Salkantay Trek Packing List: What to Bring for 5 Days and 4 Climates
Packing for the Salkantay Trek is harder than for most hikes because you cross four climates in five days: a glacier pass at 4,600 m where nights drop below freezing, cloud forest, humid high jungle at 2,000 m with mosquitoes, and finally Machu Picchu with its own bag rules. The good news is that you do not carry most of it. Your main bag travels with the support team between camps, and you walk with a day pack of 5 to 7 kg. Below is the list we send our clients, section by section.
How your luggage is split
You travel with two bags. A duffel or soft bag that the support team moves from camp to camp each day; the limit is 5 kg, which is enough for five days if you follow this list. And a day pack of 20 to 30 litres that you carry yourself with everything you need between breakfast and camp: water, layers, rain gear, snacks, camera and documents.
Your suitcase stays at your hotel in Cusco. Every hotel we work with stores luggage for free, so bring only trekking gear on the trail and leave city clothes, laptops and anything you would hate to get wet or dusty behind.
Salkantay packing list by category
| Category | Must bring | Nice to have |
|---|---|---|
| Clothing | 3 moisture-wicking t-shirts, 2 trekking pants, 1 thermal base layer (top and bottom), 1 fleece, 1 warm insulated jacket, rain jacket, 4 to 5 pairs of wool socks, underwear, beanie, light gloves, sun hat | Rain pants, buff or neck gaiter, a light long-sleeve shirt for the jungle day |
| Footwear | Waterproof hiking boots, broken in before the trip | Sandals or light shoes for camp and Aguas Calientes |
| Sleeping | Sleeping bag rated to −5 °C (23 °F), or rent one from us in Cusco | Inflatable pillow, earplugs |
| Day pack | 20 to 30 L pack with rain cover, 2 L of water (bottle or bladder), trekking poles, headlamp with spare batteries, sunglasses, SPF 50+ sunscreen, lip balm, snacks | Small microfibre towel, dry bag for electronics |
| Documents and money | Original passport (checked at Machu Picchu and on the train), travel insurance details, 200 to 300 soles in cash for tips, drinks and the hot springs | Student card if you booked a student rate |
| Health and toiletries | Personal medication, blister plasters, ibuprofen or paracetamol, insect repellent, hand sanitizer, toilet paper, biodegradable wet wipes, toothbrush and a small toothpaste | Altitude medication if your doctor prescribed it, rehydration salts |
| Electronics | Phone, camera, power bank of 10,000 mAh or more (charging at the camps is possible but costs extra) | Spare memory card, charging cable for the hotel in Aguas Calientes |
Day 2: dressing for the Salkantay Pass
Day 2 starts before dawn in Soraypampa, at about 3,900 m, where it is often below 0 °C in the dry season. You climb to the Salkantay Pass at 4,600 m in the cold, then descend 1,700 m into cloud forest where you will be sweating by lunchtime. This is why everything on the list is a layer, not a single warm coat.
A system that works: thermal base layer, t-shirt, fleece and the insulated jacket for the first two hours, with gloves and beanie. Take layers off as the sun rises and the climb warms you up. Keep the rain jacket at the top of your pack; weather at the pass changes in minutes, even in July.
Trekking poles are worth it on this day alone. The descent from the pass is long and loose underfoot, and poles save your knees for Day 3.
Days 3 and 4: the jungle, and what people forget
From Chaullay onwards the trail drops into the high jungle: Lucmabamba, the coffee farm and the climb to Llactapata are hot, humid and full of insects. The items people most often forget are insect repellent, a light long-sleeve shirt and long trekking pants for the afternoon, when the mosquitoes come out. Bites here are the most common complaint on the whole trek, and they are entirely avoidable.
This is also where your rain jacket matters most outside the rainy season. The cloud forest lives up to its name, and a shower in the afternoon is normal in any month.
Our camps on this stretch, the Andean Huts and the jungle domes, have beds, so you do not sleep on the ground. You still need your sleeping bag in Chaullay, where nights are cool; by Lucmabamba a light bag or the bag opened as a blanket is enough.
Machu Picchu rules that affect what you pack
- Bag size. Backpacks larger than 40 × 35 × 20 cm are not allowed inside Machu Picchu. A 20 to 30 L day pack is fine; a full trekking pack is not, and must be left at your hotel in Aguas Calientes.
- Trekking poles are only permitted for older visitors or people with reduced mobility, and only with rubber tips. Everyone else leaves them at the hotel on Day 5.
- Not allowed: tripods, drones, umbrellas, selfie sticks, food and single-use plastic bottles. Bring a reusable bottle.
- Passport is mandatory at the gate and must match the name on your ticket.
What to rent or buy in Cusco instead of bringing
Cusco has dozens of outdoor shops around the Plaza de Armas and on Calle Plateros, so you do not need to fly with everything. Sleeping bags and trekking poles are the two things most of our clients rent rather than carry across the world; you can rent them from us when you book and they are waiting at the briefing.
Cheap to buy locally: wool hats and gloves, rain ponchos, sunscreen, repellent, snacks and coca leaves or candies for the altitude. Worth bringing from home: your boots (never buy boots the week before a trek), your rain jacket and any medication, which may not be available under the same name in Peru.
What to leave in Cusco
- Your suitcase, laptop and anything that cannot get wet. Hotels store luggage for free.
- Jeans and cotton hoodies. They soak up sweat and rain and take days to dry.
- A second pair of boots. One good broken-in pair plus camp sandals is all you need.
- Full-size toiletries. Travel sizes for five days keep your duffel under 5 kg.
- Valuables and large amounts of cash. Bring what the list says and leave the rest in the hotel safe.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a sleeping bag for the Salkantay Trek?
Yes, rated to −5 °C. The Sky Camp in Soraypampa and the Andean Huts in Chaullay have beds but nights are cold, and a bag is the only way to sleep well. You can rent one from us in Cusco instead of bringing your own.
How much should my day pack weigh?
Between 5 and 7 kg including 2 litres of water. If it is heavier, move things to your duffel (up to 5 kg): the support team carries it between camps.
Is there electricity on the Salkantay Trek?
Yes, the camps can charge your devices, but it is a paid service and sockets are limited. We recommend a power bank of 10,000 mAh or more, which covers a phone and a camera for the whole trek; the hotel in Aguas Calientes on Day 4 has normal power.
What shoes do I need for Salkantay?
Waterproof hiking boots with ankle support that you have already walked in for at least a few weeks. Trail runners work for experienced hikers in the dry season, but the descent from the pass is rocky and the jungle days can be muddy.
Can I take my trekking poles into Machu Picchu?
Only if you are elderly or have reduced mobility, and only with rubber tips. Leave them at your hotel in Aguas Calientes on the morning of Day 5.
What is the weather like on the Salkantay Trek?
Below freezing at night near the pass in the dry season (May to September), 20 to 28 °C in the jungle by day, and rain possible in any month, heaviest from November to March. Pack layers rather than one heavy jacket.
Official sources: Ministry of Culture of Peru: official Machu Picchu and Inca Trail tickets · SERNANP, Peru’s protected natural areas service
