5 Days Lares Trek + Short Inca Trail To Machu Picchu

Itinerary

Day 1: Cusco – Huaran – Cancha Cancha

Your Lares Trek & Inca Trail to Machu Picchu combo trek begins early with your pickup at 6:00am from your Cusco hotel. Then we will drive to Huaran where will start our hike. We will meet your horsemen and horses.

Time to get ready! Once your boots are on, we will begin our first 3 hours gradually ascending towards Cancha Cancha. Along the way, your lunch will be served next to the river, replenishing your energy for the trek ahead with a delicious meal prepared by your trekking chef.

Cancha Cancha (3,900m/12,800ft) is one of the most isolated and traditional communities, self-sustaining as it has been for hundreds of years. There is no road to the community and they were only connected to electricity in December, 2019.

After settling into your tents and having afternoon tea, you will have the opportunity to visit a local family. You will learn all about life in a traditional Andean village, with your guide as your interpreter.

After dinner, your guide will show you the Inca constellations on which they depended for their agricultural guidance and still do to this day.

• Meals included: Lunch – Afternoon Tea Time – Dinner
• Accommodation: Camping facilities with bathroom building
• Distance: 9kms / 5.6 miles
• Time: 3.5hrs approximately
• Difficulty: Moderate 

Day 2: Cancha Cancha – Quiswarani

Your guide will wake you with a hot mug of tea or coffee to enjoy in your sleeping bag before you get up for breakfast. Feeling all revved up to begin our second day, after another delicious breakfast, we begin our 7 hour hike northeast.

It starts out as an intense walk, accomplishing high passes on our way to the highest point of our trek at Pachacutec Pass(4,500m /14,800 ft). This is where you pat yourself on the back and embrace the satisfaction and exhilaration for making it up to the summit.

Motivating you along the trail for this intense part of the trek are the views of glaciers, remote lakes, alpaca herds, rugged valleys and spectacular mountain vistas. Keep your eyes on the sky for the Caracara falcons and Andean geese!

After enjoying the summit, we descend for 3 hours until we reach our campsite located by the Quiswarani community, (3,700m/12,139ft). On the way, we will be taking an isolated trail where we will see indigenous highland people in their traditional outfits herding their llamas and alpacas.

The local indigenous people will open their hearts and talk with you in the Quechua language (the Incas’ language). Your guide will act as your interpreter to translate and teach you some Quechua words. When you arrive at the spectacular seven waterfalls, you are almost at the campsite!

At the campsite, everything will be ready. Enjoy hot drinks and appetizers before dinner, then snuggle in for a comfortable night sleep.

• Meals included: Breakfast – Lunch – Afternoon Tea Time – Dinner
• Accommodation: Camping facilities with bathroom building
• Distance: 12kms / 7.5 miles
• Time: 7hrs approximately
• Difficulty: challenging

Day 3: Quiswarani – Cuncani – Lares – Ollantaytambo 

Your adventure continues as you begin the most scenic day yet!  We begin our ascent for 3 hours until we reach the Willqaqasa Pass, (4,200m/13,779ft) getting a bird’s eye view of the reflections of the mountains in mirror images in the glacial lakes.

The majestic Colquecruz and Pitusiray Mountains are awe inspiring to admire from the pass. We continue our trek through the Puna grasslands, undulating and productive agricultural sites and natural pristine lakes.

Time to descend for 2 hours to the Cucani community. Connecting with the local indigenous children, you may have the opportunity to visit their school and share in some quality time with the students.

From Cuncani we meet our driver and ride down through alush 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 Hot Springs (3,100m/ 10,170ft), where we cannot wait to soak in the natural volcanic hot springs for an hour, have lunch and relax. Time for our goodbyes for our remarkable chef and horsemen. 

After lunch in Lares, we take our private transport to 2.5 hours Ollantaytambo, where we have dinner together and spend the night in our hotel.

• Meals included: Breakfast – Lunch – Afternoon Tea – Dinner
• 2* Accommodation: Veronica View Hotel 
• 3* Accommodation: El Alberge or Pakaritampu
• Distance: 15kms / 9.3 miles
• Time: 6 hrs approximately
• Difficulty: Moderate

Day 4: Ollantaytambo – KM104 – Wiñay wayna – Machu Picchu – Aguas Calientes

We start this exciting day early; your guide will leave the hotel with you at 5:30am. When you arrive at the train station, your guide will give you your lunch to add to your daypack.

Your train departs Ollantaytambo at 6:10am and you will have just over an hour on the train to enjoy the scenery and have breakfast (not included). Your hotel can provide you a picnic breakfast to take with you or you can pack your own breakfast.

You get off the train at the famous Km104, where your trek begins! (2,000m/6,560 ft. above sea level). After crossing the Urubamba River on a picturesque foot bridge, you will show your passport at the checkpoint and visit your first Inca site nearby.

The first hour and a half are a gentle upward climb. Along the way, you will stop at several outlooks where you have an expansive view of the Urubamba River. You also pass through several microclimates, including cloud forest, so be ready for damp or even rain during any season of the year.

The next hour and a half are a slightly steeper uphill with a beautiful waterfall as your reward at the end of the hike!

When you cross the bridge below the waterfall, be sure to take some time for photos and as you do you will find yourself gazing up at the spectacular Wiñay Wayna! (2,600m/8,500ft above sea level) These amazing Inca ruins have a fascinating history and some parts are still hidden by the dense jungle.

This close to Machu Picchu, you are hiking through lush sub-tropical jungle. Your guide will tell you all about the ruins, plus the incredible flora and fauna of this microclimate and answer any questions you have before the short 5-minute walk to your lunch spot.

You have lunch at a covered shelter at the Wiñay Wayna campground, which is the last campground for those hiking the Classic Inca Trail. Nearby are outdoor sinks to wash your hands and also restrooms.

Take your time enjoying your hearty, gourmet lunch and admiring the tropical flowers around the campground. Be sure to notify us of any food allergies or dietary restrictions when you book!

After lunch, you have a mostly flat walk to the Sun Gate, from which you have your first view of Machu Picchu. Though the hour-long walk is a gentle rolling up and down, it does end with a set of steep stairs carved directly into the bedrock by the Inca.

Once you reach the stairs you will know that you’re almost at the Sun Gate! As you turn the corner from the Sun Gate, you will enjoy your first breathtaking view of Machu Picchu. So, take some time to savor the moment and take photos.

The last 60 minutes down from the Sun Gate provide many opportunities to take more photos of Machu Picchu from this unique vantage point. There are also a couple more important Inca sites between the Sun Gate and Machu Picchu, so make sure to go slowly, enjoy your time walking in the footsteps of the Inca on the Inca Trail and ask your guide questions about these historical places on the final stretch of your hike to Machu Picchu.

Once you reach Machu Picchu, you will have time to take more photos from the viewing platforms, “House of the Guardians” where you can take the famous postcard pictures of Machu Picchu above the site.

You will arrive in the afternoon, as the archeological area starts to empty of tourists, which gives you the opportunity to take beautiful photos in the afternoon light with fewer people in your shots.

Take your time to enjoy this magical experience before you take the bus down to Aguas Calientes to check into your hotel. Your will have a delicious dinner, then have time to walk around this picturesque little town, visit the hot springs or just go to your hotel to rest after such an exciting day.

• Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner in a restaurant in Aguas Calientes
• Distance: 12 kms/7.5 miles
• Time: 6hrs approximately
• 3* Accommodations: Ferre Hotel Machu Picch
• Difficulty: moderate

You will leave your duffel from the trek at the Ollantaytambo train station to be sent by train directly to Aguas Calientes.

Day 5: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu – Cusco

This is the day you’ve been waiting for! After an early breakfast at your hotel, you’ll take one of the first buses up to Machu Picchu so that you can be there to witness the sunrise. It is a truly extraordinary site and not something you’ll want to miss. Your guide will give you a guided tour of Machu Picchu, which takes about two hours. You will see many of the most important parts of Machu Picchu Citadel. 

After your tour, those who have booked in advance for the extra hikes up Huayna Picchu Mountain will have time to enjoy those views on their own. When you have had your fill of the exceptional views of Machu Picchu, you will take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes for lunch (not included). Depending on your train departure time, you may also have time for some shopping, sightseeing or a visit to the museum or hot springs. 

The Expedition train will take you back to Ollantaytambo at 2:55pm or 3:20pm, following the spectacular Urubamba River. Close to Aguas Calientes, the canyon is narrow and the river has many beautiful sections of whitewater. You can also see Wiñay Wayna from the train, if you look up high on the steep canyon wall!

Back at Ollantaytambo, your driver will meet you at the exit from the train station to take you back to your hotel in Cusco in our private vehicle. You can expect to arrive at your hotel by 7:00pm.

• Meal included: Breakfast
• Difficulty: Easy

***IMPORTANT:

•  On the 2 day Inca Trail, we will be doing the circuit #3 and there is no way to do another circuit unless you buy an additional entrance to Machu Picchu.
• You can upgrade to the Vistadome Train for the same times, 2:55pm or 3:20pm, 4:22pm, or 4:43pm. The cost is $67 USD.
• Early trains can be organized by requested and it has to be done by booking time.
• The Huayna Picchu Mountain Hike depends on availability and let us know about it at booking time.