Lares Trek and Short Inca Trail

A 5:00 am pickup from your hotel and a 1 hour drive through the beautiful landscape of the Sacred Valley, will take you to Calca for an exploration of the local market. There you’ll see all varieties of fresh, organic, home-grown produce, sold by the Peruvians of Calca.

From there, another 2 hour drive will take us to the incredible natural phenomenon that is the Lares Hot Springs. Here, you’ll get to take a dip in the Hot Springs of Lares. Relax in the lap of nature’s luxurious pools, as their warm waters, touted as possessing healing properties, rid you of any aches and pains and soothe your body, mind, and soul.

You’ll then enjoy a delicious breakfast followed by a 30 minute drive to the trailhead of the Lares Trek, Sacred Valley. Here, you’ll get the chance to visit a Peruvian family and learn all about their lifestyle, cultural traditions, and the cultivation of potato in the great Andean highlands.

A 1 hour trek from the Sacred Valley will take us to your lunch spot where you’ll dine on a scrumptious meal prepared by our local chef using only the finest and freshest produce that Peru has to offer.

A further 2 hour hike will take you to your campsite, all set up on the banks of a beautiful lagoon. As night closes in, you’ll get to exchange stories about the day’s hike over a cup of tea followed by a much deserved dinner.

You’ll wake up in the morning to a steaming hot cup of tea followed by a nutritious breakfast. After getting in a good meal, we’ll set off on a hike which will take you through some of the most gorgeous landscapes of the Lares Trek. You’ll chance upon vivid and vibrant lakes that will beguile your senses as you traverse across the road less traveled into the Kiswarani and Cancha Cancha Valleys.

A 4 hour hike from these remarkable sites will take you to the Condor Pass which lies at an elevation of 4,700 m / 15,255 ft. above sea level, the highest point along the Lares Trek to Machu Picchu. If you feel the onset of any Altitude Sickness symptoms, don’t hesitate to let our expert guides know and they’ll take good care of you. With an oxygen tank and warm coca tea at the ready, our expert guides are well equipped for every trek to ensure you are taken along the hike under the safest and most secure conditions possible.

From the Condor Pass, you’ll be able to soak up the sweeping vistas of Pitusiray, Sawasiray, and Chicón, snow frosted mountain peaks nestled in the Peruvian uplands. Andean geese soaring above the plain, lovebirds splashing in Peru’s crystal clear waters, llamas, alpacas, and sheep grazing on the green, are not uncommon sights even in these high altitudes.

A 3 hour descent will take us to Cancha Cancha, your campsite for the night, where you’ll get to enjoy a delicious lunch, followed by a much deserved siesta.

We’ll then visit the home of a Peruvian family and learn all about the culture and traditions handed down by the Incas that have molded their way of life. After an evening of experiential learning , we’ll end the day with a warm cup of tea followed by a delicious dinner, as you watch the sun set over the Andean plains.

After a hot cup of tea and a hearty breakfast, we’ll set off for a visit to one of Peru’s elementary schools. In the face of immense difficulties in accessing supplies in this remote and rural community, the children and the school would greatly appreciate any donations you would like to make for the benefit of their education. Every little bit of help goes a long way.

A gradual 4 hour downhill trek will take us to the Sacred Valley where you’ll get to see the four furry and woolen camelids of the Andean highlands, diverse topography with the Urubamba River running through the Valley’s landscape, and potato and corn plantations of local farmers.

Upon arriving in Huaran, nestled in the heart of the Sacred Valley, you’ll get to see how Huaran’s hamlet of around 649 Peruvian inhabitants grow traditional crops like quinoa and kiwicha.

After a delicious lunch in Huaran, you’ll then say adios to our chef, porters, and horsemen who took care of you throughout the course of your Lares Trek as we near the tail end of the 5 day hike. Our team makes sure our treks are nothing short of spectacular, so if you wish to tip them you may do so at this time.

One of the most diverse treks in terms of activities, we’ll then hop into a van for a 50 minute drive to the Maras Salt Mines. Here, you’ll get to see the checkered earthy pink and beige shades of the salt mines and learn all about the process of salt extraction. With exclusive mining rights over the salt pans reposed in the local inhabitants, you can purchase some of the Maras salt from the locals as a souvenir.

Afterward, we’ll hop back into the van and drive down to Chicheria, a local bar now recognized as a cultural legacy by the Peruvian government for its famous Chicha de jora, a corn beer derived from pre-modern Inca culture, now forming part of Peru’s gastronomical identity. If you’re not much of a beer drinker, you could also opt for a Frutillada, a delightfully sweet wild strawberry drink.

After the delicious pitstop at Chicheria, we’ll drive down to the Inca built town of Ollantaytambo, bookended by the majestic Urubamba River and vast snow-capped mountains.

After a delectable dinner at a local Peruvian restaurant, we’ll take you to your hotel for the night where you can get a good night’s rest, to rejuvenate your body and mind for the fourth day of your Lares Trek and Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.

After a 4:00 am pick up from your hotel, you’ll be driven to Ollantaytambo Train Station where we’ll catch the first train to Chachabamba, which lies at an elevation of 2,000 m / 6,561 ft. above sea level. This 80 minute train ride, running parallel to the Urubamba River, is a wonderful at-a-distance exploration of the lush landscapes of the Andes of Peru.

Upon arrival, we’ll head straight to the Chachabamba checkpoint with your passport in hand to begin the much-awaited trek to Machu Picchu.

Our first stop will be the Inca archeological site of Chachabamba. We’ll then take a 4 hour uphill hike to Wiñay Huayna, a marvelous maze of Inca ruins surrounded by cascading steps built on the slopes of a hillside, overlooking the Urubamba River.

We’ll then take a pitstop to enjoy a delicious lunch before we set off on a walk to the Sun Gate, believed to have been the guardian gates to the Machu Picchu citadel.

We’ll then hop on a bus to Machu Picchu town or Aguas Calientes which lies at an elevation of 2,040 m / 6,693 ft. above sea level where you will enjoy a delicious dinner at a Peruvian restaurant.

You’ll then spend the night at a quaint little Peruvian hotel and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

The last day of your Lares Trek and Short Inca Trail will be an awe-inspiring exploration of Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas. You’ll start the day with a wholesome breakfast and checkout from the hotel. With all your bags and hiking gear packed to go, we’ll hop on the first bus to Machu Picchu at 5:30 am. After an uphill drive, we’ll get there just in time to witness Machu Picchu’s spectacular sunrise.

During the 2-3 hour tour of Machu Picchu, our guide will enlighten you on the wisdom of the Incas, the history of the ruins that lay before you, and the city scape built by these industrious indigenous peoples of the past. Get ready to be mesmerized by the architectural and engineering genius of the Inca in an age of little to no technological development.

After taking a few insta-worthy pictures of your Machu Picchu tour, you’ll get to navigate through the urban area independently, roam its streets, and gain experiential insight into Peruvian life.

You’ll then hop on a bus to Machu Picchu town, also known as Aguas Calientes, where you’ll reunite with our guide who can take you to a restaurant nearby for lunch (not included in the Lares Trek and Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu tour package).

You’ll then take the train to Ollantaytambo, where your driver will be awaiting your arrival to take you back safely to your hotel in Cusco.