DURATION: 4D/3N
DESTINATION: Machupicchu
DEPARTURE: All year
LEVEL: Hard
CATEGORY: Adventure Tour
LARES HOT SPRINGS, LARES VALLEY, CULTURAL TOURS, LLAMAS, ALPACAS, INCA TEXTILES, AND MORE
Lares trek is a great alternative to the Inca Trail still offering the beauty of the Andes with less crowds. It also offers the opportunity to learn and experience rural Andean life as the trail passes through very remote mountain communities…4D/3N Lares Trek Map
Day 1. CUSCO – LARES HOT SPRING – CUNCANI:
We will pick you up from your hotel at 5.00 am and drive for 3 hours until we arrive to the trail head Lares, the hot springs, at 3.200 meters. We will enjoy our breakfast before jumping in the hot spring pools (medicinal waters of Lares ). After we enjoy for approximately 2 hours we will finally start our hike with a gradual uphill for 2.5 hours until we get to our lunch spot where our cook and porters will feed you with a fresh, buffet meal. After lunch you will take a short siesta before trekking again. This section is again a gradual uphill for another 3 hours until we get to our campsite at the local village where we will get to spend time with the local people. Today we will have explored the amazing Valley of Lares with great views of the stream, valleys, waterfalls and of course, the exceptional flora and fauna. At camp your guide will set you up in your tents and you will have time to interact with the local quechua speaking kids from the village with hot chocolate and cake for everyone. Later on your guide will take you on to visit a family house for a tour so you can experience the local life style of people at this high elevation. Finally you will enjoy your dinner and if you are not tired you can enjoy some star gazing and discover some amazing inca constellations with your guide.
Walking distance 11 km / 6.8 miles
Elevation Gain 600 meters
Camp Elevation 3800 meters
Day 2 . HUACAWASI – CONDOR PASS – QUEUNAYOC.
You will wake up around 5.30 AM with a hot cup of coca tea. After you pack up your duffel, you will enjoy some breakfast prepared by your professional chef and receive some snacks and water. Around 7.30 am you will take off from the camp towards the highest peak of the trek. This will take around 4 hours going uphill with great views of the snow capped peaks, valleys, alpacas, llamas, lagoons and if you are lucky enough some condors (biggest birds of the Andes). Finally you will reach the pass where you will enjoy some coca tea and the charming views of both valleys, the Sacred Valley and Lares valley. You will finally get to start descending at this point for 1.5 hours to arrive to our lunch spot where our chef will serve you hot drinks and family style food, all really delicious observing all food restrictions. After lunch you will have some time for a short siesta depending on the weather temperature and then it will be another 2 hours downhill in order to arrive to our campsite in the middle of trees and streams. After you settle back in your tents you can enjoy a small happy hour with hot drinks and then dinner and finally bed time as you might be tired after surviving the big mountain.
Walking distance 15 km / 8 miles
Camp Elevation 3600 meters
Day 3.- QUEUNAYOC – PUMAHUANCA . OLLANTAYTAMBO – AGUAS CALIENTES:
Wake up today is at 6.30 am with a hot glass of coca tea or chocolate. After packing up, you will have a delicious breakfast and around 8.00 am you will start walking towards the end of the trail. Tt will be around 4 hours downhill, exploring beautiful waterfalls, giant rocky mountains and one inca ruin where your guide will explain the history for you. Once you finish the trek you will say goodbye to your cook, horsemen and porters and continue on, with just your guide, by car to Ollantaytambo to train to Aguas Calientes. This train will either be at 3.36 pm, 4.36 pm or 7.00 pm depending on train availability. Dinner will also depend on the train time. Hotel in Aguas calientes is a ** star hotel with private rooms and hot shower and wifi. If you want to upgrade let us know please.
Walking distance 10 km / 4.5 miles
Aguas Calientes town elevation 2000 m.
Day 4. AGUAS CALIENTES – MACHU PICCHU – AGUAS CALIENTES – CUSCO:
Day four is the most magical day: Machu Picchu. You will wake up really early to take one of the first buses up to Machu Picchu to see the sun rise over the ruins.
Your guide will take you around for a 2 hour tour and then afterwards you will have time to explore on your own and hike Huaynapicchu if you choose (this is a separate entrance ticket and costs $25 per person). You will take a train back to Ollantaytambo and then bus back to Cusco and we will transfer you back to your hotel.
Walking distance: One hour up hill to Machu Picchu
Machupicchu : 2,400 meters above sea level
Considered: Most important day
Area: High cloud forest
Weather: Warm and very humid
INCLUDED
Pick up from your hotel
Private transportation to the trail head, along the sacred valley with nice views
First breakfast
Professional bilingual tour guide (two for 10 or more guests)
tick foam mattress (Carried by the horses)
4 persons tent that is used by 2 people ( very spacious, large and confortable )
Buffet meals plus snacks
Kitchen and dinning tents plus table and chairs
Drinking water for each meal and for hiking days.
Chef, porters and horse man
Horses to carry the camping gear and food
8kg/16p of Personal Porter
Bus transportation from trail end to Ollantaytambo
Expeditions tourist class train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes
Hotel at Aguas Calientes with Private rooms, private Bathrooms, Hot shower, wifi and storage where you can leave your lugagge while you visit Machu Picchu
Bus ticket to Machu picchu ( round trip )
Entrance fee to Machu Picchu
Guided tour of Machu Picchu
Tourism train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo in the sacred Valley then private van back to your hotel in Cusco ( total 4 hours )
Private portable toilets
First aid kit and Oxigen tank
Warm water at Camps to wash your hands, and feet, with organic soap.
Airplane Pillows to sleep with
Transfer back to Cusco
Visit to Local Family’s House where you will learn abut the life style of Andean people.
Social interact with Local kids at the Local Village & enjoy the hot Hot chocolate happy hours with the local family
Alpaca Expeditions Provides school suplies for kids
Alpaca Expeditions provides a Porters for each trek only for cleaning the track, we collect garbage such as the water bottles, food cans that others trekking groups leave at campsites and along the trail ways.
We educate Local kids and family’s about responsible & sustainability ( education, respect the enviroment , respect, and others )
NOT INCLUDED
- Sleeping bag (you can rent from Alpaca Expeditions $20 a pair for the entire trek)
- Walking stick (you can rent from Alpaca Expeditions $ 20 for the entire trek)
- Last lunch at Aguas Calientes ( you will be in the town where you can order a menu )
- Optional school suplies that you want to take for kids at the village
TREKKING CHEKLIST
- Original passport and valid student ISIC card if you have one (you must send at booking time)
- Good back pack
- Good sleeping bag
- Warm clothes plus some layers for variable temperatures especially at night
- Hiking boots
- About 4 t-shirts
- Walking sticks
- Headlamps
- Camera
- Sun protection ( sun cream, sun hat, sun glasses).
- Thermals including wool hat and wool socks
- Mosquito repellent
- Rain jacket plus rain poncho
- Toiletries, toilet paper, wipes and hand sanitizer
- Bathingsuit for the hot springs
- Personal medical kit
- Extra Money for souvenirs, drinks and tips (tips are optional)
