Lares Trek to Machu Picchu 4 Days

Your guide picks you up at your hotel in Cusco for the drive into the Sacred Valley. At Pumahuanca, meet the trekking crew and leave the vehicle behind. The trail starts at about 10,335 ft (3,150 m). Carry your water and a warm layer in your daypack so you can reach them as the valley opens up.

Your first stop is Callorumiyoq, an archaeological site at roughly 11,810 ft (3,600 m). Walk through the site with your guide, then follow the valley uphill. Notice how the fields thin out and the slopes become more open. Your guide can point out native plants and birds along the way. Look among the rocks for vizcachas, though a sighting takes a little luck.

The final stretch brings you to Puyoc at about 14,108 ft (4,300 m), roughly 3,770 ft (1,150 m) above the trailhead. That climb accounts for much of the effort on your first day. Once at camp, swap your daypack for a warm jacket and join the group for afternoon tea. Dinner is served at camp, and you spend the night in a tent beneath the pass you’ll cross tomorrow.

Wake to tea at your tent in Puyoc. After breakfast, set out for Sicllakasa Pass. From camp, the trail gains roughly 1,740 ft (530 m) before reaching the saddle at 15,846 ft (4,830 m). Your guide sets a steady pace on this exposed section. Keep a layer within reach for the wind at the top.

If the clouds lift, look across to Mount Pumahuanca from the pass. On the far side, follow the trail down toward Yanacocha Lake. The lake makes a good landmark on a descent that continues well beyond the water: Cuncani lies roughly 3,380 ft (1,030 m) below the pass. Take your time on the downhill and watch the high grassland gradually give way to grazing areas closer to the village.

You reach Cuncani at about 12,467 ft (3,800 m) and meet the family hosting your visit. If there’s time, your guide can help you exchange a greeting in Quechua. Tonight you sleep in your tent at Cuncani. The longer visit with your hosts takes place after breakfast tomorrow, when you have time to see some of their daily work.

After breakfast, spend time with your hosts in Cuncani. What you see depends on the season and on what the family is doing that morning. They might show you how fiber is spun into yarn, explain the work behind a woven piece or talk about tending their animals. Your guide helps interpret the conversation. The visit includes a contribution to the hosts whether or not you choose to buy a textile.

From Cuncani, follow the agricultural valley toward Lares. This final walking stage is about 4.3 miles (7 km) and takes roughly three hours. At the thermal pools, you can put down your pack and soak after three days on the trail. Admission is included. Pack a swimsuit, a small towel and dry clothes where you can reach them before the road transfer.

The walking portion ends in Lares. Continue by vehicle to Ollantaytambo, then board the PeruRail Expedition train to Aguas Calientes. Dinner and hotel check-in follow the train schedule. Before turning in, review your Machu Picchu entry time with your guide so you know when to meet for the bus in the morning.

Have breakfast at your hotel in Aguas Calientes and meet your guide for the uphill bus ride. You enter Machu Picchu through the visitor entrance at the time on your ticket. The Lares walk ended yesterday, so today’s walking takes place inside the archaeological site.

Allow around two hours for the guided visit. The circuit on your ticket determines which paths and viewpoints you can reach. Along the way, your guide explains how the Incas used the shape of the mountain to lay out terraces and buildings. Inkayni prioritizes Circuit 2 when it is available. If you want to add Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, arrange the separate ticket in advance so its entry time fits both the visit and your return train.

Take the included bus back down to Aguas Calientes. Lunch is on your own, and the time available in town depends on your train departure. Board the PeruRail Vistadome for the ride along the Urubamba Valley to Ollantaytambo. Your road transfer meets the train there for the last leg back to Cusco. Breakfast is the included meal today.