Trek Lares to Machupicchu 4 days / 3 nights

We encourage you to enjoy a unique adventure on the Lares Trek, an alternative to the traditional Inca Trail to reach the impressive citadel of Machu Picchu. The trek begins at the hot springs of Lares, located just three hours from Cusco. During the hike, you will pass through the Huacawasi pass, which is at an altitude of 4,300 meters above sea level, and then descend until you reach Yanahuara or Ollantaytambo, where you can enjoy the hot springs and take a tour to Machu Picchu. Although it is not as popular as the Inca Trail, many travelers find it just as beautiful and unique.

It is also an excellent opportunity to discover the rural communities of the impressive Sacred Valley of the Incas on the way to the archaeological jewel of Machu Picchu. Don’t miss this unique experience on your trip to Peru!

Day: 01: Cusco – Sacred Valley – Lares – Huacawasi

We will start early in the morning when we will be picked up and head to the village of Lares. From there, we will begin the trek to Huacawasi, which will be our first campsite.

Day 02: Huacawasi – Patacancha “Qelcanca” (3,750 m/12, 377ft)

After breakfast, we begin our longest and most difficult hike of the trek, which will take us to the highest point of the route, Sacsayllame, at an altitude of 4,400 masl. Afterwards, we hike to our second campsite in Patacancha.

Day 03: Patacancha “Qelcanca” – Pumamarka – Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes “Machu Picchu”.

We start our hike in which we will pass through two villages very famous for their colorful costumes and textile works: Willoq and Pumamarca. Finally, we will arrive at Ollantaytambo, where we will take a break for lunch and board the train to the town of Aguas Calientes.

Day 04: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu Full Day

This day is crucial in our tour, as we will arrive at one of the seven wonders of the world. It is the last day of the tour and we will start very early. Afterwards, our guide will take us on a two-hour tour of the most outstanding buildings and temples of this city.

Day: 01: Cusco – Sacred Valley – Lares – Huacawasi

Cusco (3,400 masl): The day starts early, as at 6:00 am, a guide will pick you up at your hotel to go to the town of Lares, where you will start the hike through the Sacred Valley. Throughout the journey, you will be able to appreciate breathtaking views of the mountains, so it is advisable to have your camera ready to capture those moments.

Sacred Valley – Calca (2,920 masl): During the trek, we will arrive at the town of Calca, where we will make a brief detour to go up to the village of Lares, which is our starting point for the hike.

Lares (3150 masl): The trip takes approximately 3 hours and once in the village, we head to the hot springs to rest and enjoy its natural beauty in the open air. Here we are also offered lunch.

During this time, our bus waits for us and then we continue our journey for 20 minutes to the start of the Pascana trail.

Here, we meet the muleteers and prepare the horses and llamas to begin the trek through the mountains of the Sacred Valley, which lasts about 6 hours.

This is a beautiful day that gives us the opportunity to admire great landscapes and visit several Andean villages, see their costumes and learn more about how people live in these places.

Huacawasi (3,800 masl): After our hike, we arrive at the small village of Huacawasi, where a delicious dinner and a well-deserved rest awaits us. It is important that we have the proper equipment as the nights can be very cold in this place.

• Time: 6 Hours Approx. of Hiking.
• Climate: Temperate, Cold
• Maximum Altitude: Between 2, 920 – 3, 800 masl.
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Overnight: Huacawasi
• Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Day 02: Huacawasi – Patacancha “Qelcanca” (3,750 m/12, 377 ft.)

Huacawasi (3,800 masl): Early in the morning, local children dressed in traditional clothing will welcome us as they head to school. After a nutritious breakfast, we will start walking towards the highest point of the route, the Sacsayllame pass (4400m /14435ft). The hike will take about 4 hours and will be very steep and uphill.

To make sure everyone can make it to the top, we will have an emergency horse to accompany us.

During the hike, you will enjoy breathtaking views of large mountains, a mosaic of agricultural lands and amazing landscapes. Keep in mind that we will reach high altitudes and the weather can be very cold.

After reaching the highest point, we will descend and pass a beautiful lagoon before stopping for lunch by the river.

Patacancha (3,750 masl): We arrive at the village of Patacancha, a very symbolic place in Peru inhabited by people who come directly from the Incas. These people have kept themselves isolated from other settlements, which has allowed them to maintain their cultural identity.

After an hour of trekking along a narrow ridge, we arrive at a beautiful stream full of isolated glacial lakes where we enjoy our lunch.

We continue our trek following the stream bank, passing a series of waterfalls until we reach the village of Qelcanca where we will spend the night.

Qelcanca: If we continue we will arrive to Qelcanca, where we will spend our second night camping and where we will have dinner.

• Time: 8 Hours Approx. of trekking.
• Distance: 14 Km.
• Weather: Cold
• Maximum Altitude: 3, 800 masl.
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Overnight: Qelcanca
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 03: Patacancha “Qelcanca” – Pumamarka – Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes “Machu Picchu”.

Patacancha (3, 800 masl): After breakfast, we continue our adventure and pass through several hamlets until we reach Pumamarka, which is a place with stone buildings that we will explore with the help of our guide.

Later, we continue our journey and arrive at Ollantaytambo, which is a site of great importance in the Inca Empire.

Ollantaytambo (2,792 masl): The hike ends at the Ollantaytambo Fortress and Citadel, which was built to guard the entrance to this part of the valley. There, we will be able to walk through the streets of the town and get a good idea of what this place, which was an important military, religious and cultural center during the Inca Empire, was like. After this, we will take the train to Aguas Calientes.

Aguas Calientes (2,040 masl): The distance from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes is about 1:45 minutes and we can enjoy the scenery along the way.

Once we arrive, we head to the hotel for a swim and then go out for dinner before resting for our next adventure.

If we wish, we can also visit the hot springs for a cost of $4.00.

• Time: Approx. 7 Hrs. Hiking time
• Distance: 14 Km.
• Climate: Cold – Temperate
• Maximum Altitude: 3, 800 masl. – 2040 masl
• Difficulty: Moderate – Low
• Overnight stay: Aguas Calientes Hotel
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 04: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu Full Day

Aguas Calientes (2040 masl): The most exciting day of our trip has arrived. Today we will tour Machu Picchu, and after breakfast at our hotel, we will take an early bus to get there. It is important to arrive early to be able to enjoy it better.

Machu Picchu Sanctuary:

Machu Picchu (2, 430 masl): Afterwards, we will line up to take one of the first buses to Machu Picchu, which operate on a first-come, first-served basis. The bus ride takes 25 to 30 minutes and will take us to the citadel of Machu Picchu, which opens its doors at 6:00 am.

It is important that we carry our original passport, the same one we used to book the trip, as the park rangers will ask for it. We can get a Machu Picchu stamp in our passport if we wish. Our guide will help us find the perfect places to take pictures of the Machu Picchu Sanctuary, which will surely become our Facebook profile picture. After presenting our Machu Picchu tickets and our passport, we will begin our guided tour of approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, in which we will visit different archaeological sites of the sanctuary, such as the agricultural area, the urban area, the Temple of the Sun, the Royal Residence, the Sacred Plaza, Inti Huatana, the Sacred Rock and many other points of interest that will surprise us.

Finally, we will board our train to Ollantaytambo or Poroy at 2:30 p.m., 4:12 p.m., or 7:00 p.m.

Optional:

• Huayna Picchu: If you wish to climb Huayna Picchu and enjoy its breathtaking panoramas, it is necessary to book in advance and pay an additional cost of $25 per person. Reaching the top takes about 45 minutes and is considered a challenge.
• Machu Picchu Mountain: Another alternative would be to climb Machu Picchu Mountain, which takes 90 minutes to climb, is very challenging and has an additional cost of $15 per person. This option offers the most impressive and beautiful views of all, allowing you to enjoy spectacular panoramas.
• Buffet Lunch: We would like to recommend the MAPI Restaurant, which has an additional cost of $20.00.
• Meals: Breakfast

Note for your trek:

The itinerary and places to camp during the Lares Trek to Machu Picchu 4 days and 3 nights tour may change depending on when the reservation is made and the weather conditions or health of the hikers. The tour includes expedition train service to and from Ollantaytambo, but train schedules are only confirmed close to the date of the trek. If you join a group at a later date, it cannot be guaranteed that you will travel on the same trains as the rest of the group, as schedules may also change depending on the train company’s timetables or availability.

Note:

We can help you with the rental of certain equipment such as:

• Sleeping bag US $ 25.00 for the whole trip.
• Walking poles US $ 15.00 for the whole trip
• Extra horses to carry your personal equipment US $ 70.00 for 04 days.
• Supplementary single tent for camping nights US $ 30.00.
• Vistadome class tourist train (a “first class train, with panoramic windows to enjoy the view of Machu Picchu Valley”) is an additional US $ 80.00 per person.