A guide to the Lares Valley trek, Cusco, Peru - trek itinerary, maps, photos and local tour operators

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The Lares Valley Trek

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Map of the Lares Valley to Machu Picchu Trek

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Sacred Valley to Lares to Machu Picchu Trek (4 days) Route Option 04

Distance: 33km

Duration: 4 days

When to go: Best from April to December although can be done year round.

Altitude: 2100m to 4450m

Difficulty: Moderate

Trek fees: None although you have to pay to enter Machu Picchu on the final day of the trek

See our Introduction to the Lares Valley to Machu Picchu Trek which includes information about the region, trek prices and responsible tourism and also describes the various trek options on offer.

Typical Trek Itinerary Route 04

(the actual trek itinerary may change slightly from company to company)

Day 1: Cusco - Huaran (Sacred Valley) - Cancha Cancha

We pick you up from your hotel at 08:00 and travel by bus for the 1½ hour ride to the village of Huaran (2840m) located in the Sacred Valley between Pisac and Urubamba. Huaran is the start of the trail. We’ll meet up with the horsemen and pack the horses. Leaving the Sacred Valley behind us we head northwards following a gently climbing trail that runs parallel to the small Cancha Cancha river. It’s a fairly tough 4 hour uphill trek to our destination, the small village also named Cancha Cancha (3800m) where we’ll spend the night.

Day 2: Cancha Cancha - Quishuarani

Leaving Cancha Cancha we continue north east up the valley, passing small thatched stone houses. After ½ hour the path flattens out before climbing steeply for the 2½ hour trek to the first pass, called Pachacutec Pass (4458m). From the pass you’ll be rewarded with superb views of Pachacutec Lake and the snowy peaks of Pitusiray. The path continues for an hour along a narrow ridge until dropping down into a beautiful secluded corrie filled with glacial lakes and rich in birdlife. The lip of the corrie descends into the next valley, following a series of cascading waterfalls to the village of Quishuarani (3700m) about 1 hours’ easy walking from the corrie. We’ll camp here for the night.

Day 3: Quishuarani - Cuncani- Lares (thermal springs) - Ollantaytambo - Aguas Calientes

Heading west up a small valley you’ll arrive at a lake at the head of the valley and start a steep zig-zag climb up a narrow trail to the top of the second pass known as Abra Huillquijasa (4200m), about 3 hours’ from Quishuarani village. Below you lies a series of stunning turquoise lakes. We’ll drop down and have a well deserved break beside the lakes before continuing on for the short trek to the next village of Cuncani (3750m) in the bottom of the valley (1½ hour from the pass). The trail follows the river valley downhill for about 2 hours to the town of Lares (3100m) where you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy a soak in some open air thermal springs (bring a swimsuit). At about 1pm the bus will pick us up and leave for Ollantaytambo, there you will have sometime to explore and see this amazing site before going to Aguas Calientes by train late in the afternoon. Overnight in Aguas Calientes

Day 4: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Aguas Calientes - Cusco

Rise early around about 04:45 !! to take one of the first buses up to Machu Picchu. I'm sure you'll agree that, although it's tough getting up, it's well worth the effort to see the "Lost City of the Incas" at its quietest in the early morning light. You'll have plenty of opportunity to take photos and have some peaceful time alone to enjoy the sun rising from behind the mountains. Our guide will give you a tour of Machu Picchu telling you about Inca history and significance of the major sites of interest. The tour takes about 2 hours after which you will have free time to explore the ruins on your own or climb Wayna Picchu - the mountain that overlooks the ancient Inca city (allow a minimum of 1½ hours). By 11:00 Machu Picchu quickly fills up with tourists arriving by train and appears crowded by comparison with the early morning. Most people are ready to take the bus back to Aguas Calientes around 1pm where you can have lunch in one of the many restaurants. Late afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo where a bus will be waiting to bring you back to Cusco.

Companies offering this version of the Lares trek:

Llama Path

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TREKKING IN PERU: Classic Inca Trail / Short Inca Trail / Salkantay / Ausangate / Lares / Choquequirao / Vilcabamba / Huaraz

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