If you are thinking about taking a trip, Lares Trek Explorer is the best option to explore not only Cusco, but also you will explore the capital Lima, The city of Kings. Continuing with our tour, you will arrive in the capital of the Incan Empire, Cusco, an emblematic city cradle of the most transcendent culture in Peru.
It is an adventure through the Sacred Valley of the Incas Passing through the rich pastoral regions of the Urubamba mountain range we cross snowy peaks and subtropical valleys, along the trip we enjoy scenic lagoons, natural thermal baths, and Inca remains. Because it is a remote place, the area has allowed its people to preserve traditions of llama and alpaca wool, the cultivation of potatoes, and the weaving of colorful handmade garments with Inca motifs. This tour is experiential because you can see up close the customs and experiences of the Andean people. Spend the 4-day hiking the path from Lares Trek to Machu Picchu soaking in thermal pools at Lares Valley hot springs. Departing Cusco, you’ll travel to the verdant Lares Valley to explore the hot spring complex, home to four pools of varying temperatures. Reputed to have healing properties, the mineral-enriched waters are said to aid muscle, bone, and joint pain. The Lares Trek to Machu Picchu is one of the alternative hiking routes to the famous Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. The Inca Trail actually books up at least six months in advance and only a certain amount of passes are available each day, therefore, the Lares is a great alternative for those who are less committed to a trek date. Hikers still experience hiking through Peruvian rural villages, camping at high altitudes, and a day at Machu Picchu with the Lares trail. Lares Trek and Inca Trail are just two ways to get to this modern wonder there are at least 14 ways which you can read about in this extensive guide (trains, treks, and tours). Let's start, come with us, and discover the wonderful route of Lares.
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
The airport in Cusco currently is only for domestic flights, so all international travelers by plane must disembark in Lima and go through Customs. Even if your flight to Cusco is on the same day by the same airline carrier, you must grab your bags in Lima and then check them back in. The best way to get to Cusco is by air and there are several options on airlines. Bus travel is always available and while the trip can be long, especially from Lima, the buses in Peru are very well-maintained and comfortable. This option is strongly encouraged if coming from a city closer to Cusco, like Puno. Lima buses will take about 20 hours to arrive. But don't worry, this trip includes your air flight from Lima to Cusco.
Anything you may need while hiking should be in your daypack, which you need to provide and bring with you. We recommend them to be as small as possible and you should only carry the essentials as listed on our Packing List Machu Picchu Citadel allows daypacks inside as long as they are 25L or smaller. If you have a larger bag, you may use it for trekking, but it will need to remain at your hotel in Aguas Calientes, or you can pay to store it at one of the facilities outside the main gates. They are inexpensive but often have long lines.
As soon as people book their trip to Cusco, they start wondering about altitude sickness. The air at high altitudes contains less oxygen than at sea level and forces your body to work harder to get the oxygen it needs. With altitude sickness, you may first feel like you have the flu or a hangover. You may have a headache, tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, trouble sleeping, and trouble breathing during exercise. If any of these effects become severe, please contact our office and we will help you get to a doctor. Most of the time, these symptoms will be mild. We always recommend easing into activity slowly, allowing your body to adjust. Drink plenty of fluids such as water or coca tea. Coca tea has been used since ancient times to help prevent altitude sickness. Leaves from the Coca Plant contain alkaloids that help bring oxygen into your blood, helping your body avoid the effects of altitude sickness.
Of course, the weather is unpredictable. Typically the dry season in Cusco is from April through October, but this does not stop rain from falling in June or the sun from coming out in December just be prepared. No matter what month you are doing the trek, please make sure that you have rain gear that includes a waterproof jacket, pants, poncho, and waterproof gloves. Many people forget about gloves, but being cold and wet makes hiking very unpleasant. Also, prepare for four seasons. Many of the treks through the Andes involve many micro-climates and you will need to be prepared for all seasons.
More detaled Information about Cusco weather
To protect your travel investment, we highly recommend the purchase of travel insurance. Obtaining travel insurance before you leave home is strongly encouraged and very easy. We offer you the best travel insurance to Peru. This travel insurance is mandatory to participate in any of our trips.
The travel medical insurance for Peru covers the Overseas Medical Expenses, such as hospitalization, day surgery and out-patient treatment, visits to registered medical practitioners, prescribed medicines, ambulances, extra expenses to get you home, if medically necessary; Overseas Dental, such as an unexpected infection, a broken tooth, an injure in your mouth or jaw in an accident; Accident Overseas, including hospitalization, day surgery and out-patient treatment, visits to registered medical practitioners, prescribed medicines, medical evacuation including air ambulance; Health Emergencies; Emergency Treatment Overseas and, if necessary, cover to rearrange your initial travel plans or for specialist medical transportation to get you home. Also, if you're traveling while pregnant, and you're suddenly ill or injured or you have an unexpected pregnancy complication, all of our policies cover emergency medical treatment, hospitalization, ambulances, transport to get you home for ongoing treatment (if medically required), and 24 hour/7 day multi-lingual assistance teams.
Lima, the historical city of the kings, its past achieves the perfect harmony between tradition and contemporary architecture. To walk through its streets is to admire its churches, archeological sites and large houses with balconies that coexist with modern buildings. In 1991, its Historical Center was declared a World Heritage Site: its artistic monuments were to be protected. Lima is also the only South American capital with access to the sea. You can also fly in paragliding over the Pacific Ocean. In this city with lineage, founded in 1535, the abundance of natural products, the fusion of techniques and cultures, forged in centuries a gastronomy with mestizo identity. Because of the excellent quality and passion of Peruvian chefs, Lima has been named Gastronomic Capital of Latin America. Lima, a love at first sight for those who want to live a unique experience.
Walking and witnessing the majesty of the city of Cusco is to go back to a past that marked the largest empire in South America and one of the largest civilizations in the world. Its streets traced and designed by the Incas have an exceptional architectural style where they exhibit their huge walls and palaces built of stone. A city that conserves its customs This cosmopolitan city offers its visitors fabulous views and impressive architecture, whose origin dates from a fusion of Inca and Spanish customs. As you walk through the historic center of Cusco, you will see colonial houses that were built in the same place as ancient temples of the Inca Empire.
In the Sacred Valley of the Incas, several communities represent the living culture of Cusco. The communities of the Sacred Valley are characterized by sharing with the visitors various agricultural activities. Yucay, Urubamba and Pumahuanca produce the delicious corn of large grain in the Inca platforms (cultivation terraces in the hills). First you will go to Pisaq and the famous Pisaq Market where you can find handycrafts, souvenirs, etc; also you will enjoy seeing ceramics, dances, music and gastronomy. Ollantaytambo, an Inca village, offers 7 trekking routes to archaeological sites, quarries, terraces and one of the Quechua centers that produce textiles (Wílloc). Local families host visitors, who learn ancestral farming techniques and participate in agricultural, irrigation and salt harvesting activities, as well as parties, walks and Andean rituals.
Our adventure will start leaving Ollantaytambo very early at the mornig to travel through the Sacred Valley of the Incas to arrive into the village of Lares.Here, we will enjoy local medicinal hot springs all the rest of the morning. Later on, we start our trekking upwards the Lares Valley until we reach the indigenous community of Wacawasi where we overnight.The second day, we will cross the famous Condor´s Pass (4,100 m) offering us stunning views of Veronica Mountain (5,750 m)! After that, we will descend slowly to the beautiful Ipsaycocha Lake, our last campsite.On the third day, we follow a trail leading us downhill passing stunning viewpoints of Willoc. Finally, we will return to Ollantaytambo again, however, this time not to look around the town, but to take an evening train towards Aguas Calientes. There, we spend a night in a comfortable hotel. Early at the morning of the fourth day, we get ready for the long-awaited trip to Machu Picchu. Today, we hike for two hours until we reach the entrance of this historic and spiritual centre of the Incas. There, we enter and start our guided tour, during which our Tour Guide introduces us to its history.The guided tour will take just 2 hours, after that you will have the option to climb Huayna Picchu (please take note: you should book it 6 months before your trip) or visit Machu Picchu and take pictures by your own. In the afternoon, we will return by train to Ollantaytambo (alternatively to Poroy), from where we are taken by van back to Cusco.
This day you can relax in the City you have many options for this day.Cusco, offers us many tourist, natural and cultural attractions. We are going to tell you what are the best options to do this day in Cusco and its vicinity.
You can explore some of many very good museums such as the Inca Museum, the Qoricancha Museum, the Archaeological Museum (which also houses a small art exhibition), the Regional Historic Museum and the Religious Art Museum.Another good option is go to Saqsayhuaman, Qenqo or Raqchi. At nigth you can visit the famous Neighborhood of San Blas.
This day you will be transfer to the airport at Cusco to take a flight to Lima.
Thanks to travel with us and enjoy your travel.
