At Embark we like to do things right (i.e. there’s a level of suffering in all of our treks) and for our Hidden Valleys of Salkantay Trek, that means we enter Machu Picchu via the famed Sun Gate. 

Our final 8-mile trek includes an almost 2,000ft elevation gain along the final leg of the Inca Trail which has us cluttering up more than 200 steep stone archeological steps.  Along the way you’ll get a chance to cool down at a gorgeous waterfall before the trail takes us through the extensive tiered ruins of Wiñay Wayna.  Yep, that’s the great thing about trekking in these parts: the mountains and valleys are peppered with all sorts of ruins.  By the time you reach Machu Picchu, you will already be an expert in Incan culture, customs, and architecture- you’ll wonder if you really even want to explore Machu Picchu… just kidding, OF COURSE, you’ll want to set foot in this famed Incan heartland.  One thing is for sure: after over 45 miles of hiking in remote Andean mountains and valleys your heart will skip a beat when you finally stretch up the last stone step and cross over the Sun Gate and into the high entrance peering down on Machu Picchu, nestled on the impossible mountaintop shrouded in the clouds.