The Lares trek is a great alternative hike off the beaten track, ending with a visit to Peru’s Wonder of the World, Machu Picchu.
During this trek you will see stunning mountainous scenery and local villages, explore quaint trails and relax in hot springs.
This trek is slightly easier than the Salkantay trek, and will allow you to have many opportunities to interact with the locals in the Andean communities.
Day 1: Cusco – Lares Hot Spring – Wacawasi
A member of staff will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco and will drive you to Calca through the Sacred Valley of the Incas where you will see amazing scenery along the way.
Upon arrival, you will make your way up to the Hualcapunku pass (4,500m /14,847ft), from here you will be able to see stunning scenery, valleys, snow-capped mountains, rural communities, and their animals such as llamas and alpacas.
Your next stop will be Lares, where you will have breakfast and spend the remainder of the morning visiting the natural hot springs where you can relax and explore the area.
After lunch, we will trek for 3 hours through the Andean valley until we reach our fist campsite at Huacawasi (3,750m/12,377ft).
Day 2: Wacawasi – Ipsaycocha Pass
Breakfast
Your first activity will be learning about the locals’ weaving techniques. You will be able to see step by step how they make their textiles and products such as ponchos, chullo hats, scarfs, etc.
After this, you will trek for approximately 3 hours to reach the top of the Ipsaycocha Pass (4,500m), the highest point of the trek. We will pass by El paso del Condor, at this point we will have an amazing view of the Veronica mountain (5750 m.). Once you arrive, you will have amazing views of the surrounding mountains. You will then walk down for an hour until reaching the beautiful Ipsaycocha Lake, where you will stop to have lunch. This is where we will camp for the night.
Maximum Altitude: 4,550m/15,017ft
Minimum Altitude: 2050m/6725ft
Walking distance: 16km/9.9 miles
Day 3: Isaycocha – Patacancha Willoq – Pumamarka – Ollantaytambo – Aguas calientes
After breakfast, we will walk downhill to a viewpoint that will allow us to have a impressive view of the valley. We will then arrive to the town of Willoc where we will have lunch. From this point, it takes about 2 hours to arrive to Pumamarka and enjoy the Inca terraces. Arrival to Ollantaytambo. This is located in a valley surrounded by big mountains and stunning scenery. This old Inca town is considered one of the most important living museums in the world. This is the perfect place to explore impressive Inca archaeological sites and a great variety of flowers and birds.
We will then take the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes between 4;50 and 6:00 pm. You will spend the night in a hotel in Aguas Calientes.
Day 4: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Ollantaytambo – Cusco
After breakfast, we will start to walk to Machupicchu (about 1.5 hour walk) or you can also choose to take the bus (30 minutes). The first bus departs at 5:30 am Upon arriving to Machu Picchu, we will start a 2 hour guided tour.
After the tour has finished, we will walk down to Aguas Calientes where you will have free time to enjoy this picturesque town and eat lunch.
Ollantaytambo – Cusco train
Drive from Ollantaytambo to your hotel in Cusco
What’s not included:
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