Secure your adventure on the Inca Trail 2027 with Salkantay Trekking. Book today and choose the perfect date for you. Don’t miss this opportunity!
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Flavors That Make Every Adventure Better

Trekking Meals

Meals prepared with care to help you recharge and share good moments around the table.

Trekking meals prepared by Salkantay Trekking cooks

Every Day of Adventure Deserves a Good Meal

After a day of hiking, one of the best parts of the day awaits: sitting down for a meal, taking a break, and sharing stories from the trail.

Our chefs prepare a variety of buffet-style meals, so you can choose whatever you like best. At Salkantay Trekking, we pay close attention to the quality of our ingredients and food hygiene, adding the care and attention that make a good meal even more enjoyable.

What Will You Eat on the Trek?

Every day brings moments to gather around the table, take a break, and enjoy a good meal. Our cooks prepare a variety of dishes to keep you fueled throughout your hike while introducing you to the flavors of our region.

Breakfast on the trek: omelet and fresh dishes

Breakfast: A Good Start to the Day

Your morning begins with a hot drink and a breakfast to fuel up before hitting the trail. We combine foods rich in carbohydrates and protein, with a variety of buffet options so you can start your day just the way you like.

Lunch on the trek: lomo saltado

Lunch: A Break Worth Savoring

After several hours of hiking, a freshly prepared lunch tastes even better. A buffet awaits with appetizers, soups, main dishes, and sides to choose from, giving you a chance to relax and enjoy a break with your fellow adventurers.

Dinner on the trek: pasta napolitana

Dinner: A Delicious End to a Day Well Spent

At the end of the day, we gather around the table once again. A light dinner and dessert await, adding a sweet touch to the evening. It's a time to enjoy good food, share a relaxed conversation, and settle in for some well-deserved rest.

Packed lunch to enjoy along the trail

Box Lunch: A Meal to Take Along

On some hikes, lunchtime finds us right in the middle of the trail. On those days, we’ll provide you with a lunch box that includes a sandwich, a main course with snacks, fruit, and water, so you can enjoy your meal before continuing the adventure with renewed energy.

Little Treats That Make the Journey Sweeter

Every adventure has its little moments to savor: a hot drink when you return from the trail or a tasty snack tucked into your backpack to enjoy along the way.

Tea Time: Your Afternoon Treat

After a day of hiking, a table with hot drinks and sweet and savory treats will be waiting for you. It's our tea time, also known as happy hour: a chance to rest, chat, and enjoy some time together before dinner.

Enjoy your tea, coffee, or hot chocolate with cookies, popcorn, or cheese-filled wontons. You'll also find jam and butter to go with your snacks. On treks that pass through Lucmabamba, we also serve crispy sweet potato chips.

Snacks Along the Trail

At the start of your trek, we'll give you a reusable cloth bag for your snacks. On the following days, you can refill it at breakfast, so you'll always have something tasty to enjoy during a break before lunch.

We always include fruit, such as bananas, apples, or mandarins, along with options like quinoa cookies, chocolate, and candy. For vegan or gluten-free diets, we usually replace the cookies with dried fruit and nuts, taking into account any dietary needs you've shared with us.

Water for the Trail

Bring your reusable water bottle or hydration bladder. At breakfast, you can ask for water to fill it up before heading out.

A Place at the Table for You

Enjoying our trekking meals also means knowing that your dietary needs are being considered. We offer a variety of special dietary options. If you have any food allergies or dietary requirements, please let us know before your trip so we can prepare your meals with the care you need.

Vegetarian Meals

We prepare a variety of flavorful dishes without meat or fish. Depending on your dietary preferences, we can also include eggs and dairy products.

Vegan Meals

We offer options made without animal-derived ingredients, prepared with the same care and attention to flavor as the rest of our menu.

Lactose-Free Meals

We have options for travelers who need to avoid lactose. Lactose intolerance and milk allergies require different precautions, which we'll take into account when planning your meals.

Gluten-Free Meals

We offer gluten-free options throughout the trek. For travelers with celiac disease, we review the ingredients and food preparation conditions for each route.

Food Allergies

We'll review the foods you need to avoid and the precautions available to help prevent contact with allergens during preparation. Our team will discuss what we can offer before confirming the service.

Kosher Meals

We offer kosher options and coordinate the menu and preparation conditions according to the requirements you share with us.

The Best of Our Land, Served on Your Plate

Sharing our homeland with you also means sharing its flavors. We carefully select fresh, quality ingredients from local markets to prepare the meals you'll enjoy throughout your adventure.

Some of the ingredients you'll find in our dishes include:
Category Ingredients
Potatoes and root vegetables Andean potatoes, yuca, and sweet potatoes.
Grains and cereals Quinoa, rice, oats, and Andean corn.
Vegetables Squash, tomatoes, carrots, and other vegetables for soups and salads.
Fruits Bananas, apples, mandarins, oranges, and passion fruit.
Other ingredients Avocados, eggs, trout, and different types of meat, depending on the menu.

The selection varies depending on the route, menu, and dietary needs of the group.

These ingredients make their own journey to our campsites, traveling by vehicle, pack animal, or alongside our porters. We take care in how they're transported and stored so you can enjoy freshly prepared meals, even far from the city.

Meet the People Who Bring Flavor to the Trail

While you're out discovering new landscapes, our cooks are busy preparing the next meal we'll share around the table. Cooking in the mountains takes experience, organization, and genuine care for the work.

They bring the flavors of our homeland to remote places and pay attention to the details of every meal. They're among the people who make sure that great food becomes another memorable part of your adventure.

Flavors You'll Discover on the Salkantay Trek

Hands holding freshly roasted coffee beans

A Break Filled with the Aroma of Coffee

On the Salkantay Trek, there's also time to discover one of the most special flavors of this region: locally grown coffee. During an experience lasting about an hour, you'll explore the process from the very beginning. You'll pick coffee beans, learn how they're roasted, and discover how coffee is traditionally prepared. And, of course, you'll finish the experience by enjoying a fresh cup of coffee you've prepared with your own hands.

Dishes and drinks shared at the table after a day on the trail

A Toast After a Day on the Trail

If your itinerary includes a night at Sacred Jungle Lodge, you can also take some time at the end of the day to simply relax and enjoy yourself. Our lodge has a bar where you'll find cocktails and other drinks to enjoy during the afternoon or share a toast after your hike. Bar service is available at an additional cost and is not included in the trekking meals.

A traveler enjoying a snack to recharge on the trail

A Little Boost to Keep You Going

The second day of the Salkantay Trek is one of the most challenging, but also one of the most memorable. And when you finally reach Salkantay Pass, a little energy boost will be waiting to help you recharge, warm up, and take a few minutes to appreciate everything you've just accomplished.

Salkantay Trek Menu

Every day brings new landscapes and new flavors to discover.

Day 01

The Adventure Begins

Trail Snacks

Banana, cookie, chocolate, and candy.

Lunch

Avocado with house vinaigrette, quinoa chupe, and crispy fried trout in chorrillana sauce.

Side dishes: Green rice with vegetables, potato casserole, fresh salad, and squash fritters.

Drinks: Chicha morada (purple corn drink), digestive herbal teas, and boiled water.

Tea Time

Herbal teas, coffee, hot chocolate, milk, wontons, crackers, and popcorn.

Dinner

Rice chupe and roast chicken with orange sauce.

Side dishes: Neapolitan-style pasta, cooked vegetable salad, and yuca croquettes.

Dessert: Chocolate tart.

Drinks: Digestive herbal teas.

Day 02

Salkantay Pass

Trail Snacks

Mandarin, cookie, chocolate, and candy.

Breakfast

Apple crepes, scrambled eggs, sliced bread, ham and cheese rolls, and tomato confit.

Drinks: Boiled water, herbal teas, coffee, hot chocolate, and milk.

A Little Boost to Keep You Going

Coca tea and a chicken sandwich.

Lunch

Chicken cannelloni, Peruvian-style beef and noodle soup (sopa a la minuta), and lomo saltado (Peruvian stir-fried beef).

Side dishes: Rice with corn and vegetables, Peruvian squash stew (locro de zapallo), Caprese salad, and chicken pizza.

Drinks: Passion fruit juice, digestive herbal teas, and boiled water.

Tea Time

Boiled water, herbal teas, coffee, hot chocolate, milk, cheese tequeños, sweet cookies, and popcorn.

Dinner

Vegetable soup and crispy chicken.

Side dishes: Fettuccine with huancaína sauce, mashed potatoes, and Peruvian-style Russian salad.

Dessert: Mazamorra morada (traditional purple corn pudding).

Drinks: Digestive herbal teas.

Day 03

Heading into the Cloud Forest

Trail Snacks

Apple, cookie, chocolate, and candy.

Breakfast

Oatmeal, banana pancakes, French bread, toast, ham with tomatoes, and fried plantains.

Drinks: Boiled water, herbal teas, coffee, hot chocolate, and milk.

Lunch

Yuca empanadas, Peruvian-style minestrone soup (menestrón), and pork chops.

Side dishes: Guacamole with wonton chips, Peruvian-style fried rice (arroz chaufa), coleslaw, and stuffed causa (Peruvian layered potato dish).

Drinks: Apple juice and boiled water.

Tea Time

Boiled water, herbal teas, coffee, hot chocolate, milk, sweet cookies, popcorn, and sweet potato chips.

Dinner

Semolina soup and chicken skewers.

Side dishes: Paprika-seasoned rice with vegetables, scalloped Andean potatoes, soy meat lasagna, and mixed vegetable salad.

Dessert: Vanilla icebox cake.

Drinks: Digestive herbal teas.

Day 04

One Last Breakfast Together

Trail Snacks

Fruit, cookies, chocolate, and candy.

Breakfast

Fava bean punch (ponche de habas), vegetable omelet, sliced bread, fruit salad, and quinoa patties.

Drinks: Boiled water, herbal teas, coffee, hot chocolate, and milk.

This sample menu, designed in collaboration with nutritionists to keep you energized on the go, may vary depending on your route and dietary needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Find quick answers about our trekking meals: special diets, how we keep food fresh and safe on the trail, meal times, and more.

Is the Food Similar on All Treks?

Yes. The dining experience is similar on most of our treks, although the menu may vary depending on the route you choose.

On many routes, we enjoy buffet-style meals. On certain sections where conditions are different, we prepare a packed lunch so you can continue your adventure.

Which Tours Include a Box Lunch?

We provide a box lunch on certain routes and days when logistics don't allow us to prepare or serve a full meal along the trail. It's currently offered on:

  • Huchuy Qosqo 1-Day Hike
  • Huchuy Qosqo and Patabamba 2-Day Trek
  • Lares Trek and Machu Picchu 4 Days
  • Classic Inca Jungle Trek to Machu Picchu 4 Days
  • Inca Quarry Trek to Machu Picchu 4 Days
  • Ancascocha Trek to Machu Picchu 4 Days
  • Qeswachaka Inca Bridge 1-Day Tour

Are All Meals Included?

It depends on the package you choose. Each tour itinerary clearly explains which meals are included and which ones you'll need to arrange on your own. If anything is unclear before your trip, our team will be happy to go over the details with you.

When Should I Let You Know About Special Dietary Needs?

Please let us know as soon as possible, ideally when making your reservation. This gives our team enough time to understand your needs and arrange the available meal options for your trek.

Do I Need to Bring My Own Snacks?

We'll provide snacks during the trek, but you're also welcome to bring some of your favorites if you'd like to have something extra on hand while hiking.

What If I Don't Have Much of an Appetite During the Trek?

Let your guide or our cooking team know. We want to know how you're feeling so we can offer guidance and look for options that are more appealing and easier for you to eat.

How Is Food Transported During the Trek?

Different foods require different types of care. Dry and nonperishable goods, vegetables, potatoes, and meats are organized and transported separately, using containers, sacks, and coolers as needed.

How we get them to our campsites also depends on the section of the route. On some stretches, we use vehicles. Once vehicles can no longer continue, pack animals or porters carry the supplies the rest of the way.

Where Do You Get the Water Used for Cooking During the Trek?

Our campsites have designated water collection points. Before we use the water to prepare meals, it goes through a filtration process and, when necessary, is also boiled.

How Do You Keep Food Fresh During the Trek?

Perishable foods are kept in coolers during transportation. At our campsites along the Salkantay route, we also have freezers that help us store food properly until it's time to prepare each meal.

What Is the Buffet Lunch Like on Sacred Valley Tours?

On some Sacred Valley tours, buffet lunch is served at restaurants we've carefully selected. Although the food isn't prepared directly by our cooking team, we choose establishments that offer good hygiene standards, variety, and flavor.

Is Peruvian Food Spicy?

Not all Peruvian food is spicy. We aim to prepare dishes with flavors that appeal to different travelers and avoid making them overly spicy. If you prefer your food without any heat, just let us know before your trip.

What Time Are Meals Served?

Meal times may vary slightly depending on the group's pace and the day's activities, but they're usually served at the following times:

  • Breakfast: Between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.
  • Lunch: Between 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.
  • Tea Time: Between 4:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
  • Dinner: Between 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Is the Water Used for Cooking Safe to Drink?

Yes. The water we use along the trail is collected from designated water sources, filtered, and boiled before being used to prepare your meals.

What's included in the box lunch?

It includes a sandwich, a main course, an energy bar, a brownie, a piece of fruit, and water. We deliver it in a biodegradable bag with biodegradable cutlery. We usually offer two menu options and have vegetarian alternatives available.

If you have any special dietary needs, please let us know when you make your reservation so we can discuss the available options.

Tell Us What You Need to Enjoy Your Meals

Tell Us What You Need to Enjoy Your Meals

Have questions about our menus or your dietary needs during the trip? Get in touch! We'll help you explore the available options so you can prepare for your adventure with greater peace of mind.

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