4 Day Lares Trek
There are many Inca paths through the Andes other than the famous Inca Trail with the Lares Trek being one of the most spectacular. This 4 day journey starts in the Sacred Valley and offers high mountain scenery, interaction with traditional Andean communities, alpine lakes and waterfalls without the busy tourist crowds. In fact, the Lares Trek is so far off the beaten track that it has changed little over the last 500 years.
Day 1: Sacred Valley - Yanacocha
Begin the beautiful hike through the Andes with a gentle climb from 3700 to 4200 m, at which point you get to the lake called Queuña Cocha, where you can see Mount Sawasiray (5400 m) and Colquhoun Cruz (5600 meters). Here we will have another short climb, the more pronounced in the first tranche. Afterwards we descend for 30 minutes to reach the lunch place, located next to the picturesque "Seven Lakes".
After lunch, we will continue the descent, which will take about 30 minutes through community Cuncani. Then, little by little, for two hours, we will ascend the beautiful slopes in order to get to our second point, Qolqecasa (4200 m). After 30 minutes of descent, you will find beautiful lakes and waterfalls, to finally arrive at approximately 16:30 pm at Yanacocha, where we will camp overnight.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included.
Day 2: Yanacocha - Mantanay
After an early breakfast we will leave Yanacocha and gradually descend for about 2 hours to Chaqchapata (3950 m). We will be able to see potato crops, herds of llamas and alpacas that are developed in this part of the Andes, as well as the local communities of people still living in farmhouses made of stone. 30 minutes later you will reach Wakawasi followed by an uphill hike of about one hour and a half to reach the lunch place in “Hierba Esponjosa” (spongy grass).
After lunch, you climb for about an hour to reach the highest point our trek, the Auroracasa pass (4600 m) where we can see the Auroracocha lagoon. We descend to valley of Queuña, before reaching our campsite after a journey of approximately 2 hours.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included.
Day 3: Mantanay - Yanahuara - Aguas Calientes
After breakfast we will start our easy walk as we descend to lower altitudes and enjoy breathtaking views of the areas of the mountains and the Queuña valley. You will notice the sudden change of climate and environment, and see local farmers and agricultural crops in corn, potatoes and vegetables.
The hike takes about 4 hours, after which we reach the picturesque town of Yanahuara, where we will enjoy the last lunch together on our trip before the departure of our staff, leaving the horses and horsemen. A private bus will take us to the station of Ollantaytambo, where we board the train for a 2-hour trip to the city of Machu Picchu, Aguas Calientes. Overnight in Aguas Calientes.
(dinner is included in superior and deluxe packages).
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included.
Day 4: Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu - Cusco
After an early breakfast, we will board a bus to go up to Machu Picchu and then immediately begin a complete guided tour of the Inca citadel that will take approximately two hours. We then have free time to walk around. You may climb the Huayna Picchu Mountain, where one can appreciate spectacular views of all of Machu Picchu, or visit the Temple of the Moon or the fabulous Inca Bridge. Your return train through the Sacred Valley of the Incas to Cusco will depart in the afternoon and arrive in the early evening. Transfer to your hotel on arrival.
