5-day: Salkantay Trek To Machupicchu And Humantay Lake

Quite disappointed in how this “tour” went. First, there were so many additional payments after the initial payment went through, which I was okay with, but considering the experience I got, I’m not happy. I was moved to another group with Machu Picchu Expeditions without any communication from Mega Expeditions. I did not receive a proper briefing in person the night before like I was told and instead the guide called me and rushed through the morning plan and nothing else about the next five days. I had so many questions that were left unanswered. Had to request another guide, which Mega Expeditions did help with, and only received a proper briefing at 9pm (mind you wake up call is 4am). For the actual tour, the guides were extremely disorganized. Gave the group no history along the way, rushed through instructions for the next day, and did not even stay with the group on the Salkantay trail. One guide ran ahead of the group while the other sometimes just took a car and met the group at a later point. It was pretty much a self-guided experience with the guides tagging along. Almost lost one person on the second (hardest) day because the guides did not pay attention to make sure all participants made it to the meeting spot before continuing. The guide had great energy which was good for getting the group up at such early hours but I wish he would’ve have put more of that energy into the tour, most importantly explaining things clearly. But instead, he often left the group confused and even showed up drunk some mornings (worst of all on the last day when he was supposed to guide the group through Machu Picchu and was too drunk to do it, gave the group to a random guide he found in Aguas Calientes). The accommodations were okay, but not what was expected when I booked this tour. Food was good, but definitely not enough for our big group considering the trek we were doing (barely any protein). And finally things were sent way too last minute. I bought my train ticket months in advance when I booked the tour and was told I would receive the ticket before the first day. However I only received it the night before I was supposed to take the train after contacting the company to request it. My train was booked for 6pm even though my circuit finished at 10am. When I requested an earlier train (the one that the majority of my group had) I was told I needed to request two days in advance which makes no sense at all because there’s no way I could’ve done that when the company only sent me the train information the night before. Very disappointing. Most of these issues (except the guides) are small things that I could look past, but considering the amount of money I paid, this is not the tour I thought I would be getting when I booked it. The experience of doing the Salkantay Trek and seeing Machu Picchu was still incredible and I would highly recommend doing it, but choosing which company to do it with is so important for the type of experience you get. And maybe this is more a problem reflecting Machu Picchu Expeditions, but there was minimal involvement from Mega Expeditions. Again, I’m happy I got to do this, but I wish I used a different company who actually made sure participants received a proper tour for the amount of money they paid.

Such a beautiful and rewarding hike. The amenities are quite nice for the remoteness. The buildings you stay in all have electricity and you can expect to shower every other day. Oscar Clavix, our guide, was amazing. Very knowledgeable, passionate and fun. Carry a little extra cash with you for the additional activities, water and bathrooms on the trail.

Elias and Fidel were amazing tour guides and really improved the experience for all of us! The tour itself was incredible, very informational, an immersive experience, and really gave a good look into Peruvian culture plus its delicious cuisine. It allowed us plenty of time to get to experience everything in Aguascalientes and Machu Picchu, and for a very fair price.

Super amazing experience. The guides were super helpful and the food was a stand out—absolutely incredible. Nixon was very helpful in setting everything up and Fidel was a great guide with a great personality. Elias was our guide and he was very kind and meek. The whole experience was very well planned. Day 2 was hard but everyone made it through. Would suggest 3 days of acclimating before hand.

It was so amazing. I really recommend. Really nice places to stay at night and really good pricing. The tour guides were so kind and we became friends with them.

Our tour was great, and made easy by Nixon, we were able to enjoy our trek stress-free. Our guide Umar had great energy and was so informative and helpful

Challenging hike but very fun cool sceneries, food was amazing and guides were very helpful would definitely recommend if you want to see the beauties of Peru

Amazing experience, thé guide, cooking team and horse expert were amazing ans thé food too. Difficult trail but thé team was very patient and never made us feel rushed:)

Had an amazing experience with this trip. Would recommend anyone to book it, extremely professional and well organised.

Very good experience, we had lots of fun on this trek. The accommodations were very nice and the food was great. We had a problem since our original guide was sick, but they solved it quickly by putting us in another group (KB Adventures). Our guide, Big Willy, was amazing. He was knowledgeable about the trek and Inka culture and made sure everyone was comfortable on the trek. Also thank you to Nixon on Mega expeditions for helping and communicating with us before and during the trip and being overall helpful!

10/10 experience doing the 5 day salkantay trek. I booked with Megaexpeditions and Nixon helped out so much with the logistics of the trip, called me prior and prepared me very well for what to expect/ what to bring. René was our guide during the trek and he absolutely killed it, provided lots of insight into the history of the Incas as well as local herbs and local history. Such an amazing experience even with it being during the rainy season.

A big thank you to MEGA EXPEDITIONS and our guide. Everyone in my hostel was telling me to travel with this company and i understand why. By far the best company in CUSCO. I will always remember the Camino Inka and Macchu Pichu. Many thanks again and see you soon. Chacha the french girl ;)

Our Salkantay Trek with Mega Expedition was nothing short of spectacular. The trail offered breathtaking views each day, making the trek truly memorable. Nixon, our guide, was incredibly knowledgeable and kind, providing us with valuable insights into the trek and local culture. The food was diverse and delicious, far exceeding our expectations. After long days of hiking, the places where we stayed were amazing—comfortably set up with everything ready for us to rest and recharge. This thoughtful preparation made a significant difference in our overall experience. We originally signed up just for the Salkantay Trek, but after seeing how great everything was, we decided to book a city tour with Nixon as well. The tour gave us a fantastic look at Cusco’s history and culture. Mega Expedition was super responsive throughout the planning process, making everything go smoothly. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience and highly recommend them for both trekking and cultural tours!

We did the Inka Trail Alternative with Mega Expeditions and had a great albeit physically challenging time. The highlight of our trip was undoubtedly the hike on the Inka trail itself. The scenery was breathtaking, and the entire experience exceeded our expectations. Our guides, Gustavo and Henrry, did a fantastic job, demonstrating deep knowledge and genuine passion for their work. From the booking to the hike itself, we felt very well taken care of by Mega Expeditions thanks to excellent communication and organization. The coordination during the hikes was impeccable, with everyone knowing exactly where they needed to be and what to do. Hats off to the team for their hard work and seamless execution, making our journey truly memorable.

This was the trip of a lifetime. Our guide, Vidal, was so amazing and apart from the views and insane hiking, truly made the trip. The company was very helpful in briefing us before the trip, as well as meeting on zoom before to organize our tickets and make sure we understood the agenda for the trip. Mega Expeditions is great, highly recommend!

Amazing life experience, perfect weather, great group ( LOS QUEROS), good food and the local community were super kind with us. Thanks to company they were really helpful 24/7 and thanks to CESAR our tour guid he was amazing.

The effort put in to this experience is amazing. Jay (his Knick name) our guide was so patient with a range of abilities and towards the end changes in scheduling. The food was plentiful and healthy and yummy. My only complaint was that having an egg allergy meant I missed out on protein as replacement for breakfast was fried plantain and something with protein would have been good and at dinner the opportunity for an extra piece of meat. Otherwise the variety left enough choice for me. It’s a challenging trek but the group was lovely and our guide was very aware of our safety at all times. Overall a challenging but beautiful experience.

it was such a wonderful experience. our guide Vidal spoke perfect English and taught us a lot about the Inca culture, plants, etc. it is absolutely doable in five days. would recommend everyone to book with the company!

The Salkantay 5 day trek to Machu Picchu was a wonderful experience. Being in a small group made it more exceptional and personal. Our guide, Roger, was super, very helpful, and friendly! I would do it again

My trip to Peru has been amazing beyond my expectations and I have Mega Expeditions to thank for making it such an easy and special experience! Nixon took care of me for my entire time in Cusco I did several tours with them but the best by far was the Salkantay Treck - the views were amazing and our guide Carlos was so knowledgeable and patient. I could not have asked for a better experience :)

This was an excellent service, with brillant guides, cooks and foods and the office was very quick to answer all questions. Would definitely recommended!

The trek was amazing!! Mega expeditions organized the trek extremely well! The food was amazing and the guide was very friendly. Would 100% recommend this trek to anyone!

Best service and quality of tour in Peru! The agency briefed me the details of the trips before hand and made sure that my needs are all taken care of, I had many questions and they are always responsive on WhatsApp 24/7. Throughout the trek, I got to see the most biodiverse scenery of Peru (the snow mountain, turquoise color lake, tropical jungle, green mountain, green valley… etc), experience different activities (cable car, hot spring, zip line) and witness the culture of the Incas (Machu Picchu), what a good combinations of everything I want to experience! The lodge was comfortable, it immersed me with the nature. The guide was professional and an experienced hiker, so I felt very safe under his guidance. And gosh, they even hired a dedicated chef just to cook for us, the food brought me to heaven! Very rich and fulfilling meals and they even gave us snack during tea time before dinner! Everything exceeded expectations for this competitive price I paid for. Definitely recommend booking this tour if you like nature, culture and who doesn’t like Machu Picchu?

I was unfortunately not able to attend the tour due to the protests in Peru, but Nixon was very kind to let me get a refund for the tour. He was very responsive over WhatsApp and I'm really bummed I wasn't able to attend. If I ever get to go to Peru in the future I would definitely use them as my guides!

Pros: Good communication Varied accomodation (star dome is very cool!) Great meals - really fresh food including lots of avocado and mushroom ceviche! Good customer support (our return train was cancelled by the train company unexpectedly and they really helped us sort our refund and arrange alternative transport). Extras hot springs and zip lining are well worth it. Cons: Nothing springs to mind. Would recommend as a great relatively cheap option (compared to Inca trail).

I had a terrific experience with Mega Expedition! Everything was well planned. We were in constant communication with the company before our trip and they helped us prepare for the journey. Our guide, Eddie, was excellent, he was very knowledgeable and made the hike even better!

We had an amazing experience with Mega Expeditions. We booked the Salkantay Trek for a great price online, and received a zoom call with Nixon beforehand which was really helpful for packing and organising. We then met out guide, Fidel, the night before our trek to go over a few things. Fidel was great and the whole experience was amazing. Would definitely recommend! The Salkantay Zipline extra is an absolute must - one of the highlights of our trip! We had a few problems with illness on our trip and Nixon was great at helping sort it out over the phone and reorganise some things to best suit us.

Great trip overall! We had a very good communication with the travel agency from the beginning on and they were able to answer most of our questions. The guides during the trip were also really great and tried their best to give us the best experience during the time of the trip. Hike and accommodations were also nice and visiting the Machu Picchu at the end of the trip was a grand finale.

My adult son and I have just returned back to Canada after an amazing trip to Peru and more specifically, Machu picchu. We booked a 5 day 4 night Salkantay Trek with Mega Expeditions. We had an amazing time. The trek is hard, especially on day 2 but they have horses you can rent for the hardest part of the climb (an hour or 2)if climbing straight up the hill is not your thing. The views are spectacular! One of the great things about the tour is that everything is done for you. After a day of walking you come back to your "campsite" and your bags have miraculously appeared without you having had to drag them with you and you are treated to happy hour with popcorn and tea followed by a delicious dinner made by the fantastic chefs. One of the campsites is located in a remote spot with wifi and showers and a few hostel beds for travellers on their own. It was a quaint little spot. We also had the option for $30 to zip line and cross a suspension bridge. We chose to do this and it was a blast...well worth the money. The most important part of the whole trip ,apart from the breathtaking beauty that surrounds you for days, is the guide. Our amazing guide was Eduardo (otherwise known as Eddy). He is a phenomenal guide who knows exactly how to read his group. You know he's always there but without being right in your space. He encourages you when he can see you need a little push and is a fantastic storyteller. He'll point out things you didn't even see and tell you stories from when he was a child. Eddy is extremely proud of Peru and he is just as passionate about sharing it with guests to his country. Unfortunately, one of the members of our tour group had severe problems with altitude sickness and had to be taken back to Cusco. He handled it quickly and calmly. He also spoke with us all about things we may experience and encouraged us to tell him immediately if we felt unwell in any way. I felt extremely safe with him in charge. Mega Expeditions/Marvelous tours is a lower priced tour company and although there was a little problem before we left(nobodys fault just another way we have to work around this crazy pandemic) Nixon was beyond helpful and extremely gracious and kind in making sure we had the best trip. I'm sure in the higher priced tour companies there may have been an extra perk or two but there is nothing I would have changed about our trip. Thanks to everyone who had a hand in making this an amazing trip.

Amazing trek, very nice food, unforgettable memories. Very easy to communicate with the agency, Nixon is a very nice man.

Amazing experience with Mega Expeditions. They adapt to your needs every moment. We were treated great. They are in contact with you at all time. All the trip is wonderful, one of my best experience. 100% recomended. Contract!!!

Right from the time I was collected, through to being dropped off, everything went smoothly and hassle free. As native-english speakers were a minority on the dates of my tour, the guides made a special effort to pull me a side for a one-on-one chat about the days plan, the history of the site and for Q&A's. The food that was provided was amazing, fresh and plentiful and the transport comfortable. I'd definitely recommend these guys A++

During the hike I had the opportunity to see snowy mountains, alpacas and llamas, lagoons of different colors. It was a great experience!!

A beautiful landscape, very quiet and very fun, very attentive people. The guide was attentive to everyone and explained local and country issues

Loved the place! It is very colorful and the landscape is beautiful. In the lagoons you can see different colors that highlight the beauty of the landscape. The hike is not very demanding and totally worth it. The guide was very good, explained us about the colors of each of the lagoons and the name of each of them. He also answered all our questions and was very attentive to us.

Excellent activity!! During the walk the landscape is spectacular you can see alpacas, snow-capped mountains, streams of water, local people in typical dress , the guide explained key themes of the culture of the place and the country. Recommended!! An experience that is difficult to capture in a comment .. you have to live !!

Excellent experience. Both the Guide (Jaylor) and the cook (Vicente) served us very well. Our group was small (4 people).

We did the 5-day Salkantay trek with this organization. Everything went perfectly, the meals were delicious, the organization was top notch and the guide Cesar, in addition to being very competent, was in an unfailing good mood.

I schedule for mega expeditions. They always answered my questions and attended to my requests. The journey took 5 days. February is the rainy season, so the road is challenging on the way down, but every place you reach is worth it. The meals are made to order, the portions are good and it is local food. I feel very grateful for the service I received, the equipment and the guide.

The best experience possible. Attentive guide, attentive agency, excellent food, I will definitely be back

It was an amazing Trekking, the truth is that we expected much less and in the end we got to know parts and towns of Peru that we would not have done otherwise. Carlos was sublime, both for the meetings we had before booking the tour, and for worrying throughout the trip that we were well and everything was going smoothly. I recommend a little training before doing it, as well as being moderately equipped (two backpacks, boots, poles, etc.) in the end you are walking between 3000 and 4500 meters and you cannot take it lightly.

Super nice hike with good organization. We were briefed twice and so we were able to adapt well to everything.

Although we were not able to go to Peru, we are very grateful to Mega Expeditions for attention all this time. All questions and requirements were solved on time and with great willingness. We hope soon to be able to go to Peru and do this hike.

An experience we will never forget, challenging but rich in emotions both from a human point of view and for the wonderful landscapes crossed. Thanks to Marco our great guide who brought a touch of humor, culture and sympathy (essential to be connected to the environment and live the experience to the full). I recommend Mega Expeditions, a serious agency, attentive and able to solve a small problem encountered without problems. And of course thank you the team... ¡ Viva los sexy lamitas!

Great experience with Mega Expeditions!! They adapted perfectly to us! They treated us super well! Always on time! The delicious food! 100% recommended!!

Those tours were great. Super recommended!!! The amazing Lagoon and the guide behaved very well, Wally an idol! Good prices and good service

Beautiful experience. A genius Wally!!! The best guide. Argentine greetings!!!! Book this tour without hesitation