Cusco & Inca Trail — jtreks official routes
Official, actively-maintained trail geometry from jtreks.co. Only routes verified official + maintained are included, each tagged with its season, difficulty, guide need, technical-equipment need and hazards. Conditions change and official is not the same as safe today — confirm with the managing agency before you go.

Mollepata
Salkantay Trek trailhead town. 3-4 hours by road from Cusco. Small Andean village with basic services. Some operators drive further to Soraypampa to shorten day 1.

Soraypampa
Base camp below Salkantay. Day 1 campsite with Salkantay (6,271m) dominating the horizon. Humantay Lake (4,200m) is a popular side trip — glacial turquoise, one of the most photographed sites in Peru.

Salkantay Pass
Highest point on any standard trek in the Cusco region. Sits between Salkantay (6,271m) and Humantay (5,473m). Both ice walls visible on clear mornings. Snow and ice possible year-round. AMS symptoms common.

Chaullay
Day 2 campsite in the upper cloud forest. Dramatically warmer than the pass. The ecological transition from glacial to tropical begins here.

Santa Teresa
Subtropical town in the Urubamba valley. Cocalmayo hot springs (S/10 entry) provide recovery after the pass. Natural thermal pools, far less commercialized than Aguas Calientes hot springs.

Hidroeléctrica
Hydroelectric station and railway junction. Budget endpoint — walk 10 km along railway tracks to Aguas Calientes (2-3 hours, free). Or take the train (30 min, $20-30).

Aguas Calientes
Machu Picchu Pueblo. Rail terminus and base for citadel visits. Hotels, restaurants, hot springs. Bus to citadel ($35-36 RT via Consettur) or walk (2 hours up).

Salkantay Trek
OFFICIAL (SERNANP) · Maintained · Difficulty: Multi-day trek · Guide: No guide needed · Gear: No technical gear · Season: No official closure. Practical season: dry April–Oct (driest/safest Jun–Aug); wet Nov–Mar brings rain, mud and cloud. Not affected by the February Inca Trail closure. · Hazards: altitude — Salkantay Pass ~4,630 m, cold overnight camps, rain and mud in wet season, UV exposure at altitude · Verified 2026-08-21 · Conditions change — confirm with the managing agency before you go. Not a substitute for a current map and judgment.