Lares Trek to Machu Picchu from Cusco is one of the most preferred treks. It is considered as one of the best alternatives to the renowned, Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
Inca Trail however, requires an advance booking of at-least six months. Hikers are also required to obtain permit as the authorities have restricted the number of visitors to maintain the trail.
Lares Trail on the contrary, requires no permit or an advance booking.
However the sooner you book you will be able to obtain a booking in your preferred train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes and back.
The highest point of Lares trek to Machu Picchu is at 4600 metres above the sea level. It is highly recommended to take your time in Cusco and get used to high altitude before trekking.
Lares Trek to Machu Picchu from Cusco offers an extensive introduction to Peruvian culture and history. It is also offers incredible views at every turn. The trek will take you through tropical forests and green valleys offering sights of some remote lakes and waterfalls and camping in rural Peru.
The trek will give you an authentic cultural experience of Andes. There are many small communities in the valley who have maintained and preserved their 500 years old traditions and customs.
You will be meeting many farmers and weavers who continue to wear their colourful traditional attire. The region is popular in Peru for weavers who knit from home. If you are planning to buy some authentic handmade outfits, this will be the place to get a good bargain.
Our tour guides are tourism professionals and locals. They have an extensive knowledge about the sites and history and are fluent in English. They are also trained on remedies to treat altitude sickness. With Treks in Cusco, you are certain to have a memorable and a lifetime experience.
Cusco Hotel Transfer
0400 AM
At day break, we will be leaving from Cusco by bus along the Sacred Valley of Incas to Calca. We will be having a brief stop in Calca before continuing our further three hours drive to Quiswarani.
Along the way, we will be meeting some communities. The drive will be along a scenic route. At Quiswarani, we will be meeting our muleteers. We will then start our Lares Trek to Machu Picchu.
Our first part of the trek will be a gradual up-hill hike to 4200 metres. Here, we will be stopping by a nice lagoon and continue hiking further to our first pass of the trek named Hualcacassa Pass at 4425 metres. You will be able to see some snow capped peaks and seven lagoons from here.
From here we will be hiking down to our lunch camp. After relishing on a freshly cooked nutritious meal for lunch, we will be doing a up hill trek to our second pass in Qolqecasa at 4200 metres. From here it is just a thirty minutes downhill hike to our first campsite in Yanacocha at 3800 metres.
After breakfast, we will start our second day. We will be doing a down hill hike for almost two hours where we will see farmers and their traditional houses. You will be introduced to the products they cultivate.
Here, you will be also seeing Andean camelids, Llamas and Alpacas. From here, we will be hiking uphill for three hours to the highest point of the trek. The highest point of Lares Trek is Auroracassa at 4600 metres above sea level.
We will stop here and regain the energy and then trek down the hill to Mantanay , our second campsite at 3850 metres.
This will be our last day of hike and the easiest one as well. We will be descending passing through Quinoa fields. On this route you will be able to witness a change in the landscape. You will also be able to see fields of potatoes, corn and some other native vegetables. Finally, we will reach Yanahuara. Here we will stop for lunch and bid adieu to our chef and muleteers.
We will then continue in our transport to Ollantaytambo. Ollantaytambo has been an important part of Inca civilization. We will be taking a train to Aguas Calientes. Upon reaching Aguas Calientes, we will be escorting you to the hotel where you will be spending the night in an ensuite room.
After breakfast, we will be taking a bus up to Machu Picchu citadel. Here you will be having a complete two hours guided tour of the citadel. After the tour, you will have some free time to explore the citadel.
Later you may take the bus back to Aguas Calientes and at a decided time you will be taking a train back to Ollantaytambo. Our representative will be meeting you at Ollantaytambo train station and will organise your transfer back to Cusco.
The overall length of Lares Trek is 33 kilometres (21 miles).
Unlike the rest of the treks, Lares trek ends at the Sacred Valley of Incas from there you will have the option of visiting Machu Picchu by taking a train from Ollantaytambo. Often visit to Machu Picchu is included in the price.
Lares Trek is the easiest trek to visit Machu Picchu. It has just one high pass.
The highest point of Lares Trek is at 4600 metres above sea level.
If you are reasonable fit and well acclimated in Cusco, Lares Trek is the easiest treks to Machu Picchu.
We went on a 4D/3N Lares Trek + Macchu Picchu with Treks In Cusco. Our guide Carlos was super friendly and a great guide! He informed us a lot about life in the Lares Valley and was happy to answer any questions we had. The trail itself was quite off the beaten path and we only saw three other travellers on the trail. They have a different route than other Lares Treks as they finish directly at the Hot Springs, which is the perfect way to end the trek! The rest team was also super friendly and we had a great time playing cards together in the evenings! The food was also divine – we were impressed how Jonathan was always able to cook up delicious meals in such basic environments. He also baked a cake for us on our last day!
Treks In Cusco have made our Lares Trek and visit to Machu Picchu super memorable, and we would definitely recommend Treks In Cusco for a great experience!
This was a very nice trip. Marko is an excellent guide. He is very helpful and thoughtful. He organised this trek extremely well. There were a lot of times where we could not walk normally due to high altitude, and Carlos never got frustrated or rushed us, infact he stood next to us and encouraged us. The food were exrtreemely delicious and the camping areas were clean and well kept.
Treks In Cusco is a wonderful operations. From our initial contact with Carlos to our final drop of with Carlos they were helpful throughout the entire process. Carlos is a special guide who lead us on the Lares trek. He is friendly, funny and cares greatly for those who he is guiding as well as all the people we met along the way. Our experience was beautiful and the private chef Grimmaldo made delicious meals at every stop considering our vegan and vegetarianism. I highly recommend booking with these guys.
We went to Peru with our children aged 10, 8 & 6. We were so lucky to walk the Lares Trek with Carlos and his amazing team of cooks and horse people. We also did day trips to Sacred Valley and Rainbow mountain with Marco. His knowledge of the area and history; passion for the local culture and custom; and ability and willingness to connect with us and our kids were beyond anything we could have expected.