Lares Trek to Machu Picchu

Day 1: Cusco – Huaran – Cancha Cancha

We will start our 4 day tour at 8 AM when your guide will meet you at your hotel with a private van. The drive will follow the Sacred Valley route to the district of Huaran (2,850 meters above sea level – 9350 ft).When we arrive, we will meet with the rest of the staff (cook, horseman and horses as porters). Here is where the trek will start.

With every step that you take, the geography will change. You will spot everything that makes Peru so absolutely gorgeous, including lush green valleys, trees, maize, crops, fruits, the Andean Mountains covered with wild grass call “Ichu,” small groves of the Queuña tree (one of the few trees to have adapted to high altitudes), snow-capped mountains and cold weather typical of the Peruvian Andes. All in all, the hike will take between 6 t0 8 hours from start to finish. We will camp for the night at our location: the Andean Village of Cancha Cancha (3,600 meters above sea level).

Day 2: Cancha Cancha – Lares

After eating a great breakfast, the second day of the Lares Trek to Machu Picchu will start. This will be the hardest day of the hike as this route will take us to the highest pass of the trek, Pachacutec (4,600 meters above sea level). Still, the scenery is more breathtaking than the journey and you will see some of the most outstanding sights, including vistas, lagoons, and black and green snow-capped mountains.

After we rest, we will continue the trek 2 hours downhill until we reach a dirt road that will take us to Lares, a small town at 3,300 meters. After another 25 minutes walk, we will go to Lares hot springs, where we will rest. Enjoy the warm waters and enjoy a good meal.

Day 3: Lares – Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes

On Day 3, we will take our private van to Ollataytambo on what will be one of the most stunning roads that you venture on in your life. Through the Peruvian Andean Mountains, you will see small villages with stone houses and roofs covered in Andean grass, small lagoons, waterfalls, and many fowl.

The highest pass for this tour will be Lares at 4,460 meters. Two hours later, we will arrive in Calca, a small city in the Sacred Valley. From there, we will drive for 20 minutes until Alhambra Restaurant, where we can enjoy a delicious buffet lunch.

After lunch, we will take another 25 minutes to get to Ollataytambo Train Station to get on a train to Aguas Calientes (the town below Machu Picchu) where we will stay in a hotel and take good, hot showers.

Day 4: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Cusco

Day 4 is the most important day of the Lares Trek to Machu Picchu. We will start early in the morning so that we can arrive at Machu Picchu to see the sun rise, which will be one of the most memorable experiences of the trip.
We recommend taking the bus to Machu Picchu citadel, it takes 25 minutes, if you wish and have the energy you can climb to Machu Picchu, which will take 2-3 hours, depending on pace. Once we arrive at the Machu Picchu complex, your guide will answer any and all questions regarding the experience here.

Throughout history, this destination was big enough for many thousands of people who lived and worked here. Many archaeologists say that Machu Picchu was used as a royal residence and was built by one of the most important kings during the Inca Empire.

Later we meet with the rest of the group to go by bus to Aguas Calientes and then take the train back to Cusco.

*Machu Picchu regulations. 
When booking the Lares trek to Machu Picchu, please make a reservation with at least two 4 months in advance to guarantee a ticket to enter Machu Picchu. During the high season (May to October, Easter and Christmas), please make your reservation at least 6 months in advance.

What’s included?

• Transportation: Private bus from Cusco to Huaran (beginning of the trip). Bus tickets to and from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes, train tickets in backpacker service to Ollantaytambo and bus to Cusco.
• Accommodation: 2 nights camping and 1 night in a 3-star hostel. Note that you can upgrade your hostel in Aguas Calientes; ask for more information.
• Camping gear: Dinner and toilet tents, sleeping pads and double-occupancy tents.
• Guides: English-speaking guide throughout the trip, certified in first aid, with degree in tourism.
• Machu Picchu tour: Entrance fees to Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu, private guided tour around Machu Picchu in English, bus ticket from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes.

What’s not included?

• First breakfast, last lunch and dinner and entrance fees to the hot springs in Aguas Calientes.

What to bring?

• Hiking cloths: strong, quick-drying material such as spandex or nylon is best recommended for hiking. Couple of hiking shirts, convertible trekking pants (pants the can convert in shorts), hat or cap, swimsuit suits, light travel towel. Hiking shoes, check for a comfortable shoe something that you can wear without any break-in period.
• For sleeping: One pair of tops and pants and beanie hat. The best material to keep you warm inside your tent are synthetic fabrics such as polypropylene and wool.
• Other: Mosquito repellent, sun-cream, sunglasses, photo camera and refillable bottle water.

We include one night in 3 stars hotel in Aguas Calientes and its categorized with 4 and 5 points out of 5 according to TripAdvisor scoring.

Flexible departures. Its required only 2 persons to guarantee a departure.

Combine your Lares trek with any Cusco rafting activities.