Highlight: Sacred Valley of the Incas, Lares Valley, incredible mountain scenery, passes to the high mountains, quiet trails, towns in the area, women weaving, fewer tourists, people who speak Quechua, Hot Spring, the weavers’ route , Andean communities
Andean life experience in the Lares valley, visit native quechuas
Hiking through the Native Communities of the Lares Valley is a wonderful experience. This unforgettable and lesser-known trek combines incredible mountain scenery, glacial lagoons, cloud forest valleys, and authentic Quechua textile communities. These villages take place through a hidden valley that very few foreigners have ever entered. The llama herders and weavers that inhabit some of the towns in this dark place of the high Andean glaciers.
Transfer to the airport upon arrival in Cusco before the departure of the trip
Machupicchu Kingdom of the Inca Empire services begins with a transfer to your hotel. Our representative will meet you at the Cusco airport and escort you to your hotel.
Cusco Airport Transfer
0600 AM
Pick up from the hotel at 6:00 in the morning, leaving Cusco by car on the route to Pisaq until reaching the Huaran stream (2840m / 93152ft). Here it begins to climb up to a small side valley that gradually narrows while ascending on an original Inca trail, enjoying a great variety of native flora and fauna.
After a 3-hour walk, arrival at Cancha Cancha (3800m / 12464ft), where hikers will be received with some typical food and have the opportunity to share a vision of the traditional lifestyle and culture of this Andean community, camping night here.
• Food: Lunch, Dinner
• Total distance: 7 km (4.35 miles)
• Estimated walking time: 4-5 hours
• Maximum altitude point: (3800m / 12464ft)
Breakfast; starting uphill until we reach Accopata an extension of Cancha Cancha, we continue northeast through the valley, passing small stone houses with thatched roofs. After half an hour the trail flattens out before climbing steeply for the 2 ½ hour hike to the first pass, called Pachacutec Pass (4458m / 14622ft).
The trail continues for an hour along a narrow ridge until descending into a beautiful secluded stream filled with glacial lakes and rich in birdlife. The lip of the corrie descends to the next valley after a series of waterfalls to the town of Quishuarani (3700m / 12136ft), a place to camp; we can meet children and women weavers.
• Food: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Total distance: 9 km
• Estimated walking time: 6-7 hours
• Maximum altitude point: (4458m / 14622ft)
Breakfast; a short walk downhill you reach the colonial city of Lares and spend the rest of the morning relaxing in the medicinal hot springs, the road follows the river valley downhill for about 2 and a half hours to the city of Lares ( 3100m / 10168ft).
Here you will have the opportunity to enjoy a bath in a hot spring in the open air (bring a swimsuit). After lunch we take our transport to the city of Ollantaytambo, transfer to the train station from where we will take the train to Aguas Calientes.
We will spend the night in Aguas Calientes hotel
• Food: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Total distance: 6 km
• Estimated walking time: 2-3 hours
• Maximum altitude point: (3100m / 10168ft)
Breakfast at the hotel; Full day excursion to Machu Picchu from Aguas Calientes, early transfer at 5:30 am to the bus stop for the short trip (25 minutes) to the citadel of Machu Picchu.
Upon arrival, you will participate in a guided tour of the Citadel, visiting the Main Plaza, the Circular Tower, the Sacred Solar Clock (the most important preserved Intihuatana), the royal rooms, the Temple of the Three Windows, houses, warehouses, a large central square; and all connected by narrow roads and passes that are surrounded by terraces carved into the mountainside.
After the tour you will have time to wander around the archaeological site at your leisure.
Then, you will have time to do any of the following activities by yourself (not included in the price):
1. 1. Ascent to Wayna Picchu; For the more adventurous, we suggest you climb the Wayna Picchu from where you can appreciate the immensity of Machu Picchu, being even more surprisingly high and distant.
Train back to Cusco: In the afternoon you will return to the Aguas Calientes train station for the return trip to Cusco – departure of the train to Cusco; upon arrival at the reception and transfer to the Hotel Cusco
• Food: Breakfast
English