Humantay Lake
A milky-turquoise lagoon beneath the Humantay glacier — the signature stop of the first day, a short but steep climb from the trail.
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Trek highlights — Vilcabamba Range · Cusco, Peru
Top highlights of the Salkantay Trek
Every day on this trail earns you something: a turquoise lagoon, a glacier pass, lost Inca terraces, hot springs for the sore legs.
These are the stops that can’t be missed between Cusco and Machu Picchu — from Humantay Lake to the 4,630 m Salkantay Pass, the Llactapata ruins and five distinct ecosystems. All of them are woven into our treks, and the complete trek guide covers how to arrive ready for each one.
The big four — 4,630 M down to 2,700 M
The stops that can’t be missed
Salkantay Pass
Face to face with the sacred mountain at 4,630 m / 15,190 ft — the highest point of the entire trek, beneath the 6,271 m summit of Nevado Salkantay.
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Llactapata Inca Ruins
Terraces rediscovered by Hiram Bingham himself, with an amazing view across the valley to Machu Picchu.
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Five Ecosystems
Glacier and rock, Andean grassland, the misty “eyebrow of the jungle”, then subtropical cloud forest — one landscape dissolving into the next.
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The reward — Santa Teresa · 45 °C
And then, the hot springs
The natural thermal baths of Cocalmayo, in Santa Teresa, reach 45 °C and are credited with important healing properties. After the long descent from the pass they are the trek’s favourite reward — an evening soaking sore muscles before the final approach to Machu Picchu Pueblo.
Every highlight on this page is woven into the Classic 5-day Salkantay Trek, the most popular way to reach Machu Picchu on foot. The pass is also the trek’s greatest physical test, so read the altitude & acclimatization guide before you book. And if you have heard that Salkantay has no Inca ruins en route — Llactapata says otherwise, one of the numbers weighed in the Salkantay vs Inca Trail comparison.
Four highlights · one trail · one week
See every one of them on foot
The lake, the pass, the ruins and five ecosystems all sit on the same 60 km trail to Machu Picchu. Pick the itinerary that fits your dates.