Lares Trek 4 Days

Pickup between 5:00 and 6:00 am and a ~4-hour drive: we cross the Sacred Valley with a stop in Calca, climb over the Amparaes pass (~4,400 m) and drop into the Lares valley. Morning soak in the Lares hot springs (3,260 m): medicinal pools of volcanic origin between 28 and 36 °C, rich in iron and calcium, with the Andes as a backdrop, while the team serves breakfast. Meet your trekking crew: mountain chef, horsemen and pack horses carrying up to 7 kg of gear per traveler. Gentle 3–4 hour hike through the 'potato valley' — hundreds of native varieties, Andean geese and herds of llamas and alpacas — to the weaving community of Huacahuasi (3,700 m), with its stone houses and thatched roofs. Textile demonstration with natural dyes, chef-cooked dinner and a night camping under a star-filled sky.

Distance: 10 km · Max altitude: 3,400 m → 4,400 m → 3,700 m · Meals: B, L, D

The most challenging day. Wake up with coca tea served at your tent, breakfast and a steady ~3-hour zigzag climb to the Ipsaycocha pass (4,450 m), the highest point of the trek. From the top, 360° views: snow-capped peaks, glacial lakes, waterfalls and isolated herding communities (an emergency horse accompanies the group all day). Short descent to Ipsaycocha Lake, a natural trout nursery, where the chef serves lunch at the water's edge. In the afternoon, a gentle ~2.5-hour descent through a wide open valley, past shepherd huts and weaving families, to Patacancha (3,700 m), one of the most active textile communities in the region. Happy hour with tea, coffee and popcorn, dinner and a second night of camping. A cold, clear night — perfect for seeing the Milky Way.

Distance: 14 km · Max altitude: 3,700 m → 4,450 m → 3,700 m · Meals: B, L, D

After breakfast, an easy downhill day. We walk through the community of Willoq (3,400 m) to the Pumamarca archaeological site (3,200 m), an Inca watchtower overlooking the Patacancha River, with a guided visit. We continue along an original Inca trail among terraces, irrigation channels still in use and fields of corn, quinoa and kiwicha, entering the mild microclimate of the Sacred Valley down to Ollantaytambo (2,850 m), the only Inca town still inhabited on its original layout. Farewell to the horsemen and chef, lunch and free time (optional: climb to the Pinkuylluna Inca granaries). In the afternoon, scenic train to Aguas Calientes (~1.5 hours) following the Urubamba canyon. Night at a hotel with a hot shower — the first real bed of the trek — and briefing for Machu Picchu.

Distance: 16 km · Max altitude: 3,700 m → 2,850 m → 2,040 m · Meals: B, L

Early breakfast and one of the first buses up (25 minutes) to catch the sunrise at Machu Picchu (2,430 m). Guided visit of 2–3 hours with the same guide from the trek: Temple of the Sun, Intihuatana, Temple of the Condor, Temple of the Three Windows, the main plaza and the agricultural terraces; then free time to explore and photograph. Optional add-ons with extra tickets and limited spots (book months in advance): Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain. Bus down to Aguas Calientes for lunch, afternoon return train to Ollantaytambo and bus to Cusco, arriving at your hotel around 8:30 pm.

Max altitude: 2,040 m → 2,430 m → 3,400 m · Meals: B