Lares Trek to Machu Picchu 4D/3N

Day 2: Quiswarani / Condor Pass / Cancha Cancha

Today you will wake up early at 5:00 a.m. with our tea time. You will have amazing views of the colorful lake and the valley of Kiswarani. The local people will already be up and about, taking their llamas and alpacas out to graze. Breakfast will be prepared as soon as you finish packing your personal things. Then we’ll fill up our water bottles, organize snacks and you will begin the unforgettable day of your trekking to Machu Picchu. It will be a three or four hour climb to get to the summit of the mountain. This pass is called Pachacute, or Condor Pass. We’ll zigzag our way up to compensate for the steep uphill. The views of the area are stunning. You will see lakes, waterfalls, llamas, alpacas. We will have an emergency horse to ride in case you are tired. Once you arrive at the Condor Pass you will be above the clouds, above the mountain peaks and the surrounding 360 degree views are astounding. In front of you will be the majestic mountain of Pitusiray, which is at 5,700 meters high and the Condor pass is at 4,680 meters high. Afterwards, we will enjoy the tea time service that our team will carry with them. We will take advantage of some phenomenal photo opportunities, and start our descent.

You will begin the one hour and descent towards El Mirador, where you will enjoy your lunch. There will perhaps be some llamas grazing nearby. After lunch, you will hike the last three hours downhill, with amazing views of many lakes, llamas, alpacas, before arriving at your campsite, the village of Cancha Cancha, which is the only village that does not have modern technology. Cancha Cancha is a village 3,750 meters high, where people still practice real traditions of the Incas. In this Incan village, 50 percent of the houses are still composed of ancient construction, made of stone, with grass-thatched roofs. Unlike any other village in the Lares Valley, this village where has no electricity or cars. Here, you will not only enjoy the wilderness, but you also will enjoy a bonfire night with the team. You will have some time to meet local children. We provide them with food and school supplies, so we invite our travelers to share this support in the education and the health of this native village. You can join us and bring anything you would like to supplement the lives of these Quechua-speaking children. Following, your tour guide will take you to one of the local family’s houses, where you will learn about the lifestyle of the locals. You can see how they raise their guinea pigs, and you will learn about the traditional, hand-woven textiles, made of llama and alpaca wool. This is the best day of your hike. In the evening you will enjoy your tea time and dinner.

Walking Distance: 14 km/8 miles
Elevation Gain: 830 meters / 2,723 ft
Camp Elevation: 3,750 meters
Weather: Cold, windy

Day 3: Cancha Cancha / Huaran / Maras Salt Mine / Ollantaytambo /Aguas Calientes

Our team will wake you up with tea time and you will have some time to pack your bags and enjoy breakfast. After breakfast, you’ll have time to explore the village and visit the local elementary school, where the ancient Inca’s language, Quechua, is still taught. Once you are ready, you’ll begin the last leg of your Lares trek. It will be four hours walking downhill, along this lovely path, where you will pass by more llamas, alpacas. We’ll pass by farms where they cultivate potatoes and other traditional tubers, in the traditional Inca style. This is a great opportunity to learn about Peruvian agriculture because people still farm by hand with traditional, Inca farming tools. Now, we will start to descend to the warmer area, The Sacred Valley. You will begin to feel the micro-climate changes and start seeing crops that are different from the high mountains. Around the Sacred Valley people farm corn, quinoa, kiwi, peaches, and other types of fruits. Of course, this area has a lot of Inca history. You will end the tour at the little village of Huaran, in the Sacred Valley, at 2,500meters hight. Where you will say goodbye to your team, as they will go back to their homes.

From Huaran, we will catch a van and make the short drive into the valley to visit the Salineras salt mines, in the village of Maras. Here, at 11,000 feet above sea level, a salt water spring gushes forth and flows down the side of the mountain. Over 3,000 small evaporation chambers have been created and look as if they are tumbling down the mountainside. These have been in use since pre-Inca times. The salt is said to have healing properties because it is loaded with natural minerals, some of it even comes out pink. Local families each own one of these mines, and make their living supplying salt to the towns around the area. There is a small shop on site, if you care to take some salt home with you.

After visiting Salineras, we will continue in our van for 45 minutes drive, that skirts along the Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo, that conutinues under the original Inca urbanistic layout. Your tour guide will head you around to observe this original urbanistic layout until your dinner time. Then we will catch the 7:00p.m. Train for Aguas Calientes, the town below Machu Picchu (train times may vary, depending on availability). Upon your arrival to Aguas Calientes, you will check-in to your hotel and rest.

Walking Distance: 12 km
Aguas Calientes Elevation: 2,000 m
Weather: Hot

DAY 4: MACHU PICCHU / OLLANTAYTAMBO / CUSCO

Today is the most important day in your expedition. To get the most out of the day, we encourage every group to have an early breakfast before catching the first buses up to Machu Picchu starting at 05:30 a.m. The hotel will hold your bags for you, until you return from your tour Guide. The bus will take 25 minutes to get to the top. Once you arrive, your tour guide will introduce you to Machu Picchu. You will head directly to a beautiful place to watch the sunrise and to take pictures. Your guide will walk you around the citadel, for two hours, teaching you more of the history and culture of the Incas. At the end of the tour, you will have some time to yourself or, if you arranged to hike Huayna Picchu. (Be Sure to book in advance to get tickets for these), as it
Sells out and costs $30 per person, Your tour guide will show you where to star this hike, which will take no more than two hours round-trip. You should start heading to the bus line to head back to Aguas Calientes around 3:00 p.m. as your train will typically leave at 4:20 p.m. “Your tour guide will inform you if the train time is earlier”. You take a two hour train back to Ollantaytambo, followed by two hour car ride, back to your hotel for drop off.

Machu Picchu mountain can be climbed instead of Huayna Picchu for $30 per person. This hike is more challenging and takes three hours minimum, round-trip. You always have the opportunity to climb to the Sun Gate for free. This is a much easier walk of two hours, round-trip.
Weather: Hot