Salkantay Trek 4 days or 5: What is the difference between the 4 and 5 day Salkantay trek?

Salkantay Trek 4 days or 5 days : discover the option that best suits you

Salkantay Trek 4 days or 5 days – On the 4 day Salkantay Trek, we will walk through the same beautiful and scenic landscapes as the 5 days Trek. The difference is that we will climb to the Salkantay Pass on the first day of the trek instead of the morning of the 2nd day. We will also stay in different campsites along the trail than the 5 day Trek. We recommend this trek to people who have less available time in Cusco but still want to experience the amazing scenery of the Salkantay Trek.

On the 5 day Salkantay Trek, you will have more time to relax and take things a bit more slowly than the 4 day trek. This trek is recommended if you have more time and do not want to hike for as long during the first few days of the trek.

You can imagine that the main difference between the 4-day Salkantay Trek and the 5-day one is the speed and the explosiveness of the route. What we mean, is that in 4 days the pace is higher and the demand greater. As for the altitude sickness there is no way to avoid it, you can suffer it both in one and the other. Try to acclimatize your body to the high altitude!

The first and second day is the same for both routes, that is, you leave Cusco and cross the Apus Mountains of Peru along Anta, Mollepata and Challacancha. From this last point you depart to Soraypampa and then to Humantay Lake at 4.200 meters. The second day is the hardest because you reach the highest point of the trail, the Salkantay Passage. You are probably wondering at what altitude is the Salkantay Passage, well, at 4.615 meters.

The third day on the Salkantay Trek 5 days is quiet: 12 kilometers and no variations in altitude that compete with the 22 kilometers of the Salkantay Trek 4 days. There is also a pleasant surprise that the 4-day Salkantay Trek does not give time to visit: the thermal baths of Cocalmayo

Between the third, fourth and even fifth day of the 5-day Salkantay Trek, the points that the 4-day Trek visits in the third day are visited, hence its 22 kilometers.

The best season to hike to Salkantay is during the dry season, which covers the months April to the end of September. In October the rains begin and you can find Machu Picchu covered by clouds. Always remember that acclimatization is necessary in Cusco, two days before starting the tour. For a good acclimatization it is necessary to rest as much as possible, eat little, drink plenty of liquid; especially the coca lef tea, that has known healing and digestive properties. Adequate acclimatization prevents affecting the soroche or altitude sickness, which could cause numerous discomfort to health.