Machu Picchu is really just a part of our collective consciousness—and nothing beats the thrill of actually getting there! If you’ve been dreaming of Machu Picchu, consider this all-women, 7-day adventure via the Salkantay Trek as your sign. Unlike the more popular Inca Trail, the alternative 46-mile Salkantay is crowd-free, with mountain scenery that’s even more spectacular. Not to mention cloud forests with colorful orchids, roaring waterfalls, or sacred alpine lakes. At the end of it all, shrouded by mist and surrounded by lush vegetation, you’ll reach the Lost City of the Incan Empire. This is a great way to visit the most famous archaeological site on the continent in an all-women company, via a more rugged and a crowdless route. And with all logistics, meals, and lodgings sorted!
Embark on a 7-day guided Salkantay trek adventure, taking you to Machu Picchu. Your journey begins in historic Cusco, and includes a walking tour and a cultural exchange in Chinchero. Trek through breathtaking Andean landscapes, including the iconic Humantay Lagoon and the 15,090-foot Salkantay Pass—all culminating in Machu Picchu. Enjoy comfortable stays in hotels and camping tents, with a dedicated local guide leading the way. Immerse yourself in the natural and historical wonders of Peru on this unforgettable adventure.
Your journey begins with your arrival in Cusco. We’ll whisk you away to your comfortable hotel in the city. As the day unfolds, join your guide and fellow hikers for an engaging introductory meeting, setting the stage for the remarkable days ahead. In the afternoon, immerse yourself in the charm of Cusco City as you embark on a captivating historical tour. As night descends, indulge in a welcome dinner, savoring the flavors of local cuisine that rank among the best in the world.
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: 3-star hotel in Cusco
Cusco elevation: 3,399 m (11,152 ft)
After breakfast, at 8am, venture from the hotel to visit an Andean culture interpretation center nestled in Chinchero, at an altitude of more than 3,750 m (12,300 ft)! Here, the rich tapestry of Andean traditions comes alive through artifacts and insights into the daily activities of the locals. Witness Andean camelids grazing in the distance and observe the cultivation of crops like potatoes and tarwi.
Experience the rich traditions of the Andes with a warm welcome featuring typical dances of the region. Engage in a hands-on potato and tuber workshop, followed by a seasonal activity such as cultivation, cooking, harvesting, or bull plowing. Enjoy a tasting of traditional community dishes with an included lunch. Witness a weaving demonstration, one of the Andes’ most significant traditions, and explore the community’s production workshop to see the craftsmanship up close. Return to Cusco in the afternoon, allowing you time to prepare for the trek that starts tomorrow.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Hotel in Cusco
Our adventure begins with an early 5am pickup from the hotel for a two-hour drive to the Mollepata community, where we’ll stop for breakfast (not included). We continue by transport to Challacancha, the official starting point of our hike. Here, we’ll meet our chef and muleteers, check our luggage, and load the horses before beginning the challenging ascent to our campsite. Along the way, we’ll hike along an original Inca trail beside an ancient canal, taking in breathtaking views of the distant Salkantay Mountain. After 3.5 hours of hiking, we’ll reach our campsite, where you’ll settle into your accommodations and enjoy a well-earned lunch to restore your energy.
In the afternoon, we’ll embark on a hike to the stunning Humantay Lake, a two-hour ascent rewarded with breathtaking views of the turquoise waters nestled at the base of the snow-capped Humantay Mountain. While the temperatures can be quite cold, the beauty of this serene spot makes it well worth the effort. After spending some time at the lake, we’ll make our way back to camp in about an hour, where you can change into warmer clothes before enjoying a delicious dinner. To end the day, our guide will provide a briefing on the following day’s itinerary, preparing you for the moderate to challenging trek ahead.
Meals: Lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Soraypampa campsite
Hiking: 4-5 hours
Minimum/maximum elevation: 3,800 m (12,467 ft) / 4,200 m (13, 780 ft)
Basecamp elevation: 3,900 m (12,975 ft)
Start the day early and get ready for an incredible experience! After enjoying a delicious breakfast, we’ll begin our ascent to Salkantay Pass, passing through Salkantay Pampa and making our way up the winding trail to the summit. Along the way, we’ll take breaks to admire the breathtaking mountain scenery, snap photos, and listen to our guide’s insights while recharging our energy. Reaching the pass at an impressive 4,630 m (15,228 ft), you’ll be rewarded with stunning views of the snow-capped Salkantay Mountain—an unforgettable sight and the perfect photo opportunity.
From the pass, we’ll begin our descent to Wayracmachay, where the landscape gradually shifts, revealing a new side of the Andean wilderness. Upon arrival, a delicious lunch prepared by our chefs will be waiting for you. After refueling, we’ll continue descending, and as we lose altitude, you’ll notice a welcome change in temperature. Our campsite, located at 2,900 m (9,514 ft), offers a much milder climate compared to the first base camp. Once there, you’ll have time to rest and freshen up before enjoying a hearty dinner, during which our guide will provide a briefing for the next day’s adventure.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Chaullay campsite
Hiking: 11-12 hours
Hiking distance: 24 km (13.7 mi)
Minimum/maximum elevation: 2,900 m (9,515 ft) / 4,600 m (15,190 ft)
Basecamp elevation: 3,000 m (9,842 ft)
After a challenging day, we will wake up early for a delicious breakfast. Today is a more relaxing hike through a stunning trail filled with dense vegetation, vibrant orchids, and towering waterfalls reaching up to 80 meters. We’ll descend through the scenic Santa Teresa Valley to Lucmabamba, where we’ll enjoy lunch before taking transportation to Hidroelectrica. In the afternoon, we’ll continue on foot for about two hours (12 km / 7.5 mi) toward Aguas Calientes, where we’ll spend the night in a comfortable hotel. Dinner is included, and your guide will provide important details for the highlight of the journey—visiting Machu Picchu.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation: Hotel in Aguas Calientes
Hiking: 8-9 hours
Hiking distance: 27 km (16.8 mi)
Minimum/maximum elevation: 2,000 m (6,560 ft) / 3,000 m (9.845 ft)
Aguas Calientes elevation: 2,040 m (6,693 ft)
Today’s the day! We start early, depending on our assigned entry time to Machu Picchu. You can either hike up to the entrance, which takes about an hour and a half, or take the first bus at 5:30am for a 30-minute ride from Aguas Calientes. Our guide will lead a thorough two-hour tour of the Machu Picchu archaeological site, after which you’ll have time to return to Aguas Calientes for lunch (not included). In the afternoon, we’ll take the train to Ollantaytambo, where you should arrive at the station 30 minutes before departure. A company representative will meet you upon arrival and arrange transportation back to Cusco, where we’ll drop you off at your hotel*.
Meals: Breakfast
Hiking: 2 hours
Hiking distance: 7 km (3.1 mi)
Minimum/maximum elevation: 2,040 m (6,690 ft) / 2,430 m (7,970 ft)
*Note that accommodation for the night is at your arrangement.
As your unforgettable 7-day adventure draws to a close, savor your last breakfast, check out of the hotel and prepare for the departure transfer to the airport. Bid farewell to Cusco, taking with you cherished memories of a journey filled with natural wonders and cultural revelations.
Included:
Add-ons:
Not included:
This all-women Machu Picchu adventure via the Salkantay Trail requires excellent fitness. The Salkantay Trail is renowned for its challenging terrain, featuring steep inclines and declines, varying altitudes, and unpredictable weather conditions. With an approximate distance of 46 miles (74 km), participants can expect several days of challenging trekking and long days.
The most you’ll hike within a day is 27 km (16.8 mi) for 8-9 hours. Day-by-day distances and hiking times can be found in the itinerary.
Generally, you should be a person that hikes regularly, especially in hilly terrain, since you’ll be walking for extended periods at very high altitudes. If you’re not an avid hiker already, we recommend that you start hiking regularly in months leading to the trip. Engaging in regular cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and endurance activities is advisable to adequately prepare for the physical demands of the trek.
Acclimatization to the high altitude is crucial, so the tour includes two days of acclimatization in Cusco advance—enhancing the overall experience. We also advise taking medication that can help you with altitude sickness. In summary, a moderate to high level of fitness is essential for a successful and enjoyable completion of the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu.
Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
Bring comfortable and weather-appropriate clothing that can be worn in layers. You’ll be able to discuss your packing list prior to the adventure—changes can be made depending on the season and expected weather conditions.
This all-women’s Salkantay Trek guided adventure was designed to empower women through the strength of other women, which means that your guides make every effort to outfit the trip with women guides and porters.
In most cases, guides for these all-women’s trips are women, while porters will often be a mix of men and women. Why? It is exceptionally hard for women in many developing countries to break away from traditional roles; therefore, fewer women guides and porters are available to outfit these trips. Collectively, we have more work to do to continue to elevate the presence of women in the outdoor industry.
Indeed you can! It would be a sin to go hiking in Peru without paying a visit to the spectacular Rainbow Mountain. If you haven’t heard of it yet, the name tells you all about it—it’s this incredible multi-colored mountain that leaves everyone speechless with its rainbow-like appearance. These colors are created by the sediment of minerals, giving the mountain turquoise, lavender, gold, and other hues. Up until several years ago, it was a hidden gem completely covered in snow! Today you’ll find it in National Geographic’s “Top 100 Places To Visit Before You Die”.
So, your guides have prepared a choice between two one-day treks to the Rainbow Mountain as an extension to your trip. You can add it to your booking upon checkout, but here’s what you can expect.
You can choose between the Vinicunca and the Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain tour.
What’s included in these tours?
What’s not included?
This tour is generally held on the last day of your adventure. Although accommodation is not included in the price of the tour, your guides can help you arrange accommodation for the night—just ask!
Group sizes and prices:
Hiking to Machu Picchu via the Salkantay Trek can be arranged for private groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
To get to Cusco, which is the beginning point of your trip, most people fly into Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport. Upon your arrival, you’ll meet your guide at the airport and get transferred to your hotel.
Please keep in mind that you’re expected to arrive before noon on Day 1. If arriving the day before or later on Day 1, you’ll likely have to arrange a transfer to the hotel on your own.
We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both medical and travel protection. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, simply choose Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner!
Redpoint tailors their protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations. Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.
Once your booking is confirmed and your trip is paid in full, you will be offered to purchase Redpoint’s protection. If you need any help or require more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!
A 30% deposit to secure your place is due upon booking. The remaining amount is paid 3 months (90 days) prior to departure. Once the trip is confirmed by the guide, the cancellation policy stated below applies.
Please note that booking fees are non-refundable in all cases and will be deducted from the refund amount.
Early Bird booking
Want to be the first one to know when we publish new dates or secure your spot well in advance? Select a future month that suits you best and lock in your Early Bird spot in time with just a 10% deposit.
As soon as our guides publish new tour dates, you’ll be the first one to know. We’ll hold your spot for 2 weeks until you choose the date that suits you best.
More about how Early Bird bookings work below:
