Booking the Salkantay Trek is a process that begins with a message to the agency and ends in the early hours of the morning when you are picked up from your hotel in Cusco. Between those moments, there are several stages: confirming availability, sending your details, making the payment, receiving your tickets, and preparing for departure. Knowing them in advance helps you understand what to expect at each step and avoid leaving anything until the last day.
Step 1. Define your date range
Before contacting the agency, identify which days you could start the trek. Ideally, have two or three options instead of just one date. Since the tour includes limited-capacity services, such as entry to Machu Picchu and the return train, a flexible range allows the agency to find a day when everything is available at the same time.
Remember to count backwards from your start date: you need to arrive in Cusco a few days before you begin hiking.
Step 2. Send your request to the agency
You can contact them by email, WhatsApp, or through the website form. To receive an accurate response from your first message, include:
- Your preferred date range to start the trek.
- How many people are traveling and their ages.
- Their nationalities.
- The tour version you are interested in.
- Whether anyone is a student.
- Whether you prefer tents, domes, or cabins.
With this information, the agency can check real availability without having to ask you several questions before providing a quote.
Step 3. Receive the quote and confirm availability
The agency will reply with a proposal that includes the available date, the price per person, and service details. Carefully review the date of entry to Machu Picchu, the circuit, the time slot, the type of accommodation, and how you will return to Cusco.
If your preferred date has no availability, the agency will suggest nearby alternatives. This is the time to ask all your questions, before sending your details or making a payment.
Step 4. Send the details for each traveler
Once you accept the proposal, the agency will ask for the personal details of every group member. They are required to issue the Machu Picchu ticket and train ticket, both of which are issued in each person’s name. Send all details in full and check that they are correctly written before submitting them.
Step 5. Pay the deposit
To confirm the booking, the agency requests a deposit. This payment is used to purchase services with limited availability, so your spot is not secured until then. Agencies usually accept online card payments or bank transfers; always ask for proof of payment.
Step 6. Receive your confirmations and tickets
Once the payment has been processed, the agency will send you confirmation of your booking, including the itinerary, what the service includes, and what it does not. In the following days, you will also receive your Machu Picchu ticket and train ticket, usually in digital format.
Review every document as soon as you receive it: name, ID number, date, circuit, and time slot. Save one copy on your phone and another printed copy, as you will not always have signal along the route to download them.
Step 7. Stay in touch during the weeks before your trip
Before your trip, send the agency your hotel details in Cusco for pickup and, if possible, your arriving flight details. If anything changes in your plans, let them know as soon as possible, especially if it affects the trek start date.
The agency may also send you recommendations for packing your backpack and confirm details such as the weight you can send with the horses.
Step 8. Attend the briefing and pay the remaining balance
Most agencies hold a briefing in Cusco the day before departure. There, you will meet your guide, go over the day-by-day itinerary, receive the duffel bag that the horses will carry, and resolve any final questions. In many cases, this is also when you pay the remaining balance.
Take the opportunity to leave the luggage you will not bring on the trek at your hotel or at the agency’s office.
Step 9. Departure day
Pickup is usually before dawn, at your hotel entrance or a nearby meeting point if you are staying outside central Cusco. Have your daypack, original ID, and duffel bag ready the night before. From that moment on, the rest of the logistics are handled by the team accompanying you.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the agency take to confirm my booking?
Usually a few hours or one business day, depending on the season and the availability they need to check.
Can I book the Salkantay Trek through WhatsApp?
Yes. Many agencies manage the entire booking through WhatsApp, from the quote to sending the tickets.
When will I receive my Machu Picchu ticket?
After paying the deposit, usually in digital format and before you arrive in Cusco.
What happens if my preferred date is unavailable?
The agency will suggest nearby dates when the trek, entry to Machu Picchu, and train are available.
Can I book for a group with different nationalities?
Yes. You only need to send each traveler’s details separately, as the Machu Picchu ticket price may vary depending on nationality.