Lares Trek to Machu Picchu

Welcome to the imperial Inca city of Cusco! As you touch down at the airport, our Salkantay Trekking representative will be waiting for you and take you straight to your accommodation. Cusco sits at a high altitude (3,400 m / 11,155 ft), so you’ll likely need a bit of time to acclimatize. Spend the morning relaxing in your hotel and getting used to your surroundings.

After you’ve had some lunch, we’ll pick you up to begin our city tour. This tour starts in the fascinating Qorikancha or Temple of the Sun, which was probably the most important Inca place of Cusco. While you marvel at the place’s exquisite architecture, our guide will share with you a bit of the Incas history. We’ll continue to the Plaza de Armas, the main square, to visit the Cathedral that holds approximately 300 paintings from the famous Cusqueña School. The Plaza de Armas itself is a beautiful place to sit and immerse yourself in the local atmosphere.

Later on, we’ll visit the impressive archaeological site of Sacsayhuaman, which sits at the top of the Cusco Valley and overlooks the city. It’s featured colossal rocks that weigh hundreds of tons. Ancient Inca architects cut and polished these giant stones to build zig-zag walls that cover hundreds of meters. Even though only a small portion of the original site remains, the enormous dimensions of Sacsayhuaman continue to inspire and surprise its visitors.

We’ll continue with a visit to the Qenqo temple. This site has artificial tunnels, one of which forms an amphitheater. The amphitheater’s original purpose has been lost over time, but most experts agree that the area was used to worship the sun, moon, and stars. We’ll also visit Puka Pukara (or Puca Pucara), a site that the Incas used as a military control center.

Our tour ends in Tambomachay. This complex is made up of a combination of finely carved stones and aqueducts to carry water coming from nearby springs. For this reason, Tambomachay is associated with the water cult. In front of this construction, there’s a tower that many believe served as a guarding post and communication tower.

After a half-day exploring the city, we’ll drop you back at your accommodation, and you’ll be free to roam and get some dinner before heading to the comfort of your room.

This morning is to head out of Cusco on an exciting day trip to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The drive is fascinating, as you’ll be surrounded by stunning scenery all day of rolling hills, green mountains, and the Vilcanota River. The first stop is at Pisac and its archaeological site at 3,440 m / 11,286 ft.

Pisac is famous for its traditional market, full of colors, and beautiful souvenirs to take for yourself or as a gift. Take this time to roam around for some shopping if you are up to it. We’ll also visit its impressive archaeological site while enjoying the scenery of the Sacred Valley. Your guide will take you through temples, altars, and houses built centuries ago. The tour’s highlight will be the famous Intihuatana stone - a religious construction used to decipher the winter solstice, one of the most important ritual dates of the Inca Empire.

Note: You can spend more time in the market instead of visiting the archaeological site. Just let our guide know so you can determine a meeting point and time.

Afterward, we’ll continue to Urubamba to enjoy a buffet lunch in a countryside restaurant. Then we’ll head on to Ollantaytambo (2,792 m / 9,160 ft), a beautiful quaint town located in the heart of the Andes. Here, we’ll visit the Sun temple, a site that was built with huge rocks, many of which were elegantly carved to create water fountains, steps, and terraces. The archaeological site stands tall, overlooking the main square of the town, so you’ll also get stunning views over the Sacred Valley.

On our way back to Cusco, we’ll make a final stop at the town of Chinchero (3,762 m / 12,343 ft). We’ll get the chance to visit its beautiful colonial temple, known for its mural painting above the entrance and built on top of Inca foundations. We’ll also see the Inca walls in the town's plaza and visit a local workshop. You’ll enjoy and see firsthand how the native people make their textiles and learn the whole process. If you like, you can buy some of their handmade products to support them.

Finally, we’ll take you back to Cusco, so you can grab dinner during the early night. We’ll begin our adventure early in the morning, so you need to get a good night’s sleep.

You’ll be setting off on the real adventure today with a pick you up from your accommodation early in the morning. We’ll take you on our private transport to the starting point of the trek as we drive for around one and a half hours to Huaran in the Sacred Valley at 2,920 m / 9,580 ft. Once we get there, we’ll pack our luggage on the horses and begin walking north. The trail ascends slightly while we follow the Cancha Cancha river course toward a community of the same name.

Along the way, you’ll observe expansive farming fields and mysterious forests. The vegetation in the area means that a wide variety of birds live here - something that Peru is well-known for. The valley is truly awe-inspiring and well worth you getting out your camera and taking some amazing photos. We’ll enjoy a delicious lunch halfway through this hike.

In the afternoon, we’ll pass through the Cancha Cancha village (3,950 m / 12,959 ft) and make our way to our cozy camp. After hiking a total of around 7 hours today, we’ll get to our campsite in Acopata (4,200 m / 13,780 ft). You’ll be able to unwind and enjoy a tasty dinner made by our chefs before settling in for the night.

We’ll enjoy a nourishing breakfast to give us the energy we need for the day before we begin our ascent to the highest point of the whole trek, Pachacutec Pass (4,700 m / 15,420 ft). We’ll take things slowly and get there after two-and-a-half hours of hiking. The views from this height are stunning, and you’ll spot the snowy peaks of Sahuasiray and Chicon sacred mountains right in front of you.

After enjoying the scenery and resting our legs, we’ll head downhill for two hours to the lunch spot by the beautiful Qoyalay Lake (4,140 m / 13,583 ft). Once we’re full and rested, we’ll descend for another hour and a half toward the valley. On this stretch, you’ll see several astounding glacial lakes and herds of alpaca, llamas, and sheep calmly grazing. If you’re lucky, you might also catch a glimpse of deer, vizcachas, geese, hawks, and the immense Andean condor, the largest flying bird in the world.

We will arrive at our campsite in the community of Quishuarani (3,850 m / 12,631 ft); this is a small and picturesque place with typical houses built of stone. In the evening, we will enjoy another tasty dinner before going to rest.

You’re in for a treat today after some hiking this morning. After breakfast, we’ll set out on a 2-hour ascent to Willkikasa (4,400 m / 14,436 ft), the second-highest point of the trip. You’re bound to be impressed by an expansive view of the Andean mountain range, beautiful green lakes, and an adjoining valley.

Later, we will begin our descent to the community of Cuncani (3,800 m / 12,467 ft) and then continue for another two hours to the Lares Hot Springs. Here, you will be able to relax with a wonderful rest in the medicinal thermal baths after days of hiking. Here, we will also enjoy lunch before continuing the trek.

This afternoon, we’ll enjoy a relaxing ride through the mountains in our private transport to the quaint town of Ollantaytambo (2,792 m / 9,160 ft) that you visited on your Sacred Valley tour. We’ll be driving for about 3 hours until we reach the town for a nice dinner and rest in a hotel.

We will start the day with an energizing breakfast at your hotel before heading to the station and boarding the train to Aguas Calientes. It’ll be a scenic trip surrounded by staggering mountains and the Urubamba River all the way long. Once in town, we will board the bus that will take us to the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu.

Inside the mystical Inca citadel, you´ll have a guided tour of approximately two hours through the most important sites and your guide will explain everything about the history of this Wonder of the World. Afterward, you´ll have time to climb one of the additional mountains, Huayna Picchu Mountain or Machu Picchu Mountain, if you booked your tickets in advance.

Later, we´ll return to Aguas Calientes. You´ll have time for lunch at a restaurant of your choice before boarding the train to Ollantaytambo. From there, our private transportation will take you back to your accommodation in Cusco. You´ll enjoy dinner and finally relax your legs after days of trekking. We are more than sure that you will remember this incredible adventure for a lifetime.