Lares Trek and Biking around Andean Communities of Sacred Valley is the best alternative to the esteemed Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. It offers the best of nature, adventure and history.
This high altitude trek is considered to be one of the most beautiful treks to Machu Picchu. Unlike Inca Trail which requires trail permits which tend to sell six months in advance, Lares trek can be booked even weeks before.
Dotted with many highland Andean lakes and farms, the 4 day Lares trek offers a closer contact with the untouched Andean communities who have preserved the age-old traditions and customs.
The highest point of Lares Trek to Machu Picchu is at 4600 metres above sea level. It is highly recommended that you spend a few days in Cusco before the trek to avoid altitude sickness.
Accompanied by our local tour guide you will be introduced to the Inca civilization and Andean flora and fauna before you visit Machu Picchu.
Heidi Travel Peru, is a fully locally owned tour operator in the city of Cusco. We are certified local guides with an excellent knowledge of Incas history and culture. As natives, our guides will be sharing some of the astonishing facts on this Lares Trek to Machu Picchu.
We offer the Lares Trek to Machu Picchu, both as a small group tour and as a private tour. We invite you to take a moment to check out our reviews on Tripadvisor.
Cusco Hotel Transfer
0500 AM
We will pick you up from your hotel, leaving Cusco at 6.00 am and heading for Calca, a small town in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. At this time of the morning the views are often spectacular. Along the way we will visit the Inca granaries of Muyoq Orqo, before continuing past the Sawasiray peak on our way to Willka Punku Pass, which marks the start of the ascent to Lares. There will be time to rest and enjoy the thermal baths at Lares, and after lunch we will begin our trek by walking to our first campsite near the village of Huacawasi, where you can visit local weavers and enjoy your evening meal.
After breakfast, we will continue our trek in the direction of Ipsayqocha pass, a steady climb through the natural habitat of llamas and alpacas. Here, in addition to appreciating the surrounding panoramic views, it is possible to observe several high Andes bird species. At 4420 meters (14,500 feet) above sea level, Ipsaycocha is the only high pass on our route. Here the Andean landscape is dotted with herds of llamas and alpacas. Once over the pass, a long descent will take us to the Patacancha valley, where we will camp.
This morning we will hike to the indigenous village of Willoq, a traditional farming, llama herding and weaving community that has conserved its traditional way of life. The trail follows a narrow valley through Inca terraces still used by local people to grow potatoes, corn, quinoa and other native crops. Along the way, we will pass the Inca archaeological site of Pumamarca. In the village our vehicle will be waiting to take the starting point of our biking tour. After a short explanation to help orientate you, Your guide will provide you with the necessary equipment for the activity. Beginning our 2-hour bike ride downhill to the village of Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, where you will have time to explore the charming sacred valley town before taking the train to Machu Picchu and spending the night in the nearby small town of Aguas Calientes.
Your guided tour will include the temples, plazas, palaces, watercourses and residential areas of the archaeological complex, in the company of an experienced and knowledgeable guide. In the afternoon, we will return by bus to Aguas Calientes to catch the train back to Cusco.
