Trekking to Machu Picchu is a dream come true for some. However, what numerous guests to Peru do not understand is that there are a more significant number of choices than simply the Inca trail for arriving at this undeniably famous Inca city settled high into the Andes.
The Inca trail is the most renowned of the numerous hikes to Machu Picchu and follows the Qhapaq Ñan or Royal Road course. This Inca stone pathway winds through valleys and across mountains to show up at the Sun Gate, an entryway into Machu Picchu that sits high over the city.
However, if you are a devotee of going beyond the beaten path, it is the Salkantay Trek that you would love to encounter.
Key realities about the Salkantay journey
What is the route length of the Salkantay journey?
The Salkantay is around 66-kilometer of trekking that beginnings in the sleepy village of Soraypampa and closes at Aguas Calientes, the town just below Machu Picchu. The most widely recognized course is the five-day, four-night course. In this course, you leave Cusco around 4 am and begin the trek around 8 am, scaling the Salkantay Pass at the very beginning and showing up in Aguas Calientes on the night of day four to spend the last day at Machu Picchu.
What level of fitness is required to hike the Salkantay Trek?
The Salkantay Trekking is a moderate hike. The test comes from how much climb and distance you are expected to cover on the very first day and the elevation at which you are climbing.
This way, we firmly suggest spending no less than two days in Cusco before the trek for acclimatization purposes and speaking with your doctor to get a prescription for Diamox – tablets that assist your body with adapting to high heights. You will need to take the tablets once daily, beginning 24 hours before you start the trip and going on until day three, when you won’t require them any longer.
When is it ideal to book Salkantay Trek?
Dissimilar to the Inca trail, where there is a restriction of 400 travelers each day. Thus, the possibility is there that the tickets can sell out as long as a half-year ahead of time. On the other hand, there are no restrictions for the Salkantay hike. This makes it a superb option if you had been expecting to climb the Inca trail yet have tracked down that there is no ticket.
The main limitation you will confront is the accessibility of entry passes to Machu Picchu, so it is as yet worth attempting to book essentially half a month ahead of time, especially if you are trying between June and August.
What will be the experience?
The Inca trail is famous for taking you along a stretch of the Qhapaq Ñan or Royal Road, a way utilized by Inca sovereignty and pioneers and different overseers to go between Cusco and Machu Picchu.
In any case, you can be sure that the Salkantay Trek goes along a stretch of Inca trail on day three, permitting you to have a smidgen of a similar encounter, just without imparting it to any other person.
For the best experience during the Salkantay Trek, contact True Mountain Traveler at +51 84 610302 to plan your trip.
