How many days do I need to acclimate
before the trek?

It is really important to be well acclimated to the altitude before exerting yourself on a trek.
ACCLIMATISATION
We do recommend that you arrive in Cuzco at least 2 days before the trek departs to help you become acclimatised to the altitude and avoid possible problems with altitude illness while on trek. All treks from Cuzco gain altitude quickly on the first day(s) with some treks gaining more than 1000m in altitude in a single day and it is important to be well accliamtised before commencing the trek.
It is advisable to have two full days in Cuzco to recover from your travel and to do at least one day hike to higher altitudes help with acclimatisation. We can organise day hikes & other tours around Cuzco for you.

If you have already been in another area of Peru at high altitude before arriving in Cuzco, we still recommend you have a complete day in Cuzco to rest, recover from your travel and enjoy the sights and sounds of Cuzco before departing for the trek.
To avoid altitude sickness on the trek, we recommed that you spend time in Cusco or in the Sacred Valley. If you have never been in high altitude, we recommend that you spend a day in the Sacred Valley because it is at lower altitude than Cusco city.

Prevention of altitude sickness

Climbers should be informed of the risks, symptoms and treatments for altitude sickness. If the ascent is to take place in a remote mountain it is important to be prepared and to take precautions.

• Acclimatization - the best way to prevent altitude sickness is to ascend gradually, so that your body can become acclimatized to the changing altitude. Plan the acclimatization and make sure your trip includes enough time for this. Make sure everyone in the group is fully acclimatized before ascending.
• Vacation packages - beware of vacation packages that promise to ascend a mountain in just a few days.
• Fluids - consume between 4 to 6 liters of water per day.
• Food - eat a high calorie diet while at high altitude.
• Worsening symptoms - if moderate altitude symptoms worsen you should descend immediately.
• Sleeping - when your altitude is over 3,000 meters, ascend no more than 300 meters each night. In other words, do not sleep at more than 300 meters higher than you slept the previous night. Even if you ascend more than 300 meters during the day, before going to sleep come back down so that you are no more than 300 meters higher than the night before when you go to sleep.
• Smoking - do not smoke.
• Alcohol - do not consume alcoholic drinks.
• Acetazolamide/Dexamethasone - these medications can also be used to prevent altitude sickness.
• Moderate symptoms - people with moderate symptoms should stay at their current altitude until their symptoms have gone completely.
• Other medications - some medications may make symptoms worse while at high altitude, or ascending, including tranquilizers and sleeping pills.

The salkantay trek has been rated by national geographic
as one of the best 25 treks in the world

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Best Salkantay Trek Packages

Salkantay Trek Short 4 Days - 3 Nights
	Itinerary: Day 1: Cusco - Mollepata - Sayllpata - Soraypampa Day 2: Soraypampa - Salkantay Pass - Chaullay Day 3: Challway - Hidroelectrica - Aguas Calientes Day 4: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Cusco When there are no permits left for the Inca Trail, the Salkantay Trek becomes the best choice. Hiking past the Salkantay Nevado is an incredible experience. While walking through different ecological levels, you will observe a variety of species of flora and fauna. This Salkantay Trek includes a guided visit to Machu Picchu on day 4...
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Salkantay Trek Classic 5 Days - 4 Nights
	Itinerary: Day 1: Cusco - Mollepata - Sayllapata - Soraypampa Day 2: Soraypampa - Salkantay Pass - Chaullay Day 3: Chaullay - Collpapampa - La Playa(Sahuayaco) Day 4: La Playa - Hidroelectric - Aguas Calientes Day 5: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Ollantaytambo - Cusco This version of the Salkantay Trek is the best bet for an alternative trek when the Inca Trail is not available. In addition to the Short Salkantay Trek, this package offers a visit to the hot springs of Santa Teresa and a visit to the ruins of Llactapata. From Llactapata it is possible to observe Machu Picchu. This Salkantay Trek includes a visit to Machu Picchu on day 5...
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Salkantay Trek Imperial 7 Days - 6 Nights
	Itinerary: Day 1: Cusco: Transfer Aiport - Hotel and City Tour Half Day(Afternoon) Day 2: Cusco: Sacred Valley Tour Full Day Day 3: Cusco - Mollepata - Sayllpata - Soraypampa Day 4: Soraypampa - Salkantay Pass - Chaullay Day 5: Chaullay - Collpapampa - La Playa(Sahuayaco) - Santa Teresa Day 6: Santa Teresa - Hidroelectric - Aguas Calientes. Day 7: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Cusco Preparing for the altitude of the highest pass of the Salkantay Trek is very important in order to get the most out of this beautiful trek. Usually two days in Cusco prior to the departure date is enough...
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OUR SALKANTAY TREK STAFF WILL TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOU!

NOTE: If you are considering joining us for a group tour, please note that our groups are small (typically 8 people or fewer) and frequently sell out many months in advance.

Our tour programs are available in 2 types of services:

Group Services: You’ll be joining a group of other people like you coming from different parts of the world, a great opportunity to have fun and make new friends.

Private Services: These services are arranged just for you and your party, and offer the possibility to choose the departure date, the group size and the duration of the tour. This not only has the advantage of adapting the pace to your physical condition.

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