OUR LARES TREK IS THE BEST AND MOST UNIQUE PATH AVAILABLE PLUS SHORT INCA TRAIL TO MACHU PICCHU

The Lares Valley trek + Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, gives the trekker the best of all worlds in 5 days.  You pass through the most isolated indigenous communities keeping the Inca culture alive, and get the privilege to interact with them. Our own unique route is incredibly picturesque, with majestic ice glaciers, shockingly blue glacial lakes, waterfalls, llamas, and alpacas. On the Inca Trail hike on the original Inca trail just like in ancient times, explore the ancient Inca religious cities along the way and enter through the Sun Gate directly to Machu Picchu Citadel. You get to visit Machu Picchu 2 times.

Day 1: Cusco – Huaran – Cancha Cancha.

At 6am we pick you up a your hotel and then drive for the next hour to the Pisac Inca ruins, where we explore this amazing Inca City with your guide as he shares with you the history of the City and the Incas. After the guided tour, we enjoy breakfast in front of the Pisac ruins engrossed with the amazing views of the Inca city & valleys below. 

After breakfast, we take off on a 2 hour drive to the village of Huaran (2840m/9,318ft) located in the famous Sacred Valley between Pisacand Urubamba. Huaran will be the starting point where we meet up with the horsemen and pack up the horses. Leaving the Sacred Valleybehind, we maneuver northward following a gentle ascending trail along the small Cancha Cancha River. It takes approximately 6 hours to reach our destination, a small village named Cancha Cancha (3800m/12,477ft) where we spend the night.

• Meals: Breakfast – Lunch – Afternoon Tea – Dinner
• Accommodation: Camping facilities with comfortable tents, foam mattress, blankets, pillows
• Time: 6hrs approximately
• Difficulty: Moderate

Day 2: Cancha Cancha – Quishuarani.

Leaving Cancha Cancha we continue trekking up the valley, passing small thatched stone houses, huge mountainous ranges and typical Peruvian layered landscapes. After 2 hours, the path plateaus out, and we arrive to the highest pass called Pachacutec Pass (4758m/15610ft). Filled with joy and relief over reaching the summit, and captivated by the superb views of Pachacutec Lake and the snowy mountainous peaks of Pitusiray, we take the moment to enjoy the stunning sites before us and allow the sun’s rays replenish us. We then head downhill for the next 2 hours in time to enjoy a refreshing lunch. After lunch, we continue downward for another 1.5 hours into the valley’s several glacial lakes, herds of alpacas, llamas and sheep. Tonight we camp at (3,870 m/12,694ft) close to Quishuaranivillage, with its typical Inca stone and thatched homes.

• Meals: Breakfast – Lunch – Afternoon Tea – Dinner
• Accommodation: Camping facilities with comfortable tents, inflatable mattress, blankets, pillows
• Distance: 14kms/10.3 miles
• Time:8hrs approximately
• Difficulty: Challenge

Day 3: Quishuarani – Cuncani – Lares – Ollantaytambo. 

As we reach the mid-point of our trek, it is time to take on the second mountain pass, Hillkiccasa Pass (4200m/13779ft). As we trek we marvel over the views of the plunging and peaked Peruvian Andes Mountains, as nature surrounds us in its purest form. The majestic Colquecruz and Pitusiray Mountains are awe inspiring to watch from the pass. We continue our trek through the Puna grasslands, undulating and productive agricultural sites and natural pristine lakes. After 5 hours of hiking, we reach Cuncani, a small Inca community. From Cuncani we head down through a lush valley with extensive agricultural areas, fruit bearing trees, varied flora, and native flowers like begonias and wild orchids. Finally, we reach our destination, the Lares Village (3100m/10170ft) where we cannot wait to soak in the natural volcanic hot springs for an hour, have lunch and take a siesta. 

After lunch in Lares, we take our private transport to Ollantaytambo, where we spend the night in our hotel.

• Meals: Breakfast – Lunch – Afternoon Tea – Dinner
• Accommodation: Tunupa Lodge or Isky Hotel in Ollantaytambo
• Distance: 15kms / 9.3 miles
• Time: 6 hrs approximately
• Difficulty: Moderate

Day 4: Ollantaytambo – 104kms  – Wiñaywayna – Machu Picchu – Aguas Calientes.

Early, we take our train to 104 kms point (2,100m/6,927ft), Cusco-Machu Picchu way. With anticipation, we begin our first leg of the Inca Trail, passing the first checkpoint. Here we repack to carry only the essentials in your backpack for the 1 day of trekking on the Inca Trail. Afterwards we initiate a moderate climb for three hours to the magnificent archaeological site of Wiñayhuana. (2,650m/8747ft). Once there, we notice as we take in the spectacular views of the Urubamba Canyon, the stunning Inca sites around us, and the connection to the traditional four day Inca Trail.  We continue onward towards the long anticipated Sun Gate, (2,730m/9,007ft) where we finally get our first spectacular view of Machu Picchu in all its brilliance and its majestic monumentality. After a time to take many photos, we head for one-hour downhill, to the Citadel of Machu Picchu, take the bus to Aguas Calientes, and find our hotel where we spend the night.

• Meals: Box lunch & Dinner.
• Accommodation: Wiracocha Inn Hotel or Andean Terra Hotel
• Distance: 13 kms/8 miles
• Time: 6hrs approximately
• Difficulty: Moderate

Day 5: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Cusco.

Bursting with excitement on your final surreal day, we take the first bus to Machu Picchu archeological site, making sure we tour every nook and cranny of this New 7 Wonder of the World and UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. The Citadel of the Incas, Machu Picchu,what an unforgettable experience. Your guide will expertly direct you through the energetic ruins and its diverse main streets. Then on your own, you can wander around the town squares of the world’s spiritual center of Inca wisdom, as well as climb the intricately carved stairways made of stone. Alternatively, you can stay still and just relax or meditate as you sit in the pure delight of the moment and the mountain’s presence.

If you wish to indulge in a few of the following activities on your own you can (not included in the price):

• Climb up Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain to appreciate the beauty and magnificence of Machu Picchu from the views above (additional cost)
• You will be given some time to walk to the Sun Gate or Inti Punku. (Free of cost)
• Other optional activities in Aguas Calientes include a visit to the new local museum or to the hot springs (will be an additional entrance fee).

When you are ready, you will descend to Aguas Calientes, have a leisurely lunch on your own, and later on board the Expedition train at 4:22pm for the return trip to Cusco stopping at the Ollantaytambo Station, where you will catch our private van back to Cusco and your hotel, arriving around 8pm.

• Meal: Breakfast
• Difficulty: Easy

WHAT IS INCLUDED.

• Transfer from the airport to your hotel
• First breakfast
• Private transportation from the hotel to Huaran – Trail head.
• Licensed guide fluent in English and Quechua.
• Round trip train ticket from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes
• 2 Bus tickets from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu and return to Aguas Calientes 
• Admission ticket to the Machu picchu Archaeological Complex
• Entrance tickets to the Inca Trail national park
• 2 nights Hotel with private bathroom, hot shower, wifi, storage and buffet breakfast included
• 2 person Igloo tents (large and comfortable)
• Thick Foam Mattress
• Delicious meals during the 4 days as indicated in the itinerary
• Cook and cooking equipment
• Horseman and mules, to carry all camping and personal equipment (7 kilograms of your personal items such as extra clothes, sleeping bag, these will be carried by our mules) (on Lares Trek portion only)
• Provision of a horse in case of emergency (With helmet) incase of illness, to ensure the trek can be completed by all participants (Only Lares Hike)
• First-aid kit including emergency oxygen tank
• Boiled water to fill your drinking bottles
• Guided tour in Machu Picchu
• Chef, cooking equipment and kitchen tent
• Rain poncho
• Transfer back to Cusco for our group
• Local interaction with the local kids and the community.

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED.

• Sleeping Bag – US$20 per person per trek (It will be clean and warm)
• Air Mattress – US$20 per person per trek (Therm-a-rest mattresses)
• Walking Poles – US$15 per pair per trek (Professional Poles that can be extended)
• Personal tent: US $30 – (Please request when you book your Trek)
• Vistadome Train Upgrade  – US$57 per person (For the return to Cusco (Poroy) at 4:43pm )
• Huayna Picchu Mountain  – US$75 per person (Please request when you book your Trek)
• Machu Picchu  Mountain –  US$70 per person  (Please request when you book your Trek)
• Lunch on the last day in Aguas Calientes
• OPTIONAL UPGRADES: Hotel
• Tips for the crew, guide, cook and porters of ANDEAN TOUR.