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Any recommendations for a tour company that does Salktantay Trek to Machu Picchu?

Looking for repudable tour company that does the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu

15 years ago, January 20th 2009 No: 1 Msg: #60778 Delete Edit

Diego Y Amiga
Diego G

N Posts: 14

Hi,

I'm looking for any recommendations of repudable tour companies that do the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu, preferrably one that has a webpage, want to have it all organised before I go in July. Keen to hear from other travellers who have done this trek before.

Gracias
Diego Reply to this

15 years ago, January 20th 2009 No: 2 Msg: #60800 Delete Edit

barrygahan
Barry

B Posts: 150

We did the Salkantay trail with Hiking Peru - http://www.hikingperu.com/index.html.

Very good value at 180 USD per person, though you may find it difficult to get that price booking it in advance, much easier to negotiate in the office in Cusco. Reply to this

15 years ago, January 20th 2009 No: 3 Msg: #60807 Delete Edit

hesterr
Hester

B Posts: 74

Did Salcantay, was amazing! Best trek I've ever done!

It's very hard to find repudable tour company's in Cusco (all offer Salcantay trek). Well it isn't hard but there are different price classes. Basically if you want to get a cheap one, book it on the spot (there are trekkings taking off every single day, especially in the high season) and hope for the best. The agency's only sell the trek and then place you in a different group, together with tourists who booked at other agency's. Some times you are lucky, most of the times there are some problems but only minor ones, and sometimes you have a trekking like hell. (Or at least it was this way in 2008. Lived in Cusco for 3.5 months) Tour agency's do their absolute best to offer good trekkings (and reliable guides and stuff) but it's still hard. It isn't always their fault. It's just a very competetive market right now.

Getting a more expensive tour company (or booking in advance, which automatically means you're booking with a more expensive company) is a pretty good safeguard. They tend to offer good quality tours.

Also: If you're doing Salcantay (or any trekking for that matter), make sure you're in Cusco for at least 3 days/ well acclimatized before you start. Also consider taking altitude-sickness medicine. Many tourists get ill during the trek. Reply to this

15 years ago, January 21st 2009 No: 4 Msg: #60814 Delete Edit

Diego Y Amiga
Diego G

N Posts: 14

thanks for the tips guys, i'm definitely doing salkantay so will keep the info in mind.

will spend a few days aclimatising in cuzco - but don't want to hang around the place too much because i heard it's a bit of a tourist trap. any near by towns/villages taht are worth visiting maybe for some markets?

cheers
Reply to this

15 years ago, January 21st 2009 No: 5 Msg: #60829 Delete Edit

barrygahan
Barry

B Posts: 150

there's no guarantee that an expensive agency will be any better. we met two girls who had booked salkantay with one of the better agencies for over 400 USD and they had a terrible guide, whereas we paid less than half that and had a very good one. in some of the smaller agencies you may get to meet the guide beforehand. Talking to the agency and obviously the guide is a good way to get a feel for it. with the cheaper agencies you'll most likely be in a big group as they tend to join up their groups.

I agree Cusco is a bit of a tourist trap but there's plenty of interesting museums and so on to see and you could easily spend a few weeks here. it's the best place for acclimatisation as it's at 3310 metres, higher than most of the other towns in the area. Reply to this

15 years ago, January 21st 2009 No: 6 Msg: #60833 Delete Edit

hesterr
Hester

B Posts: 74

Cusco is definately a tourist trap. Good restaurants, lots of partying going on and many foreigners who already got stuck. It's an amazing city, though a dangerous place to be if you like to party (free entrance, all drinks for free at the touristy places)

Most tourist do the 'Sacret Valley tour', which is a one day tour across 3 of the biggest ruins. It's really impressive though unfortunately very rushed. You get 30 minutes/1 hour per ruin, which sounds like a lot, but once you're there you'll see it's nothing. The ruins are huge.
To do the Sacret Valley tour (which costs 30 soles = 10 USD I guess) you have to buy a special card (forgot the name of it), which also gives you free acces to many other ruins/museums in/around Cusco. The tour is also a great place to buy souvenirs (don't forgot to bargain!), busses usually stop at several small villages where you can buy all kinds of artesania.
There is also a market in Pisaq (one of the ruins of the Sacret Valley tour) which offers lots of artesania, especially on wednesdays and sundays. You'll see the market on the tour, but you might want to spend more time there (it's the biggest market in/around Cusco). Just hop on a taxi in Cusco and tell the driver you want to go to Pisaq and he'll take you to the right busstop (busses leave every 15 minutes). Also, once you're in Pisaq you can always visit the ruins again (the ruins are absolutely amazing!! Soo big!)

Cusco also has a ton of interesting museums on offer (unfortunately but not unsurprisingly most are only in Spanish) and there is usually some sort of demonstration/party going on (I lived in Cusco for 3.5 months and almost every single day there was a demonstration/part at Plaza de Armas, the main square). Every sunday for instance (assuming it doesn't rain) there is a big march across the plaza.

Cusco is also good for it's many outdoor activities. You can go Paragliding, Quadbiking, Rafting (some of the best rafting possibilities in SA according to Lonely Planet), Walking, horsebackriding just to name a few... (I also took weaving classes one day with a bunch of friends. We were taught how they make the artesania. There isn't any tour offered for this, but we just asked one of the lady's at the market if she was willing to teach us. We had classes inside her house at a small village outside of Cusco. It was very impressive.

(Before you start Salcantay make sure you are well acclimatized and in good shape. There are horses which can be rent all across the track in case you fall ill. Trekking agency's are accustomed to handling any kind of difficulty you run accross. Still, many tourists get altitude sickness on the track or have a hard time (you walk around 7/8 hours a day normally). Reply to this

15 years ago, January 25th 2009 No: 7 Msg: #61219 Delete Edit

Diego Y Amiga
Diego G

N Posts: 14

thanks! heaps of info, i guess i won't get bored in cuzco then. i'll definitely do the sacred valley tour to pass the time before salkantay, my bro & i are both fluent in spanish so museums won't be a problem =P i've decided i might book with chimbu tours from here in australia...$700AUD isn't bad. has anyone used this tour company? Reply to this

15 years ago, January 25th 2009 No: 8 Msg: #61241 Delete Edit

barrygahan
Barry

B Posts: 150

that is a lot of money for the salkantay trek, and very much at the higher end of the market.personally i wouldn't even pay half that, but if you're happy with the price and the agency, i guess that's the most important thing. haven't heard of that particular agency before but if no one here has used them you could probably google for reviews. Reply to this

15 years ago, January 25th 2009 No: 9 Msg: #61242 Delete Edit

hesterr
Hester

B Posts: 74

I paid 155USD (low season) and heard friends paying 190USD high season, all booked in Cusco a few days in advance. Some agency's might charge you a bit more, but 700 AUD just sounds outrageous if you ask me. 😊 Reply to this

15 years ago, January 25th 2009 No: 10 Msg: #61243 Delete Edit

Diego Y Amiga
Diego G

N Posts: 14

hmm you've got me thinking now...i definitely don't want to pay too much, but i'm hesitant about just turning up in case they're all booked out... this is what chimu include in theirs, is it much the same with others?

Tour Includes:

Collection from your hotel in the morning;
Bus to Mollepata;
Horses to carry the food and equipment;
Entrance to Machu Picchu;
Bilingual tour guides;
Complete, quality equipment (2 man dome tents and mattress);
Cooking equipment;
Cook;
Meals as outlined in itinerary;
Overnight in Aguas Calientes (hostel);
Return ticket for the tourist train back to Cusco. The train departs from Aguas Calientes late afternoon and you will arrive in Cusco at either at 9:00 to 10:00 pm

so yeah..just not sure about turning up in july & hoping for the best, hoping for a spot on a tour...i don't know how 'in demand' salkantay is??
Reply to this

15 years ago, January 25th 2009 No: 11 Msg: #61255 Delete Edit

hesterr
Hester

B Posts: 74

They're never all booked out. 😊 You can ALWAYS find a trekking company (even a good one!) a day in advance. I lived in Cusco for 3.5 months, both in the high season and in the low season, and I've NEVER heard a story about Salcantay (or any trek leaving Cusco, sole exeption might be Inca Trail, but even this can be arranged a week in advance I've heard) being fully booked. Did Salcantay myself, know many friends who did the trek and personally know a couple of guys who organize tours in Cusco. We all have the same experience.

Of course, it's a popular trek, but there are also many agency's in Cusco (Cusco is the biggest tourist destination in South America!)

All tours offer the exact same.

By the way, if you decide to wait till Cusco and are looking for an agency, make sure you ask the following questions.
- What food is offered? (some cheap agency's budget on food.)
- Whether the guides speak English (most tour agency's claim bilingual tour guides, though in reality the level of English is often limited. You can ask to meet the guide first to get to know him a bit better, and see how his English is)
- How many hours a day you should walk (should be about 7/8 hours a day with the 2nd day being the toughest)
- How many people will be joining the group (groups are normally up till 20 persons, but you can easily find smaller groups, especially in the low season. Also ask what their policy is. for instance 1 guide for ever 10 tourists)
- How many cooks/carriers there are
- Whether horses for carrier your personal belongings are included, and if not, how much would it cost to rent them
- Renting sleeping bags + type of tents (do I have to share a tent with strangers?)
- Whether they bring bottles of oxygen (helps against altitude sickness. I'm guessing out of a random group doing Salcantay at least 30% develops altitude sickness, sometimes more.) or have other policies for altitude sickness
- What the options are if you run ill/are too tired to continue (you can rent horses on the first 2 days, take a bus for part of the journey on day 3 and there's a train you can take on day 4.)

Good agency's generally have good answers to these questions. It's not a complete safeguard but it should help. 😊 Reply to this

15 years ago, January 25th 2009 No: 12 Msg: #61285 Delete Edit

barrygahan
Barry

B Posts: 150

I completely agree with Hester, you'll have no problem at all finding a trek to Salkantay. In fact the difficult thing will be choosing which group to go with as there will be so many offers. Unlike the Inca trail, there is no limit of numbers for the Salkantay trail. I recommend you arrive in Cusco 3 to 4 days before you plan to trek, and use this time to acclimatise, arrange your trek and see the sights of Cusco.

Reply to this

15 years ago, January 25th 2009 No: 13 Msg: #61295 Delete Edit

Diego Y Amiga
Diego G

N Posts: 14

hey all thanks for your help...much appreciated...i might just wait then until i get there...i've emailed hikingperu so just waiting for their response Reply to this

15 years ago, February 16th 2009 No: 14 Msg: #63197 Delete Edit

chucklesw
Chuck Watson

N Posts: 1

Hi guys,

All the information you have supplied through this thread has been very helpful for me. I am traveling to Peru in April and plan to do a trek while visiting the Cuzco area. You mentioned that the Salkantay trek is always available with one day advance notice while in the city of Cuzco for a better rate than what can be found on the internet... Would you say the same is true for the Lares Valley Trek? I think this is the one I am leaning towards. Also, any recommendations for a good, but inexpensive tour company?

Thanks very much!
Reply to this

15 years ago, February 16th 2009 No: 15 Msg: #63200 Delete Edit

hesterr
Hester

B Posts: 74

The one day advance notice goes for all trekkings in Peru, so yes, also around Cusco. 😊

Can't make any recommendations for company's, there are so many and it's really hard to identify a good company. I did Salcantay with company ***, had my best trek ever, recommended it to my friends but they had a horrible experience.(Turned out the company on the street placed them in a group together with people who booked the same trek at other companies. They all got exactly the same trek, except some paid a lot more for it. Tour agency's try to only 'sell' their tourists to good trekking companies, however, in a competitive place as Cusco, where new agency's appear and old ones go bankrupt, sometimes you get a bad trek.
Best thing to do is just ask the above mentioned questions and see if you like their answers. Also, you could get a more expensive trek, usually that's sort of a safeguard (though I still know plenty of stories...) against bad treks. Reply to this

15 years ago, February 22nd 2009 No: 16 Msg: #63792 Delete Edit

Pecs
Cory P

N Posts: 1

Hester (or anyone else that knows),

I appreciate the advice you've been giving in this forum. I was wondering if I arrive in Cusco on Sunday, will I able able to book the Salkantay trek for Monday, or are businesses generally closed on Sunday? Thanks! Reply to this

15 years ago, March 3rd 2009 No: 17 Msg: #64594 Delete Edit

AilsaG
Ailsa Gibson

N Posts: 5

Hi Guys,

There have been some great anwers in this forum!

I'm also planning on doing the Salkantay trek in April. I'm thinking of going through Llama Path though - that also costs about $700AUD (gotta love the aussie dollar at the moment!). I'd love to just arrive in Cusco and book, but I don't have enough time to do that.

I also will only be arriving in Cusco the night before, so won't really have time to acclimatise, but I will be spending a couple of days in Quito and will be going to Cotopaxi in Ecuador - do you think that will be enough time to acclimatise?

Thanks 😊 Reply to this

15 years ago, March 3rd 2009 No: 18 Msg: #64597 Delete Edit

hesterr
Hester

B Posts: 74

(What time will you arrive in Cusco? Usually it's possible to book a tour until about 20:00 at night, before all shops are closed. Some even stay open longer.)

Regarding the altitude; how high is Cotopaxi in Ecuador? Is it above 2500 meters?
Because it is very important to start a trek well acclimatized (and in good shape). I'm guessing out of all the tourists who did a trek around Cusco, around 30% got altitude sickness, mostly tourist who didn't acclimatize properly. And believe me, altitude sickness is not something you want on a trek😊 Reply to this

15 years ago, March 4th 2009 No: 19 Msg: #64711 Delete Edit

AilsaG
Ailsa Gibson

N Posts: 5

Hi Hester,

Cotopaxi is 4800 meters. To get to the top it's 5897 meters, but I don't think I'll get a chance to climb it - it's more of a day trip. And I'm in Quito for about 3-4 days.

I'm pretty sure it will be a silly idea to do it, but it just sounds so good (villages, mountains, glaciers, cloud forest, Machu Picchu!!) that I'm clutching at straws hoping it will work out....although I should just be sensible and do something else...

Thanks for your help 😊 Reply to this

15 years ago, March 4th 2009 No: 20 Msg: #64730 Delete Edit

hesterr
Hester

B Posts: 74

Well, if you're acclimatized to Cotopaxi, and in good shape (which you must be, sort of, to be able to climb it), you shouldn't worry about Salcantay too much. You're already acclimatized then.
(Still, everybody can get altitude sickness on the trek. I got it after having been in Cusco for three weeks.)

The trek is amazing! It's the most beautful trek I've been on.... ever Reply to this