3-Day Salkantay Hike: Lodge Stay and Humantay Lake
PlanetaEXO
TripsPeruCusco

3-Day Salkantay Hike: Lodge Stay and Humantay Lake

Cusco
2 Nights·3 Days
CuscoHiking & TrekkingComfort Adventures

Overview

This 3-day Salkantay hike in Peru offers an excellent alternative for travelers who have less time but still want to experience the Andes. This shorter itinerary allows you to explore the region by hiking through striking landscapes, including high-altitude plateaus, rugged glaciers, and ancient valleys.

The itinerary features engaging daily activities, starting with a visit to the Quillarumiyoc Inca site and a traditional farm lunch in Mollepata. You will then hike the Camino Real to Soraypampa, acclimatizing before the challenging round-trip trek to the 4,636-meter Salkantay Pass on the second day. The final morning includes a scenic hike to the turquoise waters of Humantay Lake, followed by a traditional Pachamama ceremony at the lakeshore.

A major highlight of this trip is the accommodation, replacing traditional tents with a comfortable stay at the Salkantay Lodge. Located at 3,869 meters, the mountain lodge offers warm beds, hot showers, and an outdoor hot tub facing the Salkantay glacier. Guests enjoy full-board service with hearty meals and drinks, providing a cozy retreat after each hike. The journey concludes with a hassle-free afternoon transfer directly back to your hotel in Cusco.

  • Full itinerary: a visit to the Quillarumiyoc Inca site, a farm lunch in Mollepata, the Camino Real hike to Soraypampa, the Salkantay Pass round-trip hike, the Humantay Lake hike, and a Pachamama ceremony.
  • Reach the Salkantay Pass at 4,636 m (15,213 ft), 767 m above the lodge, with views of the Salkantay glacier and the Vilcabamba mountain range.
  • Hike 4.9 km round trip to Humantay Lake, a turquoise glacier lake in Peru with the Humantay glacier directly above it.
  • 2 nights at Salkantay Lodge (3,869 m), a mountain lodge in the Cusco region with an outdoor hot tub facing Salkantay Mountain.
  • Activities guided by bilingual English- and Spanish-speaking local guides, from the Cusco briefing to your hotel drop-off.
  • All-inclusive experience: round-trip transfer from your Cusco hotel, 2 nights of lodging, meals and house drinks, entrance fees, a bilingual guide, and gratuities for the lodge and field staff.

  • Please note: Hiking times are approximate. Your guide may adjust the pace or the order of activities for weather, trail conditions, and the group’s acclimatization. The day before the official start of the itinerary, meet with your guide and fellow travelers for a general briefing and Q&A.

Itinerary

Day 1

Cusco / Quillarumiyoc Inca Site / Farm Lunch in Mollepata / Camino Real Hike to Soraypampa

  • Transfer Cusco → Quillarumiyoc → Mollepata → Challacancha· Hotel pick-up after an early breakfast
  • Farm lunch at El Pedregal· Mollepata
  • Hike Challacancha → Soraypampa on the Camino Real· 5.9 km · ~3h · Easy to moderate
  • Overnightat Salkantay Lodge · 3,869 m

Your Salkantay hike starts early. After breakfast, the guide and driver collect you from your hotel in Cusco and head for the Quillarumiyoc archaeological site. The next stop is the mountain village of Mollepata, where lunch is served at El Pedregal, a farmhouse where travelers learn how local families raise crops and livestock.

After lunch, a winding mountain road climbs to Challacancha. From there, the Camino Real takes about 3 hours to the lodge at Soraypampa, and it doubles as altitude training. If you prefer, a vehicle can take you straight to Salkantay Lodge (3,869 m), your home for the next two nights.

The rest of the evening is yours. A one-hour massage can be booked at extra cost, subject to availability.

Meals included: Lunch / Dinner

Aerial view of Cusco's terracotta rooftops spreading across the valley on a salkantay tour, with a snow-capped Andean peak rising behind the city under a partly cloudy sky
Roofless circular dry-stone wall ruins at the Quillarumiyoc archaeological site, with lichen-covered fieldstone construction, wild grasses growing at the base, and rugged Andean peaks rising under a cloudy sky on the salkantay tour
The Milky Way arching across a deep blue starry sky above the dark silhouette of a thatched-roof lodge on the Salkantay hike route in the Peruvian Andes

Day 2

Salkantay Pass Hike (Round Trip) / Afternoon at the Lodge

  • Salkantay Pass· 4,636 m (15,213 ft) · the highest point of the trip
  • Hike Salkantay Lodge ⇄ Salkantay Pass· Round trip · ~6h · Challenging
  • Overnightat Salkantay Lodge · 3,869 m

This is the big day of a Salkantay trek in 3 days. After an early start, the trail skirts Humantay Peak and crosses high plateaus scattered with huge boulders, left by the glacial waters that carved the Río Blanco valley. The final stretch climbs a series of switchbacks to the Salkantay Pass.

From the top, look across to Salkantay Mountain and the Vilcabamba mountain range before you walk back to the lodge the same way. Back at the accommodation, the afternoon is free.

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

A group of travelers and a local guide in traditional Andean poncho seated in a circle on the rocky shore of turquoise Humantay Lake during a salkantay tour, with snow-dusted peaks and low clouds rising behind the water
View through a thatched shelter opening on the salkantay tour, with horses and a lone figure silhouetted against mist, a stone hut, and a snow-capped Andean peak rising under a deep blue sky
A small group of hikers walks a rocky trail on the salkantay hike, with a towering snow-capped Andean peak rising sharply above green shrub-covered slopes under a deep blue sky
Turquoise glacial waters of Humantay Lake reflecting a snow-streaked rocky mountain face flanked by green Andean hillsides on a salkantay tour, with mist drifting across the peaks above

Day 3

Humantay Lake Hike / Pachamama Ceremony / Transfer to Cusco

  • Hike Salkantay Lodge ⇄ Humantay Lake· 4.9 km round trip · +435 m / −435 m · ~5h · Moderate
  • Pachamama ceremony· At the lakeshore
  • Transfer Salkantay Lodge → Cusco· Departure ~2:30 PM · Hotel drop-off ~7 PM

On the last morning, a steady climb up the hills beside the Soraypampa plateau leads to your first view of the turquoise water of Humantay Lake, often called the Blue Lagoon of Peru. Take some quiet time by the shore, then join a traditional Pachamama ceremony to honor Mother Earth.

The Humantay Lake trek ends back at the lodge in time for lunch. Around 2:30 PM, the vehicle leaves for Cusco and drops you at your hotel at about 7 PM, which closes your 3-day Salkantay hike.

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch

A lone hiker with a red backpack stands on a grassy ridge on the salkantay tour, with snow-dusted peaks and a deep glacial valley stretching behind them
Indigenous women in colorful ponchos and traditional hats conduct a Pachamama ceremony on this salkantay tour, pouring libations over a ritual offering table with bottles, candles, and sacred objects while smoke rises and a crowd of onlookers gathers around them
Two hikers with backpacks walk a narrow trail on a salkantay tour, with scrubby Andean vegetation on both sides and snow-capped peaks rising under a dramatic cloudy sky ahead
Two people wearing colorful hand-embroidered Andean chullo hats share a warm embrace on the salkantay hike, with snow-dusted mountain peaks rising in the background and a smiling woman looking on

What is Included

  • Round-trip transfer (Cusco hotel ⇌ Salkantay Lodge, Soraypampa)
  • 2-night stay at Salkantay Lodge
  • Meals (full board, from lunch on Day 1 to lunch on Day 3), plus soft drinks and a house selection of beer, wine, and spirits, including pisco
  • Pre-trip briefing in Cusco the evening before Day 1
  • Entrance fees to the archaeological sites and points of interest on the itinerary
  • All gratuities for the lodge staff and field team
  • Wi-Fi at the lodge, a 26 oz (about 770 ml) reusable water bottle, and a duffel bag on loan
  • Guided tours (Quillarumiyoc archaeological site, Camino Real hike, Salkantay Pass hike, Humantay Lake hike, and Pachamama ceremony)
  • Bilingual English/Spanish guide for the whole itinerary (one lead guide, or a lead and an assistant guide, depending on group size)

Not included

  • Flight tickets (international flights and the Lima ⇌ Cusco connection)
  • Breakfast on Day 1 and dinner on Day 3
  • Hotel nights in Cusco before and after the trip
  • Cusco airport transfers (available at extra cost)
  • Travel insurance (mandatory; see Terms and Conditions)
  • Gratuities for the guides
  • Massages and laundry service
  • Chakana Inca Cross Horseback Riding Excursion (US$200, subject to availability)
  • The premium wine and spirits list at the lodge
  • Machu Picchu (available only as a paid extension) and Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain permits
  • Local 18% IGV tax on meals and lodging, which applies only to Peruvians, foreign residents, and visitors staying in Peru 60 days or more

FAQ

Reviews

“We enjoyed our trip sooo much! The lodges were amazing, beautifully located, nicely decorated and great to relax after some hiking. The food was delicious and had some good variety to it. The trek itself was full of amazing views (we were also lucky with the weather). And there were so many nice details (e.g. warm towels at every lodge when we arrived, hot bottles in our bed before going to sleep) that really made the whole trip more convenient. The extra activities were really cool, we especially loved the whole Patchamama ritual with Santos - it gave the trip a mystical background right at the start. But what made the whole adventure truly amazing were our guides Eddi and Washington! They were so caring, funny, knowledgeable, friendly, kind and made always sure we have everything we needed. They were the heart of our experience and we couldn’t imagine the trip without them!”

— Florian Schleicher

“What a fabulous experience from start to finish- we didn’t want it to end! From having wanted to visit for 25 years it didn’t disappoint- in fact it exceeded all our expectations! From our incredible guide Heidi so welcoming and informative, to the most amazing lodges from the setting to the food and the lovely staff, and to the off the beaten track experience. Thank you for making dreams come true”

— Janey S

“The company does it right! Wow! Everything was absolutely great - blew any expectations out of the water. The guides (Edwin and roger) are incredibly knowledgeable, prepared and pleasant - we felt we were in good hands the entire time. The hiking is spectacular with a good pace but it is strenuous so you have to be in reasonably good shape. The lodges are great with really friendly staff. The food was uniformly outstanding. Also no nickel and diming- tips at lodges are all included (drivers and porters do have to be tipped and the guides of course!), drinks all included. Great value. And peru itself is magical. Totally recommend.”

— J Wagler

“All the employees were helpful and accommodating, but our guides, Carlos and Jose, were extraordinary. They were knowledgeable about the area, attentive to everyone in the group, and very enjoyable to be around.”

— William H

“We had a fantastic trip. Fernando was an excellent guide and the lodges and whole organization were impressive. Hope to come back to Peru. Thanks for this amazing experience.”

— Lalit G

“Great organization from start to finish.”

— Burgoste

“Absolutely wonderful trip. I didn't think that I liked guided tours until I did this trip. The tour was tailored really well, and our guide did an amazing job of curating the experience for us.”

— Ben S

“Great guide Joe, very professional. The staff at all the lodges, porters and Denise very accommodating, great eye for detail for everyone in the group and friendly. A truly impressive team!”

— Lourdes C

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$ 595/ per person