The Inca Trail leading to Machu Pichu was obviusly on our travel bucket list so there was no way we could head back home to the U.K. without experiencing this epic trek. But infact we did miss it out and opted to do the alternative Salkantay Trail instead! The cost to reach Machu Pichu via the Inca Trail was way out of our budget actually bordering crazy expensive. You can not trek the Inca Trail independently either and as it has become so popular with upto 500 people setting off every day, we looked into an alternative and are so, so glad we did!
Inca Trail cost for 2 people in a group tour 5 days: £1200+
Cost for us on Salkanty Trail independently for 7 days: !!!£257!!!
The Salkantay trail can be done in 3 nights with the 4th night spent at the Machu Pichu foothill town of Aquas Calientes. As you can pretty much camp anywhere you like then you could take as long as you want but most do the whole thing in 5 nights. The journey itself is epic and takes you past rivers and waterfalls, mountains and glaciers, tiny Peruvian villages, natural hot springs and of course ending at the mind blowing Machu Pichu. The fee to enter is just £1 per person and with the route being well marked out there is certainly no need to book a guide or tour. This makes this option arguably more beautiful, definitely cheaper and easier to organise, more secluded and for us as independent trekkers, more of an adventure.
Cusco:
Your journey will inevitably begin in the very pretty town of Cusco. There are a lot of articles describing Cusco as a tourist money pit but we managed to avoid any huge expense by staying on the outskirts just a 10 minute walk away and eating/drinking near our hostel rather than the city square. This meant we managed to really fall in love with the town and not come away with any negative feelings. The hotels/hostels will take care of your belongings while you’re trekking so be sure to take only what you need as it gets pretty hard going carrying a big backpack. We had almost a week in Cusco before we embarked on the trail which I was very grateful for to acclimatise, pick up some useful Spanish, find where the equipment bargains were and cram in the needed sleep.
Equipment:
Cusco is not cheap. If you don’t mind buying knock offs then there are plenty of bargains to be had but if you want the real deal then you are probably better off bringing it with you. There are plenty of markets that you can buy food for your trip from but as we wanted to take trekking boil in bags we actually found them to be cheaper in U.S.A.
You can also rent anything and everything in Cusco from tents and sleeping bags to boots and down jackets which would probably be the way to go if you are never going to need any of the gear again and it is super cheap.
The Salkantay Trail:
Day 1:
Get up and catch the early morning collective from the avenue in cusco to Mollepata. All taxis know where the stops are and should help you find the right bus and really you want to be leaving no later than 7.30am. It should cost no more than 9 soles/ £2 each and will only leave when full.
We arrived in Mollepata and were chased down to pay a 10 soles park entrance fee. It was only £2 but became very more costly when the rest of our money blew away! This meant we had to walk the 35km from Mollepata to Soryampampa. We didn’t actually make it all the way as we were exhausted with the whole uphill trek and set up camp in the nearest flat field we could. But this added an unnecessary extra night.
Instead of trekking like we did, as it is pretty much following the road uphill I would definitely advise to get another collective or take up the very friendly locals that will be driving that ways offer of a free lift. You’ll get to pick the best camping spot and be fit enough to climb up to the spectacular Laguna de Humantay. Its a hard 1.5hour hike up but definitely rewarding. I failed to tell G its actually glacial water so he ran straight in for a swim freezing in horror at how cold it was!
Day 2:
Easily the hardest day! You want to be setting off reasonably early as it just takes forever to get to the camp site of Chaullay. We thought we would just camp anywhere when we got tired but there is nothing but a sheer cliff at the side of the trail the whole time until you reach camp. So heading out of camp there are 2 trails. Im not sure which is infact the easiest but we took the one climbing up to the right rather than the left. I think it was steeper but quicker. Anyway we had been warned that the weather will almost certainly be wet and windy so luckily we were prepared for the day long downpour with our water proofs and umbrella. It felt like forever to reach the summit of the Salkantay Pass at 4630m but you should be aiming to get there for lunchtime after a bout 3 hours of hiking. After the pass it is ridiculously muddy the whole trail in the rain with your feet sinking a couple of feet into it at times making it really slow work. After a further 6 hours hiking you should be collapsing into camp Chaullay.
Day 3:
2 options today. The easiest thing to do, and as the mudslides had washed away the other route the only way we could go, is get to Santa Teresa. Its a long 16km hike but very rewarding as waiting there are natural hot spring baths. We were very blessed as reached there by car as offered to us for free by some people we had met walking down. We camped there too with loaned money from our new friends which meant we could stay in the baths until 10am the next morning when everyone else had already gone home plus facilities!
Option 2 will add another night onto the trek at Llaktapata. We could not go this way as mudslides had washed it all away but if its clear you will be rewarded with Inca ruins and views of Machu Pichu.
Day 4:
The aim today is to reach the foothill town to Machu Pichu, Aqua Calientes. You can walk the whole way as the groups did and as we had planned as we still had no money but as I had a sprained ankle and missing bruised toe nails and we were carrying everything ourselves we gladly accepted first of 2 very lucky opportunities. Some Peruvian girls had camped next to us the night before and called a taxi to take them back to Santa Teresa and on passing us they very kindly offered us a lift free of charge! Luckier still, the taxi driver knew a woman in the town that sold Soles via card transaction! This meant we could get a collective to our halfway point of Hydroelectrica and we of course used the same taxi driver who also bought us and a homeless guy bananas for the journey! So we just walked the 12km into Agua Calientes from the train station at Hydroelectrica down the railway tracks.
Agua Calientes is expensive but there are deals to be had and a campsite for those on a budget. I couldn’t bear getting into a wet tent again plus I absolutely stunk so we had 2 nights in a hostel with ensuite hot shower and included buffet breakfast. It also meant we could relax and enjoy the pretty Aqua Calientes. You need to buy your Machu Pichu tickets from the office just off the main square as soon as you arrive and they only take cash.
If you catch transport in and get there early enough you could in theory if there are tickets left, go to Machu Pichu in the afternoon and leave without staying a night making the trip a lot cheaper and quicker.
Day 5:
They say to go to Machu Pichu at sunrise but this is incredibly popular and crowded plus we never see sunrise anywhere and much preferred to have a lay in, leisurely breakfast and steady morning exploration of Aquas Calientes. So we trekked up the mountain in the afternoon as everyone else was heading back down! You can pay to catch a bus up but the queues were silly and its just not us. We loved Machu Pichu and the llamas and even got chance to catch our friends and buy them a thank you beer before bedding down on our last night of the trek. It really was a fantastic day. We were worried that the hype of the place would drown our experience but it really was incredible.
Heading back to Cusco:
We walked back to Hydroelectrica early morning and then managed to get the 7am collectivco all the way back to Cusco for 40 soles/£10 each or there is the very ornate train that leaves 3 times a day for $90 each. If you have more nights and just love hiking everywhere then hike back to Santa Maria via Santa Teresa and get the bus from there to Cusco.
Top Tips:
- The trek was hard with long strenuous days. It was made harder as I had twisted my ankle on day 2 and bruised my toes really bad but I think it was still quite tough regardless so definitely take advantage of the cheap transport if you’re struggling on the parts that there are roads.
- Make sure you’re up to date with which trails are open/closed as regular mudslides wipe out roads, bridges and can make it impossible to pass. We met some friends that spent a whole day climbing to find the route was washed out and had to come all the way back! If you do get stuck then everyone is super friendly and will give you the information you need.
- Make sure you have enough cash to cover costs of unexpected transport as the only cash machines are in Cusco and Aquas Calientes (with the exception of the woman in the store at Santa Teresa but it was not advertised anywhere So don’t rely on it).
Are you thinking about visiting Machu Pichu or have you been? I would love to know how you’re planning on getting there!
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