu from that side. Unfortunately, the bridge is off limits to tourists. Years back, a group of tourists fell to their deaths, so there is a gate here but the bridge can still be viewed from a safe distance.
After visiting the bridge we continued exploring the ruins. Llamas freely walk the grounds of Machu Picchu, so we spent some time following them along their routes.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and we sadly left Machu Picchu hoping to return again someday! We took a short bus ride back to Aguas Calientes and headed to the train station. Our tour set us up with train tickets to Ollantaytambo, where we would get on a bus back to Cuzco.
Bathroom Situation
Don’t expect to find any glamorous toilets along the Salkantay Trek not even at the campsites. I will say though, after using the bathrooms here, I can just about go anywhere now! Fun Story! Our first night, the bathroom or more like outhouse, was probably the worst, yet most memorable! It was next to the cleaning station, so the floor had an inch or so of water and mud. At night, it was completely dark, and everyone felt the wrath of Montezuma’s Revenge! The door barely worked and there was a line waiting outside to use this one toilet, man that was a mess! The toilets gradually got better as the days progressed. For some reason, about 90% of the actual toilets in Peru did not have a toilet lid and toilet paper was non existent, so be prepared and bring your own!
Delicious Food!
Salkantay Trekking had amazing chefs that made us breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For every meal it seemed to be three course! The breakfasts were fantastic, the lunch and dinner included a local soup followed by a hearty meal and tasty dessert. They even made us all a special cake on the last day and prepared cuy for us on day three. Apart from the amazing food and service, they provided us with daily snacks throughout the trek, boiled our water, and made us cocoa tea.
The Inca and Machu Picchu
From our travels in Central and South America, Jill and I have agreed that a lot of what we grew up learning and what is still shown in the media and even books is false. The Inca people were never called Inca just like the Mayans never called themselves Mayan. Instead they were a collection of tribes. This is similar how we categorize the various Native American tribes throughout the US and label them as Indian.
The majority of natives we met in the Peruvian Andes were Peruvian but their lineage was Quechua. The Quechua people were here before the Inca civilization, and are still around today. The Quechua people make up several various indigenous tribes spanning the Andes from Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. The locals you see around Cuzco that wear the traditional outfits, speak the indigenous languages, and practice their cultures are not Incan rather they are Quechua. Inca is actually a Quechua word that means “King or Lord.” From what we gathered, the Spaniards kept hearing the word Inca being referred and wrote this in their journals referring these people as Inca.
So why is Machu Picchu so popular? I mean there are tons of ruins throughout the region. My thoughts are first its location. The ruins lay on a mountain surrounded by lush jungle and other peaks, it is easily accessible, and full of mystery due to the fact we still don’t know its purpose.
Machu Picchu has always been known by locals, it’s whereabouts and significance was no mystery to them. Yet with no money or desire to preserve the ruins, it succumbed to the jungle. Until one explorer Hiram Bingham with the help of locals managed to excavate the site and bring world attention to its beauty and significance. We can thank Bingham for the preservation of Machu Picchu and making this UNESCO site well known.
According to National Geographic, Machu Picchu became what it is, around the year A.D. 1450. There was never any evidence found of warfare. Because of the monuments found here and layout, it is assumed Machu Picchu was possibly a spiritual place, a place of religion or an estate for the elite.
There are no signs of Spaniards ever reaching this site, but it is believed that Machu Picchu was vacant 100 years after it was constructed, possibly due to disease. The fact we know so little about one of Earth’s most visited sites means something. Perhaps it was never meant to be found.
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