Best time of year for the Salkantay Trek

Peak season on the Salkantay Trek is April to October. This is the so-called dry season, but note that it's not ever entirely dry in this neck of the woods. Mist and rain are still common, just less so than during the wet season.

That said, this is the time of year that enjoys the most clear skies, and therefore offers the best views of the glorious surrounding peaks like Salkantay. The trails are also in their best condition for pleasant trekking.

Salkantay Mountain is 6,271 m (20,574 ft) high

A springtime view on the Salkantay Trek

The Salkantay Trek is growing in popularity year on year, and so you can expect to encounter other trekkers and trekking groups on your adventure.

In fact, because the Salkantay Trek doesn't currently have any restrictions on trekking numbers per day (like the Inca Trail does), it can be become especially busy in June and July.

The Salkantay's shoulder season of April and May is a sweet spot in our opinion. We say this for a few reasons:

A clear and beautiful view of Machu Picchu taken in the month of May

Late October to March is the off-peak season for the Salkantay Trek.

The two main risks with doing the trek at this time of year is that:

If the trail is fine and you can still trek it, there's a high chance you'll spend much of your time being rained on and having limited views of the surrounding landscape.

The Sky Domes are a popular accommodation option on the Salkantay Trek

Temperatures don't vary much by season on the Salkantay Trek. The first half of the trek (which is the higher and colder portion) has average temperatures of around 20°C in the day (70°F), and roughly 0°C (32°F) at night.

Salkantay Pass is the highest point of the whole trek

If you've investigated the Inca Trail, you'll know that you need a permit to hike that trail. Not so with the Salkantay Trek (at least for now).

That said, you do need to purchase an entry permit to visit Machu Picchu at the end of the trek. (You'll likely do this the day after your trek ends, as Machu Picchu isn't actually on the traditional Salkantay Trek route.)

Note that if you do the Salkantay Trek with a tour operator, they should include the Machu Picchu permit price in your package fee and buy the permit for you.