Want to know how to hike the Salkantay Trek without a guide? Well you’ve landed on the right post as hiking the Salkantay Trek 5 days without a guide was one, if not the hardest achievements I’ve ever done physically and mentally.

Needless to say it felt like an amazing accomplishment once completed but to say the journey was easy would be an understatement. Especially because this was our first major foreign trek and we did this without a guide, tent, or reservations. 

Trekking the Machu Picchu Salkantay Trek in Peru is an experience that blends scenery, raw adventure, and ancient Incan history into one unforgettable affair.

It is highly recommended that you trek the Salkantay Trail with a hired guide. I think that going on a guided tour is an excellent approach, but that’s not what this post is about. This post is about how to hike the 5 day Salkantay Trek DIY style. 

In this article, I want to explain exactly how to hike the classic Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu independently, the pro’s and cons of hiring a guide or going at it on your own, what to expect, where to stay, the Salkantay trek cost, and any tips that will help you on this adventure.

Can I Hike Salkantay Trek without a Guide?

You’ve landed on this post because you want to know if it is possible to hike Salkantay Trek without a Guide? The answer to that question is, Yes!

Unlike the classic Inca Trail, where you can only hike with a guide, the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu can be hiked independently and by staying in tents or homesteads along the way.

There’s not a lot of detailed information online on how to go about hiking the Machu Picchu Salkantay Trek independently so I want this to be the only post you’ll have to read.

About the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu

• 💪 Difficulty: Strenuous
• ⏰ Duration: 4-5 Days
• 🥾 Distance: 46 Miles
• ⛰️ Peak Elevation: 15,090 feet at Salkantay Pass
• 💰 Total Cost Per Person: $362 USD

The Salkantay Trek, often referred to as the alternative trek to Machu Picchu is considered to be one of the top 25 hikes in the world, let alone one of the best hikes in Peru. If you are looking to go hiking in South America, the Salkantay trail should be on the top of your list.

Far less crowded than the famous Inca Trail but equally – if not more – stunning, the Salkantay Trek takes you through dramatic alpine passes, cloud forests, and local villages, all while offering jaw-dropping views of the towering Salkantay Mountain.

The Salkantay Trek distance is 46 miles in completion that takes you through rugged mountain terrain and connects Cusco to the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu. The maximum elevation of this strenuous trek is at 15,090 feet at the Salkantay Pass.

On this hike you will see some of the most beautiful landscapes in Peru. Think snow capped mountains, free roaming horses, alpine lakes, cascading waterfalls, and lush subtropical rainforest.

Unlike the classic Inca Trail, the Salkantay Trail does not require a guide. If you’re looking for an extraordinary adventure intertwined with authentic experiences and natural beauty continue reading on.

Salkantay Trek Map

🥾 Read Next: 19 Essential Tips to Know Before Hiking in Peru

Machu Picchu Salkantay Trek 5 Days Itinerary

When I first presented this idea of hiking the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu without a guide, without a tent or without reservations to my partner Joe, he was a bit skeptical at first. 

Heck, all of my friends and family thought I had lost it a bit. But with a bit of planning, determination and a hunger for adventure, hiking the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu can easily be done on your own.

The Salkantay Trek can be done in 4 or 5 days. I recommend the Salkantay trek 5 days route as it breaks up the fourth and fifth days and the accommodations on each of those nights are worthy of a stay.

It is possible to camp on this trek, if you are a hard core backpacker and have all the necessary gear. There are designated campsites along the trail.

I love trekking but I prefer prefer to trek to guesthouses like on the Colca Canyon Trek & Quitlotoa Loop in Ecuador which is what we did on this trek.

Here’s what the Machu Picchu Salkantay Trek itinerary 5 days without a guide, tent or reservations looks like. Fore more details about a specific activity/event click on the blue links below.

Day 1:

• Travel Cusco to Mollepata or Soraypampa
• Side Hike to Humantay Lake
• 1 Night Accommodation in Soraypampa at the base of Humantay Lake 

Day 2:

• Hike Soraypampa to Chawallay
• 1 Night Accommodation in Chawallay

Day 3:

• Hike Chawallay to Lucmabamba
• 1 Night Accommodation in Lucmabamba on a Coffee, Banana, & Avocado Farm 

Day 4:

• Trek from Lucmabamba to Llactapata
• 1 Night Accommodation in Llactapata looking at the backside of Machu Picchu

Day 5:

• Trek from Llactapata to Aguas Calientes 
• 2 or 3 Nights Accommodation in Aguas Calientes the town at the base of Machu Picchu 

Day 6:

• Explore Machu Picchu
• Hike Huayna Picchu for a birds eye view of Machu Picchu 

Day 1: Cusco to Soraypampa & Side Hike to Humantay Lake

We did this for several reasons:

A – We did not train or prepare for this hike at all so we wanted to save our legs as much as we could.

B – We did not have a place to stay in advance so we wanted to get here as early as possible to reserve a room.  – You can now book a place online which I link below.

C – Once you’re here, a side trip to Lake Humantay takes an exhausting 1.5-2 hours to complete, so you’ll still get some hiking in on the first day.

The cab ride to Soraypampa should cost around 20 Soles but the cabbie ripped us off and we ended up paying 60 as he was arguing with us to pay more.

At this point we had just started our travels and haven’t perfected our Spanish or haggling skills yet, so we just paid the man so he would leave. I’ll go over in more detail where we stayed in Soraypampa in the Salkantay accommodation section but we stayed the Soraypampa Hostel.

We traveled here in shoulder season (April, May, September, and October ) which made finding accommodation the day of relatively easy and stress free.

🥾 Read Next: Hiking Humantay Lake, one of the most popular day trips from Cusco.

Day 2 Salkantay Trek: Soraypampa to Chawallay

• 🥾 Distance: 13.67 Miles (Soraypampa to Chawallay)
• ⏰ Duration: 9 Hours – this is the toughest day
• ⛰️ Peak Elevation: 15,0905 feet at Salkantay Pass 
• ⛺️ Where to Stay: Salkantay Hostel 
• 💰 Total Daily Cost Per Person: 220 Soles = 60 USD

Day two of the Salkantay 5 day trek requires another early start as today will be the toughest and longest day of the Salkantay trek. I’m not going to sugarcoat it – today was brutal. Today we climb our highest elevation topping out at 15,090 feet through the Salkantay Pass.

Breakfast that came with the price of our room was served at 5:30 am and we were on the trail by 6:15 am. Salkantay Mountain lit up the area and just staring at that beast of a mountain, we knew we were in for a long day.

Starting up the valley, the trail splits with the low path along the river on the left and the high road on the right. All of the tour groups and mules were taking the high road thus we choose the path to the left.

The first mile you are walking along the river until you gradually start to ascend up a series of switchbacks. These become very tiring, very quickly as there are parts of the trail that get painfully steep.

We would walk three steps and have to stop to catch our breath. Elevation is no joke and we were struggling. The question “do you think they have rescue donkeys?” popped into my head several times on the ascent to Salkantay Pass.

After a grueling 5 hours we reached Salkantay Pass just before noon. The pass was impressive to say the least.  

Let me just say that, reaching Salkantay Pass shouldn’t take 5 hours but we were filming a vlog of the trek, had no training what so ever, and unfortunately packed poorly as our bags were too heavy full of camera gear. We fought our way to the top.

We thought the climb was painful, but the descent all the way to Chawallay was inhumane. The next 5 hours down the valley consisted of a steep, rocky, and sometimes muddy trail.

This is where hiking poles are a blessing. I have never used hiking poles until this hike and I don’t think we would have made it without them. We each bought a pair of hiking poles in Cusco for 50 Soles a pair.

We finally arrived in Chawallay just after 5 pm. Everything was hurting – our backs, our shoulders, our feet, and especially our knees. We stayed at the Salkantay Hostel which I was able to pre-book online.  

This was a game changer as there are only a few private rooms available and they get snagged up quick. The hot shower and wifi was such a luxury and highlight. 

Day 3 on Salkantay Trek: Chawallay to Lucmabamba

• 🥾 Distance: 9 Miles (14.4 Kilometers)
• ⏰ Duration: 6 Hours
• ⛰️ Peak Elevation: 9400 feet 
• ⛺️ Where to Stay: Freddie and Lia’s Coffee Plantation
• 💰 Total Cost Per Person: 121 Soles = 33 USD

Day 3 of 5 on the Salkantay hike is arguably just as hard as day 2 because you’re sore, tired, and mentally exhausted. By now you probably have a good idea of what lies ahead of you.  

Today’s trek takes you through the valley to the beautiful town full of coffee plantations, Lucmabamba. Once you make your way through town there are two options of trails to take.  

To the right of the river along a dusty, dirt road or to the left of the river which takes you along mountainsides, past cascading waterfalls and through lush subtropical vegetation. Needless to say we choose the scenic route to the left.

It went up and down for a bit but the majority of the day was on the decline. There were a handful of shops selling water and snacks in small villages along the way.  

These are nice places to take a load off, eat a snack, and drink some water as there were benches and a comfortable place to sit. But honestly at this point we were so exhausted that sitting in the dirt wasn’t a rare sight if you saw us.

We crossed a rickety bridge and were finally almost to Lucmabamba. The man running the Salkantay Hostel that we stayed at the night before, booked us a night at Freddie and Lia’s Coffee Plantation.  

Being so tired, sore, and border line hangry, heading to an exact location was relieving. For 15 Soles we even went on a tour of the coffee plantation where we hand roasted coffee beans.

Day 4 Salkantay Trail to Machu Picchu: Lucmabamba to Llactapata 

• 🥾 Distance: 3.7 Miles (6 Kilometers)
• ⏰ Duration: 3 Hours
• ⛰️ Peak Elevation: 8800 feet in Llactapatata
• ⛺️ Where to Stay: Llactapata Lodge
• 💰 Total Cost Per Person: 110 Soles = 29 USD

Day 4 on the Salkantay to Machu Picchu Trail is the extra day that makes this a Salkantay Trek 5 days trek and not 4 days.

If you are short on time or just ambitious, you can make in a Salkantay Trek 4 days by trekking from Lucmabamba all the way to Aguas Calientes.

By day 4 you are exhausted – mentally and physically – so a short hike to Llactapata is something to look forward to.  Plus choosing the beauty and views of Llactapata versus the touristy hot springs in Santa Teresa is the way to go.

From Lucmabamba to Llactapata it takes 3 hours on an upward climb for 3.7 miles to the only lodge in the area. The Llactapata Lodge is a beautiful property that overlooks the backside of Machu Picchu and offers some of the best views over the valley.

Nothing sounds better than a beer and lunch after hiking uphill in the humid jungle for hours. Most hikers chose to just pass through Llactapata but I think once they pass through Llactapata they feel otherwise.

Day 5 Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu: Llactapata to Aguas Calientes

• 🥾 Distance: 13 Miles
• ⏰ Duration: 9 Hours
• ⛰️ Peak Elevation: 8800 feet in Llactapatata
• ⛺️ Where to Stay: Gringo Bill’s Boutique Hotel
• 💰 Total Daily Cost Per Person: 250 Soles = 67 USD (only because we had to buy 38 dollar train tickets)

From Llactapata, it’s all downhill until you reach the hydroelectrica plant. This is a long day. Once you reach the railway station, there are a few restaurants and several shops where you can buy water and snacks.  

Get fueled up for the next  7 miles along the railroad tracks to Aguas Calientes,

Spoiler alert…Joe messed up his knee on the third day and by the time we reached Hydroelectrica, Joe could barely walk. We figured we would buy a train ticket at the rail station and finish the journey on the train.  

Boy were we wrong. Turns out you can only buy a train ticket in person in Cusco or in Aguas Calientes at the Peru Rail station. Not in person at the Hydroelectrica train station or online.

Woof. At this point, we had three options:

1. Catch a collectivo back to Cusco and then get a train ticket to Aguas Calientes.  
2. Hobble our way to Aguas Calientes.  
3. Or beg someone to let us on the train.

Thank gosh Peruvian people are some of the nicest people we’ve encountered on all my years of travel. Thanks to an amazing soul (shoutout to Eduardo), we managed to get on the train and purchas tickets for that ride once we arrived in Aguas Calientes. Phew!

Day 6: Machu Picchu & Huayna Picchu

• 🥾 Distance: 3 Miles not including wondering around Machu Picchu
• ⏰ Duration: 3-4 Hours
• ⛰️ Peak Elevation: 8800 feet at the top of Huayna Picchu
• ⛺️ Where to Stay: Gringo Bill’s Boutique Hotel
• 💰 Total Cost Per Person: 570 Soles = 153 USD (Train tickets back to Cusco, Machu Picchu Tickets & Huayna Tickets)

The day has finally arrived to visit the great Inca Citadel, Machu Picchu. Tickets to Machu Picchu must be booked in advance and tickets for Huayna Picchu farther in advance.  

Huayna Picchu is the mountain that overlooks Machu Picchu and I highly recommend that you get tickets for this hike. The views are well worth the hour steep climb.

There are two ways to reach Machu Picchu once in Aguas Calientes – by bus or you can hike up.  he hike up the mountain is very steep and with Joe’s knee being a bit busted we opted for the bus.  

The bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu cost $12 one way per person and tickets can be purchased in town. Make sure you bring your passport as you need it to buy tickets.

Book a Bus Ticket from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu →

We had tickets for the earliest entry at 6 am. We were waiting in line by 5:15 am and caught the second bus going up the mountain. I’ve heard contradicting opinions on whether you should get Machu Picchu tickets for sunrise or sunset.

Some say that sunrise tends to be more cloudy at the mountain peaks so when you climb Huayna Picchu you won’t be able to see the ancient city below.  

Personally, we had the best weather and not a cloud in sight the morning that we climbed Huayna Picchu and it was so rewarding to be the first ones at the top of the mountain.

I won’t go into too much detail about Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu but if you’d like to learn more check out the posts below.

🦙 Machu Picchu Travel Guides:

Machu Picchu Travel Guide

A Complete Guide to Hiking Huayan Picchu

Where to Stay on the Machu Picchu Salkantay Trek 5 Days

Accommodations in Soraypampa

• 📍 Location: Base of Lake Humantay
• 💰 Room Price: $40 USD
• ⛺️ Backpacker Humantay

The small village of Soraypampa has the least amount of choices for walk up accommodations. Most of the places/dome huts are reserved for tour groups.

There was a small market where all the tour buses parked for day trippers to start the climb up to Humantay Lake.  here was a lovely women inside the market that had 2 rooms available to stay the night for 60 Soles per person.  

No shower or heat and only an outside bathroom that you share with a duck. True story.

There was another option closer to the base of Lake Humantay called Backpacker Humantay, this is where we stayed. There was a dorm room and 4 small huts with 2 twin beds inside of each.

We paid 80 Soles per person for a private hut and that included dinner and breakfast. This place also had no heat but each bed had 5 thick blankets and shared shower/bathroom.

Accommodations in Chawallay

• 📍 Location: Village of Chawallay
• 💰 Room Price: $60 USD
• ⛺️ Salkantay Hostel 

There are a lot more accommodation options in Chawallay, so walking up and finding a place shouldn’t be a problem. However, I absolutely recommend that you reserve a room at the Salkantay Hostel ahead of time.

After a long day of hiking it’s nice knowing you have a comfortable, warm room waiting for you. Plus it comes with a hot shower, wifi and breakfast. Salkantay Hostel is pictured above ↑.

Accommodations in Lucmabamba

• 📍 Location: Avocado, Banana, & Coffee Farm 
• 💰 Room Price: $35 USD
• ⛺️ Freddie and Lia’s Coffee Plantation

Make a reservation at an awesome avocado, banana and coffee plantation. Lucmabamba is full of coffee plantations and most of them have rooms available on the farm.

We stayed at Freddie and Lia’s Coffee Plantation and it was wonderful. The rooms were spacious, breakfast was all grown on the farm, hot showers, and a stunning property.  

For 15 Soles we got a tour of the beautiful coffee plantation where we roasted our own coffee and then consumed it. We bought a bag for 25 soles because they were the nicest people and the coffee was that good.

Accommodations in Llactapata

• 📍 Location: Hilltop property overlooking the backside of Machu Picchu 
• 💰 Room Price: $80 USD
• ⛺️ Llactapata Lodge 

There is only one accommodation in Llactapata which thankfully you can reserve online. The Llactapata Lodge is a beautiful property that overlooks the backside of Machu Picchu.  

The only way to reach this lodge is by trekking 3.7 miles (6 kilometers) the alternative Inca trail to the Lodge.

Accommodations in Aguas Calientes

• 📍 Location: Hilltop property overlooking the backside of Machu Picchu 
• 💰 Room Price: $150 USD
• ⛺️ Gringo Bill’s Boutique Hotel.
• 🥂 Worth the Splurge: Sanctuary Lodge, A Belmond Hotel, Machu Picchu
• ✨Highlight: Luxury hotel sitting at the base of Machu Picchu.

There are tons of places to stay in Aguas Calientes. You can get rent a bed in a hostel if you are traveling Peru on a budget or splurge on a luxurious resort.

After the long trek we wanted to treat ourselves a bit so we opted for a nicer stay at Gringo Bill’s Boutique Hotel. All the rooms were large came with balconies, hot showers, great water pressure, good WiFi, and even Netflix.

Guided Salkantay Trek Tour Versus Independently

About 95% of people who embark on the Salkantay Trek Peru do in with on a guided tour. Now there’s nothing wrong with a guided tour. It supports the locals, you get to learn more about the history and surroundings, and it makes it less rugged.

Below I’ll list the pro’s and con’s of going with a guided tour.

Pro’s on a Guided Tour:

• Guaranteed place to stay every night.
• Hot meals are prepared for you.
• Bags are carried for you.
• Learn about history and your surroundings.
• Not want to have to think or plan logistics.
• Like having everything planned out for you.

Cons of a Guided Tour:

• More expensive
• On a strict time schedule.
• Not able to go at your own pace.
• Hiking with a bigger group of people.

If you have a thirst for adventure, thrive off shocked looks when passing the other trekking groups, are on a budget, and prefer to be on your own time with only the company of your group then I would absolutely embark on the 5 day Salkantay Trek adventure independently.

Salkantay Trek Prices

The average price of a guided tour of the Salkantay Trek is anywhere from $350 to $700 per person. This includes everything from transportation, food, accommodations (usually in a tent), and Machu Picchu entrance tickets.  

The total cost we spent as a couple was $725 or $362 per person. This could easily be done for 100-200 dollars cheaper.

We splurged on a room in Aguas Calientes, had to buy train tickets from Hydroelectrica, took the bus to and from Machu Picchu, spent extra on tickets to Huayna Picchu, bought hiking poles in Cusco, and drank several victory beers on a nightly basis.

We coulda saved $124 alone if we didn’t ride the train from Hydroelectrica or the bus to and from Machu Picchu. Plus we got ripped off by a cabbie and prefer our own rooms versus a dorm.

Breakdown of Salkantay Trek Cost Per Day as a Couple

Day 1

• Collectivo to Mollepata – 40 Soles
• Cab to Soraypampa – 60 Soles
• Entry ticket to Lake Humantay – 40 Soles
• Backpacker Humantay, dinner and breakfast – 160 Soles
• 💰 Total = $80 USD or 300 Soles

Day 2

• Salkantay Hostel – 160 Soles
• Dinner and victory beers – 60 Soles
• 💰 Total = $59 USD or 220 Soles

Day 3

• Room at the coffee plantation – 188 Soles
• Coffee tour x 2 – 30 Soles
• Bag of coffee – 25 Soles
• 💰 Total = $65 USD or 243 Soles

Day 4

• Room Llactapata Lodge – 180 Soles
• Dinner & a beer – 30 Soles
• 💰 Total = $56 USD or 210 Soles

Day 5

• Nice hotel in Aguas Calientes – 200 Soles
• Train ticket from Hydroelectrica – 240 Soles
• Dinner – 60 Soles
• 💰 Total = $134 or 500 Soles

Day 6

• Machu Picchu & Huayna Picchu Tickets – 560 Soles
• Bus tickets to and from Machu Picchu – 180 Soles
• Train tickets back to Cusco – 400 Soles
• 💰 Total = $305 USD or 1,140 Soles

Additional Expenses for the Salkantay Trek

• Hiking Poles = 50 Soles
• 💰 Total = 25 USD or 50 Soles

Salkantay Trek Tips & Preperation

• 🎟️ Book your tickets to Machu Picchu in advance and your tickets to Huayna Picchu farther in advance.
• 🚂 Book train transportation from Aguas Calientes back to Cusco in advance as well. Trains fill up quicker going out of town versus going in.
• Book the accommodations on the Salkantay Trail in as much advance if you can. You’ll be thankful you did.
• No permits are required to hike the Salkantay Trail.
• Hiking poles were a game changer. You absolutely will need these for the descent from Salkantay Pass.
• 🦟 Bug Spray with high % of deet is necessary once you get to Lucamabamba. There are some very large biting mosquitoes. 
• Avoid altitude sickness by giving yourself time to acclimatize. Coca leaves and Muna tea.
• 🎒Park smart. Pack light.
• Most hotels and hostels in Cusco offer free luggage storage.
• Drones are Not Allowed at Salkantay Pass or on the trail in general.Reasons being that there are condors that fly and it scares the horses on the trail.
• Download an eSim for your phone to stay connected with a local high-speed data network while you trek & travel.

⛰️ Read More:  17 Things to Know Before Hiking the Salkantay Trek

Salkantay Trek Packing List

Packing smart and light is essential for a successful trek. Below is a quick packing list for the Salkantay trek. Joe and I made the mistake of over packing and towards the end of the trek, we were dying because our packs were so heavy.

Packing is such a key component to a triumphant trek that I made an entire detailed post about what to bring on the Salkantay trek including what to bring, what not to bring and why.

Here’s a quick Salkantay Packing List:

• Rain Fly
• Hiking Poles
• Life Straw Water Bottle
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• Bug spray
• Hand Sanitizer
• Toilet Paper
• Advil or something of the sort
• Bandaids or Second Skin for blisters 
• Machu Picchu Tickets
• Passport
• Cash
• Go Pro

Salkantay Trek Vlogs

Would you rather see for yourself what an adventure through on the Salkantay Trail looks like? We filmed several vlogs as we hiked, trekked and traveled our way to Machu Picchu.

Check them out after you read this post and please subscribe or give us a thumbs up. It doesn’t cost you anything and really helps us be able to continue creating free content for you to enjoy 🙂.

🎥 Watch our Peru Series on YouTube

Other Noteworthy Treks Around the World

Looking for more worldwide trekking adventures? I have only just started to properly document all of my hiking/trekking excursions. Below are a few hikes that stand out from the rest.

Colca Canyon – Offers trekkers a chance to spot soaring condors, stay in an oasis on the canyon floor, witness some of Peru’s most beautiful landscapes, bathe in thermal hot springs and hike through desert scenery.

Valbona to Theth Trek – An adventure through the Albanian Alps hiking connecting Valbona National Park and Theth National Park.

Rysy Peak – Hiking to Poland’s tallest peak via Slovakia. 

Haleakala Volcano – Hiking into the world’s largest dormant volcano on Maui, staying the night in a cabin and hiking out another route.

Overnight Trek on Acatenango – This overnight trek in Guatemala has you sleeping on a volcano for a front row views of an active volcano erupting through the night.

Best Hikes on Maui – After living on Maui for over 12 years, this is the ultimate list of the best hikes on Maui. 

Final Thoughts on Machu Picchu Salkantay Trek Without a Guide

If you’ve enjoyed this post about hiking Salkantay Trek without a guide, found it useful or if there’s anything I missed that you think would be beneficial to future hikers, give me a shout out in the comments below 👇.  

I’d love to hear if this post was helpful to someone andI try to keep my guides as up-to-date as possible, so your experiences and any useful information that could help out your fellow travelers goes a long way.

Peru Travel Guides ↓

📍 Planning a trip to Peru? I spent 2 months traveling around this beautiful country so check out my Peru travel page for inspiration. Below are more travel guides around the Cusco and the Sacred Valley.

12 Must Eat Restaurants in Cusco

20 Peru Travel Tips 

2 Week Peru Itinerary

14 Remarkable Things to do in Peru

Best Places to Stay in Cusco 

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