If you are looking for a trekking experience going through the rural areas of Peru, seeing the local people in their daily lives, well-known for their weaving tradition, join us on the Lares Trek! The Lares trek with the Mountain Lodge experience is a great mix of adventure and comfort!
The Lares Trek with the Mountain Lodge throughout the year, although the dry season (April through October) is definitely a better time of the year to travel.
We’ll start our first day with an early breakfast before leaving Cusco for the Urubamba Valley, also known as the Sacred Valley of the Incas. We will drive past Pisac to the Ayar Cancha community where we’ll start hiking at 3850 meters altitude. From here we’ll hike uphill for about 2 hours to the Challwaccasa Pass at 4250 meters. From here we’ll have a great view of the surrounding area as well as the peaks of the Vilcanota and Vilcabamba mountain ranges and you’ll even be able to see the Ausangate and Salkantay snow covered peaks in the distance if the day is clear. We’ll hike downhill to the Viacha community at 3950 meters where we’ll have a gourmet lunch. After lunch and a short rest, we will start hiking on a restored Inca trail leading to the Pisac archeological site at 3200 meters. Parts of the slopes of the surrounding mountains are covered with agricultural terraces and irrigation systems constructed and used by the Incas. From the ruins, we’ll hike downhill for about an hour to the village of Pisac, famous for its colorful handicraft market. From here we’ll take our vehicle to the town of Lamay which is at 2941 meters. Here we’ll have dinner and stay overnight at the comfortable Lamay Lodge.
If you prefer an easier hike for the first day, you can have breakfast and relax in the morning at the Lamay Lodge. In the afternoon you can take a private van to the Viacha community to have lunch with the rest of the trekkers. If you decide to hike, you can hike with the rest of your group downhill to the Pisac archeological site.
Today we’ll start the Lares trek, one of the most impressive trails in the Cusco area! We will leave Lamay after breakfast and drive for about 2 hours towards Lares which is north of the Sacred Valley. We will arrive in the small village of Quiswarani at 3829 meters to begin our hike. We will start hiking uphill along a valley with small lakes and grazing alpacas before heading up to Abra Huchuyccasa Pass at 4414 meters which should take about 3 hours. After taking in the beautiful view of the surrounding mountain ranges and lakes, we’ll start hiking slightly downhill for another hour towards the Phoñoccasa Pass at 4387 meters. We’ll keep hiking downhill towards Qeywaqocha Lake where we’ll have lunch and some time to relax before hiking on to the village of Qelqena which is at 3647 meters. Our vehicle will meet us to drive us to the village of Huacawasi, a weavers’ village, at 3835 meters. We’ll have dinner and stay overnight at the Huacawasi Lodge.
For a milder hike, you can choose to hike this alternative trek for Day 2.
We start with a drive to Ancasmarca at 4044 meters where we’ll tour an Inca site used as food warehouses, houses, and farming needs. From here we’ll travel to the Lares Pass at 4420 meters then to Cuncani at 3884 meters where we’ll start our hike for today. We’ll hike uphill for about 2 hours past local farmhouses owned by descendants of the Incas, still living in a traditional way growing potatoes, using their llamas as transportation and alpacas as food and for their clothing. When we reach the Cruzccasa Pass at 4188 meters we’ll have a great view of the peak of Veronica. From here we’ll hike downhill for another hour before enjoying a rest and our picnic lunch. After lunch we’ll continue hiking to Huacawasi Lodge at 3835 meters. In the afternoon we’ll have a unique cultural encounter with the local community. Afterwards we’ll have dinner and stay overnight at the Huacawasi Lodge.
We’ll start hiking after breakfast from our Huacawasi Lodge through the village of Huacawasi, witnessing the daily life of the local people, children going to school, women working on their looms while everyone is still dressed in their traditional dress of colorful clothes. This part of the trail is fairly easy, hiking uphill for about 2 ½ to the Ipsaycocha Pass which is at 4499 meters. From here we’ll have a great view of the surrounding areas and mountains. We’ll hike at a slow decline for another 40 minutes to Lake Ipsaycocha at 4292 meters. Here we’ll have the chance to see condors circling the sky while we have lunch. After lunch we’ll hike downhill for about 2 ½ hours to the village of Patacancha which is known for its high quality weavings. From here we’ll take a vehicle to the town of Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley of the Incas which is at 2792 meters. We’ll have dinner and overnight at a hotel.
Today we’ll be able to relax a little more after trekking along the Lares route for the past few days. We’ll start off with breakfast before visiting the Inca town of Ollantaytambo. Ollantaytambo dates back to the late 15th century and has some of the oldest continuously occupied dwellings in South America as well as a well preserved Inca town structure and archaeological site. Latter in the morning, we’ll board the train for Aguas Calientes, also known as Machu Picchu Town, which will take about an hour and a half. We’ll have lunch in Aguas Calientes and there is an optional visit to Machu Picchu Sanctuary in the afternoon to enjoy when there are fewer visitors. We’ll have dinner and overnight at Inkaterra Pueblo Hotel.
Today we’ll start with an early breakfast before walking to the bus station. Here we’ll take a bus up to Machu Picchu Sanctuary which will take about half an hour. We will have a two-hour guided tour of some of the most important sites within Machu Picchu. You’ll have free time afterwards and the option to hike up the Inca staircases of Huayna Picchu for a great view of the city below and which will take about 2 hours. We will meet up with our guide to take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes and have a late lunch. After lunch we’ll board the train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo which will take about an hour and half. In Ollantaytambo our vehicle will be waiting for us and take us back to Cusco which will take another hour and a half. When we arrive in Cusco at around 7:00 or 8:00pm, we will be dropped off at Mercado Tunqui Hotel (or another hotel of your choice) where you’ll stay overnight.
There will be a briefing before your trek on the evening before the trek at the El Mercado Hotel in Cusco. The briefing will include the following:
The Lares Route is an Adventure Travel Activity going through remote areas and high altitudes involving a certain level of risk. To make sure everyone has a safe experience, we request that you present a valid proof of insurance coverage with a minimum of including Medical Emergency Treatment and Evacuation. Please note that some insurance policies exclude Adventure Travel Activities from their coverage so please make sure this is included in your policy. We will need the following information at least 60 days before your start date for the Lares Trek:
If you are unable to acquire an insurance policy, an insurance policy can be purchased on your behalf. If you’re unable to show proof of insurance at least 60 days before your trip start date, the aforementioned policy will be provided (at the rate of US$8 per person per day for the duration of the itinerary purchased). Please contact us for more information.
For availability of spaces for this service, please contact us info@salkantaytrek.org and we`ll send you detailed information, prices, terms and conditions.
Please keep in mind that significant price reductions are available for groups. All our tours are fully guaranteed, departure every day. Contact us for more information for the tour that you are choosing, or to begin customizing your own itinerary. recommendations:
" Itep Travel is a tour operator travel agency in Peru and the city of Cusco, We really know what we do and offer, We are well managed, with several offices in Peru and a long list of travel destinations , offering all travel alternatives in Perú, from family trips, honeymoon trips and luxury travel, including adventure tours and exploring trips to the jungle, for almost any budget”
NOTE: ITEP TRAVEL, specializes in organizing the ideal travel plan to Peru, with hotels and destinations that you choose, because we have all confidential and promotional rates. For guidance on how to organize your custom package. Please write us.
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The Lares Trek is one of the main alternative treks to Inca Trail to reach Machu Picchu.
The Lares Trek is considered a moderate hike. It's not a technical hike but the altitude may affect some individuals
We recommend that you bring a refillable water bottle as boiled water will be provided in the morning at breakfast, at lunch and every evening after dinner.
Duration: |
5 Days & 4 Night |
Departures Dates: |
Every day (Please check availability in our groups) |
Activities: |
Visit Pisac and Ollantaytambo, trek the Lares route, visit Machu Picchu |
Type of Tour: |
Archaeological Cultural Landscape Ecological |
Meals provided: |
Vegetarian option at no extra cost. Check our regular menú |