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Lares Trek 4 days to Machu Picchu: Scenic and stunning Andean scenery, local Quechua villages, curious llamas, and Machu Picchu color this 4 day Lares Trek as one of the must-do treks towards Machu Picchu if looking for off-the-beaten-track trekking.
Hike this stunning trail to Machu Picchu with less crowded, which is a great alternative to the famous Inca Trail, and rightfully so. Set up your tents at highland valleys amid the Andes mountains with spectacular views around while breathtaking sunsets paint the Andean sky at the end of each exciting day, and at the end of the day enjoy our exceptional Peruvian cuisine and top-notch accommodations, all manned by professional staff.
The trek goes through the golden Polylepis forest in the valleys to the snow-dusted peaks, an autumn hike along the North of Pumahuanca Mount in the Western Sierra of Cusco, overwhelms with sheer beauty and the largeness of the landscape with full of llamas, alpacas, and locals in colorful usages.
Our expert Trek Leaders will tailor your experience from delivering great history of the Incan civilization and local culture to providing insights about local flora and fauna. An absolute 4-day trek to Machu Picchu through the ancient history, living culture, breathtaking landscapes of the Urubamba mountain range, and the iconic citadel of the Incas: Machu Picchu.
Lares Trek 4 days to Machu Picchu offers opportunities for insight into rural Andean life as the trail passes through very remote mountain communities, allowing hikers to learn about the Inca’s fascinating culture through these Quechua communities where you can mingle with local people and learn about their daily life, customs, and local tradition
This 4 day Lares Trek to Machu Picchu offers a blend of experiences where you’ll witness the cultures of isolated towns, the history of Peru, the awe-inspiring vistas of the Andes, and the fascinating archaeological remains from the Incan times along with an experienced crew from Peru Summit Adventures. This trek to Machu Picchu is truly amazing!
Join us for the adventure of a lifetime – give us a call at +51 984 464 391 or shoot us an email at [email protected] to learn more or book your spot today!
This trip is officially operated by Peru Summit Adventures, a 100% local tour operator based in Cusco.
Traveling with us you are making a big difference in favor of the environment, our trips are rated as eco-friendly trips to ensure that fragile ecosystems are protected and maintained for future human generations, also maintain ecosystem and environment integrity through considering a sustainable and ethical business model. Making genuine and sustainable itineraries often translates to real costs, with a host of responsible travel practices that underpin our prices.
Upgraded Comfort
UPGRADED COMFORT: Premium or Comfort trips are led by Peru Summit Adventures experts, an experienced crew at your side, or top trip leaders/guides, and tap into private local experts' resources to allow for in-depth exploration and special access to unique sites that only the local leaders/guides know. Itineraries are carefully crafted and fully planned, with plenty of free time to roam. Camping gears are high-end and accommodations are high-end or best available. Ground transportation and most meals (especially in hikes) and activities are included in the trip price.
STRENUOUS: Designed for experienced active travelers in excellent physical condition. Full-day hikes (6-9 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 ft) on many hikes. 4-day to 6-day trips with hiking at average altitudes of 10,000 to 14,500 ft are in this category with some exposed sections.
Hiking, Camping, Archaeology & Cultural Adventures
While we expect the tour will run as the itinerary describes to Lares Trek 4 Days to Machu Picchu. Participants should accept that there is the possibility of changes, being necessary liable to local conditions, eg, strikes, natural disasters, these changes might be at the discretion of your travel company.
Pro 4-season tents in Black Diamond and North Face with Pro Sleeping pads in Therma-Rest and pillows, tents are roomy and cozy designed for 3 people but used only for 2 guests. Our hotel in Machu Picchu town is the Inti Punku Suites & Hotels (or a similar hotel) a lovely hotel for pleasant rest.
Min 2 ppl, Max 8 ppl
Minimum of 02 people is needed to depart. Family groups, couple travelers, friends, or even if you’re a SOLO traveler, you are welcome to our trips. Price is per person, which is based on two people who might share a room/tent. The itinerary is described and based on shared services as well as semi-private service; however, if you are looking for a private service, that would be upon request.
Yes, to protect MACHU PICCHU, the number of people allowed a day is limited to 4500 (spaces may vary depending on new regulations). That is why you should reserve your space as soon as possible. Spaces can be filled up 3 to 4 months in advance. Spaces fill more quickly in the high tourist season, from May to September.
Please allow a minimum of 1 day in Cusco city before your hike begins to Lares Trek 4 Days.
Your Peru Summit Adventures Trek Guide will pick you up from your hotel at 4:30 am, next, we’ll drive to Calca town through the Sacred Valley where we’ll have a short stop to grab some breakfast and get some items for children along the trail. We’ll then keep driving to Lares hot springs crossing the Amparaes Pass (4,500m/ 14,764 ft) for 2 hours and 30 more minutes. Upon arrival at the trailhead, we’ll meet up with our local muleteers, horses, and get ourselves introduced to them, and make our rucksacks ready to get the adventure started.
Following the meeting, we’ll start our hike up the highland valley close by to local houses, as we’ll get hiking further, we’ll start seeing some llamas and alpacas close by, the perfect time to snap some great shots of course. The first section to the lunch spot on day 1 is basically gentle, the trail goes up gradually for 2 hours. Today, we’ll have lunch at a nice scenic spot (3,650m/ 12.139ft).
After lunch, we’ll still hike for 2 more hours to our first campsite located in Cuncani Village at an elevation of 3,850m/ 12,631ft. Upon our arrival at the campsite, our crew will welcome you, you will have time to take a rest and change into something warmer clothes before tea time. At this campsite, we will spend some time mingling with local children dressed nicely and colorfully. Later, we’ll enjoy our just-made dinner followed by a briefing for the second day. Lunch and dinner included.
Moderate
You’ll be woken up with a hot tea or coffee in the morning still in our tents and we’ll have a nutritious breakfast, which will make us ready for the toughest day. Next, we’ll start hiking up to the highest point for 4 hours, we’ll be rewarded with beautiful highland scenery of snow-capped mountains, llamas, and alpacas, we can even spot condors soaring overhead if we are lucky, an important symbol of the Incan people.
After strenuous hiking, we’ll reach the pass called Sicllacasa located at 4,800 m/ 15,748 ft, this place offers us some of the most stunning vistas in every direction. At this place, we’ll have time to rest and make some offerings to the mountain spirits and Pachamama (Mother Earth). After taking some pictures and resting, we’ll walk downhill for 1 hour to reach our lunch spot.
Following lunch, the trail comes all downhill until the next campsite for 3 hours. This evening we’ll stay at the campsite called Cuyoq (4,100m/ 13,451ft) where we’ll have our afternoon tea followed by a delicious dinner. All meals included.
Moderate to Demanding
After breakfast, we’ll walk downhill for 3 – 4 hours through Pumahuanca highland valley, passing many Queuña native trees towards Pumahuanca village located in the Sacred Valley, which is located at 2,950m/ 9,678 ft.
As we descend, we’ll see the change in flora, fauna, and temperature. When we arrive at the lunch spot, we´ll have the last lunch prepared by our cook. After lunch, we’ll say goodbye to our cook and muleteers, right after this farewell ceremony, we’ll settle in and scan the scenery for 30 minutes from the convenience of a private vehicle until the Ollantaytambo train station. Once at the train station, we’ll go aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the train ride to Machu Picchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes Town) for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Upon arrival in the town, we’ll walk to our hotel and make our hotel check-in. Later, we’ll have dinner at one of the local restaurants (this dinner is not included). Breakfast and lunch included.
Moderate
After an early breakfast at the hotel in Machu Picchu Pueblo (Aguas Calientes Town), we’ll take the bus to Machu Picchu’s main entrance for 25 minutes, this morning, you’ll have a 3-hour private guided tour of this spectacular and mystical site.
This private guided tour includes walking through the different sections of the city like shrines, granaries, farming terraces, dwellings, solar observatory, and much more where you’ll learn the real significance of this unique place from your guide. If you have booked a permit for Huayna Picchu Mountain, you’ll either climb the mountain before or after the tour because the tickets are subject to availability.
In the unlikely event that Huayna Picchu tickets are not available for your departure date, you will climb Machu Picchu Mountain instead. If you are planning to hike one of these mountains, please let us know at the moment of booking to purchase an extra ticket. After Machu Picchu exploration, we’ll take the bus back to Aguas Calientes town where we’ll celebrate our Lares Trek accomplishment with some Pisco Sours or Inca Kola and why not with a roast guinea pig. We’ll eventually take the train to Ollantaytambo from Ollantaytambo, you’ll be transferred by private van to your hotel in Cusco city. End of the adventure. Only breakfast included.
Easy to Moderate
Although we do our very best possible to adhere to the schedule above, this itinerary is subject to change for several reasons beyond our control, including strikes, weather, natural disasters, and terrain conditions. On some occasions, these conditions may demand us to deviate from our original schedule, in which case we will provide the best available alternative options. And we’ll make a great experience of it!
| Number of participants | Price per person | Total ($ USD) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Participant | We have special rates for SOLO travelers. Get started by filling out the inquiry form. | Enquire Now | |
| 2 Participants | $ 1,500.00 | $ 3,000.00 | Enquire Now |
| 3 Participants | $ 1,450.00 | $ 4,350.00 | Enquire Now |
| 4 Participants | $ 1,350.00 | $ 5,400.00 | Enquire Now |
| 5 Participants | $ 1,200.00 | $ 6,000.00 | Enquire Now |
| 6+ Participants | We have special rates for groups, which are over 6ppl. Get started by filling out the inquiry form. | Enquire Now | |
| # | |
|---|---|
| 1 person (We have special rates for SOLO travelers. Get started by filling out the inquiry form.) | Enquire Now |
| 2 people $ 1,500.00 | Enquire Now |
| 3 people $ 1,450.00 | Enquire Now |
| 4 people $ 1,350.00 | Enquire Now |
| 5 people $ 1,200.00 | Enquire Now |
| 6+ people (We have special rates for groups, which are over 6ppl. Get started by filling out the inquiry form.) | Enquire Now |
Prices are quoted in US Dollars and all payments must be made in US Dollars. Prices are per person based on SEMI-PRIVATE service; we depart with 2 ppl as a minimum, 8 ppl as maximum, and an average of 4 ppl in a group. This trek is also based on double occupancy for tents in the trail and a double twin-bed (matrimonial if requested) or triple occupancy in case of families or friends for hotel rooms, single rooms are subject to a single supplement fee.
Making a choice of your right travel company/ tour operator is the most important decision you will make as you make your plans for a long-anticipated dreamed adventure. At first glance, some companies may seem cheaper. However, when you research a little deeper, you will see why traveling with Peru Summit Adventures assures that you will have the most memorable travel experience possible. In fact, we guarantee it, our TripAdvisor reviews say that.
Making genuine and sustainable itineraries often translate to real costs, with a host of responsible travel practices that underpin our prices, here are the reasons why you should go with us!
Besides, Machu Picchu offers one of the world’s most spellbinding travel experiences. But it’s also a world-renowned destination, and touring the site in a big group with multitudes of tourists shoving for photos, and competing to hear the guide, your once in a lifetime visit to this World Heritage Site may lose its magic. Our Machu Picchu Trips are scheduled with an average of just four travelers, allowing for a deeper exploration of the lost city of the Incas, with our Local Experts / Tour Leaders.
We are very confident the quality of our Lares Trek 4 Days will get your expectations and that you will savor the best possible of cultural travel experience, nature travel experience, and adventure travel experience if you are dissatisfied, we’ll happily give you credit for an extra trip or for a future journey. It’s, to our knowledge, the best guarantee in the travel business.
Probably you will see that most of the tour operators mention it on their websites that are local tour companies, however, if you research a little deeper you will find out that’s not true, they might be although half of the operation is done from here and another half abroad, they even have NorthAmerican phone number or European phone numbers, which is a clue to find out, we are not against the foreigner companies or half foreign companies, what we are against is that they lie.
In Cusco exist just few truly local tour operators. If you did not know, foreign companies come to Peru to get rich without paying a General Sales Tax or Tax Contribution to our country. If you did not know that, according to the United Nations, for every US $100 spent on a tour in a developing country or foreign travel companies, only $5 stays in the local economy. Normally, almost all of the money flows back to large companies operating outside the destination countries. As we are a local family enterprise, we guarantee that your travel expenditures will support the local economy, and improve the lives of Peruvians through contributing to general sales tax.
Be a responsible traveller! Let’s make this world a better place for everyone and for everyone that lives in it! The natural environments that we travel to are fragile and abundant with beautiful culture and traditions that are often reliant on tourism. We have a responsibility as travelers to minimize the impact of our presence, protect what is delicate, and leave a positive influence everywhere we can.
As a locally owned and based Peruvian tour company, we integrate these practices into our in-country operations we are aiming for a style of travel that makes the world a better place for everyone, and for everyone that lives in it. Since our very first days as a tour operator, responsible business has been at the heart of what we do. Peru Summit Adventures is committed not just to treading lightly, but to making a real difference by helping and investing in local communities, education initiatives, environmental conservation projects. These values are not more than just words, they are ingrained in the culture and philosophy of our crew, daily operations of Peru Summit Adventures trips, and at our office too.
With Peru Summit Adventures, you will receive our exclusive high-end equipment for camping, which will guarantee a comfortable stay every night. We use proper gear for this type of terrain, our gear is thought to resist harsh weather at extreme elevations. Our gear is the best on the trail.
No hidden fees or middlemen, as a local tour operator to Machu Picchu, at Peru Summit Adventures we ensure you an exclusive guarantee that clearly says that we will meet the high expectations we set forth on our website or promotional materials because this tour is operated exclusively by us.
Although you’ll be excited to try the trails once you arrive in Cusco City, plan a few days to get acclimated and rest from travel before your 4 Day Lares Trek to Machu Picchu begins. There’s plenty to do roaming the city while you get acclimated or you can even take one of our acclimatization programs.
If you start having problems with the altitude, the best recourse is to immediately go down in elevation or ask for oxygen therapy at your hotel. Regardless of where you decide to stay, keep hydrated and skip alcohol. Altitude sickness (hypoxia) medication can be purchased over the counter, and locals recommend drinking muña tea (Andean mint) and coca tea (mate de coca) to relieve symptoms.
Train on basic aerobic fitness when preparing for your hike and keep in mind that because of the high altitudes, you should not plan on walking as far in one day as you normally would; Before the trek, at home, go walking, running, and hill/stair work will all work, with these activities, you’ll build cardiovascular endurance and aerobic capacity.
Although most travelers are mentally prepared for the uphill climbs, the 4 Day Lares Trek to Machu Picchu has steep uphill and downhill sections, and very long hiking days. Here, you’ll take your time to fulfill every hiking day. Machu Picchu is situated at a much lower elevation than the Lares Trail, which means, you’ll be already acclimated for your arrival to this iconic site.
The perfect custom-made private tours, adventure tours, or expeditions don’t just happen. It takes a team of talented, knowledgeable, passionate, and experienced professionals to bring it all together and possible. Our team of Peru Summit Adventures Leaders is comprised of local trip veterans, seasoned tour veterans with rich backgrounds on history, archaeology, culture, cuisine, geology, biology, and more.
With the highest staff-to-guest ratio in the travel industry, our Trip Leaders safely deliver your trip-of-a-lifetime to maximize your Peru journeys and adventures every step of the way. Our Tour/Trek Leaders have worked extensively in the Peru isolated mountains, archaeological sites, hiking the Inca Trail (at least 150 times), Amazon jungle, and being at Machu Picchu for over 400 times at least, this guarantees your trip a unique and memorable experience.
Camping Equipment: Great gear is a key part of every great journey, so we’ve made our gear warehouse featuring top-performing brands like Black Diamond, Patagonia, North Face Summit Series, Therma Rest, Marmot, Leki, this is a fantastic collection of our outdoor gear, accessories, which are offered in all trekking adventures, expeditions, and Peru Summit Adventures Logo items.
In all hikes, you’ll enjoy Pro 4-season tents in Black Diamond and North Face with Pro Sleeping pads in Therma-Rest and pillows, tents are roomy and cozy designed for 3 people but used only for 2 guests.
Hotels: We select carefully our hotels in each destination all over the country. And we select our accommodations for how well they represent the distinctive character of the destination you’re in. Some of these rooms and cabanas draw their inspiration from history and others from the views they offer. What’s consistent, however, is that we stand by each and every one of these for what they’ll add to your experience.
We have created a custom comprehensive listing of Lares Trek 4 Days to Machu Picchu, Machu Picchu and Peru, Machu Picchu, and Peru travel books for this trip. Our reading list Peru is custom-designed to complement specific Peru Summit destinations. We feature a handpicked selection of travel guides, maps, literature, books on art, cuisine, nature, and culture, designed to help you get more out of your travels to Machu Picchu & Peru.
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