Mindful Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu with Yoga (5 Days)

Today marks the beginning of your spiritual trekking adventure to Machu Picchu! Early in the morning, we’ll pick you up at your hotel. After approximately a 3-hour drive to Mollepata, where breakfast awaits (not included), we’ll proceed for another hour to Challacancha (3380m / 11,090ft), the starting point of our hike. Along the way, we’ll pass the Hornada Pata viewpoint, offering a split view of the Mollepata mountain valleys.

Together with our Andean shaman from Q’eros, we’ll partake in an ancestral Blessing Ceremony to set intentions for the Salkantay trek. We will then continue with a3-hour walk through the picturesque valley, leading us to the Soraypampa campsite (3,900m /12,800ft) for lunch.

Then, we embark on the trek to the stunning Humantay Lake. After 1.5 hours of hiking, we’ll reach the lagoon (4220m / 13,850ft) with its mesmerizing blue-green water and the snow-capped Humantay Mountain peak in the background, making it one of the most awe-inspiring spots in the Andes Mountains. 

Continuing our hike, we ascend and our team will set up tents and prepare a delightful dinner. To round off the day, our yoga teacher will lead a yoga session incorporating yoga, relaxation, and stretching.

After a nutritious breakfast, we will start the day with a meditation session together with our Andean shaman and yoga teacher. Today is particularly challenging as we tackle the ascent to the Salkantay Pass (4620m / 15,255ft), marking the highest point of this trek. The three-hour climb takes us to the pinnacle of Abra Salkantay, where we revel in breathtaking views of the snow-capped high Andes Mountains, including Salkantay, Humantay, Tucarhuay, and Pumasillo (4,650m / 15,250ft). Then, our Andean Q’eros Maestro will perform a Cleansing and Flourishing ceremony with you.

Following this, we embark on a three-hour descent through the cloud forest and have lunch in Huarachmachhay (3800m / 12,470ft). It’s fascinating to witness the transition in vegetation from snow-capped mountains to the lush green jungle with its vibrant flora and fauna. After lunch, we continue walking through the upper part of the rainforest for 9 km until we reach our Ccolpapampa campsite (2900m / 9,514ft), where we will spend the night, engage in some yoga, and relish a delicious dinner.

After a rejuvenating night’s sleep and breakfast, we will start hiking straight to La Playa, walking through the thick jungle and following the riverbank of the Salkantay River. We begin our 7-hour-hike through the Peruvian jungle, passing over many ascents and descents. We will discover several coffee plantations, local fruits, and vegetables, such as passion fruits, bananas, avocados, mangos, and papayas. We will arrive at our lunch point to rest a little. After hiking for about 16 km, we will arrive in Lucmabamba for lunch. In the afternoon, we will visit a coffee plantation and learn all about the coffee-making process from one of Peru’s best specialists: from harvesting the beans to our cup of coffee. We will have time to rest at our campsite and do a mindful session with yoga, meditation, and stretching to foster a deeper understanding of our bodies and cultivate self-awareness. Before dinner, you can visit the thermal baths of Cocalmayo, Santa Teresa (optional).

Today, we will enjoy the sunrise in a lush landscape of rivers, waterfalls, butterflies, citronella, orchids, rocky streams, and stunning views of the Santa Teresa Valley. We will have breakfast and, together with our Andean shaman, perform a ceremonial gratitude to Mother Earth—a beautiful symbolic offering to express gratitude and connect.

We will finally hike along a part of the original Inca Trail, which once ran to Quito, Ecuador! After a 2.5-hour ascent, we will arrive at the Inca archaeological site of Llactapata. Our local guide will explain everything about the history of these ruins. We will enjoy seeing the Citadel of Machu Picchu from across the valley.

We will descend to Hidroeléctrica for our last lunch prepared by our amazing cook. From there, we will walk for 2 more hours to Aguas Calientes, the village at the bottom of Machu Picchu. Once in Aguas Calientes, we have time to rest at our hotel and explore the village by ourselves. We will meet for our farewell dinner at a local restaurant and stay overnight at our hotel.

Optional: You can choose to take the train from Hidroelétrica to Aguas Calientes instead of walking. Please inform us in advance if you are interested.

We will wake up early for our visit to the famous Machu Picchu site. This complex is considered a jewel of Inca architecture. It is a complete town with different quarters, squares, alleys, buildings, astronomical observatories, and terraces. After a guided tour with our local guide, we will have enough time to explore this site by ourselves. We will then return to Aguas Calientes and have some time for lunch (not included) and take the train to Ollantaytambo/ Poray. Upon arrival at the train station, we will be picked up by our transfer staff and be brought back to Cusco.

Do you want to hike Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountain? Remember that this requires an extra permit, and sell out well in advance! Please tell us at booking if you would like to add one of these hikes ($60.00 per person).