04 Days/03 Nights Whole Year Normal/Moderate
The Lares valley trek offers a combination of stunning scenery, traditional cultures, and Machu Picchu on the 4th Day. The trek will take you through stunning Mountain scenery, over high passes, and you will spend two nights near traditional Peruvian Villages. The fourth day you will see the treasures of Machu Picchu with your experienced guide.
More infor about Lares trek: The Lares Trek is an off-the-beaten trail that begins near the town of Lares, 40 miles north of Cusco and 35 miles south east of Machu Picchu (see map below). The trek itself lies in the Lares Valley, east of the Urubamba mountain range, which traverses part of the Sacred Valley.
The trek can be completed as a standalone 2 or 3 day trail, or be incorporated with a visit to Machu Picchu – extending the tour by 1 or 2 days. The latter option is fast becoming a popular itinerary for trekkers due to the permit limits placed on the Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
Permits are not required for the Lares Trek. This means that you can in effect arrive in Cusco and depending on the season (not June-August) be on the trail within a day or two.
Of course you will still need to book your train tickets to Aguas Calientes as early as possible during peak season, as well as your entrance tickets to Machu Picchu.
In terms of the actual route itinerary, there are in fact a number of variations on the Lares Trek, most end at Ollantaytambo.
From here trekkers can catch a train to Aguas Calientes to visit Machu Picchu or indeed return to Cusco. We discuss each Lares Trek route variation in some detail below.
There are a number of factors that make this trek a great alternative to the Classic Inca Trail.
Firstly, and perhaps most importantly for some, is that it is a lot quieter than than Inca Trail.
Secondly, the route is arguably easier than the Inca Trail in that one doesn’t need to deal with as many steps.
Altitude is still an issue and on some route variations you will need to deal with 3 high altitude passes that are over 4,200 meters (the highest, depending on your route is either 4,400 meters or 4,600 meters).
Finally, the Lares Trek has the benefit of providing a true Andean cultural experience. The Lares Valley is home to a number of traditional Andean communities that have changed little in the last 500 years.
It is very likely you will see many local weavers and farmers wearing colourful traditional clothing, and depending on your tour you might get a chance to watch or partake in some weaving action.
The area is famous for it’s homemade textiles, so if you want to bring an authentic piece of Peru back home with you then take a few spare Soles. You can pick up a bargain here whilst making a local weavers day!
Route Options: There are a number of Lares trek route itineraries to Machu Picchu, each offers a slightly different flavour of the region. Below we have set out 5 route variations. The first two are the most common Lares treks to Machu Picchu. All of the trails below do not require permits and can be completed as standalone treks without visiting Machu Picchu.
Best time for a Lares trek: The best time to do the Lares Trek is during the dry season (May-September). This is the busiest trekking time in the region, particularly on the Classic Inca Trail, where permits sell-out months in advance.
The Lares Trail is the third most popular trek to Machu Picchu, after the Classic Inca and Salkantay, so during the height of the peak season the trail can be busy. That being said, there are so many variations on the Lares Trail that in general the routes never feel over-crowded.
During the dry season shoulder months (April and October), the Lares Trails are particularly quiet, and weather is often very pleasant.
November is touch and go in terms of trekking and the likelihood of encountering rain is relatively high. We suggest avoiding December through March as rain makes the trail really unpleasant and visibility is often low due to heavy morning and late afternoon fog.
Temperatures throughout the year are moderate, in the high twenties (Celsius) during the afternoon, and cool to cold at night and in the early morning. Layered clothing is important (see packing list below).
Micro-climates characterise the Andes so rain throughout the year is possible. Always take rain gear.
To see detailed charts on historical weather patterns in and around Machu Picchu
Day 1: Cusco – Cuncani – Yanacocha - Huacawasi
Day 2: Huacawasi – Sondor – Huacawasi C’asa Pass – Aruray Cocha – Yurak Cocha – Mantanay - Pucara
Day 3: Pucara – Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes
Day 4: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Cusco
Day 1: Cusco – Cuncani – Yanacocha - Huacawasi
At approximately 6am we will pick you up at your hotel to Lares Trek - Wacawasiset course to the village of Lares where we take a beautiful route to go to Cuncani village where will be Our starting point of the Lares trek we can his journey we will make a stop in the village of Calca, where you will be able to visit the local market and buy breakfast or other supplies you forgot. Your guide might advise you to buy some bread to hand out to the children you will meet during the trek.
In our first day we are going to appreciate de llamas, alpacas, vigognes and Guanacos all the famous Andean camelides, also we can appreciate de typical Andean communities as Cuncani
After the first pass we are going to arrive to Yanacocha we have our lunch around this beautiful lake after lunch we will start our hike towards the first campsite in Huacawasi (3600m/11811f). During 5 or 6 hours you will walk gradually uphill so that you get a good training for the next day when we will reach the highest point of the trek. The first night we will spend the night in our campsites where our horsemen who are joining us on the trip. This is the perfect opportunity to know this little town a little better, as well as its Andean culture. At arrival your tents will be ready and you will receive popcorn, sweets and some hot thee before having dinner.
Day 2: Huacawasi – Sondor – Huacawasi C’asa Pass – Aruray Cocha – Yurak Cocha – Mantanay - Pucara
After a nutritious breakfast we will start hiking towards the highestLares Trekking Pass - Cusco Peru point, the pass of Huacawasi at 4500m or 14763 feet. The hike will take about 4 hours and will be very steep uphill. Of course an emergency horse will accompany us so that everyone will certainly be able to reach the top. During this trek you will be able to enjoy enormous mountains, a patchwork of agricultural lands and breathtaking views. Be aware that we will reach great heights and the weather can be very cold. After reaching the highest point we will descend and pass beautiful lagoons and we’ll stop for having lunch. You will be able to recuperate while our cooks prepare a delicious lunch for you. Next we will descend further through a forest where you will be able to enjoy the “Queuñas” (Polylepis – a typical three from Peru), flora and fauna of this wonderful park. Thereafter we will continue descending until we got our camping spot at Pucara (3000m/9842f), a private camping place where you will have tea time and some snacks upon arrival before having dinner.
Day 3: Pucara – Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes
Today will be another spectacular day we take the channel to continue walking to the Yanahuara Inka terraces where we can see the agriculture places where the Andean people still work in the famous corn of giant grains of the sacred valley called MAIZ PARCAY.
from there we continue to Pachar where we are going to take the Inka trail to Ollantaytambo over the Inka terraces but in the way we are going to see one small archeological site call it Choccana to our lunch in from of the Ollantaytambo Inka town , where we visit the town. Before to take our train at 13:00 to Machupicchu town in the afternoon you will have time to visit the hot springs in Aguas Calientes to relax
Day 4: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Cusco
We will leave our hotel after breakfast at 5:30 am.Machu Picchu by Lares Trek and head for Machu Picchu (2400m/7874f) by tourist bus. We will arrive at the citadel around 6:00 am. After a guided tour around the archaeological site, including information about life and culture of the Incas, you will have enough time to enjoy Machu Picchu and Wayna Picchu (2750m/9022f) on your own. We will leave Aguas Calientes by train either at 2:55 pm or at 6:10 pm. Until then, you will have time to have lunch in one of the nice restaurants. Moreover, you can visit the hot springs in Aguas Calientes to relax a bit.
Included meals: B=breakfast; L=lunch; D=dinner
Season: Whole Year
Difficulty: Moderate
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