Salkantay Trekking ToursSalkantay Trek Panoramic Domes: 5 Days from Cusco
This Salkantay trek panoramic domes listing from Machu Picchu Expeditions is the cheapest departure on the site at $300 per person on Viator, with a 4.8 rating from 1,158 reviews. It runs 5 days and 4 nights from Cusco to Machu Picchu, with 3 nights in Panoramic Sky Domes and Sky huts and a final night in a 2-star hotel in Aguas Calientes. The catch is the price. The Machu Picchu entry ticket, the sleeping bag and the way back to Cusco are all excluded and paid separately, so the low figure is a base, not a total. This page sets out what you get, the day-by-day route and who should instead look at a listing with the ticket and the return included. You can compare all Salkantay trek tours on Salkantay trekking tours.
About This Trek
Machu Picchu Expeditions runs this 5-day Salkantay trek from Cusco to Machu Picchu with three nights in glamping, Panoramic Sky Domes and Sky huts, and one night in a 2-star hotel in Machu Picchu town. The guided visit to Machu Picchu on Circuit 2 at 6:00 or 7:00 is in the price, along with meals, a chef, guides, horses carrying 7 kg of your luggage and private transport to the trailhead.
The $300 price is the lowest on the site because the listing excludes three things most other departures bundle in. The Machu Picchu entry ticket, the sleeping bag and the return train or bus from Aguas Calientes are all paid on top. If you want the ticket and the train covered, compare the 5-day hiking holiday with ticket and train included or the classic 5-day Salkantay trek before you book.
$300 per person, sold on Viator. The Machu Picchu ticket, sleeping bag and return trip are extra.
5 days and 4 nights, with hotel pickup in the Cusco historic center between 4:00 am and 4:30 am.
3 nights in glamping, Panoramic Sky Domes and Sky huts, and 1 night in a 2-star hotel in Machu Picchu town.
Not included. The guided visit on Circuit 2 at 6:00 or 7:00 is included, the entry ticket is not.
Return by train or by bus is optional and not included.
Up to 16 travellers, adults 18 to 60. All sales are final, no refund for cancellations.
Check Dates and Availability
Departures run from Cusco with pickup between 4:00 am and 4:30 am on day one. A pre-trek briefing happens the day before at 5 pm at the operator's office.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer Price, exclusions and the honest verdict
The Salkantay trek panoramic domes listing costs $300 per person for 5 days and 4 nights, the lowest price on the site. The Machu Picchu entry ticket, the sleeping bag and the return train or bus are excluded, so budget for those separately. The booking is non-refundable.
Key takeaways
- See exactly what is included and what is not in what the price covers.
- If you want the ticket and the train in the price, compare the 5-day hiking holiday listing.
- The full route, day by day, is in the trek day by day.
- Broader planning help is on Salkantay trekking tours.
What the Price Actually Covers
The $300 covers the camp, the food and the guiding. It does not cover the three items most travellers assume are in a Machu Picchu trek, so read this table before you compare it with anything else.
What Is Included
The listing includes hotel pickup in the Cusco historic center and private transport to the head of the Salkantay trail. On the trail you get a professional English and Spanish speaking guide, a chef and cooking equipment, horses carrying up to 7 kg of your personal luggage in a duffel bag, a personal pad and pillow, first-aid equipment, walkie-talkies and an oxygen bottle. Meals are breakfast, lunch and dinner, though the last lunch is excluded, with vegetarian and vegan options on request at no extra charge. Camp life includes coca tea each morning, boiled water for coffee and tea, three afternoon tea times with popcorn, marshmallows, chocolate and coffee, three snacks, free luggage storage and free electricity in all camps to charge devices.
The guided visit to Machu Picchu is included on Circuit 2 only, starting at 6:00 or 7:00. A pre-trek briefing happens the day before departure at 5 pm at the operator's office.
What You Pay on Top
The exclusions list is long and specific. The Machu Picchu entry ticket is excluded even though the guided visit is included. The sleeping bag and walking sticks are excluded.
The return to Cusco is excluded, either by train or by bus, listed as optional. Also excluded are the last lunch, drinking water for bottles, hot showers, internet connection, the zipline on day 3 and voluntary tips for the chef and horsemen. None of these are priced in this listing, so ask the operator for current costs before booking.
See what the listing price covers across the site.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Guide and chef | Yes | English and Spanish speaking, with cooking equipment |
| Machu Picchu guided visit | Yes | Circuit 2 only, 6:00 or 7:00 start |
| Machu Picchu entry ticket | No | Excluded, bought separately |
| Sleeping bag and sticks | No | Excluded, rent or bring your own |
| Return train or bus | No | Optional and excluded |
| Meals | Mostly | Breakfast, lunch and dinner included, last lunch excluded |
| Luggage carry | Yes | 7 kg duffel carried by horses, pad and pillow provided |
| Group size | Up to 16 | Adults 18 to 60, non-refundable booking |
The switchbacks below the Salkantay Pass with the glacier peaks in cloud. Photo: Steve FUNG, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Trek Day by Day
Five days from a 4:00 am pickup in Cusco to a guided Machu Picchu visit on Circuit 2. Distances and times below come from the operator's own listing.
Day 1: Cusco to Soraypampa Via Humantay Lake
Pickup runs between 4:00 am and 4:30 am from your hotel in the Cusco historic center. The drive makes a brief stop in Mollepata after about 2 hours for an optional breakfast, then continues to Challacancha where the hike starts. You reach Soraypampa, settle into the private camp and rest after the first mountain lunch.
The afternoon holds the hike toward Humantay Lake before the first night in the Panoramic Sky Domes.
Day 2: Soraypampa to Salkantay Pass to Collpapampa
The hardest day. You are woken at first light with coca tea, then climb 7 km over about 3 hours up the winding Trail of the 7 Snakes to the Salkantay Pass, which the listing puts at 4,630 m. Note that other sources give figures between 4,580 m and 4,660 m, so treat 4,630 m as the operator's own number.
Salkantay mountain itself sits at 6,271 m next to the pass. After the summit you descend toward Collpapampa for the night in the Sky Huts camp.
Day 3: Collpapampa to Lucmabamba with Optional Extras
Wake at 6 am for tea and breakfast, then walk through the Santa Teresa Valley toward La Playa, arriving at camp for lunch. Optional afternoon activities follow. The Cocalmayo hot springs are about a 30-minute car ride from camp, with a couple of hours in the water before returning for tea time, dinner and a bonfire.
A zipline and a coffee tour are also offered, with the zipline listed as an exclusion you pay for separately. The night is back in the Panoramic Sky Domes.
Day 4: Lucmabamba to Aguas Calientes Via Llactapata
The last trekking day starts with a 2-hour uphill climb on a section of original Inca Trail to Llactapata at 2,700 m, an archaeological site facing Machu Picchu. You then walk downhill for 2 hours with more views of the citadel, stop for lunch in Hidroelectrica and continue to Aguas Calientes for the night in a 2-star hotel. The walk from Hidroelectrica to Aguas Calientes is roughly 10 km on independent route descriptions, though the listing does not give a figure for this day.
Day 5: Machu Picchu
The guided visit runs on Circuit 2 starting at 6:00 or 7:00. The guided tour lasts about 1.5 hours and covers temples, terraces, palaces, the sundial, the industrial sector and the farming fields. After the tour you can stay longer on your own, or climb Huayna Picchu at 2,720 m or Machu Picchu Mountain at 3,000 m, both requiring tickets booked separately.
Remember the entry ticket itself is not included, so arrange it before you travel.
Who This Trek Rules Out
The listing states its limits clearly. Match yourself against them before the non-refundable money leaves your account.
Check These Limits First
The listing is restricted to adults aged 18 to 60, so older travellers without long-hike experience are told it is not suited to them, and younger trekkers need a different departure. If you want flexibility, the small group 4-day trek caps at 8 with a full refund up to 6 days. This listing also rules out travellers with spinal injuries, pregnant travellers and anyone with poor cardiovascular health.
Fitness needs to be at least moderate. Day 2 climbs 7 km in about 3 hours to the pass at 4,630 m, and the full altitude picture is in altitude and fitness. The booking itself is non-refundable with all sales final, so commit only once your dates are certain, or look at the Sky Lodge domes trek with free cancellation up to 24 hours. Solo travellers should also note the group format runs up to 16 people with no private option stated. Finally, the Machu Picchu ticket you buy yourself is subject to availability, and one operator guide says it is valid for one entry only.
The main square of Aguas Calientes, the town below Machu Picchu. Photo: Jorge Láscar from Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Before the Pickup and After Machu Picchu
Give yourself days in Cusco before the 4:00 am pickup, and plan the return from Aguas Calientes yourself, because this listing does not include it.
Acclimatise in Cusco First
Cusco sits at about 3,400 m (11,200 ft), and this trek then takes you to a camp around Soraypampa at roughly 3,900 m and a pass the listing gives as 4,630 m. Altitude sickness usually occurs above 2,500 m, and the NHS advises avoiding a jump from below 1,200 m to above 3,500 m in one day. Wikivoyage recommends at least 2 to 3 days in Cusco or a similar altitude before starting, and the NHS adds that symptoms usually begin 6 to 10 hours after arrival and most pass in 1 to 3 days.
The operator serves coca tea each morning, though one operator guide notes there is no concrete scientific evidence that coca prevents altitude sickness. More on this in altitude and fitness.
What to Pack
The sleeping bag is excluded, so bring your own or arrange rental, and walking sticks are also excluded. Pack for both ends of the route, because the trail moves from alpine terrain with freezing nights to humid cloud forest. High areas can drop to minus 10 C at night in one account, while the valley days are much warmer.
You get a 7 kg duffel carried by horses, a personal pad and pillow, so keep your carried daypack light. A full kit list is in the packing guide.
Getting Back to Cusco
The listing states the return is optional and not included, by train or by bus. The listing does not say which route the train or bus takes. One operator guide puts the Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes train at about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours.
The listing gives no return time or drop-off point, so confirm the details with the operator when you book the return. Budget for the Machu Picchu entry ticket too. If you would rather have the train already paid, the 5-day hiking holiday listing includes both the Machu Picchu entrance and the train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo.
Trip Timeline
The shape of the 5 days as the listing describes them.
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Day 0
Pre-trek briefing
The day before departure there is a pre-trek briefing at 5 pm at the Machu Picchu Expeditions office. Bring your questions about the excluded items, especially the Machu Picchu ticket and the return trip.
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Day 1
Cusco to Soraypampa
Pickup between 4:00 am and 4:30 am, a stop in Mollepata after about 2 hours, the hike start at Challacancha, then Soraypampa and the Panoramic Sky Domes with the Humantay Lake hike in the afternoon.
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Day 2
Salkantay Pass
The 7 km, 3-hour climb to the pass at 4,630 m past Salkantay at 6,271 m, then the descent to Collpapampa and the Sky Huts camp.
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Day 3
Santa Teresa Valley
Walk from Collpapampa to La Playa, with optional Cocalmayo hot springs about a 30-minute drive from camp, a zipline and a coffee tour. Second night in the Panoramic Sky Domes.
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Day 4
Llactapata to Aguas Calientes
A 2-hour climb on original Inca Trail to Llactapata at 2,700 m facing Machu Picchu, a 2-hour descent, lunch in Hidroelectrica, then the hotel night in Aguas Calientes.
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Day 5
Machu Picchu
Guided Circuit 2 visit starting at 6:00 or 7:00, about 1.5 hours of guiding, then free time or an optional separate-ticket mountain climb. The return to Cusco is at your own cost.
Pros and Cons
An honest read of the lowest-priced listing on the site.
What we genuinely like
- $300 is the lowest listing price on the site, with a 4.8 rating from 1,158 verified reviews
- Three nights in Panoramic Sky Domes and Sky huts plus a hotel night in Aguas Calientes
- The guided Machu Picchu visit on Circuit 2 is included, with a chef, guides, 7 kg horse carry, pad and pillow
- Free luggage storage and free electricity to charge devices in all camps
The honest downsides
- The Machu Picchu entry ticket, sleeping bag, walking sticks and the return train or bus are all excluded, so the real cost is well above $300 once you add them
- All sales are final, no refund for cancellations, so a date change costs you the booking
- Pickup is between 4:00 am and 4:30 am and groups run up to 16, larger than several other departures
- Ages are limited to 18 to 60 and the operator rules out pregnant travellers and people with spinal or cardiovascular conditions
Who it's NOT for: Not for travellers who want one price covering the ticket and the ride home, or anyone who might need to cancel.
Questions About This Trek
Is the Machu Picchu ticket included in the $300?
No. The listing excludes the ticket to Machu Picchu while including the guided visit on Circuit 2 at 6:00 or 7:00, so buy the ticket yourself. Tickets are subject to availability, and one operator guide says they are non-transferable and non-refundable. More on this is in the ticket guide on the homepage.
How do I get back to Cusco after this trek?
The return is optional and not included, by train or by bus from Aguas Calientes, and the listing gives no return time or drop-off point. If you want it prepaid, the 5-day hiking holiday listing includes a train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo with a transfer to Cusco.
How hard is day 2 on this route?
It is the hardest day, with a 7 km ascent taking about 3 hours to the Salkantay Pass, which the listing gives as 4,630 m, followed by a long descent. The listing asks for at least moderate fitness, and how hard the Salkantay trek is breaks down each day.
What do I sleep in on this trek?
Three nights are in glamping, Panoramic Sky Domes and Sky huts, and the fourth is in a 2-star hotel in Machu Picchu town. The sleeping bag itself is excluded, so rent one or bring your own, and camps have free electricity to charge devices.
Can I cancel this booking?
No. The listing states all sales are final with no refund for cancellations. If that worries you, the Sky Lodge domes trek offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
Who should not book this trek?
The listing restricts it to adults 18 to 60 with at least moderate fitness and rules out pregnant travellers and people with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health. Compare the options in all Salkantay trek tours if any of that applies.
What extras should I budget for beyond the price?
The listing excludes the Machu Picchu ticket, the sleeping bag, walking sticks, the return train or bus, the last lunch, drinking water for bottles, hot showers, internet, the day 3 zipline and voluntary tips. The ticket is sold subject to availability, so arrange it early. See the full breakdown in what the price covers.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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