{"id":1096,"date":"2026-03-30T17:00:34","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T17:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/salkantay-trail.com\/?page_id=1096"},"modified":"2026-04-02T13:41:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T13:41:35","slug":"trekking-classique-du-salkantay-en-5-jours","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/salkantay-trail.com\/fr\/salkantay-treks\/classic-salkantay-trek-5-days\/","title":{"rendered":"Trekking classique du Salkantay en 5 jours"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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CLASSIC SALKANTAY TREK 5 DAYS<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Duration<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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5 Days \/ 4 Nights<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Distance<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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70 km approx.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Difficulty<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Challenging<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Max. Altitude<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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4,630m \/ 15,190 ft (Salkantay Pass)<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Start Point<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Mollepata, Cusco<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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End Point<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Aguas Calientes \/ Cusco<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Accommodation<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Camping and Hotel<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Group Size<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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2 to 12 people<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Minimum Age<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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10 years<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Best Season<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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April to October (dry season)<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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ABOUT THIS TREK<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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There’s a reason this is the route people talk about for years after they get home. The Classic Salkantay Trek takes you through five completely different landscapes in five days<\/strong>, from high alpine terrain above the snowline to dense subtropical jungle, finishing at Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate just as the morning mist starts to lift.<\/p>

The route follows an ancient Inca path used for centuries by communities traveling between Cusco and the jungle lowlands. You’ll cross the Salkantay Pass at 4,630 meters, walk beneath the glaciers of the Salkantay mountain, one of the most sacred Apus in the entire Andean cosmology, and descend into cloud forest so thick and green it doesn’t look real. By the time you arrive at Machu Picchu on day five, you won’t just be visiting the citadel. You’ll have walked to it the way it was meant to be reached.
This trek is physically demanding. The altitude, the distance, and the terrain require a genuine effort. But it doesn’t require any technical climbing experience, and the people who do it range from experienced trekkers to first-timers who simply decided to commit. What it does require is a reasonable level of fitness and a willingness to wake up early on day two knowing the hardest part is still ahead of you.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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ITINERARY<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Day 1 \u2014 Cusco to Soraypampa Altitude: 3,900m | Distance: 14 km | Walking time: 4\u20135 hours <\/h2><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t
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The day starts early with a pickup from your hotel in Cusco and a two-hour drive through the Sacred Valley toward Mollepata, a small village sitting at 2,800 meters where the trail officially begins. The first stretch is a gradual ascent through open farmland and low scrubland, with the Salkantay glacier slowly revealing itself as you gain altitude. By afternoon you reach Soraypampa, the first camp, set in a wide valley at the foot of the mountain. On a clear evening the peak towers directly above you, catching the last light of the day. Camp is set up by the time you arrive and dinner is cooked fresh on site.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

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Day 2 \u2014 Soraypampa to Chaullay via Salkantay Pass Altitude: 4,630m (pass) \/ 2,900m (camp) | Distance: 22 km | Walking time: 8\u20139 hours <\/h2><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t
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This is the day that defines the trek. You leave camp before sunrise, headlamps on, the temperature well below zero as you begin the climb toward the pass. The trail gets steeper in the final stretch and the air gets noticeably thinner. When you reach the Salkantay Pass at 4,630 meters the views open up in every direction, glaciers behind you and the first hints of green valley ahead, with the sheer scale of the mountain making everything else feel very small. The descent is long and the terrain changes constantly. By the time you reach camp at Chaullay you have walked through three completely different ecosystems in a single day. It is a day most people remember for the rest of their lives.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

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Day 3 \u2014 Chaullay to Santa Teresa Altitude: 1,700m | Distance: 18 km | Walking time: 5\u20136 hours <\/h2><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t
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The altitude is behind you. The morning walk follows a river downstream through increasingly tropical vegetation, passing waterfalls, coffee and cacao plantations, and small farming settlements that see very few visitors. The temperature rises steadily as you descend. By afternoon you reach Santa Teresa, a small town surrounded by mountains where natural hot spring pools sit above the river. After three days on the trail, soaking in warm water with a cold drink in hand is about as good as it gets.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

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Day 4 \u2014 Santa Teresa to Aguas Calientes Altitude: 2,040m | Distance: 16 km | Walking time: 4\u20135 hours <\/h2><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t
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The final day of actual trekking follows the Urubamba River, alternating between trail sections and the railway line that connects the hydroelectric plant to Aguas Calientes. It is a gentler walk than the previous days and there is time to process everything the last four days have thrown at you. Aguas Calientes is a strange, lively little town built entirely around Machu Picchu. Tonight is your last night on the road. Dinner is on your own so you can explore the town at your own pace.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

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Day 5 \u2014 Machu Picchu and Return to Cusco Altitude: 2,430m | Walking time: 2\u20133 hours guided tour <\/h2><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t
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You are up before dawn. The first bus leaves at 5:30am and the citadel is at its best in the early morning, before the day groups arrive and while there is still mist moving through the ruins. Your guide leads a two-hour tour of the site covering the history, the architecture, and the details most visitors walk straight past without noticing. After the guided section you have free time to explore on your own, hike to the Sun Gate if your legs have anything left, or simply sit and take it all in. The afternoon train back to Cusco runs through the Sacred Valley, arriving in the evening.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t