4 Day Lares Trek to Machu Picchu – Lares Trek Peru

Your epic 4-day Lares Trek to Machu Picchu begins with a pickup from your hotel in Cusco at 0530 in the morning. We will then embark on a two-hour drive through the Sacred Valley of the Incas to a small Andean town called Pumahuanca, the starting point of Lares Trek Peru.

Here, we will meet our support team—a chef and muleteers. While we get your things organized, our Andean chef will serve you a traditional breakfast. Our local expert will give you some tips on hiking in the Peruvian Andes.

After checking our gear and safety equipment, we will gradually hike through the Pumahuanca Valley to our lunch spot near Paqcha Pata – Waterfalls. The route offers spectacular views of the highland Andean villages snuggled between the snowcapped peaks.

Our Andean chef will serve you a traditional meal at our exclusive campsite overlooking the valley.

After relishing lunch, we will continue trekking to Chupani, a lesser-known Inca archaeological site. Our local expert will give you an immersive insight into the complex’s history.

Once you have had your fill of the Incan history, we will continue the hike through a region full of native plantations. Our guide will be explaining the prominence of each of them. The route is dotted with views of spectacular rocky mountains and small crystalline streams.

Later in the evening, we will reach our campsite in Puyoc, which is 4150m/13615ft above sea level.

Our crew will welcome you to the campsite with a hot cup of coca tea and then serve a traditional dinner.

We will set up tents under the clear Andean sky. You will fall asleep with a view of the galaxy and the Milky Way. 

Meals Included: Lunch – Dinner (Extra morning snack and happy hour before dinner). 

Our crew will wake you up with a freshly brewed cup of coca tea or Peruvian coffee. We will then serve a nutritious Andean breakfast. Our crew will also help you refill your water bottles with boiled water. 

We will begin the second day of the Lares Trek Peru with a gradual climb to the highest point of the 4-Day Lares Trek to Machu Picchu, Siclla Qasa Pass at 4850m/16682ft above sea level. This section of the Lares Trek takes you through a less-traveled route amidst the snowcapped peaks. 

Once at the pass, we will briefly contemplate the pristine views of villages tucked amidst the snowcapped Andean peaks. Our guide will explain the prominence of the peaks (Apus) in Andean mythology and how locals worship them. 

After relishing the staggering views, we will attend our exclusive lunch camp in Yanacocha (Black Lagoon). The lagoon nestles amidst a valley. Our Andean chef will be serving you our signature organic food for lunch. 

Happy Gringo Tours is the only tour operator in the region to serve Organic Food on all our treks. 

After enjoying the meal and a short rest, we will continue descending to a small traditional village, Cuncani. We will hike through different local communities, and you will see people dressed in their colorful traditional outfits. 

People here are known for handicrafts, so spare a few changes to buy souvenirs. 

We will also pass potato fields. Our guide will give you an insight into traditional farming methods. You will also spot Vizcachas (Andean Rabbits). 

For the night, we will be camping in Cuncani. It nestles at 3800m/12467ft above sea level. Our crew will welcome you to the campsite with snacks and a hot cup of infusions. 

We will then serve dinner. Once again, you can stargaze before retiring to your tent after a full-day hike. 

Meals Included: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner (Extra morning snack and happy hour before dinner).

After relishing a traditional organic breakfast, we will hike through remote villages. As we pass through typical Andean huts and farming lands, you can meet locals. 

Our local expert will be introducing you to life in the Andes. You will get an insight into the traditions and customs. People here are untouched by modernity. They continue speaking in Quechua (native language). 

We will then continue our descent to Lares Hot Springs for two hours. You will have plenty of time to dip in the natural thermal waters, which is the best way to relax and rejuvenate after experiencing the Lares Trek Peru.

We will then have the last lunch of the trek with the Happy Gringo Tours support team. 

We will then drive you to Ollantaytambo by private transport. It is a small town that was the administrative capital of the Incas. We will be having some free time here so you can admire this last preserved Inca-inhabited town. 

We will be stopping for dinner at a local restaurant. Later in the evening, we will embark on a two-hour scenic train ride along the course of the Urubamba River to Aguas Calientes town. On this trip, you will witness a change in view as we travel from the Andes to the tropical jungle. 

Once in Aguas Calientes, our crew will accommodate you in an ensuite hotel room in the heart of the town. 

Meals Included: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner (Extra snack in the morning and dinner in Machu Picchu Pueblo).

Note: We accommodate guests in the Intipunku Hotel or similar at Aguas Calientes town.

After breakfast, we will transfer you to the bus station early in the morning. You will then embark on a 25-minute journey up the hill to the entrance of Machu Picchu citadel.

Our tour guide will assist you with passing the security control and entering the citadel. Please note that your original passport will be verified against the entrance ticket here. 

Once inside the citadel, you will be rewarded with a spectacular sight of the citadel while the clouds clear and the golden rays of the sun shimmer on the walls of Machu Picchu. 

We will be giving you a two-hour guided tour. After the tour, you will have free time to explore the citadel independently. If you have booked a hike to Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountains, our guide will direct you to the trailhead. 

You will need a permit to hike to these peaks, often sold six to seven months in advance. 

Alternatively, you can hike to Sun Gate or Intipunku. This is the entrance to the citadel for those on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. 

After exploring Machu Picchu, you will take a bus back to Aguas Calientes. Here, we will have lunch at a local restaurant. At around 03:00 PM, we will take a train back to Ollantaytambo and then a bus back to Cusco.

Our representative will meet you on arrival and drive you back to your hotel in Cusco. We will arrive in Cusco by 7:30 PM.