4 Day Lares Trek to Machu Picchu – Lares Trek Peru
4 Days
From
720USD
per person
- Cusco - Lares - Machu PiCCHU
4-Day Lares Trek to Machu Picchu Details
The 4-Day Lares Trek to Machu Picchu, or the Lares Trek Peru, is often considered one of the best alternatives to the Classic Inca Trail hike. The Lares Trek route seldom has Inca Ruins like the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
It primarily takes you around the Lares Valley. In addition to the jaw-dropping sights, the trek offers an insight into the life and culture of the local people living in the highland region.
Although the Lares Trail is shorter than most trails to Machu Picchu, its high mountain passes could be challenging to some, especially if you are not acclimatized. The highest point of the Lares trek to Machu Picchu is 4850 meters above sea level (15912 ft.).
Day 1: Cusco – Pumahuanca – Puyoc
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).
Day 2: Puyoc – Yanacocha Lake – Cuncani Village
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).
Day 3: Cuncani Quechua Village – Lares Hot springs – Aguas Calientes
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.
Day 4: Machu Picchu “The wonder of the world”
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.
IncluDED
- Pick up and drop off door-to-door
- Multi-language tour guides
- Horse carries 8 kilos of your personal belongings
- Emergency Horse or ambulance – your safety is first
- Accommodation at Aguas Calientes Town 3-stars
- Camping Equipment (personal tent, kitchen tent, and dining tent).
- Food – 4B, 3L & 3D. Vegetarian & vegan options at no extra cost based on organic meals
- Water is boiled & cooled, which is provided every day
- The ambulance horse carries the oxygen tank & first aid kit.
- Walkie Talkies long range
- Comfortable foam mattress
- Train from Aguas calientes to Aguas Calientes town – round trip
NOT INCLUDED
- Lunch and Dinner on the last day
- Tips & any private expenses
- Sleeping bag and walking sticks - can be rented from the company
Why book Lares Trek Peru with us?
4 Day Lares Trek to Machu Picchu
- We are the only ones in Peru that offer Organic Peruvian Food during treks to Machu Picchu, Which Are designed for health-conscious and curious travelers.
- Arrival in Machu Picchu at sunrise
- Our Lares Trek ends at the Lares hot springs, allowing you to relax after your 3-day trek. (Other agencies begin their trek at the hot springs)
- We pick you up and drop you off at your hotel in Cusco.
- Free luggage storage during your trek in our office.
- You will learn about the local Quechua traditions our staff grew up with.
- Local expert tour guides, cooks, and porters
- Our Lares expedition begins in the Sacred Valley and ends in the Lares Hot Springs.
- We are the only company in Cusco that offers hot water bottles.
- Free pick-up service from Cusco airport (Please inform us before your arrival time).
- Experience the Pre-Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
- We have received the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence award, the world’s largest travel website.
- In real-time, Lares Trek allows you to explore the land and communities of the Incas’ ancestors, enriching your trip to Machu Picchu.
- We have our own camps without crowds.
- 720USD per Person
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LARES TREK 4 DAYS
720.00 USD
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