Salkantay Trekking ToursSmall Group Salkantay Trek: The 4-Day SAM Travel Peru Route
This small group Salkantay trek from SAM Travel Peru runs 4 days at $777 per person on Viator, with groups capped at 8 and nights at private campsites the operator describes as remote and less crowded. The route takes in two glacial lakes and the Llactapata ruins, which sit right in front of Machu Picchu. It carries a 5.0 rating from 454 verified reviews. One thing to know before paying: the listing spells out only meals as included, so the Machu Picchu ticket and the transport need confirming with the operator. This page sets out what the listing states, what it leaves out and how the four days run. Compare it against the other Salkantay trek tours before you commit.
About This Trek
SAM Travel Peru sells this 4-day Salkantay trek at $777 per person for groups of up to 8. The route visits two crystal clear glacial lakes, camps at private sites off the typical path and climbs to the Llactapata ruins with what the listing calls the greatest view of Machu Picchu. The last day covers the citadel with a guided 2 hour tour.
The catch is what the listing does not say. The only inclusion named is meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. It does not state the Machu Picchu ticket, the transport, the number of nights or the way back to Cusco as inclusions, though the itinerary text does show the return Expedition train to Ollantaytambo and the guide hands over tickets in Cusco. Confirm the full inclusions with the operator before you pay.
$777 per person on Viator, per person pricing
4 days. The listing does not state the number of nights
Private campsites described as remote, less crowded and off the typical path, plus a hotel in Aguas Calientes before Machu Picchu
Not listed as an inclusion. The listing says the guide gives you your tickets when you are in Cusco, so confirm it
The itinerary text describes the 4:22pm Expedition train to Ollantaytambo with a private van connection to Cusco, but this is not listed as an included item
Groups of up to 8. Full refund 6 or more days before departure, 50% refund 2 to 6 days before, no refund within 2 days
Check Dates and Availability
Departures are shown on the Viator booking page. Both the standard 4-day option and a Salkantay plus Huayna Picchu variant are listed.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer The short answer
This small group Salkantay trek costs $777 per person, runs 4 days, caps groups at 8 and holds a 5.0 rating from 454 reviews. The listing names only meals as included, so ask the operator to confirm the ticket and transport before you book.
Key takeaways
- Cancellation is a full refund 6 or more days out, 50% at 2 to 6 days and nothing inside 2 days, so book only once your plans are firm. See the route day by day.
- The final day ends with a 2 hour guided tour of Machu Picchu and the 4:22pm Expedition train back. Check what the price covers.
- If you want every inclusion spelled out, the Salkantay Sky Camp 4-Day or the Classic 5-Day Salkantay Trek state their tickets and trains in the listing.
What the Price Actually Covers
The listing is unusually thin on inclusions, so this table separates what is written from what you would have to confirm or pay for yourself.
What Is Stated as Included
The inclusions list has exactly three lines: lunch, dinner and breakfast. That is it. Everything else that most Salkantay listings spell out, such as the Machu Picchu entrance, the train, the bus up from Aguas Calientes or a sleeping bag, is simply not named. The itinerary text does describe a bus up to Machu Picchu on day 4 and the 4:22pm Expedition train to Ollantaytambo with a private van connection, and the notes say the guide gives you your tickets in Cusco. Those are descriptions of how the trip runs, not listed inclusions.
The practical fix is a short message to SAM Travel Peru before paying. Ask them to confirm in writing the Machu Picchu ticket, the train and van back, the Aguas Calientes hotel night and whether the trek entrance fee is covered. If you would rather book a listing where all of that is written down, the Salkantay Sky Camp 4-Day includes the Machu Picchu ticket and the train to Ollantaytambo, and the Classic 5-Day Salkantay Trek does the same with an extra day on the trail.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Meals on the trek | Yes, stated | Breakfast, lunch and dinner are the only listed inclusions |
| Machu Picchu ticket | Not stated | The guide hands over tickets in Cusco, confirm with the operator before paying |
| Train to Ollantaytambo | Not stated as included | The itinerary describes the 4:22pm Expedition train plus a private van connection |
| Bus up to Machu Picchu | Not stated | Mentioned in the day 4 itinerary text only |
| Huayna Picchu hike | Optional extra | A Salkantay plus Huayna Picchu option is listed, duration about 1 hour for the hike |
| First and last day meals | Not stated | Meals other than indicated are named as an exclusion |
What You May Pay on Top
Meals other than those indicated are the stated exclusion, so ask the operator what happens outside breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tips for the guide and support crew are not mentioned in the listing, so carry cash for them. An optional Huayna Picchu climb is offered as a variant, and operator guides list mountain hike tickets above the standard circuit price.
None of these amounts are given by this listing, so do not budget blind. Ask the operator for a written list of extras when you confirm the inclusions.
Mollepata, the village at the start of the classic Salkantay route. Photo: Draceane, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Trek Day by Day
Four days from a 4:30am Cusco pickup to the 4:22pm train home. The altitudes below are the ones the listing gives.
Day 1: Cusco to Soraypampa and Sorococcha
A 4:30am hotel pickup, then 3 hours by private van to Soraypampa, the trailhead, with views of the villages of Iscuchaca and Limatambo. Breakfast at the trailhead comes with views of the Humantay glacier, listed at 5,900 m, and Salkantay at 6,217 m. Note that Wikipedia puts the Salkantay peak at 6,271 m with an alternative figure of 6,264 m, so the listing is slightly low.
The group then climbs through Andean valley landscapes to Sorococcha at 4,400 m (14,517 ft) for lunch. Pack for a cold night at that height.
Day 2: Sorococha to Lucmabamba
About 8 hours of walking in total. A 3 hour descent toward the rural community of Chaullay, past green valleys and waterfalls. After lunch, 5 more hours through the start of the cloud forest among fruit bearing trees, coffee and cacao plantations.
The night is at Lucmabamba at 2,050 m (6,767 ft), with a relaxing tour about Peru's coffee exportation. The warmth of the cloud forest is a real change from night one, which is why the packing list needs both hot and cold kit.
Day 3: Lucmabamba to Aguas Calientes Via Llactapata
The longest day at about 9 hours. A 3 hour climb along the ancient and remote Inca Trail to the Puncuyoc Pass at 2,700 m (8,858 ft), then arrival at the Llactapata Inca ruins, located right in front of Machu Picchu, with views of Huayna Picchu, Machu Picchu mountain and the Aobamba Canyon. A 2 hour descent follows toward Hidroelectric and on to Aguas Calientes, where the itinerary text refers to leaving a hotel the next morning.
The listing does not state the Machu Picchu ticket here, so treat the hotel and the ticket as items to confirm.
Day 4: Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu and Cusco
A very early breakfast, then the bus up to Machu Picchu ruins for a guided 2 hour tour with free time for photos and the option to climb Huayna Picchu, Machu Picchu Mountain or hike to the Sun Gate. The group is back in Aguas Calientes at 12pm, takes a leisurely lunch, and boards the 4:22pm Expedition train to Ollantaytambo station. A private van connection brings the group to a Cusco hotel in the evening.
The listing gives no arrival time in Cusco.
Who This Trek Rules Out
This is a demanding 4-day route sold with thin inclusions and firm cancellation terms. Some travellers should look elsewhere.
Check These Limits Before Booking
The listing requires a high level of physical fitness and is not recommended for travellers with spinal injuries, pregnant travellers or those with poor cardiovascular health. Ages run from 1 to 99, with infants required to sit on an adult's lap, so judge any child's fitness for a 4-day high-altitude route yourself. The booking is fully refundable only 6 or more days ahead, so it does not suit anyone with loose plans.
And because the ticket and transport inclusions are not spelled out, it does not suit first-time trekkers who want a listing that promises the lot. If any of that is you, the Salkantay Sky Camp 4-Day states its Machu Picchu ticket and train, the Classic 5-Day Salkantay Trek adds a fifth day at a similar price point, and the Humantay Lake 2-Day Trek is a shorter taste of the same country. The route and altitude background is on the homepage under altitude and fitness.
The Temple of the Three Windows and the terraces below the Intihuatana at Machu Picchu. Photo: Steve FUNG, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Before the Pickup and After Machu Picchu
Cusco sits at about 3,400 m, and the day 1 camp at Sorococcha is higher still at 4,400 m per the listing.
Acclimatise in Cusco First
Cusco lies at about 3,400 m (11,200 ft), well above the 2,500 m line where the NHS says altitude sickness usually begins. The NHS advises avoiding a jump from below 1,200 m to above 3,500 m in one day, and Wikivoyage recommends at least 2 to 3 days in Cusco or a similar altitude before starting the Salkantay Trek. Symptoms typically start 6 to 10 hours after arrival and most pass in 1 to 3 days.
If they worsen, the NHS advice is to descend around 300 to 1,000 m. Day 1 of this trek ends at 4,400 m per the listing. More background is on the homepage under altitude and fitness.
What to Pack
The route runs from freezing high camps to humid cloud forest, so you need layers for both. Bring a warm sleeping bag rated for below-zero nights, since the listing does not state one as provided. Add rain gear, sun protection, a headlamp for the early starts, trekking poles for the long descents, and cash in soles for tips and any meals outside the stated ones.
The full checklist is in the Salkantay trek packing list.
The Way Home
The itinerary text has the group back in Aguas Calientes at 12pm on day 4, a leisurely lunch, then the 4:22pm Expedition train to Ollantaytambo station and a private van connection to a Cusco hotel in the evening. Remember that the listing names only meals as included, so treat the train and van as details to confirm in writing when you check the ticket and the hotel night. The general picture of what tour prices usually cover is on the homepage under what the price covers.
Trip Outline
The listing says the guide hands over your tickets when you are in Cusco. The day times below come from the listing text.
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Before departure
Tickets from the guide in Cusco
The operator states that the guide gives you your tickets when you are in Cusco. This is the moment to confirm the Machu Picchu entry, the train and any extras face to face.
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Day 1
Cusco to Soraypampa and Sorococcha
4:30am hotel pickup, 3 hours by van to Soraypampa, breakfast with glacier views, then a gradual climb to Sorococcha at 4,400 m for lunch and the night.
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Day 2
Sorococha to Lucmabamba
Around 8 hours: a 3 hour descent to Chaullay, then 5 hours into the cloud forest to Lucmabamba at 2,050 m, with a coffee tour in the afternoon.
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Day 3
Lucmabamba to Llactapata and Aguas Calientes
Around 9 hours: 3 hours uphill to the Puncuyoc Pass at 2,700 m, the Llactapata ruins facing Machu Picchu, then a 2 hour descent toward Aguas Calientes for a hotel night.
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Day 4
Machu Picchu and the train home
Early bus up to the citadel, a 2 hour guided tour with free time, back in Aguas Calientes at 12pm, then the 4:22pm Expedition train to Ollantaytambo and a van to Cusco in the evening.
Pros and Cons
An honest read of what this listing gives you and where it falls short.
What we genuinely like
- Groups capped at 8, one of the tightest caps among the listings compared
- Private campsites described as remote, less crowded and off the typical path
- The Llactapata ruins with the view of Machu Picchu are on the route
- 5.0 rating from 454 verified reviews across Viator and Tripadvisor
- Meals, breakfast through dinner, are clearly stated as included
- Full refund up to 6 days before departure, more generous than the non-refundable listings
The honest downsides
- Only meals are listed as included, so the Machu Picchu ticket, train, bus and hotel need written confirmation from the operator
- No refund within 2 days of departure and only 50% between 2 and 6 days
- The day from Lucmabamba via the Puncuyoc Pass and Llactapata to Aguas Calientes runs about 9 hours
- Huayna Picchu is an optional variant, not part of the base itinerary
- No stated inclusions for drinks, sleeping bag or the trek entrance fee
Who it's NOT for: Not for travellers who want a listing where the Machu Picchu ticket, the train and the hotel are all written into the inclusions.
Small Group Salkantay Trek Questions
Is the Machu Picchu ticket included in the $777 price?
The listing does not state the ticket as an inclusion. It says the guide gives you your tickets when you are in Cusco, so confirm in writing before paying. Listings such as the Salkantay Sky Camp 4-Day state the ticket in their inclusions.
How hard is this 4-day Salkantay trek?
The listing requires a high level of physical fitness. Day 1 ends at 4,400 m per the itinerary and day 3 runs about 9 hours. The route and effort are covered in more detail on the page about how hard the Salkantay trek is.
How many people are in the group?
The group is capped at 8. That is tighter than the cap of 12 on the Salkantay Sky Camp 4-Day or 16 on two of the 5-day listings.
Can I cancel this trek if my plans change?
Yes, within limits. You get a full refund 6 or more days before departure, 50% between 2 and 6 days and nothing inside 2 days. The cancellation contrast with non-refundable listings is visible in the comparison table.
What is the food like on the trek?
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are the stated inclusions, and the itinerary mentions breakfasts prepared by a chef and a leisurely lunch in Aguas Calientes on the last day. Meals on the first morning and final afternoon are the gap, as the listing excludes meals other than indicated.
Can I add the Huayna Picchu hike?
Yes. A Salkantay plus Huayna Picchu option is listed, adding an extra hike of about 1 hour after the citadel tour. Confirm the price of the variant with the operator.
Should I do this 4-day trek or the 5-day version?
The 4-day format compresses the trail, with day 3 running about 9 hours per the listing. If you want a gentler pace for roughly similar money, the Classic 5-Day Salkantay Trek spreads a similar route over 5 days.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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