4-Day Lares Trek to Machu Picchu

We will start at 6:00 a.m., where we will pick you up directly from your hotel and drive 2 hours to the town of Huaran (Punta Carretera 3250 m) located in the Sacred Valley between Pisac and Urubamba. Before starting your walk, you will meet your horses and horsemen (arrieros). After you get ready, we’ll start the hike through the beautiful Huaran valley toward the lares andes. The first 4.5 hours will be gradually uphill until lunch. After lunch, we will continue leaving the Sacred Valley behind us, heading north following a path that climbs gently alongside a small river for 2 hours to reach our destination (Accopata 4,125 m) – small village of Cancha Cancha where we spend the night. Cancha Cancha does not have modern technology and people still practice real Inca traditions. In this Inca town, 85 percent of the houses are still made up of original, old buildings, made of stone, with thatched roofs. Unlike any other town in the Lares Valley, this town has no electricity or cars. Your porters will set up your tents while you have time to meet with local Quechua-speaking people.

In the evening, relax with hot drinks and a freshly prepared dinner before an early night. If conditions allow, enjoy an unforgettable stargazing experience beneath the crystal-clear Andean sky and the brilliance of the Milky Way.

Leaving Cancha Cancha, we continue northeast up the valley, passing small thatched stone houses. After approximately one hour of relatively flat terrain, we begin a steep ascent of about three hours to reach the highest point of the trek, Pachacutec Pass (4,685 m). From here, you will be rewarded with spectacular views of Pachacutec Lake and the snow-capped peaks of Pitusiray.

After taking time to enjoy the scenery, we descend for approximately 2.5 hours into a beautiful valley, arriving at our destination, Qoyalay Lake. Along the way, we pass several glacial lakes and encounter herds of alpacas, llamas, and sheep. We then continue to our campsite at 4,100 m near the village of Quishuarani, home to traditional Andean stone houses.

As part of our True Impact Experience, your guide will take you to a local family home, where you’ll connect with the living culture of the Andes.

Learn how families raise guinea pigs, discover the traditions behind handwoven textiles made from llama and alpaca wool, and enjoy a genuine cultural exchange.

Through our True Impact Project, we support educational initiatives for local children. Read more.

This is not a performance—it’s a real connection that creates a positive impact.

Without a doubt, one of the most meaningful highlights of your journey.

Our porters will wake you up with a hot drink and you will have some time to pack your bags and enjoy breakfast. Once you are ready, you’ll start the last leg of your Lares trek. It will be 3 hours of walking downhill along a lovely path, where you will pass stunning waterfalls and more llamas and alpacas. We’ll pass by farms where they cultivate potatoes, mountain fava beans, and many other traditional tubers in the traditional Incan style.
Then we will catch our van for a short drive along the valley to the Lares Hot Springs where you will have time to enjoy the natural pools which range from hot to cold. They are all composed of pure volcanic water, which is medicinal in nature and considered to be good for your joints, muscles, stress and headaches. We will have our last outdoor lunch here accompanied by amazing views of the Andes Mountains.

After lunch in Lares, enjoy a private transfer to Ollantaytambo, followed by a scenic two-hour train journey to Aguas Calientes, where you will check in to your hotel.

Breakfast will be at 5:00 a.m. in the hotel, and then we will line up to take one of the first buses to Machu Picchu, the bus takes 25 minutes to reach Machu Picchu (which opens its doors at 6:00 a.m.). Be sure to bring your original passport, the same one you used to book your trip because park rangers will ask for it (and you can also get a Machu Picchu stamp in it!). Your guide will help you find the perfect places to get the best photos of Machu Picchu (which will immediately become your Facebook profile photo!) and you can enjoy the sunrise if the weather is good. Then you will have your 2-hour guided tour and some extra time to explore the site on your own. If you have booked Huaynapicchu or Machupicchu Mountain, your guide will show you where to start this trek. Huaynapicchu takes 2 hours and Machupicchu Mountain 3 hours round trip. Once you’re done exploring, you can return to the buses and head to Aguas Calientes for lunch (not included). After lunch, you will take the train back to Ollantaytambo and we will transfer you back to your hotel in Cusco.