The Salkantay Trek Packing List 2025
I hiked the Salkantay trek from Cusco in the month of January, which is the rainy season. We had rain every night and most of the second day!! We also had snow on the pass on the second day!!
It is important when you are doing this hike that you are prepared for all weathers. At times we had beautiful hot weather with barely a cloud in the sky, and the second day it didn’t stop raining, so a good waterproof or a poncho is essential to keep you dry.
I hope this Salkantay Trek Packing List, will help you make great decisions on what you bring on your trek, to make sure you enjoy it, instead of hating it because you don’t have the correct equipment and clothing.
Good waterproof hiking boots are essential too, as when it is raining and it is cold at night, there is no chance that your boots will dry and the next day you will need to put on wet hiking boots (which is not a nice experience and you will end up with a lot of blisters).
My hiking boots had unfortunately fallen apart when I hiked El Misti in Arequipa!! The hot volcanic scree melted the soles off them, meaning that when I travelled to Cusco to do the Salkantay, I only had my breathable trainers with me!! Breathable trainers are not the best for hiking in the rain, I soon learnt!!
I personally have also hiked the Inca Trail, Inca Jungle, Choquequirao to Machu Picchu, so I am quite used to the conditions in different months in Cusco, and I think I now have it mastered, exactly what you need to take on these hikes.
Cusco is a great city in the mountains and the most popular city in Peru for tourists to visit. Here you can find great hotels to stay in, and it even has eight 5 star hotels.
Your Salkantay Trek Packing List
When you hike the Salkantay Trek Peru, you are allowed to take between 5-10kg (depending on which company you go with), to give to the horseman who will travel on the horses. You will only have access to it when you finish your day hiking, as normally the horses are ahead of you during the day.
You will also need a daypack to carry everything that you will need for that day’s hiking, to carry waterproofs, water, and snacks. I personally use a rucksack that is 15 litres as my daypack, and I would advise against anything bigger as your day pack, as you will just be carrying extra weight.
You need to carry your PASSPORT with you on this trek, as you will need it for when you enter Machu Picchu. I always carry it within the dry bag in my daypack. Never put anything of value on the horses; always keep it in your daypack with you.
Bring enough CASH to last through the trek, on day 3, there are shops and also the option for Ziplining on day 4 which, if you haven’t booked in advanc,e you will need to pay for in cash. There are ATM’s in Aguas Calientes, but until you arrive there, you will need cash.
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Packing list for Salkantay Trek
Clothing
- Light waterproof Rain Jacket
- Poncho – This can be useful just to keep in your backpack in case of a heavy day of rain.
- Thick winter Jacket
- Fleece
- 5 pairs of Hiking Socks
- Hiking Trousers
- Leggings
- Shorts – During the day, it can get quite ho,t and it can be more comfortable wearing shorts.
- 5 T-shirts
- 1 Long-sleeved T-shirt
- Thermal Underwear – On an evening, the temperatures can drop to around zero, so it is best to make sure you have some thermals as an extra base layer.
- Hiking Headband
- Cap or sunhat
- Warm hat – The evenings and mornings can be very cold until the sun rises, so it’s best to have a nice warm hat. You also might want to sleep in a hat to keep your head warm.
- Swimsuit – On day 3, there is the option of visiting the hot springs. I love it there, and it’s a great place to shower, after 3 days of hiking!! The pools have recently been renovated, and it’s a great place to spend a few hours. Towels can be rented there.
- Travel Towel – In case you don’t want to rent one at the hot springs.
- 5 pieces of underwear
- Gloves
Shoes
- 1 pair of flip-flops
- 1 pair of hiking trainers or sandals – If your hiking boots got wet during the day it’s nice to have a dry pair to get changed into once you arrive at camp.
- 1 pair of hiking boots – Make sure you have a good pair of hiking boots that are waterproof. I prefer the mid-height ones so that my ankles are given the extra support on the rough terrain.
Electronics
- Camera
- Powerbank – The first few days, you will not have access to electricity, so to keep your phone charged, especially if you are using it to take all your pictures, then you will need a powerbank.
- Kindle
- Fitbit Watch
- Phone
Toiletries
- Insect Repellent – It needs to have at least 30% deet to offer you protection as the mosquitoes can be bad, depending on the time of year.
- Deet-free mosquito repellent bracelets
- Sunscreen – The sun is strong in Peru as it is near the equator, and especially in winter (May to October), there can be very few clouds and no break from it. Make sure you wear a minimum of factor 50 and keep reapplying.
- Lipbalm
- Hand Sanitizer
- Wet wipes – There are no showers on the trek, so it’s always nice to have a little clean with these.
- Toothbrush/paste
- Toilet Paper – The guides do not provide toilet paper, and you will not find any toilets with paper. Make sure you take enough toilet paper to last the trip.
- Deodorant – You are going to smell, but it’s nice to feel as if you smell a little less.
- Travel Hairbrush
- First Aid Kit – If you are travelling as part of an organised group then your guide should have a first aid kit but if you are hiking on your own then make sure you have one. Blisters and damaged toenails are a real problem on these type of hikes.
- Blister Plasters – These are amazing and really help blisters heal, though I haven’t seen them available to buy in Peru
- Altitude Sickness tablets
- Eye Mask
- Ear Plugs – Sleeping in tents you are going to hear everything going on, so if you are a light sleep then get some ear plugs.
- Activated charcoal – This is great to take if you have a bad stomach, a thing that most people visiting peru suffer from, this helps to block you up a bit and get your stomach back to normal.
Other Essentials
- Daypack – Personally, I use a 15-litre daypack, and if you are doing this as a tour, I wouldn’t recommend a day pack much bigger.
- Backpack to go on the horse – If you are not travelling with a backpack, then you can always buy a cheap bag from the market to keep your things in while they are on the horse.
- Padlock for bags – I personally always lock my bags so no one can get in and take anything, even when I am on a hike.
- Dry Bag – In case it rains a lot, these are great to make sure that any electronics do not get wet and damaged while you are hiking.
- Waterproof case for phone
- Headlamp – A headlamp is a must for this trek, you will need it in case you are still hiking in the dark, and also as the sunsets around 6-7 pm in Peru, you will need it for getting to your tent, and going to the toilet.
- Sunglasses
- Camelback, Water Bottle or Water Filtration Bottle – The first few days of this hike, you won’t have places to buy water, so you need to make sure that you have plenty of water with you and the ability to fill up these bottles.
- Trekking Pole – When doing a multi-day hike in the mountains then hiking poles are essential; they take some of the pressure off your knees when going up and down.
- Sleeping Bag – Temperatures on this hike can get to below zero during the night, so you need to make sure you get a good sleeping bag that goes down to at least -10 Celsius.
- Sleeping Bag Liner
Frequently Asked Questions about the Salkantay Trek
Generally the temperatures can be quite consistent all year if there are no clouds, on sunny days, it will be over 20°c (over 70°f) but during the months of November to April when it is the rainy season there are more clouds in the sky during the day and it can be raining.
When it is cloudy it is much colder and you will need to be wearing layers and a jacket, it can be quite similar to the temperatures on a night when it drops to around zero or below zero (°c).
This hike can be done at any time of the year, but the dry season is from May to October. During these months there will be fewer clouds and less rain and it is more enjoyable to hike and better for seeing views of the mountains.
Yes it is possible do the Salkantay Trek by yourself. It is possible to get transport to the start of the hike and from Santa Teresa where you finish the Salkantay Trek you can either get a bus or walk to the Hydroelectric plant to go to Machu Picchu or you can get a bus back to Cusco.
Many people do this hike without hike, though you need to be used to carrying your backpack with all your gear yourself. It is possible to find accommodation along the way, so it is not always necessary to carry camping equipment with you.
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