Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu 8 Days/7Nights

Traveler Reviews

• AB

  Andrew5.0•July 2026
  Fellow travelers, Trip of a lifetime with my wife, 14yo daughter and son for his 13th birthday - he was a good hiker...
  Fellow travelers, Trip of a lifetime with my wife, 14yo daughter and son for his 13th birthday - he was a good hiker before we went and he’s for sure a good one now! 50+ miles Salkantay and Inca Trail. Extraordinary and stunning doesn’t come close to describing it. We live in the SW US and hike quite a bit, but wouldn’t consider ourselves experts. But having successful completed thins journey we feel like we can take on even more adventures! Alpaca was fantastic from start to finish. Too many highlights to post in full but here are a few: First and foremost, our guide and new friend Henrry! He was so great and made our journey extra special. He was knowledgeable, patient, very funny (we had many many laughs) and treated us all like family. Our group ended up being just the four of us, Henry, our chefs, 6 mules and horseman, and 8 porters when we got the Inca trail. Henrry taught us about so many different things like culture and traditions, history, vegetation, farming, fruits and vegetables, and more. We truly felt like we were getting a local, expert peek into past and current life in the Andes and Cusco region. We also saw six different Inca sites with a detailed history of each which was really valuable, especially leading into Machu Picchu. Culinary team We had an amazing culinary team. Our chefs Marcellino and Cesar - over 18 meals prepared for our family. Absolutely fantastic. The soups were especially great. They even made a birthday cake for our son on the last night. Porters We met our porters when we started the Inca Trail. They are super human, I can’t think of another way to describe them. Carry 3-4x what we’d carry and absolutely flying up and down these trails to ensure we had everything prepared when we arrived at the next campsite. The Hike We’ve been to a few different places around the world and diversity of the landscape on this hike was truly remarkable. From the extraordinary mountain glaciers at Humantay and Salkantay, to the vast valleys with free roaming wildlife, and the local villages and the historic Inca sites, truly memorable. Some takeaways: Good hiking poles with rubber tips, especially for the stairs on the Inca trail! Solid, sturdy boots. Not much water to contend with but many miles of rocky terrain covered. Bring extra cash on the hike - there are a few spots where you can get snacks/drinks etc. If you hear “Porter” on the Inca Trail, stay to the mountain side! The steps are real folks, lots and lots of them and they are steeeeep! But fascinating and really leaves you in wonder how they were constructed so long ago. Combine Inca Trail with the Salkantay hike in some part. It is incredible. The mountains and glaciers, the sheer vastness of the landscape is breathtaking. Inca trail is a bit different and you’ll see more people, but equally as special and beautiful. Blackberries - hopefully your guide will show you and yes, you can eat them. Cactus fruit - be sure to roll it in the ground first before you peel! If you go to Humantay Mountain/Glacier go to the Lagoon! It’s steep, it’s exhausting, but so worth it. This was the short version, much more I could share about how special this once in a lifetime experience was for our family. A huge thank you to Alpaca, the whole team and especially Henrry. We will be back!Show more
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  Traveled in June 2026
• HK

  Heather5.0•June 2026
  Everything was great from beginning to end! Stunning views, everything was super well-organized, and I was impressed...
  Everything was great from beginning to end! Stunning views, everything was super well-organized, and I was impressed by how much the workers endeavored to make sure we enjoy our experience and have the best time.Show more
  Traveled in June 2026
• R

  RubenReddy5.0•March 2022
  The trip with Alpaca Expeditions exceeded all my expectations. Well organised and led my a very knowledgeable guide...
  The trip with Alpaca Expeditions exceeded all my expectations. Well organised and led my a very knowledgeable guide (Faustino). The highlight of the trip was Faustino's ability to make sure his clients were comfortable at all times. The chefs and porters were outstanding. I would 100% recommend this trip to anyone thinking about travelling to Peru. You will not go wrong with Alpaca ExpeditionsShow more
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  Traveled in March 2022
• AA

  Amy5.0•January 2022
  For our first trekking experience in another country, Aplaca Expeditions truly did not disappoint. To our surprise,...
  For our first trekking experience in another country, Aplaca Expeditions truly did not disappoint. To our surprise, we turned out to be the only two for this particular trek and are happy the company kept our plans. We had a team of 5 including our guide - Edward, chefs - Tonga & Benita, and porters/horsemen - Rosemill & Rodrigo who supported us along the entire journey. Everyone was polite and charming. Edward, our guide, was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about our experience. Edward's professional execution of our itinerary for the entire trip was seamless. Most importantly, he was patient with us like answering our questions (several times over). He was also selfless and resourceful especially at times that were mentally challenging due to the nature of the trek. He was more than a guide but also a trusted companion that made us feel safe. In relation to the actual trek - if you like a challenge, you're fit and open minded, then it's for you. The views, terrains, and trails are worth each and every step. Every day was unique and offers a complete experience of Peru's nature jam packed into this sweet but high intensity trip. We camped next to Salkantay mountain hearing avalanches at night (surreal), wondered through Peru's green valley and river trails, and finally the Inca trail with its breathtaking character. This trek complimented our other plans of visiting Lima and Cusco. (It was a balance of 'touristing' and being off the grid). The cherry on top of this experience was having a chef on site prepare local cuisines with a creative flair. We got served full meals - starters, soups (the best), salads, even teas, fresh baked cakes, fruit platters. All prepared in a mobile kitchen. Our only two recommendations for the company would be to upgrade their medical kits. You really do need to have any basic medical essentials with you (i.e. altitude sickness is real.) They had oxygen, blood/oxygen reader and thermometer handy. Lastly, upgrading some of their gear would really up the quality of the experience - like a refresh on linens and things like sleeping bag insets etc. (personal preference).Show more
  Traveled in October 2021
  

  Reply from: Alpaca Expeditions

  Hello Amy Thank you for your review, we are proud to have a wonderful team who knows perfect all about the hike and make unforgetable experience for our hikers, Edwar & Tongo, Benita, they are the best. thank you and have a nice back to home. kind regards AE team

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• TC

  Thomas5.0•March 2021
  My partner and I completed the Salkantay trek in November 2019 with Ricardo as our guide. Having done the inca trail...
  My partner and I completed the Salkantay trek in November 2019 with Ricardo as our guide. Having done the inca trail a few years ago, I preferred Salkantay due to the incredible scenery which changed day to day. It was definitely one of the most physically challenging things I've done, particularly on day one due to the altitude, but I absolutely loved every second. Ricky was a great guide and very knowledgable, and gave us history lessons about the Ican's during our walk. The campsites for each night were great, and the food was amazing (I wouldn't be able to cook as well in a fully furnished kitchen!). The porters were great; we would not have been able to do the walk without them. There was a hiccup on our final day going to Machu Picchu, but this was resolved by the company, and we were met by the manager on our return to Cusco to discuss the issue and resolution which I was very impressed with. This demonstrated the company's stellar customer service. I would 100% recommend alpaca expeditions and Ricky as a guideShow more
  Traveled in November 2019
  

  Reply from: Alpaca Expeditions

  Thank you Thomas for your kind words, Salkantay Trek is one of the top treks to Machu Picchu and Alpaca Expeditions has an unique itineraty to enjoy the best way this wonderful hike, we work to create liftime experiences.

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• RS

  Richard5.0•March 2021
  This hike was truly amazing, and one I'll never forget. We had wonderful guides who became our friends by the end....
  This hike was truly amazing, and one I'll never forget. We had wonderful guides who became our friends by the end. The hike was challenging (especially the first day) but that is what I was looking for - pushing your own edge physically while being surrounded by the eerie yet magnificent wonder of the Andes Mountains. We experienced various terrain, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, beautiful lookout points, and were always supported by the staff who took great care of our appetites! If you are looking for a unique experience, that takes you off the beaten path, I'd recommend this hike. Not for the faint of heart as camping and 'roughing it' are a part of the experience. I encourage you to pack for the weather (rain) and bring bug spray! We stayed in a hotel with hot showers the last night before ascending to Machu Picchu. If you're patient and willing to wait for the fog to dissipate, the views of the ruins are breathtaking. Such an incredible experience - hard to put into words!Show more
  Traveled in September 2019
  

  Reply from: Alpaca Expeditions

  Hello Richard Thank you for taking your time to share your experience, great to know you had an amzzing experience, Salkantay Trek is an amazing hike and we do the best option to make a lifetime experience in the andes of Cusco.

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• PR

  Pamela5.0•March 2021
  I spent 7N/8D hiking the Salkantay + Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu. It was a challenging hike but worth every bit of...
  I spent 7N/8D hiking the Salkantay + Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu. It was a challenging hike but worth every bit of sweat. I would highly recommend Alpaca Expeditions. They were professional and great value for money. My A- team, who I would highly recommend anyone requesting was Juan Carlos Zuloaga and Santos. Juan Carlos was a very knowledgeable, caring and encouraging guide. He answered so many of my questions and really allowed me to be immersed and exposed to the Inca culture. It was his support and encouragement that got me through those tricky climbs. Our meals were fabulous, cooked by santos. For sure the best chef going around. I hands down recommend this team!Show more
  Traveled in September 2019
  

  Reply from: Alpaca Expeditions

  Dear Pamela, Thanks such amazing words. Hope we can meet again on a new adventure.

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