Lares & Inca Trail Trek
4 days | 3 nights | 25 miles hiking | 2 nights camping | 1 night hotel
What is included?
Tents for trek
One night in hotel
Guided tour of Machu Picchu
Two days hiking in Lares range
Full day hiking on Inca Trail
All transportation for the trek
All meals during trek
All professional guides and staff
All permits, tickets, taxes, and fees
Experience two incredible hikes, hot springs, and Machu Picchu
You get to Cusco and we will handle the rest!
Schedule Overview
Day 1
The Journey Begins
Pick up from Cusco hotel around 5AM
2.5 hour drive from Cusco to trail head
6-7 hours of hiking to first campsite
Day 2
Villages and Hot Springs
Early start and uphill hike
Lunch and tour at a local village
Campsite located at Lares hot springs
Day 3
Short Inca Trail
Very early start, van to train station
Train short Inca Trail
View Machu Picchu from Sun Gate
Day 4
Tour of Machu Picchu
20 minute bus ride to entrance
Tour of Machu Picchu
Train to Cusco in the evening
Popular Questions
Schedule Details
Let's get specific...
Day 1
The Journey Begins
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Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Max Altitude: 12,470ft. (3,800m)
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Min Altitude: 9,186ft. (2,800m)
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Distance Hiked: ~8.7 miles (14 km)
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Ascent: +3,284ft. (+1,000m)
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Walking Time: 6-7 hours
Note: Our trekking times are approximate and will vary depending on: weather conditions, group ability and other factors.
MORNING
Our private van will pick you up directly from your hotel at 5:30AM. You can choose to recline in your seat and sleep for a couple more hours, or you can enjoy an incredibly scenic drive through the heart of the Sacred Valley. You will drive past Chincheros and stop in the quaint town of Urubamba (Altitude = 9,400ft. / 2,800m) for a brief toilet break and a chance to buy any last minute snacks, water, batteries, etc. You’ll be served breakfast here and enjoy a warm cup of Cocoa Tea.
The van will depart Urubamba between 7:15-7:30AM. After driving for another 20-30 minutes, you’ll enter the Pumahuanca Valley, known for the Peruvian white corn that the famous Inca beer Chinca is made from. This stunning valley is also where the Lares Trek will commence! Once the van stops, you will meet the chef, the trek staff, the horses and horse handlers (Arrieros). All of the equipment needed during the trek will be carried by mules and horses.
The hike begins with a backdrop of striking scenery of the lush vegetation of the Andes. You will hike on a trail made of gravel that begins with gentle switchbacks, which will take you from an altitude of 9,400ft. (2,800m.) up to 11,800ft. (3,600m.) in the first few hours. During the first stretch of the hike, take your time and look around at the incredible views of the surrounding valley and mountains! After 4 hours of hiking, the trail will arrive at an ancient Inca Complex called “Inca-Kancha”, where you’ll enjoy a guided tour of this amazing archaeological site.
AFTERNOON
After the tour, your guide will find a good spot for you to relax and enjoy lunch. You’ll get to experience the first meal prepared by our incredible chef. He will make some of the most delicious food you’ve ever tasted! And he’ll do it in the middle of the wilderness! This is a great spot to unwind for a bit and enjoy the scenery that stretches out around you.
After lunch your hike will continue uphill for another 3-4 hours. The scenery continues to astound! This part of the world is truly magical. Whenever you start to feel a little tired from the hike, we encourage you to sit down and take some time to look back at the incredible vistas that stretch around you. On this first day, you will pass through several micro-climates including: jungle, cloud forest, the highlands and finally the rocky mountainous terrain that will take over as we near the top of our climb.
EVENING
After hiking uphill for the majority of the afternoon, you will be rewarded by reaching the campsite for the night called Cuyoc (12,470ft. / 3,800m.), which is set in a stunning landscape of waterfalls and has lovely vistas of the peaks of Andes around us.
Each night you will have a family “tea-time” together, where you will enjoy hot chocolate, a variety of teas and snacks together to wind down from the efforts of your hike. You’ll swap stories and prepare to eat a delicious, hot dinner created by our chef and his staff. If the weather allows, your guide will show you the Inca Constellations in the millions of bright stars that stretch overhead.
After dinner your Tour Guides will go over the plans for the next great day. Buenas Noches!
Day 2
Villages and Hot Springs
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Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Max Altitude: 16,000ft. (4,875m)
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Min Altitude: 10,265ft. (3,130m)
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Distance Traveled: 6.5 miles (10.5 km)
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Descent: 5,735ft. (1,745m)
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Walking Time: 8-9 hours
MORNING
Our crew will wake you up at 6:00AM with smiles and a hot cup of Cocoa Tea. You’ve got an incredible day ahead of you that begins with a hot breakfast, including quinoa pancakes! The trek will recommence at 7:00AM with scenic views of the Chicon, San Juan and Veronica mountains.
The beginning of the hike will be a challenging 4-hour climb along a dirt road and stone steps, heading toward the Pumahuanca Pass (15,100ft. / 4,600m.). You will pass several Apacheta’s, a stack of piled stones assembled by pilgrims as a symbol of gratitude and respect to the Apus (Bird of Paradise). Upon reaching the Pass, you will be able to honor the top of the mountain by performing a local ritual involving Cocoa Leaves and the blood of the youngest person in our group (kidding!). From the top of this pass, you can see incredible views of Moray, Maras and Salineras stretching out far below. It’s a truly breathtaking view.
AFTERNOON
After enjoying the scenery, you will begin an hour-long descent down a stone road, which has more lovely views on both sides. At mid-day, you will break for lunch on the banks of an incredible, crystal blue mountain lake. Enjoy another fabulous meal prepared by our chef while you relax and recoup your energy. After lunch you will have 2 more hours of mainly downhill hiking to reach a local village.
This village is full of color and Campesinos (local, friendly people). The men and women of this village wear the same colorful costumes that their Inca ancestors wore hundreds of years ago. As you interact with the locals, be sure to appreciate the environment that they thrive in! This village is surrounded with magnificent views of mountains and valleys, and there are also herds of llamas and alpacas that graze in these hills.
In this little village, you will have the opportunity to visit the home of the Arriero (Lead Herder), a person of great respect and status in these herding communities. He will share stories of the village and tell you how they live with a deep connection to nature. You will learn about and witness several of their ancient traditions, including: agricultural practices, weaving’s, textiles, herbal-ism and much more.
EVENING
After the visit to the village, you will take a private van to the Lares Village (those who would like can hike, ~3 hours), which is the namesake and pinnacle of the Lares Trek! The Lares Village is famous for its medicinal hot springs and is also home to brilliant mountain lagoons and lakes! If you’d like, you will have the opportunity to change into your bathing suits and soak in one of the pools fed by the medical hot springs.
After a refreshing dip in the springs, you will enjoy another wonderful meal prepared by our chef and his staff and turn in for the night at the campsite, which will be right next to the pools of natural hot springs.
Day 3
Short Inca Trail
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Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Max Altitude: 10,265ft. (3,130m)
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Min Altitude: 6,888ft. (2,100m)
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Distance Traveled: ~9.3 miles (15 km)
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Descent: 3,377ft. (1,030m)
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Walking Time: 6-7 hours
MORNING
Very early start today! A Kusa Treks van will pick you up from the Lares Campsite at 4:00AM and drive ~3.5 hours to the train station in Ollantaytambo. Here you will board an Expedition Train for the Trail Head of the Short Inca Trail (Km 104). After an hour and 45-minute train ride, you will start today’s hike on the Inca Trail by submitting your passports at a check control point.
Once on the trail, you will start with an easy walk near the Vicanota River. The trail will gradually begin to incline as it heads for the Chachabamba Ruins, which is a set of Inca Ruins that include a stone alter used to worship the sun and mountains. This site is still used by the locals that live in this area to pay tribute to the beautiful nature that surrounds them.
After visiting these historic ruins, the path will lead south with a steady incline up the mountain, where you will enter a beautiful cloud forest! The trail then opens into into a breathtaking open meadow on top of the mountain. The scenery will continue to impress as you begin to descend the mountain into an incredible rain forest, highlighted with a majestic waterfall! Seriously, this stretch of the trail is magnificent and will likely take up a lot of memory on your phone or camera.
AFTERNOON
Once you reach the bottom of the valley, you will have a guided tour a set of Inca Ruins called Wiñay Wayna (affectionately known as “Baby Machu Picchu”). We encourage you to take your time and appreciate the beauty of this incredible place. Your guide will explain the importance and meaning of these ruins after which you will enjoy a lovely boxed lunch prepared by our chef earlier that morning. After completing lunch, you will hike through another cloud forest full of bromeliads, orchids and tree ferns, which combine to make a dazzling display of Andean beauty.
After a few hours of hiking, the trail will begin to pass several age-old monuments built by the Incas, including stone stairs and drums. You will have the opportunity to climb 60 of these stairs in order to reach the famous Intil Punku (“Sun Gate”). The Sun Gate is an architectural wonder built by the Incas hundreds of years ago. At dawn on the summer equinox, the sun will pass through the Sun Gate and strike a pool of sacred water in the Sun Temple located in the center of Machu Picchu.
EVENING
From the Sun Gate, you will have an incredible vantage point to view the ruins of Machu Picchu below. By now it will be late afternoon, and you will begin to descend the stone steps built by the Incas. At each turn a different and wonderful view of Machu Picchu will present itself as you make your way to one of the more famous vantage points to view Machu Picchu.
Upon reaching the lookout point, you will have 15-30 minutes to take pictures and observe the sun set behind the city of Machu Picchu! After enjoying the sunset, your guide will lead you past the entryway of the Machu Picchu ruins to a bus stop, where you will board a bus and take a 25-minute ride down to the charming town of Aguas Calientes.
Upon reaching the town, you will enjoy a lovely meal at a local restaurant and then turn in for the night at your hotel. Accommodations and dinner in Aguas Calientes are included in the price of the trek. After dinner your guide will go over the plans for the next day, and you will be able to catch up on sleep after a long day!
NOTE: The incredible part about this trek (and why so many of our clients enjoy it so much) is that you will have the opportunity to see Machu Picchu twice and from different different vantage points. Once from the Sun Gate and lookout point on Day 3, where you will get a “birds eye view” that will allow you can see the entire city and again on Day 4 when you will actually enter the park to tour the ruins.
Day 4
Machu Picchu
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Meals: Breakfast and a snack
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Max/Min Altitude: 7,972ft. (2,430m)
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Distance Hiked: ~2 miles (walking around Machu Picchu)
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Walking Time: 4-6 hours
MORNING
Today you will discover Machu Picchu, the world famous Sacred City of the Incas. It is entirely up to the group when you would like to start this exciting day! However, the majority of travelers choose to wake up around 4:30AM. This allows you to eat a quick breakfast and head over the bus station to catch one of the first buses from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu Park. It is a 15-20 minute drive up a series of switch back roads to reach Machu Picchu Park. The gates for Machu Picchu open at 6AM.
All of our guides have been to Machu Picchu hundreds of times and will lead you to the best places to view the ruins. Once the city begins to fill with more tourists, you will start your guided tour, starting with the impressive Temple of the Sun. You will see several iconic areas of Machu Picchu including: The Citadel, The Royal Tomb, the Main Plaza, the Condor Temple and much more.
After the guided tour, you will have plenty of time to explore the City of the Clouds on your own. Those who have secured permits to climb Huayna Picchu will do that hike at this time. If you chose not to hike Huayna Picchu, you can join your guide on an hour long walk on the Inca Trail up to the Sun Gate, where you will enjoy the most iconic view of Machu Picchu.
NOTE: Due to new regulations (effective Jan 1. 2019), the paths that lead through Machu Picchu are all “one-way”, meaning you are not able to backtrack during your visit to Machu Picchu. Each visitor without a permit to climb Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain will have ~4 hours to spend inside the park and those with permits to climb either Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain will have 6 total hours to spend inside the park (including the 2 hour climb).
AFTERNOON/EVENING
Once you’ve had your fill of the incredible Lost City, your guide will take you back to the entrance of Machu Picchu Park to the bus station. The bus back to Aguas Calientes will depart in the early afternoon. Depending on the train schedule, you will either have time for lunch in Aguas Calientes or you will head straight for the train station. We typically book a train that departs Aguas Calientes between 2:30PM – 4:20PM.
From Aguas Calientes, the train will travel 2 hours to the Ollantaytambo station, where our private van will be waiting to take you the remaining 2-3 hours back to Cusco. Some train schedules will allow the train to go 3 hours to the Poray station, which is only a 30 minute drive back to your hotel in Cusco.
TRAIN INFO:
Expedition Train
The Expedition Train is the “normal” train, with plenty of leg room and good sized windows, these train tickets are included in price. All Expedition train tickets end at the Ollantaytambo train station, which is a 2 hour drive back to Cusco. When you arrive to the station, we will have private transportation arranged to take you back to your hotel in Cusco.
The following are departure times for the Expedition train:
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Leave Aguas Calientes: 14:55 –> Arrive to Ollantaytambo station: 16:31 –> Arrive to hotel in Cusco: 18:30
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Leave Aguas Calientes: 15:20 –> Arrive to Ollantaytambo station: 17:08 –> Arrive to hotel in Cusco: 19:10
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Leave Aguas Calientes: 16:22 –> Arrive to Ollantaytambo station: 18:10 –> Arrive to hotel in Cusco: 20:10
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Leave Aguas Calientes: 18:20 –> Arrive to Ollantaytambo station: 20:05 –> Arrive to hotel in Cusco: 22:00
Vista Dome Train
The Vista Dome Train is an upgraded train, which provides entertainment and a meal. It also has a glass domed ceiling which provides better views of the Sacred Valley on your way from Aguas Calientes to Cusco. The Vista Dome train will end at either the Ollantaytambo station (2 hour drive to Cusco) or the Poroy station (30 minute drive to Cusco). The arrival station is based on the time the train leaves Aguas Calientes. These tickets are an additional $70 USD to upgrade.
The following are departure times for the Vista Dome to the Ollantaytambo Station:
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Leave Aguas Calientes: 13:37 –> Arrive to Ollantaytambo station: 15:00 –> Arrive to hotel in Cusco: 17:30 only available for those who do not do the Huyana Picchu hike
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Leave Aguas Calientes: 15:48 –> Arrive to Ollantaytambo station: 17:29 –> Arrive to hotel in Cusco: 19:29
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Leave Aguas Calientes: 16:22 –> Arrive to Ollantaytambo station: 18:10 –> Arrive to hotel in Cusco: 20:10
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Leave Aguas Calientes: 17:23 –> Arrive to Ollantaytambo station: 19:02 –> Arrive to hotel in Cusco: 21:00
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Leave Aguas Calientes: 18:10 –> Arrive to Ollantaytambo station: 19:51 –> Arrive to hotel in Cusco: 21:51
The following are departure times for the Vista Dome to the Poroy Station:
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Leave Aguas Calientes: 16:43 –> Arrive to Ollantaytambo station: 20:23 –> Arrive to hotel in Cusco: 21:00
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Leave Aguas Calientes: 17:23 –> Arrive to Ollantaytambo station: 20:52 –> Arrive to hotel in Cusco: 21:30
NOTE: Train times depend on: the number of people in your group, the time of year of your trip and the class of train you prefer.