Salkantay Trek Machu
Salkantay Trek Machu
4.5
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The awesome Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu is one of the most acclaimed hikes and the best alternative trail to get to Machu Picchu and Inca Trail. the Salkantay Trek is named among the 25 best treks in the world, by National Geographic Adventure Travel Magazine
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Salkantay Trek Machu
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4.5
13 reviews
Excellent
10
Very good
1
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Terrible
2
Oliver H
Copenhagen, Denmark4 contributions
Jul 2023 • Solo
This agency is the worst! After booking a trip but unfortunately not receiving the service I paid for I was promised to receive a partial refund for the tour. I am waiting for this refund for 2 months now and they stopped responding to my emails. I really dislike having to go public about it like that but I feel this is my only option as I otherwise do not get a response.
If you are thinking about booking a trip with this agency I would urge you to reconsider whether there are no better options.
If you are thinking about booking a trip with this agency I would urge you to reconsider whether there are no better options.
Written 20 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Oliver H
1 contribution
Jul 2023 • Solo
The tour I booked with this company didn’t end up being operated by this tour. They claim to be a sustainable tour operator leaving no trace behind but we ended up staying in permanent structures with installed sewage systems etc.
A lot of the amenities included in the description (e.g. blankets, pillows, hiking poles, fresh bottled water, bus ticket down from machu picchu) were not provided. I also learned during the tour that I paid twice as much as my fellow travellers for essentially the same tour. I am very disappointed!
A lot of the amenities included in the description (e.g. blankets, pillows, hiking poles, fresh bottled water, bus ticket down from machu picchu) were not provided. I also learned during the tour that I paid twice as much as my fellow travellers for essentially the same tour. I am very disappointed!
Written 11 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cdcb1234
Basildon, UK9 contributions
Dec 2022 • Couples
Amazing experience, would definitely recommend booking the Inca Trail through this company. Our Tour Guide (Fabian) was very friendly and knowledgeable. As well as throughout the Inca trail, he provided an in-depth tour of Matchu Pitchu. The rest of the team (chef Xenon and porters) were excellent, the food was delicious, they catered to our dietary needs and they ensured we were well looked after throughout our trip. Toilet facilities (as may be expected) are very basic around the trail. Our highlight was Sun Gate and views over Matchu Pitchu as well as arriving into Matchu Pitchu. Travelling to Matchu Pitchu City and the PeruRail train journey back to the hotel was an experience in itself and definitely something to look forward to after completing the Inca Trail.
Written 3 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
chapmangd
Chickamauga, GA7 contributions
Dec 2022 • Family
My son and I took the two-day trek to Machu Picchu with camping in early December, and had an amazing time, thanks in large part to the outstanding guide service provided by our guide, JD. JD was a knowledgeable and considerate guide who looked after all our needs and who ensured we enjoyed the best of experience possible. He graciously spoke Spanish with us so we could practice the language, but when needed he drew on his fluent English to offer explanations that we didn’t quite grasp in Spanish. JD also was very solicitous of me, making sure I was able to get through rougher stretches of the trail and advising me on particularly tricky climbs and descents. As a 62 year old with knee problems, I was particularly grateful for his attention. We also were extraordinarily impressed with our team of porters who, while we saw little of them on the trek, prepared meals for us that easily rivaled anything we could have found in a restaurant in Cusco and who ensured our campsite was cozy and comfortable. We cannot speak highly enough of our trek with Salkantay Trek Machu, and especially of our amazing guide, JD.
Written 21 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Django Lang
2 contributions
Aug 2021
This was the second Kandoo trip for two out of the six of us (after Kilimanjaro/ Lemosho) and the experience was on par, even being their first trek in 18 months since MP had closed down. Our guide Jose Luis Laguna Quispe was the most valuable and most appreciated component of our trek via Salkantay as well as our bonus excursion to Ollantaytamba, Chinchero and Sacred Valley (he also took us to shop the most authentic of handcrafted arts). His knowledge and passion for the history and architecture were captivating. Our chef Carmelo pulled out some very impressive soups and dishes for every meal. Jose had these personal friendships with the families who lived everywhere we stopped that made you feel appreciated. The Kandoo crews make sure all you have to do is walk, room for improvement was little to none. Even the hike along the train tracks from Hidroelectrica was shaded and also gorgeous, with a smooth trail surface. Suggestion to Kandoo: 1) have guides pack a lightweight toilet seat for his trekkers. 2) add another night in to camp at Llactapata-- that 4th hike day seems unnecessarily long with a too-early start and not so fun when there is only a view of fog after the morning summit.
Jose got us to MP on the first morning bus and felt like a private tour with almost no one else there. Priceless. Afterwards, we spent some time in Lima and Jose had connected us with an excellent private tour operator there. Lima recommendation: The San Francisco Basilica y Convento.
Jose got us to MP on the first morning bus and felt like a private tour with almost no one else there. Priceless. Afterwards, we spent some time in Lima and Jose had connected us with an excellent private tour operator there. Lima recommendation: The San Francisco Basilica y Convento.
Written 8 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Colin Meyers
Fort Worth, TX1 contribution
Aug 2018 • Couples
My spouse and I did the 5 day hike to Machu Pichu. It was an incredible but challenging adventure. We went over the Salkantay Pass at 15,200 ft, toured a coffee plantation and walked on the Inca trail. The final day was spent at Machu Pechu.
Our tour guide Vigner Lozano Ortega was great. He was knowledgeable about the culture, the foliage and the areas we traveled. He was also very helpful and patient with the group. I highly recommend him.
Colin Meyers
Our tour guide Vigner Lozano Ortega was great. He was knowledgeable about the culture, the foliage and the areas we traveled. He was also very helpful and patient with the group. I highly recommend him.
Colin Meyers
Written 6 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
runbunnierun
Paris, France34 contributions
Jul 2018 • Friends
The Kandoo Peru team was extraordinary! Sébastien was our trusted guide. He was incredibly knowledable, accommodating, patient, with a great sense of what each of us were physically capable. Rolando, the chef, and Nosario, the sous-chef, produced 5-star worthy meals even under the most difficult conditions (cold, wind, rain). They were an excellent team.
Written 9 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarah B
3 contributions
Jul 2018 • Solo
The tour was really amazing. We were a group of ten people, which was great because i like it more then big groups. Our guide Pedro did all the best to make this trip great. He was very helpful, explained a lot and was funny. So we had a great time together in the group. At the end i had some problems to get my Tickets for the entrance to Machu Picchi, so i got a bit worried. Usually the agency responded me quickly on questions. But this time there was somehow a misunderstanding. Pedro helped me out to get the tickets, so this problem could be solved as well.
All in all a great experience!
All in all a great experience!
Written 6 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hilary T
Beijing, China47 contributions
May 2018 • Friends
We did the four day Salkantay Trek and we’re in decent shape but did not train in advance. The altitude is real but slow and steady makes the trek doable. The views are stunning and the friends we made along the way made the trip. Standing on top of Machu Picchu after 81km sure felt good! All of the tour agencies in Cusco are untruthful about what is included and what’s not. Everyone on our trek booked through different companies but we were all placed in the same group. Most were told everything was included only to find out you will be charged ten soles every time you turn around. Expect this bring extra cash and laugh it off. One of my favorite things I’ve done in Peru!
Written 22 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris M
London, UK3 contributions
Jul 2016 • Couples
Due to altitude illness in Cusco we had to change our tour last minute from the 5 day to the 4 day we don't know what differences there were between the two. Our group was very small (Just one other lady) which we were surprised with, we think a bigger group would have been better as for meals times the other groups were very social.
We both really enjoyed the trek (mostly, it was very tough at times!) And the scenery you see whilst walking the Andes is breathtaking, and unlike anything we've experienced before. The camping centres are without many mod-coms, but that's all part of the experience, the food wasn't the best, but the all things considered it wasn't bad. It's definitely worth taking the hike up to the Lake on the first evening, it is stunning.
On this trek you will see so many different types of scenery, it really feels like you have travelled through 3 different continents in the space of 4 days, all on foot! Once you get to the end of the trek, staying in a real bed and having a hot shower in Aguas Calientes is very welcome! We did suffer slightly from the altitude at the highest points, but it was worst when descending, and wasn't bad enough to affect our enjoyment, just drink lots of coca tea and make sure that you bring/buy plenty of water!
Our Salkantay guide had an upset stomach so we had another guide for our Machu Picchu day and she was brilliant. She was very knowledgeable and seemed to really enjoy her job. Not sure if we'd climb the mountain (Montana Machu Picchu) again though! The views from the top were amazing but it took up a lot of time (3 hours roughly for up and down) and was very tough! We were quite scared at times on the steps, I guess the Incas didn't have much regard for health and safety! We maybe would have preferred to go only some of the way up, see the citadel from slightly above and then go back down to have more time inside it, as we had to leave about 13:30. Machu Picchu itself is absolutely stunning, and as good as we were expecting.
We booked the trip with South America Planet via PeruNorth, and thought that they were very helpful, especially considering our last minute illness (which happened the day before our trek was due to start, we were able to delay by a day and have a slightly shorter trek, which allowed us to keep to our post trek itinerary)
We both really enjoyed the trek (mostly, it was very tough at times!) And the scenery you see whilst walking the Andes is breathtaking, and unlike anything we've experienced before. The camping centres are without many mod-coms, but that's all part of the experience, the food wasn't the best, but the all things considered it wasn't bad. It's definitely worth taking the hike up to the Lake on the first evening, it is stunning.
On this trek you will see so many different types of scenery, it really feels like you have travelled through 3 different continents in the space of 4 days, all on foot! Once you get to the end of the trek, staying in a real bed and having a hot shower in Aguas Calientes is very welcome! We did suffer slightly from the altitude at the highest points, but it was worst when descending, and wasn't bad enough to affect our enjoyment, just drink lots of coca tea and make sure that you bring/buy plenty of water!
Our Salkantay guide had an upset stomach so we had another guide for our Machu Picchu day and she was brilliant. She was very knowledgeable and seemed to really enjoy her job. Not sure if we'd climb the mountain (Montana Machu Picchu) again though! The views from the top were amazing but it took up a lot of time (3 hours roughly for up and down) and was very tough! We were quite scared at times on the steps, I guess the Incas didn't have much regard for health and safety! We maybe would have preferred to go only some of the way up, see the citadel from slightly above and then go back down to have more time inside it, as we had to leave about 13:30. Machu Picchu itself is absolutely stunning, and as good as we were expecting.
We booked the trip with South America Planet via PeruNorth, and thought that they were very helpful, especially considering our last minute illness (which happened the day before our trek was due to start, we were able to delay by a day and have a slightly shorter trek, which allowed us to keep to our post trek itinerary)
Written 23 August 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What is the bathroom situation like on the Salkantay Trek? Similar to the Inca trail?