Day 15. Fourth stage of the Salkantay Trek, from Lucmabamba to Aguas Calientes

Submitted by maria on Sat, 20/09/2025 - 13:46

Fourth stage of the Salkantay Trek, from Lucmabamba to Aguas Calientes.

Salkantay Trek

The fourth stage is also quite long, covering 20 kilometres, with an elevation gain of 600 metres and an elevation loss of 900 metres.

If you are unable to walk the entire distance during this stage, you have several options

Take your backpack on a transport service to Hidroeléctrica and walk along the tracks to Aguas Calientes (20 soles/person), take a transport service to Hidroeléctrica and walk along the tracks to Aguas Calientes (30 soles/person), or walk to Machu Picchu village via Llactapata.

You can also take a train from Hidroeléctrica to Aguas Calientes for $35/person/trip with Peru Rail and Inca Rail.

Salkantay Trek

We were unlucky because Joaquín woke up with back pain, so we took transport with a French couple to Hidroeléctrica. It was a shame because we would have liked to walk the 20 kilometres instead of the 10 we did.

We had breakfast at 7 a.m.: eggs, juice, fruit, bread, avocado, fried cassava and muña tea.

At 8.30 in the morning, the taxi came to pick us up. Within an hour, we were at Hidroeléctrica.

From Hidroeléctrica to Machu Picchu village, it is a 10-kilometre walk along the railway tracks. The first few kilometres are fun and very beautiful. We saw a huge coati crossing the tracks.

Salkantay Trek

Right now in Peru, there is a serious problem with access to Machu Picchu. The company that manages the buses that take you to the site has lost the concession it had held for 30 years. From what we've been told, the company doesn't want to give up the service, and there have been picket lines blocking the train tracks for ten days. It seems that a truce has been reached and for a few days the trains and buses will be running normally again. During those days, many people were stranded in Aguas Calientes and had to walk ten kilometres along the tracks to Hidroeléctrica, where they could take a bus to Cusco, which takes about six hours to leave Aguas Calientes.

How to get to Aguas Calientes

Aguas Calientes can only be reached on foot or by train from Cuzco, Ollantaytambo or Hidroeléctrica. You can buy train tickets from Peru Rail and Inca Rail.

To get to Hidroeléctrica, you can buy a bus ticket from Cuzco. The journey takes approximately 6 hours and costs around 14$.

Machu Picchu pueblo

At around 1 pm, we arrived at Machu Picchu village, formerly known as Aguas Calientes. Our accommodation is very well located near the train station and quite central. We are staying at Inkas Land, in a double room with bathroom and breakfast included, for $35 for two people.

We rested for a while and then went for a walk. There was a lively atmosphere in all the streets, even though there had been many cancellations due to problems with trains and buses. Next to the station, there was a souvenir market, and we bought a Salkantay T-shirt.

We had a beer on the terrace of the Coricancha restaurant in Manco Capac Square, where the Church of the Virgin of Carmen is located.

Machu Picchu pueblo

We met Marco and Maia for dinner at Sara Peruvian restaurant. We ordered grilled alpaca and ají de gallina, two typical Peruvian dishes that were delicious. The German couple joined us later to share a beer.