5-Day Lares trek
The cultural route to Machu Picchu
Safe, vehicle supported trekking
Hidden beyond the Sacred Valley of the Incas lies Lares, a land forgotten by time. Low stone houses huddle into the hillside, their smoke blackened thatch, providing scant warmth against the cold Andean night.
As day breaks their occupants emerge into the light of day. Alpacas are released from their corrals to head upwards in search of pasture. To graze beneath dwindling glaciers, watched over by small children, clad in hand woven ponchos worn by their fathers and their fathers before them.
If you want to experience Peru as it was in Incan times, to experience rural Peru as it still is today, this is the trek for you. It is our most popular alternative trek when Inca Trail permits are sold out. It is also perfect for families or those looking to escape the crowds and get a real insight into local Andean culture.
Highlights
- Meet traditional mountain communities
- Enjoy stunning mountain scenery
- Visit the little known Pumamarca ruins and Machu Picchu
A scenic two hour drive through the Sacred Valley of the Incas takes you to the start of your trek, at the small village of Totora. You follow an ancient Inca trail into a narrow canyon, where Inca tombs perch in the cliffs. Emerging from the canyon you pass through tiny rural communities before emerging to a delicious picnic lunch.
Your bus then takes you to the small and very traditional community of Quishuarani, your camp for the night (3700m/12,140ft).
Included: lunch, dinner, camping equipment (except sleeping bag)
This is a stunning day hiking. You leave camp behind and climb past colourfully dressed locals, towards the native forests that Amazonas Explorer has been heavily involved in re-planting. These forests harbour Andean deer, vizcachas and several rare species of birds and are essential to the future of this area.
A further push and you reach the stunning views from your highest pass of the trek, the Huchayccasa pass (4450 m/14600 ft.). A chain of emerald blue lakes fills the hillside below you, and in the distance rise the snow clad Urubamba Mountains. Descending through hand turned potato fields you come to the ancient community of Cuncani at (3800m/12,4600 ft.).
Fuelled by a tasty lunch you carry on along the valley floor to reach the once notorious village of Huacahuasi. Once home to bandits and cattle rustlers it is now a peaceful place to spend the night. You are sure to be visited by local women selling the hand woven textiles for which the area is famous and entertained by the cheery local children who accompany you as you walk.
Included: lunch, dinner, breakfast, camping equipment (except sleeping bag)
Another great day awaits you. After a hearty breakfast you begin to climb gently towards your final pass. This is a day filled with encounters with locals. Strong legged men head off to work in the potato fields, wooden ploughs slung over their shoulder. Rough handed women sit; legs outstretched weaving their traditional clothes on wooden looms. And small children sit motionless guarding herds of alpaca and llama, their ever faithful dog by their side.
From your camp you begin towards the final pass. Lying at 4,200m/13,780ft the Ipsaycocha pass marks the border between Lares and the Patacancha Valley. You start gently and then climb one final steep section to gain the summit. If you are lucky, you will have spectacular views of Mount Veronica. You take lunch by the beautiful Ipsay Lake then follow an ancient trail to the Patacancha Valley and your final camp.
Included: lunch, dinner, breakfast, camping equipment (except sleeping bag)
You start with a short but sharp climb to the impressive and little known ruins of Pumamarca. After visiting this extensive site, you take an Inca trail along old terraces, before winding your way through eucalyptus forests to the impressive ruins of Ollantaytambo.
Enjoy lunch before exploring this charming village. This was the site of the last battle between the Incas and Spanish before the remaining Inca rebels fled into the jungles of Vilcabamba. The presence of the Incas is still evident, with most houses still containing Inca stonework and the local women still washing their clothes in the old Inca canals that run through the village.
Late afternoon you catch the train to Machu Picchu Pueblo and your hotel for the night.
Included: breakfast, lunch, train ticket, hotel
Relaxed after a comfortable night, you head back up to explore Machu Picchu with your guide before the crowds arrive. There is time afterwards to hike to the Inca Bridge, Watchman’s hut or else just wander through the ruins soaking up the atmosphere.
In the afternoon you descend to the waiting train to enjoy one of the great train journeys of the world back towards Cusco.
Included: transport, bus ticket, train ticket, breakfast, Machu Picchu entrance
