We will start the day early with a cup of hot coca tea and enjoy a delicious breakfast. After this we will begin our trek with a view of the snow-capped peaks of Chicón, San Juan and Verónica. Surrounded by woods, a challenging five hour adventure awaits us, climbing up a path with steep stone steps and stairs, some parts have narrow curves up to the pass of Pumahuanca at an altitude of 4.780 m. We will pass many “apachetas” at the pass, which are stone piles left by travelers crossing the pass in order to honor the apus or mountain gods. Once we reach the pass, we will also honor the mountain gods with the local custom of offering coca leaves.

From here we can enjoy a view of Moray, Maras and the nearby salt mines. Next we are ready for our descent of about one hour along a stone path with a lovely view overloooking both sides of the mountain. Finally we will reach an area close to some impressive lakes where we will have our lunch and enjoy a brief rest. After lunch we will have to walk for about two more hours downhill, and on the way we will surely meet some local farmers wearing the traditional and colorful clothing which is typical of the valley of Lares. Cuncani is the main community of the area, and we will enjoy our dinner here before setting up camp at an altitude of 3.900 m. Cuncani is very famous for its textiles which are still being woven according to ancient traditions and techniques. You will have the opportunity to buy handmade textiles directly from the people of the area.

Maximum Altitude: 4.780 m
Minimum Altitude: 3.900 m
Distance: approximately 13 kilometers
Approximate walking time: 6-7 hours

An alpaca near a small settlement in the Lares Valley.

Today is the last day of the Lares Trek, and it will be an easy day so you will be able to sleep in a little later before breakfast. In the small village where we spent the night we will have the opportunity to learn a bit about the traditional customs of farming and weaving and see some local textiles. Afterwards we will walk another four hours downhill until we reach the village of Lares, famous for its medicinal hot springs, where we will enjoy a hot bath. After our lunch we will travel by bus for three hours to the town of Ollantaytambo where we will catch the train to Aguas Calientes, a two hour ride.

Maximum Altitude: 3.740 m
Minimum Altitude: 2.735 m
Distance: approximately 6 kilometers
Approximate walking time: 3-4 hours

A hiker walking alonside a stream in the Lares Valley.

Today is the day you’ve been waiting for!

We will pick you up from your hotel at 5:00 a.m. to catch the bus from Aguas Calientes to the entrance of Machu Picchu.

One of the Seven Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu deserves all the attention that it gets for being an engineering and architectural masterpiece. Visitors will be impressed by the many plazas, temples, houses, storage facilities, sundials, stairs that still maintain their structure more than 500 years later despite constant exposure to intense weather and earthquakes.

During your tour through this magnificent site, your bilingual guide will explain all about the historical sanctuary of Machu Picchu and visit all the major sites within the lost city. The guided tour will take around 2 hours.

After the tour we will descend to Aguas Calientes, where you will have time to visit the hot springs that the town is named for (not included in cost of tour). Then, you will have the opportunity to eat lunch and shop for some souvenirs before catching the train back to Cusco.

Machu Picchu, considered one of the new 7 wonders of the world.