Lares Trek to Machu Picchu – 4 Days

We begin your hike on a trail that will slowly lead us to the community of Canchacancha. After 3 hours of hiking, we will stop at a strategic point for lunch prepared by our cooks. After a delicious lunch, we will walk for another 2 hours until we reach the community of Canchacancha, where you will have the opportunity to interact with the locals and be part of their way of life. We also offer tea before dinner to warm your body, as well as dinner and accommodations for a night of camping. If you wish, you can learn a little Quechua, the Inca language. While we visit the community, our support staff will set up the camp for sleeping around 5:00 PM. We will enjoy a hot tea or “happy hour,” and have dinner around 7:00 PM, after which you can enjoy the beauty of the typically star-filled sky.

The second day of the trek is considered difficult as we hike from 3,700 m (12,139 ft) to 4,700 m (15,420 ft), the highest point of all the Lares treks. This will involve approximately 4 hours of uphill hiking, but the scenery is stunning and unique, filled with small lagoons, rocky mountains, snow-capped peaks, and fascinating animals like llamas and alpacas grazing everywhere, tended to by their Andean shepherds who often weave as they watch over them. At 5:00 AM, our support staff will come by your tents to wake you up with a warm drink, either coca tea or coffee. After repacking your personal belongings, we will enjoy a breakfast prepared by our expert chefs to fuel our hike, starting around 6:30 AM.

Today, we need to reach the town of Aguas Calientes, and it will be a wonderful day filled with various activities for mountain and nature lovers. We will wake up at 5:00 AM with a cup of coca tea, followed by breakfast to kickstart our hike around 6:00 AM. This will mark the final stretch of our trek. We will hike for approximately 2 hours uphill to the Cuncani Pass at 4,200 m (13,779 ft). From this height, you will be treated to spectacular views of the Cuncani Valley, adorned with its incredible colorful lagoons surrounded by mountains. If you’re lucky, you may spot chinchillas, Andean foxes, and plenty of alpacas and llamas, allowing for some close-up photography opportunities. After reaching the summit, we will descend for about 2 hours to the community of Cuncani, where we will have lunch. Afterward, a company vehicle will take us to the Lares Hot Springs, where you will have time to enjoy a soak and relax in the medicinal thermal waters.

Most visitors to Machu Picchu arrive by train, and the primary reason for their journey is, of course, to explore Machu Picchu. However, after completing the Lares trek, you will not only visit this iconic site but also gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of Incan civilizations. Following an early breakfast, you will take a bus to Machu Picchu, which takes approximately 25 minutes to reach the main entrance. The goal is to arrive by 6:00 AM, allowing you to experience the site with fewer crowds and enjoy the breathtaking sunrise. After about 20 to 30 minutes, a guided tour will commence, lasting approximately 2.5 hours, where you will learn about the history and significance of the site. After the tour, you will have free time to explore the Lost City of the Incas at your own pace. If you wish, you can hike to the Sun Gate or the Inca Bridge. If you booked tickets in advance for Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, you can also climb one of those peaks.