The Classic Lares Trek

This exciting journey begins at 5:00 am. with a pickup from your accommodation. You'll witness the city waking up to the world as we drive toward the Sacred Valley of the Incas. We'll stop off after an hour and a half of driving to visit the local market in Calca and stock up on last-minute supplies, like snacks, fruit, or water. We'll then make our way for two more hours until the Lares hot springs and be spoiled with an energizing breakfast.

After breakfast and with the incredible view of the towering mountains in the background, we'll dip in the thermal waters at any of the pools, ranging in various sizes and temperatures. These pools' volcanic waters are therapeutic and help treat bone and muscle illnesses. It's also said to relieve stress and headaches.

After some rest, we'll continue driving to the hike starting point in Cuncani (3,800 m / 12,467 ft). Here, we'll meet our trekking team of horsemen and chefs, who'll accompany us on the route. They will transport your luggage on horses, so the only thing you'll need to worry about is enjoying the trek!

Soon, you'll find yourself in front of the impressive Pacchayoc waterfall, a true gift of Mother Nature, and keep walking until you reach an area filled with gorgeous little lakes. There, you'll enjoy a sumptuous lunch made by our chef right in the middle of the mountains! Later, we'll proceed to the Willkikasa pass (4,400 m / 14,436 ft), the day's highest point. From here, we'll trek downhill for an hour and a half to the campsite for the night in Quiswarani.

You'll have plenty of time to explore the village and learn about the lifestyle and traditions of the people from this rural area. We'll also see the school where children speak Quechua, their native language. If you like, you can bring toys, or other school supplies for them, which will be very appreciated, as they live far away from the nearest town or city.

We'll enjoy warming hot drinks while the sky darkens and the starry constellations begin to show themselves. Finally, we'll have a tasty dinner, and you'll be able to stargaze before heading to your tent to rest.

Please note: You won't have access to your items during the day, so carry what you need in a daypack.

There, you’ll enjoy a fantastic Andean cultural experience

Today, you’ll wake up around 5:30 am with a hot drink to get you going. The people from the town will already be taking their llamas and alpacas out to graze at this early hour. Breakfast will be served as soon as we finish getting our gear ready. We’ll fill our water bottles and get our snacks to start the day with plenty of energy for the hike ahead.

There’ll be a 4-5 hour ascent toward the highest point on the whole trek, the Pachacutec Pass at 4,700 m / 15,420 ft. We’ll hike upward in a zigzag pattern to make the hike uphill at this high altitude more manageable. The landscapes here will astound you, so make sure you have your camera at the ready. You'll spot the stunning lake of Qoyalay and the impressive Qanchispaccha (seven waterfalls).

We’ll soon find ourselves above the clouds once we get to the Pachacutec Pass, from where you can enjoy a beautiful 360-degree view. Right in front of you, you’ll see the majestic mountains of Pitusiray and Qolqe Cruz. Take this opportunity to capture some fantastic photos because soon, we’ll begin our hike downhill. We’ll walk for half an hour on a descent down the slope to where we’ll enjoy our lunch. Don’t give up just yet; we still need to walk two more hours!

We’ll find our campsite in the village of Cancha Cancha (3,950 m / 12,959 ft). 85% of the houses here are made with traditional techniques and materials, such as stone walls and thatched roofs. Our support team will set up the tents, which means you’ll be free to mingle with the friendly locals. Afterward, your guide will take you to one of the community houses to learn all about the lifestyle of these peoples’ remote regions. You'll also see some traditional hand-made alpaca and llama wool textiles. Later on, you'll enjoy hot drinks and another nourishing dinner before retiring to your tent.

Just like every morning, our team will wake you up with a hot drink to start the day in the best way possible. Once you’re ready, we’ll be on our way with the last leg of the trek. We'll walk 4 hours downhill along a path where you'll see herds of sheep, llamas, and alpacas again. It’s beautiful to see them grazing in their natural habitat. We'll pass by fields of potatoes, fava beans, and other Andean products. Take this great opportunity to learn more about Andean agricultural techniques that play such a huge role in the lives of these communities.

Then, we’ll start descending to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. You'll feel the drastic change between micro-climates and notice different crops from those you saw in the higher altitudes. The Sacred Valley cultivates corn, quinoa, kiwi, peaches, avocados, and many other types of fruits. This area is full of history and Inca culture and was an extremely important part of their empire. We'll end this part of the tour in the small town of Huaran (2,920 m / 9,580 ft), where you'll say goodbye to the trekking team and enjoy a nutritious lunch made with local produce.

Our transportation will be waiting for us to drive through the Sacred Valley to the Maras Salt Mines at 3,000 m / 9.843 ft. This is a truly unique part of the world due to its nearly 3,000 small evaporation chambers that have been used since pre-Inca times to harvest salt. Thanks to the minerals in the salt, it has curative properties and turns a beautiful pink color. There’s a small shop at the mine where you can buy some of the pink salt if you’re interested. It’s great for cooking and makes it an excellent gift.

Afterward, we’ll continue for nearly 50 more minutes to the quaint town of Ollantaytambo, the last intact inhabited Inca town that exists. There, you'll see water canals, houses, and walls that are over five centuries old. Your guide will drive you around to see more of this small town until it’s time for dinner in a local restaurant. We’ll then board the train to Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu. When we arrive at Aguas Calientes, you'll check in to a hotel. You can now relax and prepare for the most astounding day of the trip tomorrow.

Today is reserved for the glorious Machu Picchu. You’ll explore this magnificent feat of humankind, one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World and Historical and Cultural World Heritage Site.

After a great night’s rest, we’ll wake up for a quick breakfast while it’s still dark outside and get going to beat the large crowds. This way, you can enjoy the serenity of this place in the warm morning light. The entrance opens at 6:00 am, and we want to be there as one of the day’s first visitors.

You´ll take a guided tour of approximately two hours to see the magnificent architectural feats of the Incas. The guide will lead you through several key points of the citadel, including some stops to enjoy the spectacular citadel views and listen to updated, curious data from our guide, its history, and construction. You’ll be astounded by how they sustained an entire and planned city and sense their deep and bonded connection with nature.

You can climb Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain if you have tickets in advance. Then, you’ll head back down to Aguas Calientes to grab lunch in a restaurant of your choice before heading to the station.

We’ll take the train for an hour-and-forty minutes ride to Ollantaytambo and then take our private transport back to Cusco. We’ll drop you at your hotel, where you can finally rest your legs and share the incredible experience you had in the Andes.