Lares Trek to Machu Picchu

You will meet your Bucket List Leaders at the airport and fly out as a group for Bucket Lister + Trips. If you have booked a Bucket Lister Trip we will see you in Peru soon!

If you have transfers with us we will take you to the hotel. For those making their own way, we will see you in Lima.

Welcome Briefing: Your welcome briefing will be at 6 pm at the hotel.

The first stop on our Lima city tour is Huaca Pucllana, a huge archaeological site in Miraflores, one of Lima’s most popular districts. Huaca Pucllana was an important ceremonial and administrative center of the Lima culture, which developed along this part of the Peruvian coast between 200 AD and 700 AD. 

After exploring Huaca Pucllana, we’ll drive to the historic centre of Lima, all of which is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. We’ll go to the beautiful Plaza de Armas (Lima’s main square) which is surrounded by impressive colonial and Republican-era buildings, many of which have ornate wooden balconies. Some of Peru’s most important buildings surround the square, including the Government Palace, Cathedral of Lima, Archbishop’s Palace of Lima, the Municipal Palace and the Palace of the Union. 

We’ll walk one block to the Convent of Santo Domingo. Founded in the 1530s and completed in 1766, it is one of the most important religious buildings in Peru, and its large bell tower is a landmark in the historic centre of Lima. As we walk around the interior of the convent, we’ll see the beautiful Sevillian azulejos (ceramic tiles) that decorate the walls, dating from 1604 and 1606. There is also a series of paintings that present passages of the life of Saint Dominic, the founder of the Dominican order, which date to around 1608. At the end of the tour, we will return to your hotel.

After breakfast, you will be picked up from the hotel and taken to the airport where you will board your flight to Cusco. Once you arrive in Cusco, a member of the team will be waiting at the airport to pick you up in our private transport and take you to your hotel. 

Our Cusco city tour begins in the afternoon when we’ll first head to the beautiful Koricancha, next door to Santo Domingo Church. 

After visiting the Koricancha, we’ll head to Cusco Cathedral, located on the Plaza de Armas. 

Our next stop is the imposing Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman, which sits on a hill above Cusco. Here you will see some of the finest examples of Inca stonework and construction, including massive rocks that were carefully cut and perfectly fitted together to form the walls. From here you’ll also have beautiful panoramic views of Cusco. 

After exploring Sacsayhuaman we’ll head up the hill to the Tambomachay Archeological Complex. 

Tambomachay is the last attraction on our city tour, after which we’ll head back down into Cusco and drop you off at your hotel.

We take a private vehicle from Cusco through the Sacred Valley of the Incas for about an hour and a half to the town of Ollantaytambo, where we will make a brief stop to have breakfast and buy any last-minute snacks and some presents for local people from the Andes mountains. We continue for approximately an hour by Andean roads with fabulous views of the Peruvian highlands until the community of Patacancha (3,750m/12,377ft). We start our trek with a moderate up-hill climb (3-4 hours) until lunch by Ipsaycocha Lake, then we continue uphill for another hour to reach the highest point of our trek, Ipsay Pass (4,550m/15,017ft). We then descend, interacting with the real descendants of the Incas. Finally, the first camp will be out of Huacahuasi (3900m/12,790ft), a
small Quechua-speaking community.

Walking Distance: 14 km / 6-7 hours
Starting Elevation: 3,750m / 12,377ft
Maximum Altitude: 4,550m / 15,017ft
Campsite elevation: 3,900m /12,790ft

Today we trek from Huacahuasi to Lares. After breakfast, we descend for about 3 hours into Huacahuasi Valley. Today, the scenery will be dramatically different; fields of potato, barley, quinoa, and corn are abundant here. In the morning we will learn about weaving techniques and be able to admire some of the high-quality ponchos, chullos (wool hats), and other garments. We continue walking for a few hours to arrive at Lares hot springs at 3400m where we will set up camp.

Walking Distance: 14 km / 8 miles – 5 hours approx.
Campsite elevation: 3,250m /10,660ft
Maximum Altitude: 3,900m /12,790ft

You have the morning to relax, before our final trekking day, so you can sleep until late (7:00 am!) or soak in the hot springs early in the morning. After breakfast, we drive for 1.5 hours to catch and hike the remains of the original Inca trail passing through the Totora canyon until lunch (3 hours walk). We will then drive for 2 hours to Ollantaytambo train station to board the train, a spectacular train ride takes us to the town of Aguas Calientes which sits at the foot of Machu Picchu. We’ll be staying in Aguas Calientes for the night so we’ll check into our accommodation, take a warm shower, then refuel with a delicious dinner and a good night’s sleep before Machu Picchu.

Starting Elevation: 3,250m /10,660ft
Accommodation: Hotel in Aguas Calientes 2,000m

To best appreciate Machu Picchu, we’ll wake up early in the morning so we can get to the citadel in good time. You’ll have time for breakfast, and we will be picked up from the hotel at around 5:40 a.m. We’ll then walk to the bus departure point for the short but zigzagging ascent up the road to Machu Picchu. 

We’ll then pass through the gates into the Machu Picchu archaeological site. Here you’ll begin your guided walking tour with an experienced and highly knowledgeable guide. Our tour of Machu Picchu will last about two hours and will take you to all the most famous and spectacular parts of the extensive archaeological complex. These include the House of the Guardian, the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, the Sacred Plaza, and other key locations. As we walk around, we’ll have spectacular views of the agricultural terraces of Machu Picchu and across to the surrounding mountains and plunging gorges. After the guided tour you’ll have time to explore Machu Picchu as you please, perhaps walking to some less visited parts such as the Inca Bridge. 

Once we’ve finished our tour of Machu Picchu, we’ll take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes where you can relax and have lunch before we board the train back to Poroy and Cusco. Upon arrival at the station, we’ll be taken back to the hotel in Cusco, where you’ll finish the entirety of your incredible Lares trek to Machu Picchu.

After breakfast, you have a free day to explore Cusco as you choose. The capital city of the Inca Empire is now the undisputed archaeological capital of the Americas, as well as the continent’s oldest continuously inhabited city.

Those who have booked the Rainbow Mountain excursion will head out early.

After breakfast enjoy your last day at leisure before transferring to the airport for your return flight home via Lima. 

Please note – if you are booking your international flights yourself you must book a late evening flight from Lima, to allow for the internal flight from Cusco.