Lares Mountains


- © Carmen Davila

Lares Lake

Hot Springs

Lares Trek and Machu Picchu 4 Days & 3 Nights

DAY 1: CUSCO – CUNCANI – YANACOCHA – HUACAWASI

The Lares Trek to Machu Picchu begins at about 6:00am; we will pick you up at your hotel for the 6-hour bus trip to the beginning of the trek. We will make a stop in the town of Calca to visit the local market, have breakfast and buy any supplies you may have forgotten. Your guide might suggest that you buy some extra bread to hand out to children that you encounter on the trek. The beautiful route goes to Cuncani village, which is the starting point of the Lares trek.

On the first day, we might see small herds of llamas, alpacas, guanacos and even the rarer vicunas, all of which belong to the famous Andean camelides. We can also see an example of a typical Andean community at Cuncani. After the first pass, we will arrive to Yanacocha and enjoy lunch near this beautiful lake.

After lunch, we will to the first campsite at Huacawasi (3600m). You will gradually ascend for 5 or 6 hours, which is a good warm-up for the next day when we reach the highest point of the trek. There you will be joined by the rest of the trekking team.This is the perfect opportunity to explore this little town better, as well as its Andean culture. Your tents will be ready and you will have a snack of popcorn, sweets and hot tea before dinner. Lunch, Dinner.

DAY 2: HUACAWASI – HUACAWASI C’ASA PASS – ARURAY COCHA – YURAK COCHA – MANTANAY – PUCARA

After a nutritious breakfast, we will ascend towards the highest point of the trek, Huacawasi Pass at 4500m. This steep, uphill hike takes about 1h 20mins. An emergency horse will accompany us so that everyone will be able to reach the top. You will see enormous mountains, a patchwork of farms, and breathtaking views.

Be aware that we will be hiking to high altitudes, and the weather can be very cold. After reaching the summit of the pass, we will descend and pass beautiful lagoons, and stop to have lunch. You can recuperate while our cook prepare a delicious, hearty lunch. Next, we will descend further through a forest where you see queuñas trees, typical of the Peruvian Andes, and other flora and fauna of this wonderful park. We will continue descending until we arrive to the second campsite at Pucara (3000m). There you will enjoy tea and snacks before dinner. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

DAY 3: PUCARA – OLLANTAYTAMBO – AGUAS CALIENTES

Today will be another spectacular day as we continue walking to the Yanahuara Inca agricultural terraces, where Andean people still grow the famous corn with giant kernels of the Sacred Valley called “maiz parcay.” From there we continue to Pachar, where we join the Inka trail to Ollantaytambo over the Inka terraces. On the way, we will see a small archeological site called Choccana. We will continue to Ollantaytambo, a town in the Sacred Valley famous for being mostly preserved from the time of the Incas and lunch.

We will take the train to Aguas Calientes, and in the afternoon, you will have time to visit the natural springs in Aguas Calientes to relax and spend the night in a hotel. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

DAY 4: AGUAS CALIENTES – MACHU PICCHU – CUSCO

We will leave our hotel after breakfast at 5:30am. And head for Machu Picchu (2400m) by tourist bus. We arrive at the citadel around 6:00am. You will have a guided tour of the archaeological site, including information about the daily life and culture of the Incas. After the tour, you will have time to hike Huayna Picchu at 2750m (it is not included in the price).

We will leave Aguas Calientes by train. Until then, you can have lunch at one of the many restaurants in Aguas Calientes (lunch is not included). Breakfast.

Tour Includes:

  • Transport from the hotel to the Lares Valley.

  • Tourist train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes.

  • Bus up from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu.

  • Tourist train from Aguas Calientes to Cusco.

  • Entrance to the Machu Picchu Sanctuary.

  • Accommodation in a room with private bathroom in Aguas Calientes.

  • Professional bilingual guide (Spanish and English).

  • High-quality camping equipment (professional tents, camping mattresses, eating tent with table and chairs, bathroom tent).

  • Meals during the trek (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Vegetarian option available on request.

  • Professional Cook.

  • Horseman and mules for all camping and personal items (up to 7kg per person).

  • First-aid kit and oxygen bottle.

  • Cold, boiled water during the entire trek.

Not Included:

  • First Breakfast and the last lunch in Aguas Calientes.

  • Sleeping bag (If you don`t have a sleeping bag, you can rent with us).

  • Bus down from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes, you can walk down (which takes about 1 hour).

  • Entrance to Huayna Picchu Mountain.

What you need to take:

  • Original passport and (Student card if is applicable)

  • Insurance card is essential

  • Backpack with rain cover (30- or 40-liter capacity is sufficient).

  • Clothing for both warm and cold climates.

  • Trekking shoes/boots.

  • Sandals (for showers and hot springs).

  • Thick socks and a sweater.

  • Long- and short-sleeved T-shirts.

  • Rain poncho/waterproof jacket & pants and a hat.

  • Bathing suit (for the hot springs in Aguas Calientes).

  • Sunscreen, insect repellent, toilet paper, personal toiletries.

  • Camera, a flash light/headlamp and extra batteries.

  • Snacks like bars and dried fruit.

  • Extra money in soles.

Online Payments

Visa logo

Western Union logo

Paypal logo

Questions and answers

You may also like

Book it

Book this tour

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.