river flowing through the lares valley in peru
hiker trekking the lares trek to machu picchu
andean village in the lares valley
views of the lares valley with clear skies
hiker on his back walking along a trail in the andes
two boys with backpacks taking a photo in the lares valley
two tourists posing with wacahuasi villagers
view of the snow-capped lares mountain
view of the machu picchu terraces
a llama looking at the camera with machu picchu in the background
tourist visiting machu picchu following security measures covid 19
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Lares Trek to Machu Picchu

The most cultural trek to Machu Picchu

(3 reviews)
Cusco
4 days
Spanish and English
Starts: From your accommodation in Cuzco at 5:00 a.m.
Ends: To your accommodation in Cuzco around 8:00 p.m.
Flexible cancellation policy

Briefing

The Lares Trek to Machu Picchu will take you to the most remote, authentic and unknown places in the Andes. Hike with a mountain guide through incredible landscapes, discover unique wildlife, and walk among llamas, alpacas or Caracara hawks.

You will also learn about the local way of life with the Quishuarani community and visit unique places like Pisac, the volcanic hot springs and Ollantaytambo, until finally reaching the Inca city of Machu Picchu. Discover all the details of this guided trek in Peru below 📖 :

Tour details

Included

  • Bilingual guide Spanish and English (1 guide every 8 travelers)
  • Entrance ticket to the Inca ruins of Pisac
  • Train Aguas Calientes - Ollantaytambo (round trip)
  • Bus Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu (round trip)
  • Transfer back to Ollantaytambo - Cuzco
  • 2 nights of lodging in camp
  • 1 night of lodging in a hostel with breakfast and private bathroom
  • Machu Picchu Llaqta Machu Picchu Route Ticket (Circuit 2)
  • Meals
  • Up to 7 kg of luggage on mules
  • Oxygen bottle and first aid kit
  • Waterproof poncho
  • Waterproof bag for your backpack

Not included

  • Sleeping bag (rent for $20 USD)*
  • Inflatable mattress (rent for $20 USD)*
  • Walking sticks(rent for $15 USD)*
  • Individual tent (rent for 30$)*
  • Lunch the last day in Aguas Calientes

Important information

Since 2021, the Peruvian Ministry of Culture enabled 5 types of official entrances to visit Machu Picchu and it was decided that the visit to the Inca city should be done only by strict unidirectional routes. For this purpose, 4 circuits were created in order to better organize the traffic of travelers inside Machu Picchu, and to preserve and protect the constructions of the archaeological site for the future.

This tour includes the entrance Llaqta of Machu Picchu (Circuit 2) in the first, second or third shift and a guided group visit of 2 hours. If you want to increase your visit time inside Machu Picchu and visit one of the additional areas (Huayna Picchu Mountain, Machu Picchu Mountain or Huchuy Picchu Mountain) it is essential to add the complete corresponding entrance fee to your booking.

  • Entrance Ticket Circuito 3 + Montaña Machu Picchu
  • Entrance Ticket Circuito 4 + Montaña Huayna Picchu
  • Entrance Ticket Circuito 4 + Montaña Huchuy Picchu

✅ From Howlanders we consider it essential to include the additional entrance fee so that travelers who want to visit one of the additional areas of the citadel can enjoy a complete experience in Machu Picchu.

❌ It is not possible to visit two of the additional zones on the same day due to lack of time. 

⚡ The availability of tickets to Machu Picchu is very limited and booking two to three months in advance is recommended. Especially if you are traveling in high season.

💡 To learn more about tickets and circuits available in Machu Picchu please contact us.

Cancellation policy

If you cancel more than 48 hours before the start of the tour you will receive a refund of the total amount of the reservation except 55 USD per person (cost of the entrance to Machu Picchu). The entrance tickets to Machu Picchu are nominative and non-transferable. After this time, or in case of no-show for the tour, you will not be entitled to a refund.

Extras: Entrance Machu Picchu + Huayna Picchu / Entrance Machu Picchu + Huchuy Picchu / Entrance Machu Picchu + Machu Picchu Mountain are non-refundable.

Tour itinerary

DAY Cusco - Pisac - Huaran - Cancha Cancha

Distance : 7,45 mi (12 km.)
Time : 6 hours
Difficulty : moderate

Pick up in Cusco 🚐 Pisac

They will pick us up around 5:00 a.m. in our accommodation in Cusco to go to Pisac, where the guide will tell us the history of the Inca fortress. While you admire the historical ruins, you can see Caracara hawks flying through the sky.

ruins of the inca city of pisac on the lares trail

Huaran - Cancha Cancha

While eating breakfast, you can see breathtaking views of the city and the Inca valleys from the top of the deep gorges.

We will arrive in Huaran where we will begin our ascent of three hours on horseback until we reach Cancha Cancha, where you will find yourselves with one of the most isolated and self-sustainable communities of the region. This experience will allow you to connect with nature and the traditional life of the locals.

river flowing down the mountain on the way from lares to machu picchu

Arrival at Camp

After lunch we will continue our way to our camp where we can rest and look back on all of the wonders we marvelled upon during the day. After dinner the guide will show us the constellations, specifically how the Incas used them in the agricultural orientation, and how it is still done today.

lares valley on the first day of the lares to machu picchu trek

DAY 2 Cancha Cancha - Quishuarani

Distance : 8,7 mi. (14 km.)
Time : 8 hours
Difficulty : challenging

Paso Pachacutect (Pachacutect Pass)

After eating breakfast, we will walk for four hours to reach the highest point of this hike, Paso Pachacutect at 4,700 meters above sea level (masl), from which we will see incredible landscapes such as glaciers, blue lakes, steep valleys and farmland.


Lares Valley

After appreciating this view, we will begin the descent that will take us about an hour. We will stop for lunch next to the glacial lake, where you can enjoy the beautiful views of the Valle de Lares and its native wildlife, such as llamas and alpacas.

alpaca in front of a river in the lares valley

Arrival at Quishuarani Camp

After, we will descend for two hours until we reach the camp located in the Quishuarani community at 3,700 masl. There, we will have the opportunity to interact with the local community and learn even a little Quechua language (with the help of our guide), as well as enjoy the spectacular waterfall that is there.

woman of the Quishuarani community herding a herd in the lares valley

DAY 3 Quishuarani - Cuncani - Lares - Ollantaytambo - Aguas Calientes

Distance : 9,32 mi. (15 km.)
Time : 6 hours
Difficulty : moderate

Paso Hullkiccasa (Hullkiccasa Pass)

Day three we will have one of the most memorable days of the trek. After three hours of hiking, we will reach el Paso Hullkiccasa at 4,200 masl, enjoying incredible views from there.


Cuncani community

We will begin the descent that will take us about two hours, traveling through farmland and beautiful pristine lakes until we reach the Cuncani community. There, we will have the chance to get to know the community more closely and share time with them.

glacier lake in the Hullkiccasa pass

Volcanic thermal waters 🌅

Later we will arrive at the volcanic thermal waters of which you will be able to enjoy during approximately one hour, as well as have time to eat and rest afterwards.


Ollantaytambo - Aguas Calientes

After this relaxing experience, we will travel for two and a half hours on the road to Ollantaytambo to have dinner and later take our train to Aguas Calientes, where we will spend the night.

hikers on the lares route with howlanders

DAY 4 Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Cusco

Difficulty : easy

Machu Picchu

Today is the magical day we've been waiting so long for. We will get up early to take the first bus that leaves from Aguas Calientes to the fortress of Machu Picchu.

A guide will be waiting for us to take us on a guided tour of these wonderful World Heritage sites by UNESCO. After the tour, you will have free time to enjoy Machu Picchu at your leisure, to take pictures and imagine what life was like in that incredible place.

inca city of machu picchu larek trek

Aguas Calientes - Return to Cuzco

At the end of our visit, we will return to Aguas Calientes to have lunch and take the train back to Ollantaytambo. There, we will meet with our driver that will take us back to our hotel in Cusco, where we will arrive around 8:00 p.m..

views of the city and fortress of Ollantaytambo

What to bring to Lares Trek to Machu Picchu

  • Original passport (the same one you used to book your trip)
  • Medium backpack of 30 or 40 liters
  • Water bottle / thermos / refillable water bottle
  • Comfortable mountain boots
  • Lantern
  • Sunglasses
  • Shorts
  • Warm clothing
  • Sunscreen
  • Insect repellent
  • Rain jacket or waterproof poncho
  • Waterproof gloves
  • Leisure footwear for the camp
  • Quick dry towel
  • Battery charger (there is only electricity in the hotel on the last day of the tour)
  • Personal hygiene items

Where does the tour Lares Trek to Machu Picchu start

The tour includes pick up from your accommodation in Cuzco. If your starting point to get to Cuzco is Lima, you can arrive by bus (24 hours of travel) or take a plane that has a journey time of one hour.

If you arrive from Arequipa, the bus ride takes ten hours. You can also choose to make the trip by plane, in this case the only airline that offers direct flights is LATAM Airlines.

If you arrive from Puno the best option is to do it by bus, a journey of six and a half hours. We also offer the possibility of making this journey in a tourist bus that makes stops at the most important places along the way. Departure is at 7:00 in the morning and arrival in Cuzco at 17:30.

Finally, LATAM Airlines operates a direct route Iquitos - Cuzco. This route is not available on a daily basis, so we recommend you check the dates on which it is available to plan your trip.

Lares Trek to Machu Picchu tour reviews with Howlanders

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