The Lares Trek Explorer is your premier nine-day journey to discover the best of Peru. Starting in the historic capital of Lima, you will travel to the heart of the Inca Empire in Cusco. Designed for travelers seeking a high-impact experience, this comprehensive tour combines the majesty of the Sacred Valley of the Incas with a unique route through the Urubamba mountain range. Hike past glacial peaks, subtropical valleys, and turquoise lagoons while enjoying an authentic immersion in Andean culture, where ancient traditions such as alpaca weaving and potato cultivation remain intact.
Experience the best alternative trek to Machu Picchu, free from the booking restrictions of the traditional Inca Trail. The Lares Valley hike offers a deeper cultural connection. You will visit remote villages and relax in the famous Lares hot springs, which are renowned for their healing mineral properties. Our Lares Trek to Machu Picchu package ensures you won't miss out on Peru's wonders. It's the perfect solution for those who want a flexible, scenic, and less crowded trail. Book your adventure today and explore the most iconic Inca ruins with Cusco's trekking experts.
Day 01: Arrival in Lima
Day 02: Flight to Cusco Transfer back to the airport for the flight to Cusco
Day 03: Sacred Valley of the Incas
Day 04-07: Lares Valley Trek to Machu Picchu
Day 08: Cusco
Day 09: Departure Day
Currently, the Cusco airport only serves domestic flights. Therefore, all international travelers arriving by plane must disembark in Lima and go through customs. Even if you have a connecting flight to Cusco on the same day with the same airline, you must collect your bags in Lima and check them back in. The best way to get to Cusco is by air, and there are several airlines to choose from. Bus travel is also an option, and while the trip can be long—especially from Lima—the buses in Peru are well-maintained and comfortable. This option is highly recommended if you're coming from a city closer to Cusco, such as Puno. The trip from Lima will take about 20 hours. But don't worry—this trip includes your flight from Lima to Cusco.
Your daypack should contain anything you may need while hiking. You must provide and bring your own daypack. We recommend that it be as small as possible, and that you only carry the essentials listed on our Machu Picchu Citadel Packing List. The site allows daypacks inside as long as they are 25L or smaller. If you have a larger bag, you can use it for trekking, but it will need to be stored at your hotel in Aguas Calientes or at one of the facilities outside the main gates for a fee. These facilities are inexpensive but often have long lines.
Of course, the weather in the Andes mountain range is famous for being completely unpredictable. The dry season in Cusco generally spans from April to October, but this is not a hard-and-fast rule. We could experience sudden rain in June or radiant sunshine in December. The key is to always be prepared.
More detaled Information about Cusco weather
As soon as travelers make their reservation to Cusco, one of their main concerns is altitude sickness, also known locally as "soroche". Because Cusco is located at a high altitude, the air contains less oxygen than at sea level. This forces your body to work harder to get the oxygen it needs.
To protect your travel investment, we highly recommend purchasing travel insurance. It is strongly encouraged that you obtain travel insurance before you leave home, and it is very easy to do so. We offer the best travel insurance for trips to Peru. Travel insurance is mandatory to participate in any of our trips.
Our travel medical insurance for Peru covers overseas medical expenses, such as hospitalization, day surgery, outpatient treatment, visits to registered medical practitioners, prescribed medicines, ambulances, and extra expenses to get you home if medically necessary. It also covers overseas dental expenses, such as an unexpected infection, broken tooth, or injury to your mouth or jaw in an accident. Additionally, it covers accident expenses, including hospitalization, day surgery, outpatient treatment, visits to registered medical practitioners, prescribed medicines, and medical evacuation, including air ambulance. It covers health emergencies and emergency treatment overseas. If necessary, it also covers rearranging your initial travel plans or specialist medical transportation to get you home. If you are traveling while pregnant and become suddenly ill, injured, or experience an unexpected pregnancy complication, all of our policies cover emergency medical treatment, hospitalization, ambulances, and transportation to get you home for ongoing treatment, if medically required. Our policies also provide access to 24 hour, seven-day-a-week multilingual assistance teams.
Lima, the historical City of Kings, achieves the perfect harmony between tradition and contemporary architecture. Walking through its streets, you can admire its churches, archaeological sites, and large houses with balconies that coexist with modern buildings. In 1991, its historic center was declared a World Heritage Site to protect its artistic monuments. Lima is also the only South American capital with access to the sea. You can fly over the Pacific Ocean in a paraglider. This city, founded in 1535, has an abundance of natural products and a fusion of techniques and cultures that have forged a mestizo identity in its gastronomy over the centuries. Due to the high quality and passion of Peruvian chefs, Lima has been named the Gastronomic Capital of Latin America. Lima is love at first sight for those who want a unique experience.
Walking through the city of Cusco and witnessing its majesty is like going back in time to the era of the largest empire in South America and one of the world's greatest civilizations. The Incas designed its streets, which exhibit an exceptional architectural style with huge stone walls and palaces. This city conserves its customs and offers visitors fabulous views and impressive architecture, the origins of which date back to a fusion of Inca and Spanish customs. As you walk through Cusco's historic center, you will see colonial houses built on the sites of ancient Inca temples.
The Sacred Valley of the Incas is home to several communities that represent Cusco's living culture. These communities are characterized by sharing various agricultural activities with visitors. In Yucay, Urubamba, and Pumahuanca, you can see the cultivation of large-grain corn on Inca platforms, which are terraces built into the hillsides. First, you will visit Pisaq and its famous market, where you can find handicrafts and souvenirs. You will also enjoy the ceramics, dances, music and gastronomy. Ollantaytambo, an Inca village, offers seven trekking routes to archaeological sites, quarries, and terraces, as well as to one of the Quechua centers that produce textiles (Willoc). Local families host visitors who can learn ancestral farming techniques and participate in agricultural activities, irrigation, salt harvesting, parties, walks and Andean rituals.
Our adventure will begin with an early morning departure from Ollantaytambo. We will travel through the Sacred Valley of the Incas to reach the village of Lares, where we will enjoy the local medicinal hot springs for the rest of the morning. Later, we will begin trekking up the Lares Valley until we reach the indigenous community of Wacawasi, where we will spend the night. On the second day, we will cross the famous Condor's Pass (13,451 ft), which offers stunning views of Veronica Mountain (18,866 ft)! Then, we will slowly descend to the beautiful Ipsaycocha Lake, our last campsite. On the third day, we will follow a trail downhill, passing stunning viewpoints of Willoc along the way.
Finally, we will return to Ollantaytambo, but this time we won't be exploring the town. Instead, we will take an evening train to Aguas Calientes. We will spend the night in a comfortable hotel there. Early on the fourth morning, we will get ready for our long-awaited trip to Machu Picchu.
Today, we will walk for two hours until we reach the entrance of the Inca's historical and spiritual center. There, we will begin our two-hour guided tour, during which an expert guide will reveal the fascinating history and mysteries of the citadel. To ensure a satisfying experience, it is important to be aware of the new entry regulations.
If climbing the high peaks around the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is part of your goal, then you must take the specific access points into account.
In the afternoon, we will take the train back to Ollantaytambo Station (or Poroy Station, if you prefer). From there, we will transfer you by private vehicle back to your hotel in Cusco.
Today, you can relax in the city. There are many options for things to do in Cusco, which offers many tourist, natural and cultural attractions. We will tell you the best ways to spend your day in Cusco and the surrounding area.
You can explore some of the many excellent museums, such as the Inca Museum, the Qoricancha Museum, the Archaeological Museum (which houses a small art exhibition), the Regional Historical Museum, and the Religious Art Museum. Another good option is to visit Saqsayhuaman, Qenqo or Raqchi. At night, you can visit the famous San Blas neighborhood.
Today, you will be transferred to the Cusco airport to catch your flight to Lima.
Thank you for traveling with us. Enjoy your trip!
+51 84 226 547
+51 912 891 560
Av Tupac Amaru PP-10B, Santiago, Cusco, Peru 
info@salkantaytrekmachu.com
www.salkantaytrekmachu.com
