The Salkantay Trek in numbers: about 69 km walked over four days from the Challacancha trailhead (the classic figure of 74 km is measured from Mollepata), a high point of 4,650 m (15,256 ft) at Salkantay Pass on Day 2, and an end point at Aguas Calientes, 2,040 m, below Machu Picchu. The hardest leg is Day 2: 22 km with about 750 m of climbing and 1,750 m of descent. The map and elevation profile above plot the waypoints; the table below gives each day.
Salkantay Trek Distance and Elevation by Day
| Day | Leg | Distance | Altitude (start, high, end) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Challacancha to Soraypampa, with the Humantay Lake side trip | About 12 km (7 km without the lake) | 3,380 m, 4,200 m at the lake, 3,900 m |
| 2 | Soraypampa over Salkantay Pass to Chaullay | 22 km | 3,900 m, 4,650 m, 2,900 m |
| 3 | Chaullay to Lucmabamba through the cloud forest | About 16 km | 2,900 m, mostly downhill, about 2,000 m |
| 4 | Lucmabamba over Llactapata, Hidroelectrica and the railway to Aguas Calientes | About 19 km | 2,000 m, 2,700 m at Llactapata, 2,040 m |
| 5 | Bus to Machu Picchu and guided visit | Short walks on site | 2,040 m to about 2,430 m |
Total walked: about 69 km from Challacancha with the lake side trip and the Llactapata crossing. Biggest climb: 750 m from Soraypampa to the pass. Biggest descent: 1,750 m from the pass to Chaullay, the same afternoon. Miles: 69 km is about 43 miles, 74 km about 46 miles; the pass is 15,256 ft.
These legs follow our tour route over Llactapata. Some itineraries spend the third night near Santa Teresa and the Cocalmayo hot springs instead and reach Hidroelectrica by the valley; our Salkantay Trek guide describes that version day by day.
Why Published Distances Differ
You will see the Salkantay Trek quoted at anything from 55 to 79 km. The differences come from four choices, not from different trails:
- Start point. The classic route starts walking in Mollepata (2,900 m). Most groups now drive past Mollepata to Challacancha (3,380 m), which saves a long uphill road walk.
- The Humantay Lake side trip. About 5 km out and back from Soraypampa, with 300 m of climbing. Some itineraries count it, some do not.
- Day 4. Crossing Llactapata adds a climb to about 2,700 m and several kilometres; the valley route to Hidroelectrica is shorter and flatter, and some trips drive part of it.
- The last stretch. Walking the railway from Hidroelectrica to Aguas Calientes is about 10 km. A few itineraries take the train instead.
A 4-day itinerary usually drives part of the Day 3 descent, which is how it fits the same pass into one day less.
How High Is Salkantay Pass?
We use 4,650 m (15,256 ft), the figure in our trek specifications and the maximum altitude given in a 2018 route feature by Peru’s official newspaper, El Peruano (the same article also uses 4,600 m). Other sources give 4,600 m or 4,630 m, and GPS waypoints logged by hikers read between about 4,627 and 4,670 m. The difference is measurement and rounding; it is the same saddle, Abra Salkantay, below the 6,271 m peak of Salkantay Mountain.
For comparison, Dead Woman’s Pass, the high point of the Classic Inca Trail, is 4,215 m, about 435 m lower, and the Inca Trail is 42 km long. Our Classic Inca Trail data page has its profile.
Where the Trek Starts and Ends
Groups leave Cusco between about 4:30 and 5:30 a.m. and drive about 3.5 hours via Limatambo and Mollepata to the trailhead at Challacancha. The trek ends in Aguas Calientes; from there a bus climbs to Machu Picchu, and the train runs down the valley to Ollantaytambo, about 2 hours by road from Cusco.
Conditions on the Trail
- Day 1 to the pass: rocky path and switchbacks above 4,000 m, frost and possible snow on dry-season mornings, strong wind at the pass.
- Pass to Chaullay: steep, loose descent, slippery after rain; trekking poles help.
- Cloud forest (Days 3 and 4): warm and humid, muddy in the wet season, with several side paths and occasional landslides on the valley roads.
- Railway walk: flat, about 10 km beside the tracks; step well clear when a train passes.
- Phone signal: none at Soraypampa, the pass or Chaullay; intermittent near Santa Teresa; reliable in Aguas Calientes.
Plan or Book the Trek
For the day-by-day experience, difficulty, best months and packing list, read our Salkantay Trek guide. To book, the 5-day Salkantay Trek tour includes the guide, camping, meals, the Machu Picchu ticket and the train back. Other routes to Machu Picchu: the Lares Trek and the Classic Inca Trail.
