Salkantay to Machu Picchu (5 days) - Peru Treks and Adventure - Alternative Treks: Salkantay to Machu Picchu 5 day Group Service and Prices

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Unfortunately we have decided to stop taking any further trek bookings for the 5 day Salkantay Trek due to the recent introduction of a US$45 governemnet entrance fee. We feel that since the government does not offer any kind or service in return for receiving this fee (as offered on the Classic Inca trail in the form of trail maintenance and security, the installation of toilets and running water, monitoring of safe rubbish disposal etc) that this entrance fee does not offer our clients good value for money especially since the entrance fee to Machu Picchu is not included in the fee (US$44 extra). Peru Treks will continue to operate the trek bookings that we have already accepted to date but will not be accepting any further bookings for this route until conditions improve (probably from April 2009 onwards). Please note that many other companies offering this trek have decided to hide this extra entrance fee in the small print of their trek terms and conditions and require their clients to pay the fee in cash upon arrival at the start of the trek. If booking this trek with another please be aware of this practice.

Peru Treks will continue to offer our 4 day Lares to Machu Picchu trek as normal, a route that we feel is superior in natural beauty and culture to the 5 day Salkantay trek and does not require the payment of a governement entrance fee at the start of the trek.

With this service you join one of our groups so you will find yourself trekking with a variety of like-minded people from all over the world. This service is perfect for individuals, couples and small groups of friends.

* the above price now includes all credit card & PayPal transfer fees within the cost of the trek

Discounts: US$20 discount on the above prices to students with a valid International Student Identity Card (ISIC) and to children under the age of 16 years old (scans of your ISIC card or child's passport must be provided at the time of paying the trek deposit in order to qualify for the discount). International Youth Travel Cards (IYTC) or other forms of student identity are not acceptable.

If there are 4 or more of you we can start a new departure date on any date that you want, just email us at alternativetreks@perutreks.com

Aug '08	15, 19, 26
Sep '08	02, 08, 09, 15, 23,
Oct '08	07, 14, 21, 28

When to make a trek booking: Trek permits are not required for this trek so, unlike the Inca Trail, we can accept booking right up until 1 week before the trek departure date depending on availability within the group. However train tickets are required for the section between Aguas Calientes and Ollantaytambo at the end of the trek so the further in advance that you make a booking the better chance that we will be able to obtain the train tickets for you. We do not recommend waiting until you arrive in Cusco to make a trek booking unless you have already booked your train tickets.

Transport: Bus from Cusco to start of trek (Sayllapata), Bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu (US$7), Bus from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes (US$7), Train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo (US$31), Bus from Ollantaytambo to Cusco

Trekking Team: English speaking professional guide (two guides for groups over 12 persons), Cook, Horsemen and horses (to carry the tents, food, and cooking equipment and your personal equipment such as sleeping bag, mattress and change of clothing up to a maximum of 6kg per person). An emergency horse will also be provided in case someone requires help.

Equipment: 4 Person dome igloo tents - 2 persons per tent with plenty of space for your backpacks, Double thickness foam sleeping mattress, Cooking equipment, Dining tent, Kitchen tent, Accommodation for our horsemen and cooks, First aid kit including emergency oxygen bottle.

Entrance Fees: Entrance to Machu Picchu (S/122 adults, S/61 students and children)

Meals: 03 breakfasts, 03 hot lunches, 03 hot dinners - food includes pancakes, omelets, soups, fresh fruit, avocado, pasta, chicken, fish, meat, rice, all rich in carbohydrates and suitable for trekking, hot drinks including coca leaf tea which is excellent for the altitude. Teatime everyday (tea, coffee, biscuits, popcorn)

Accommodation: Hostal in Aguas Calientes on the 3rd night (based on 2 persons sharing a room).

Other: The price of the trek includes all local sales taxes. All clients will be provided with a free bar of biodegradable soap to help limit the environmental impact to rivers.

Breakfast on the first morning. Some hotels offer an early morning breakfast service. If not, we stop at a restaurant in the Apurimac Valley on the way to the start of the trek where you’ll have the opportunity to buy breakfast, Meal (lunch) in restaurant in Aguas Calientes on the final day. Entrance to the thermal springs in Aguas Calientes (optional) US$3, Sleeping bags can be hired in our office for the 5 day trek (every sleeping bag is washed prior to each use), Tips for the guide, cook and horsemen. If you decide to stay an extra night in Aguas Calientes after the trek any costs associated with extra accommodation, meals, entrance fees and bus tickets if returning to Machu Picchu etc are not included. Entrance fees for the trek between Soroypampa and the Vilcanota Valley. Currently an entrance fee of 10 Soles is charged but the government have advised us that this is likely to increase to 127 Soles (about US$45) from mid-July. This entrance fee is to be paid in Soles at a government check-point in Soroypampa at the start of the trek.

Trek Options:
1. Single accommodation in Aguas Calientes. Our trek prices are based on two people sharing a room in Aguas calientes. If you would like a single room to yourself there will be a US$15 surcharge. Please let us know if you prefer a single room at the time of paying the trek deposit

2. An extra night in Aguas Calientes can easily be arranged independently. Hotels costs and costs associated with returning to Machu Picchu the following day are additional to trek costs. For more information see our frequently asked questions. Please note that if you spend an extra night in Aguas Calientes we will purchase your train tickets from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo, for the following day. Obviously we won't be able to send a bus especially to collect you from Ollantaytambo so you can catch one of the many buses waiting for the train to take you back to Cusco (approx extra cost US$5).
3. We can also provide vegetarian meals or cater for special diets at no extra cost but we need to know when you make the trek reservation.
4. You can hire sleeping bags in our office US$15 per person for the 5 day/4 night trek. All sleeping bags are synthetic (easy to wash). They are washed after every use and are guaranteed to be clean. Weight 2.5 kg and are rated to 12 degrees below freezing (nice and warm even during the coldest of nights experienced on the trek)..

The above trek prices are based on the following third party costs which are outside of our control:

1: Machu Picchu entrance fee is 122 Peruvian Soles, about US$43 (50% discount for students with ISIC cards and children <16yrs). The price paid for the entrance fee is clearly marked on the entrance ticket. The government reserves the right to increase the entrance fee at any time and may only give us one or two weeks notice although any increase in 2008 is highly unlikely at this stage.

2: Included in the price of the trek is the train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo on the Backpacker Economy service which currently costs US$31 per person each way. (details of service and price can be checked on the Peru Rail website www.perurail.com) The Peru Rail website states that they reserve the right to change the price at anytime. The price paid for the train ticket is clearly marked on the ticket.

3. Included in the price of the trek are the bus tickets from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu and from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes which currently costs US$7 per person eachway. It is not anticipated that these costs will increase during 2008, and if they do they are unlikely to increase by more than US$3 per person. The price paid for the train ticket is clearly marked on the ticket.

4. Local sales taxes known as IGV are included in the price of the Inca Trail trek. The currently rate of IGV is 19%. It is not anticipated that this rate will increase during 2008.

5. Exchange Rate. The trek price of US$415 is based on an exchange rate on the 01 June 2008 was 1 USD = 2.90 Peruvian Soles. Although we accept payment for the trek in US dollars the majority of our expenses are in Peruvian Soles (trek permits, wages, food, taxes). Peru Treks will absorb any change in costs up to 10 points difference from 2.90. i.e. if the exchange rate falls to 2.80 we will not ask you to pay any additional surcharge. If however the value of the US dollar falls below 2.80 we will ask you to pay a US$10 surcharge, if the value falls below 2.70 we will ask you to pay a US$20 surcharge, below 2.60 we will ask you to pay a US$30 surcharge etc etc. Peru Treks will have to show any calculations to clearly justify such surcharges.

If any of the third party costs listed above change to increase the cost of the trek we will immediately update the trek price listed on our website (apart from the exchange rate which can continue to go up and down throughout the year so the website will not be updated to reflect these cost changes). Clients will be liable for paying any increased cost of the trek upon arrival in Cusco.

Prior to making a reservation with Peru Treks & Adventure it is important to read through our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). This will help answer any queries that you may have about our services or about the trek in general. In order to make a booking with our 5 day Salkantay Santa Teresa to Machu Picchu group service just click on the Reservations link below. The reservations page contains information about how to make a booking, as well as details of how to pay your trek deposit (US$175 per person) and final balance when you arrive in Cusco.