Lares Trek 4 Days

Today you will be woken up around 5am with our hot drink service. You’ll have a spectacular view of the colorful lake and the valley of Kiswarani. You’ll see the local people already up and out grazing their llamas and alpacas. Breakfast will be served once you have finished packing your gear. Then we’ll fill our water bottles, organize snacks, and you’ll begin your expedition to Machu Picchu. It’s a three to four hour climb to the top of the mountain. This pass is called Pachacute or Condor Pass. We’ll zigzag our way up to compensate for the steep climb. The views are breathtaking, you’ll see lakes, waterfalls, llamas and alpacas. We will have an emergency horse to ride in case you get tired and can’t walk. When you reach the Condor Pass, you’ll be above the clouds and the mountain peaks. Then you’ll be able to enjoy the amazing 360-degree view. In front of you will be the beautiful mountain of Pitusiray, which is 5,700 m/ 18,700 ft high. Then there’s the Condor Pass at 4,680 m/ 15,354 ft. Afterwards, we’ll enjoy a hot drink service that your porters will carry with them. We’ll take advantage of some phenomenal photo opportunities and then begin our descent.

You’ll then begin the one-hour descent to El Mirador (Vista Point), where you’ll have lunch. There will be some llamas grazing nearby. After lunch you’ll hike the last three hours downhill. There will be fantastic views of many lakes, llamas and alpacas before arriving at your campsite. This is the village of Cancha Cancha, the only village without modern technology. Located at (3,750 m / 12,303 ft) where people still practice original Inca traditions. In this Inca village, 85 percent of the houses are still built using ancient construction methods. These include stone houses and thatched roofs. Unlike any other village in the Lares Valley, there is no electricity or cars in this village. Here you’ll not only enjoy the wilderness, but your porters will also pitch your tents. You’ll have time to meet the local children. We provide them with food and school supplies. We invite our travelers to help support the education and health of this indigenous village. You can bring anything you would like to give to these Quechuan speaking children that they can use at school or at home. When you’re ready, your guide will take you to the home of a local family. Here you’ll learn about the local way of life. You’ll learn about the traditional hand-woven textiles made from llama and alpaca wool. In the evening you’ll enjoy hot drinks and dinner.

Our porters will serve you a hot drink and you will have time to pack your bags and enjoy breakfast. You will then have time to explore the village and visit the local elementary school. Here they still teach the ancient Inca language, Quechua. When you are ready, you will begin the last leg of your trek through Lares. It will be four hours of downhill walking on this beautiful trail. You will see more llamas and alpacas. We will pass farms where they grow potatoes, beans and many other traditional crops using the Inca method. You will have the opportunity to learn about Peruvian agriculture. You will learn from people who still farm by hand with traditional Inca farming tools. Now we begin to descend into the warmer area of the Sacred Valley. You will begin to notice the changes in the microclimate and see different crops. Around the Sacred Valley people grow corn, quinoa, kiwicha, peaches, avocados and other fruits. This area has a lot of Inca history and you will end your tour in the Sacred Valley village of Huaran, at an altitude of 2700m/8858ft. Here you will say goodbye to your horses, riders, cook and porters.
From Huaran we will take a van and make a short drive into the valley to visit the Maras salt flats. Here, at 11,000 feet above sea level, a source of salt water bubbles up and cascades down the mountainside. Over three thousand small evaporation chambers have been created that appear to be falling down the mountainside. These have been used since pre-Incan times. The salt is said to have healing properties because it is full of natural minerals and some are even pink in color. Local families own one of these salt flats and make their living supplying salt to the surrounding villages. There is a small shop where you can buy salt to take home.

After visiting the salt mines, we will board a van for a 45 minute ride. We will drive along the Sacred Valley until we reach Ollantaytambo. Ollantaytambo is the only intact Inca village that is still inhabited today. It still has many water channels, houses and Inca walls. Your guide will show you around until it is time for dinner at a local restaurant. Then we will take the 19:00 train to Aguas Calientes, the city below Machu Picchu (train times may vary depending on availability). Upon arrival in Aguas Calientes, you will check into the hotel and rest.

The fourth day is the most magical as you will finally get to visit Machu Picchu. You’ll wake up early to catch one of the first buses (around 5:30am) to Machu Picchu, arriving after a 30 minute ride. You’ll watch a stunning sunrise over the ruins. Your guide will take you on an informative two-hour tour of the ruins. Afterwards, you’ll have time to explore on your own and, if you wish, climb Huayna Picchu (this is a separate entrance ticket and costs $75 per person). In the afternoon, you’ll take the two-hour train back to Ollantaytambo. Afterwards, you’ll take the bus back to Cusco, where we’ll drop you off at your hotel.

• If you wish to stay an extra night in Aguas Calientes, please let us know in advance. We can adjust your train tickets and arrange a hotel if you wish.
• Please note that the rangers do not allow large backpacks into Machu Picchu. Only day packs are allowed.
• Trekking poles are not allowed in Machu Picchu.
• Snacks and water are allowed, but must be carried in your backpack.