The Secret Salkantay Trek: Hiking Peru's Hidden Ahobamba Valley to Machu Picchu
- Jun 19
- 10 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Most trekkers choose between the Salkantay Trek and The Inca Trail when looking for an adventurous way to reach Machu Picchu. But there is a third route, one that almost nobody knows exists and it was the wildest thing we’ve ever done!
Run by only one guide (who has a house at the base of Salkantay) you can cross the east face of Salkantay down into the Ahobamba Valley, this is the opposite to the west facing Nevado Salkantay corridor, meaning you’re the only people on the trail!
Honestly, we can’t believe we’ve discovered this with Machu Picchu being a tourist hub, this is truly a hidden way to the famous wonder of the world.
This route which is completed over multiple days is the least travelled path to Machu Picchu and one of the only paths there that is completely untouched.
We crossed two high-altitude passes, saw Inca-ruins overrun by vines and jungles, met locals who live so remote it’s unbelievable in traditional mountain huts and stayed under the stars in our guide's house!
This isn’t your usual guide to the Salkantay Trek and Machu Picchu. With Machu Picchu being one of the most visited sites on earth, finding a genuinely untouched path to it feels almost impossible. This is that path. Here's everything you need to know.
Contents
Why Choose This Alternative Salkantay Trek
How Difficult is the Ahobamba Trek? / Who Is This Trek For?
How To Prepare For The Ahobamba Valley Trek
Where is Salkantay Mountain and Where Does the Trek Start?
Can You Do This Trek Without a Guide?
The Ahobamba Valley Trek: Our Experience
What to Pack for the Salkantay Ahobamba Trek
How to Book the Ahobamba Valley Trek
What Is The Salkantay Trek?
Alongside the famous Inca Trail, the Salkantay trek is the other physically demanding and rewarding way to reach Machu Picchu. It skirts around the base of Salkantay Mountain which stands at 6,271m in the Peruvian Andes.
It’s hugely popular among avid trekkers and is often thought to be the most adventurous way to Machu Picchu. It’s a journey of 4-5 days across 46 miles (74km) with the highest point being the Salkantay Pass at 4,630m.
However, that is wrong! We have discovered an alternative route through the Ahobamba Valley that skirts around the opposite side of the mountain and climbs to 4,900m and can be done on your own schedule. Fewer people, wilder terrain, and a valley most trekkers will never see.
Why Choose This Alternative Salkantay Trek
Over the years we've been lucky to travel a lot, and we make it our aim to uncover real hidden gems for adventurous travellers who want to experience the genuine side of a country. The Ahobamba Valley Trek is the best we've ever found.
Rather than following the busy Salkantay corridor, this route takes you over two high-altitude passes: Abra Inkachillaska at 4,900m and Abra Palqay at 4,700m before dropping into a valley that feels completely cut off from the modern world. The landscape shifts dramatically, from rocky plateaus below the south face of Salkantay, across exposed ridgelines, down through cloud forest, into thick bamboo jungle, and finally along the river tracks into Aguas Calientes.
Along the way you'll cross jungle bridges with white water rushing below, pass a family living in the remoteness in a traditional mountain hut, and stumble upon pre-Inca ruins half-swallowed by jungle and visited by almost nobody. At the base of the valley sits the Ahobamba House, a private cabin owned by Nate (our guide), surrounded by a 400ft waterfall, hummingbirds, and the towering walls of Salkantay above.
What makes this trek complete is Nate. The only guide in the world running this route. His knowledge of the mountain, the local communities, and the history of the valley transforms the experience from a hike to an unforgettable experience.
How Difficult is the More Adventurous Salkantay Trek? / Who Is This Trek For?
The Salkantay Trek has a well-earned reputation for being tough due to high altitude, steep inclines, and long days. The Ahobamba Valley trek is similar but with higher passes and more technical hiking… It is the most adventurous way to Machu Picchu after all.
The hardest day is Day 2, where you'll cross two passes in a single day, Abra Inkachillaska at 4,900m and Abra Palqay at 4,700m overall it will be around 8-10 hours of hiking including significant elevation gain. Also bear in mind Day 4 requires carrying your personal gear through rugged cloud forest and thick bamboo on a trail too narrow for horses.
Therefore you need to be a confident hiker and capable of long days. There is also the option to take a horse up the Abra Palqay pass. Horses can also help carry your gear, food and provisions for the first section of the trek but the last section through the cloud forest is too narrow and you’ll need to carry your personal belongings.
The option of horses opens up this trek to more people but we’d still recommend good fitness and good acclimatisation beforehand.
If you’re adventurous, looking for an alternative to the crowded Salkantay Trek, then read on!
How To Prepare For The Ahobamba Valley Trek
The single most important thing you can do before this trek is acclimatise properly. We spent a full week in Cusco and the Sacred Valley before attempting the Ahobamba Valley Trek and we'd recommend at least 3-4 days minimum at altitude before you set off.
If you’re really worried about the altitude you could bring Diamox an altitude sickness medication and stock your bag full of coca gummies.
Where is Salkantay Mountain and Where Does the Trek Start?
Salkantay sits in the Vilcabamba mountain range of the Peruvian Andes, roughly 100km west of Cusco and directly south of Machu Picchu. At 6,271m it is the highest peak in the region and one of the most sacred mountains in Andean culture.
The trek starts in Cusco, where Nate arranges private transport to the small town of Mollepata which is roughly a 3 hour drive before continuing up to Soray Pampa at 3,888m which is the trailhead and your first night's accommodation.
If you're already based in the Sacred Valley Nate can arrange pickup from there instead. Just mention your location when you get in touch and he'll sort the logistics around you.
Can You Do This Trek Without a Guide?
No and that's exactly what makes this trek special.
The Ahobamba Valley sits on private land, accessible only through Nate. The single guide who runs this route and who has a house deep in the valley alongside a handful of other remote families. There is literally a locked gate on the trail. No other tour operator can bring you here. No independent trekker can pass through. Which means if you're on this trail, you have it entirely to yourself.
The Alternative Salkantay Trek: Our Experience
We completed the Ahobamba trek over 3 days, spending our third night in Aguas Calientes before Machu Picchu. Nate also offers a fuller 6-day version which includes more time in the Ahobamba Valley and a slower, more immersive pace. Below is our experience, followed by the full itinerary.
Day 1: Hiking Around Salkantay
The first day was our longest day hiking and had the most altitude. We started early trekking up the first path to outstanding views of Salkantay before heading around the mountain stopping for lunch at glacial melt rivers perfect to refresh.
Out here it was wild. We met a cowboy who’d lost his horse and wanted help corralling his bull. Nate was straight in there, while we held back, but that’s what life is like out there so remote. Everyone pitches in.
Up the second path, a steep climb of many switchbacks which takes around an hour to be rewarded with views of Salkantay towering above.
Then we made our way down through the Ahobamba Valley. Past the ‘high house’ where many spend the night and down to a local family still living out here. 8 hours from anyone else!
This was the most unbelievable house, straight out of lord of the rings built with stone and thatched, kept warm by a fire. We stopped for some sweet coffee and continued on down to Nate’s house.
Built entirely by Nate’s hands his house sits near pre-Inca ruins swallowed by vines and a huge waterfall. During your time on the trail we’d recommend building in some time here to explore. There’s even a temple with windows facing the mountain peaks and waterfall, untouched and unexcavated.
Exhausted we headed to bed ready to tackle the cloud forest.
Day 2: Through The Cloud Forest
As we dropped elevation the high altitude plains turned into thick, lush cloud forest. The sounds of hummingbirds and Nate’s Machete backdropped out hiking steps.
This trail is wild and rugged and not frequently walked. We came to a few old landslides easily traversed before coming across a new one. A sheer drop and no way through. Nate carved footholds for us in the scree and we clambered across, not daring to look down… this was real adventure!
Just before our stop for the night at Fortunatos House there were three jungle swing bridges to cross. A little sketchy with old, rotting wood but Nate knew how to keep us safe. We had to hold on with both hands and walk as though on a tightrope following the wire incase one gave way.
The first bridge was the worst but Nate tells us he has plans to replace it this month with a new system, we can’t wait to see what he comes up with!
Safe and sound across the bridges we arrived to fresh soup and chicken and rice. The soup was the best thing we’ve eaten in Peru, whether that be due to the long hikes or not we’ll never know as all we remember was how delicious it was.
Day 3: Hidroelectrica to Aguas Calientes
We started early and made our way down to Hidroelectrica, which was about an hour from Fortunatos. Once here we left Nate and headed to Aguas Calientes along the train tracks. A three hour walk popular with backpackers and pretty flat alongside the tracks where trains infrequently pass with lots of warning.
The trek felt long after the previous days and we could feel our feet begin to tire. Once arriving in the town we went straight to buy our Machu Picchu tickets (more on this below) and checked into our hotel, Sacred Stone Boutique.
Day 4: Trek To Machu Picchu
To see Machu Picchu empty we’d chosen the 6am tickets and hiked up to the entrance early in the morning (5am), or if by now you’re tired there’s always the bus!
We enjoyed Machu Picchu but couldn’t help thinking we’d experienced what life was really like for the Incas who lived here, having seen local life just days before in the remote valley. For us the whole experience was one of the best things we’ve done and one of our most unique travel memories.
Returning from Machu Picchu we felt accomplished and sufficiently tired!
For the full 6-day itinerary then head over to Nate’s website: Skyhighandes.com Nate will also help tailor the itinerary to you, whether you want to do it a lot faster or have more time to relax and enjoy the surroundings.
What to Pack for the Salkantay Ahobamba Trek
You don’t need too much stuff, actually the lighter your pack the better!
Make sure to have a warm fleece and rain jacket for the top of the pass and the evenings, headtorch, suncream, water bottle, something to sleep in, a few changes of socks and underwear, your camera and phone.
You might also want your trekking poles for the steep sections, although we left ours behind to save weight.
Food is provided along the route but bring some snacks to keep you going!
How to Book the Ahobamba Valley Trek
There is only one guide who runs this route: Nate at Sky High Andes. No other company has authorisation to access the Ahobamba Valley, so this isn't a case of shopping around. It's a case of getting in touch.
Book or enquire:
💬 WhatsApp: +51 986 347 677
Best Time of Year to Do the Salkantay Trek
The dry season from May to October is the best time to do the Salkantay Trek and the Ahobamba Valley Trek. Days are clear, the mountain views are at their best, and the high passes are at their safest. We headed out in May and had lovely weather during our entire trek.
Machu Picchu Tickets
There’s a few ways to secure your tickets. The first is online months before. If you have an itinerary that’s not going to change and you’re more prepared than us then you can book your tickets for the day you arrive in Aguas Calientes or the next in advance.
If you’re not prepared like us then you can turn up and buy them the day before. This is a bit of a gamble as they might not have any available for a few days. We heard of people getting tickets for 2-3 days.
We arrived at 10am and chose the exact tickets we wanted (2A route) for the next day! We were lucky as it had just entered the high season for the ruins. Just expect you may have to wait around a few days.
Where to Stay in Aguas Calientes
Aguas Calientes is built entirely around Machu Picchu tourism, accommodation ranges from budget hostels to high-end lodges, and almost everything is within walking distance of the train station and bus stop for the ruins.
We stayed at Sacred Stone Boutique Hotel, a mid-range option right in the centre of town. The location is ideal and easy walking distance from everything, the train runs just outside which we loved the novelty and you can enjoy the sound of the river from the terrace.
What stood out was the service. When we mentioned our 5am start for Machu Picchu they stored our luggage for us and packed us a breakfast to take up the mountain, a small thing that made a real difference after three days on the trail.
We'd recommend checking Expedia for current availability as the town gets busy!
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Thank you for reading and enjoy your Peru adventure. Reach out to us over on Instagram @KateandMikesTravels. We always love to hear from people who read our blogs!
*We experienced the Ahobamba Valley Trek as guests of Sky High Andes. As always, all opinions are our own.
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