Lares Trek & Inca Trail

We’ll start this epic adventure with an early pickup from your hotel, and a drive towards the Sacred Valley of the Incas. We’ll travel for an hour and a half and stop at Calca town for a visit to its market and to do some last-minute shopping. We’ll then make our way for two-and-a-half hours to the Lares Hot Springs (3,200 m / 10,499 ft) for our first energizing breakfast.

Before embarking on the trail, you’ll take a dip in the hot thermal springs, a complex of pools of different sizes and temperatures. Its volcanic waters have therapeutic properties for the body, so it’ll be your perfect spot to relax before setting off on the hike. After that, we'll continue driving to our hike starting point in Cuncani (3,800 m / 12,467 ft) and meet the rest of our trekking team, including horsemen and cooks who’ll accompany us on the route.

The first leg is to find the impressive Pacchayocc waterfall and get to a little lake region, where you'll enjoy your first lunch served by our cook in the middle of the mountains! Then, we’ll continue to beat the highest point of the day, the Willkikasa Pass (4,400 m / 14,436 ft), and from there, walk downhill for an hour-and-a-half to our first campsite in Quishuarani. Here, you'll have enough time to explore the small town, visit local houses and learn about their lifestyle and traditions.

You'll also get to visit the school where children speak Quechua, their native language, and what the Incas used to speak. You can bring toys or other school supplies to share with them; it'll be a wonderful touch, given their remote location. We’ll later enjoy a hot drink and indulge in a fresh dinner as the sky darkens and the stars begin to appear. For the night, you’ll be able to stargaze and take refuge in your tent.

Today, we’ll wake you up around 5:30 am with a hot drink to get you going. Once the gear is ready, we’ll share a sumptuous breakfast and stock up with snacks and water. That way, you’ll have plenty of energy to start the striking hike ahead.

We’ll first take a 4-5 hour ascent toward the highest point on the trek, the Pachacutec pass at 4,700 m / 15,420 ft. The hiking will be upward in a zigzag pattern, observing the stunning landscapes of the area, so make sure you have your camera ready! From this place, you'll also spot the beautiful lake of Qoyalay and the impressive Qanchispaccha (seven waterfalls).

Once at Pachacutec Pass, you’ll find yourself above the clouds, enjoying a beautiful 360-degree view. Right in front of you, you’ll also see the majestic Pitusiray and Qolqe Cruz mountains. Here you can snap some fantastic photos because soon, we’ll begin our hike downhill. It will be for half an hour on a slope to our lunch spot, so make sure you’ve devoured everything; we still need to walk two more hours!

Finally, we’ll arrive in the town of Cancha Cancha (3,950 m / 12,959 ft), a picturesque village with traditional houses. Our support team will set the tents here, so you’ll be free for another great afternoon, mingling with the friendly locals. You’ll also visit one of the community houses to learn about the lifestyle of these peoples’ remote regions, including a demonstration of their traditional hand-made alpaca wool textiles.

You’ll later enjoy hot drinks, and after a nourishing dinner, you can drift off to your tent.

Just like every morning, you’ll wake up with a hot drink and breakfast to start the day in the best way possible. We’ll be hiking the last portion of the Lares trek. It’s a 4-hour downhill hike observing herds of sheep, llamas, alpacas, and plenty of fields of potatoes, fava beans, and other regional products. It’ll be a great opportunity to learn about Andean agricultural techniques.

Along the descent, we’ll reach the warm Sacred Valley of the Incas, feeling the drastic change between the cold mountains and the greenery of the valley. There it grows corn, quinoa, kiwi, peaches, avocados, and many other types of fruits, so you’ll learn why it was so treasured by the Incas and be amazed by its vast history. We'll finish the Lares trek in the small town of Huaran (2,920 m / 9,580 ft), where you’ll bid farewell to the trekking team and enjoy a lunch made with local produce.

Later, we’ll continue across the Sacred Valley for a visit to the Maras Salt Mines at 3,000 m / 9.843 ft. Here, you’ll witness its nearly 3,000 small salt pools, all fed by a nearby mountain spring. This salt has been harvested since pre-Inca times and is still mined by the locals. It has curative properties and, thanks to its minerals, boasts a unique pink color. To complete this experience, there’s a small shop where you can buy some pink salt if you wish. It’s perfect for cooking and a great gift!

After that, we'll continue to Ollantaytambo (2,792 m / 9,160 ft), a picturesque town considered the last intact Inca town inhabited in Peru. Here, you’ll have plenty of time to indulge in dinner at a nice restaurant and sleep in a comfortable hotel. Remember to go to bed early, as your Inca Trail hike will start early in the morning.

Note: Depending on the arrival time to Ollantaytambo, and if daylight permits, we can do a visit to the archaeological site (entry ticket not included).

After breakfast, it'll be time to head to the station and board the train towards KM 104, our Inca Trail starting point. You'll trip beside the sacred and rushing Urubamba River as you watch the golden sun shedding its light on the towering mountains. We’ll arrive at the control point and, from there, check-in for our hike of the day.

The first stop is just a little way, the archaeological site of Chachabamba. We'll do a short visit there and learn about its enigmatic history before we continue on our way. Next, It'll be a 3-hour hike retracing some original Inca paths. You'll observe waterfalls, unique wilds, orchids, and lush forests all the way to Wiñay Wayna, one of the most important sites on the route. This is a sophisticated archaeological center that shows the architectural mastery of the Incas and their great agricultural capacity.

Its name is due to an orchid that means ´forever young´ and boasts terrace fields and sheer steps you'll get to climb. Your guide will take you on a site tour, so you'll be well fed with incredible facts about it. After spending some time here, we'll stop for lunch nearby and continue with the last leg of the hike. It'll be just one hour to the famous Inti Punku or Sun Gate, the official entrance of Machu Picchu (2,720 m / 8,924 ft). From there, you'll witness the Lost City of the Incas for the first time, feeling the powerful energy as you take in the view.

From this point, it's another hour of descent to the Machu Picchu site. By this time, the crowds will be gone, so we'll take a chance to enjoy the unrivaled scenery in peace. Later, we'll take the 25-min bus ride to the town of Aguas Calientes, where you'll eat dinner in a nice restaurant and spend the night in a comfortable hotel. We recommend sleeping early tonight to make the most of the final day tomorrow.

The most special day is finally here! You’ll need to wake up before dawn to beat the crowds at Machu Picchu. You’ll catch the bus from Aguas Calientes to the site entrance at 6:00 am when it opens. This way, you’ll get your first views over Machu Picchu as the morning sun glow hits its massive stones.

There's nothing better than walking through the Inca citadel at dawn, almost in silence. Tourists crowd this place in a few hours, so you’ll enjoy the tranquility of these moments. You’ll have an hour-and-a-half tour of the most important places while your guide explains all the mysteries that this wonder possesses. Take lots of pictures and let your spirit be filled with the energy of this sacred place.

If you get a ticket to Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain in advance, it’ll be the time to hike to their tops and get stunning citadel views. Otherwise, you can walk to the Inca Bridge and get a different perspective from the rest of the Wonder. Later, you’ll head down to Aguas Calientes for lunch before boarding the train back to Ollantaytambo. There, our private transport will be waiting to take you back to your hotel in Cusco.

After putting your feet up and getting some rest, we're sure your heart will be beating the Andean rhythm for years to come!