Alternative Inca Trail: Salkantay to Machu Picchu Trek

Hiking the Inca Trail has become number one in what Adventure Tourism in Peru concerns.
Due the high demand, local authorities decided some years ago to restrict the number of visitors per day which is 500 including tourists, guides, porters and other members of the staff which means permits are sold out really quickly, especially during March to August when it’s recommendable to make bookings at least 3 or 4 months in advance to secure your place on the trek according to your travel dates.

 

Salkantay Pass at 4600 masl (15,000 ft)

Because many visitors are not aware of this and they cannot get a permit for the Inca Trail on the desire date, some alternative routes became more popular and perhaps the route Mollepata - Salkantay – Machu Picchu is the most popular one.

Although some people may feel disappointed because they end up booking this alternative route instead of the original Inca Trail, here you have some advantages compared with a classic one:

1.-AVAILABILITY: Even if you also need a permit (bought through an authorized travel agency), you don’t really need to book it with so much time in advance as the Inca Trail.
If you are a last minute planner, it’s most likely that the trek will be confirmed on your itinerary as the demand is lower compared with the other one. 

No availability issues with the permits at the Salkantay Trek

  
2.-NO CROWDS: Hiking this route reminds the old times of the Inka Trail when Peru didn’t received so many tourist and you didn’t encounter crowds of tourist on the trek like nowadays (remember, they are 500 per day). Specially during high season when campsites are so crowded that authorities needs to open more capmsites around the main ones.  

Crowds are not a problem on the Salkantay route

  
3.-LANSCAPES: You may not find so many tourist on your way, neither archeological remains but landscapes  are absolutely breathtaking, with a range of altitudes and climates that allow you to see from colorful Andean valleys, to the dry and high mountains passing by the Salkantay snow peak and going down to the tropical rain forest where  Machu Picchu is located.

Awesome landscapes on the way. Salkantay snowcap mountain at the back of this valley

4.-FLEXIBILITY: It’s possible to book it for any time of the year. Even though the rainy season is not the best time, it’s possible to hike during February for example while the Inca Trail is closed during that full month due the heavy rains and because of the maintenance works. 

5.-HORSES: Also, for people who are not eager to hike all the time, it’s possible to rent horses for the trek while on the Inca Trail, these are not allowed on the route so trekkers must hike all the time. 

Horses carrying trekker's luggage

Trekkers can take a break during the hike and go horseback riding instead

6.-LUXURY ALTERNATIVES: for people who is not eager to sleep in a tend but loves hiking, there is a net of small-luxury lodges where you stay overnight with all the necesary facilities. 

A luxury alternative where hikers stay in a comfortable lodge instead of a tend

7.-LENGHT : you can choose to hike during 4, 5 or 8 days while the Inca Trail is limited to a 4 days trek or short version. 

Unlike the Inca Trail, we can stand out that there are no ruins along the route (for ones looking for history and adventure)  and that the altitude is more of a consideration as the Salkantay climbs as high as 15,420 feet (4,700 m), nearly 2000 feet (600 m) higher than the Inca Trail. But those who choose the Salkantay trek several advantages with a similar payoff.

If you are planning a trip to Peru, contact us!

PERU TRIP ADVISORS
E-mail: info@peru-tripadvisors.com
Website: www.peru-tripadvisors.com
Address: La Paz Av. 676 Office 4, Miraflores, Lima – PERU
Phone number: 51-1 241-7429

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AMAZON RIVER CRUISE

Sailing the Amazon River has been considered an adventurous exploration since colonial times when Spanish and Portuguese embark in their ships looking for El Dorado, a fabled city of gold, which the natives wisely and repeatedly assured the conquistadors really existed.

Nowadays, at least 100,000 people live along the banks of the Amazon River, they come from native communities that had decided to move closer to bigger cities like Iquitos but also, a huge portion corresponds to National Parks like Pacaya Samiria National Reserve that is the largest protected flooded forests in the world. 

Hunts on shores of the Amazon river

 

Pacaya Samiria National Reserve

 

In order to explore the Amazon Jungle, tourist count with two options, both starting from Iquitos, a city with a population of 360,000 inhabitants, the largest city in the world that cannot be reached by road:

• A Lodge stay.
• A cruise river expedition.

Despite of the several tour operators offering Amazon cruises in Peru, the services offered on board most of the times don’t meet the traveler’s expectations. 

If you are looking for the best experience on board and during the excursions, we suggest you to choose between Aqua Expeditions (with Aqua and Aria cruises) and Delfin Amazon Cruises (with Delfin I and Delfin II). 

M/V Aqua Cruise

The cruise companies will take care of you since the moment you arrive in Iquitos providing of a private dock to board the cruise.

In what excursions concerns, in the mornings and afternoons, passengers set out on motorized boats with the cruise’s naturalist guides – all local – to fish for piranhas and spot pink river-dolphins, caimans, iguanas, monkeys, bats, sloths and a bewildering variety of birds in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. One day they might release baby turtles back into the wild, the next they might visit a sanctuary for manatees, seal-like river mammals or they might hike through the  pristine and unique flooded ecosystem, passing through a classic tropical rainforest with emergent trees and canopy trees reaching up to 55 meters in height. 

Aqua Expedition cruise passengers taking a tour on the Amazon river

Aria cruise passengers taking a Kayak tour on the Amazon river

Guests arrive back in time for a shower in their air-conditioned suite cabins that count with all the comfort of a five stars hotel and the best feature is that all cabins have panoramic windows allowing guest to have a prime view to the jungle and enjoy of the amazing dawns and sunsets. 

Cabin at Delfin Cruise

Food on board is gourmet style including exotic products of the region and it’s a great opportunity for the cruise operators to show to the world typical products from the Amazon.

Wake up and be ready for a delicious breakfast while savoring a fresh juice made of an exotic fruit like Camu Camu! 

Camu Camu Cocktail

Or taste an unusual chonta salad made from the heart of the palm; or better, take for lunch a dish made with a just caught river fish! 

A typical dish from the Amazon: Tacacho, Cecina and Chonta salad

Aqua Expedition Cruse's cheff Pedro Miguel Schiaffino caughts a paiche on the river

For more information about organizing a trip to the Amazon or other destinations of Peru, contact us!

Peru Trip Advisors

www.peru-tripadvisors.com 

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ROYAL PATH - INCA TRAIL TO MACHU PICCHU

The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is considered one of the best treks of the world due the combination of mountains, high cloud forest and archeological Inca’s sites. The Incas built a highly advanced network of nearly 40,000 thousand kilometers of trails to connect the distant corners of their vast empire that stretched from Quito in Ecuador down to Santiago in Chile and east to Mendoza in Argentina. The named it Capac Ñan and Cusco was the heart of this great empire.  

Inca Trail Map

What is known as the Inca Trail is in fact only one of many Inca trails in the Cusco area. However, this trail has become famous due to its final destination: Machu Picchu. There is no better way to arrive to the citadel than on foot at the Sun Gate at dawn, visiting the ruins in the early morning light before most of the tourists arrive.

They’re many versions of the Inca trail being the 4 days trek also named Classic Inca trail, the most popular.

There are 500 permits available each day: approximately 200 are allocated to tourists and 300 to porters, cooks and guides for that reason it’s highly recommended to book this trek with at least 4 months of anticipation.

Starting Point - Km.82

The first day of the 4-days Inca Trail starts with a transfer to Km. 82 where all trekkers hike by the shores of the Urubamba River for around 3 hours up to the archeological site of Llactapata. Then, they continue walking heading for the first camp in Huayllabamba where they have dinner and overnight.

Total distance:                 12 Km (7,47 miles)

Trekking time:                  5 to 6 hours

Highest altitude:              3,000 Mt (9,480 ft.)

Altitude on campsite:    3,000 Mt (9,480 ft.)

The most challenging portion of the trek is the second day with a steep ascent, followed by 3 hours walking until reaching the first step, Warmiwañusca (Dead Woman), located at 4,200 m.a.s.l. approximately.  After lunch trekkers descend towards Pacaymayu for dinner and camp.

Total distance:                 11 Km (6,84 miles)

Trekking time:                  6 to 7 hours

Highest altitude:              4,200 Mt (13,776 ft.)

Altitude on campsite:    3,500 Mt (11,480 ft.)

Pacaymayu

Wiñayway

The third day of the trek is a more relaxed, trekking a downhill and mostly flat trail. On route tourists visit Runcuracay and Sayacmarca archeological sites and then go on to the Phuyupatamarca ruins. The last night of camping is at Wiñaywayna (always young). 

Total distance:                 16 Km (9,94 miles)

Trekking time:                  8 hours

Highest altitude:              3,900 Mt (13,776 ft.)

Altitude on campsite:    2,650 Mt (8,692 ft.)

On the fourth and last day, trekkers start walking for one hour by the forest until reach the Inti Punku (Sun Gate), known like the front door to Machu Picchu, from where everybody  have an impressive panoramic view of the Inca citadel. Upon arrival Machu Picchu, trekkers  have a guided tour within the citadel visiting the Main Square, the Circular Tower, the Sacred Solar Clock, the Royal Quarters, the temple of the Three Windows and cemeteries.  

Sun Gate

At the end of the guided tour they are free to stay longer in the citadel or to take right away the bus down to Machu Picchu town (also known as Aguas Calientes) where the booked hotel waits for them with a comfortable room to rest after the demanding trek. 

Best time to go: during the dry season that starts in April and ends around November. The trail is availble anytime except in February when is closed.

Difficulty: more than a walk in the park but less than an alpine climb. If you are in half-decent shape, this 4-days trek will be fine.

The trail goes higher than 4200 meters so you should spend a bit of time in Cusco to adjust and avoid getting altitude sickness on the trail.

You can find some tours with this trek in our web page www.peru-tripadvisors.com

Come to Peru and do not miss this unique adventure!

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