Back

Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu

Salkantay

Reach the ruins via the back door on the magnificent Salkantay route, where it’s possible to stay in comfortable mountain lodges as an alternative to camping.

Approaching Machu Picchu ‘through the back door’, the Salkantay Trail weaves through a tremendous spectrum of landscapes and microclimates, from mountain passes (up to 4,638m) choked by glacial ice sheets to steaming subtropical jungle.

The views are nothing short of breathtaking, particularly when your first glimpse of Machu Picchu reveals the mountaintop citadel from an angle few get to see, completely untarnished by any evidence of modern civilisation.

For those with an aversion to camping, you can take a 7 day trek, including a day of acclimatisation walks, where you spend your nights in extremely comfortable, heated mountain lodges with excellent hot meals and wine all along the route – unwind after your exertions in the Jacuzzi with an ice-cold beer, surveying the mountains beyond.

Note that if you take the camping version you travel at a brisker pace and your sleeping conditions are rudimentary. Take the lodge version, with its days of acclimatisation built in, slower pace and comfortable accommodation, and the grading falls to Moderate (2).

Activity Rating: moderate

Holidays Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu

From expertly designed Private Journeys to trail-blazing Group Tours, browse our range of carefully crafted holidays.

Papagaio

Your edit for Latin American inspiration

Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.

View Extraordinary Inspiration
Bartolome, Galápagos

Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

  • Finn Clennett
    Finn Clennett - Travel Expert

  • Alex
    Alex Walker - Travel Expert

    A globetrotter since her childhood, Alex spent a year studying abroad in Guadalajara and has returned to Latin America countless times since then.

  • Sallly
    Sally Dodge - Travel Expert

    A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.

  • Maggie
    Maggie Wilson - Travel Expert

    Maggie visited Latin America on her first backpacking trip when she was 19. Since then, she has taken every opportunity to travel, and has managed to explore a lot of the region in subsequent trips.

  • Lina
    Lina Fuller - Travel Expert

    Lina's passion for the continent where she was born really took off when she moved to Córdoba (Argentina) to study, spending the holidays travelling between Argentina and her native Colombia.

  • Chris
    Chris Rendell-Dunn - Travel Expert

    Anglo-Peruvian Chris grew up in Lima and spent much of his adult life in between London and Cusco as a tour leader, before settling permanently in our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours sales team.

0 1 2 3 4 5