Lares Valley Trek: Embark on a beautiful 2 day Lares Valley trek; through traditional native communities where you can see how these populations survive & thrive using local resources. Traditions and cultures exist in this part of the Andes that were alive centuries ago and stay prevalent because of the strong sense of community that permeates throughout the region.

Starting at the Hot Springs of the Lares Valley trek; you’ll pitstop for lunch after a fairly long drive from Cusco in the morning. After lunch you follow a trail for about 4 hrs to the first campsite of Huachuasi. Here llamas & horses graze and are kept for many of the farmsteads.

On the second beginning from Huachuasi you’ll head deeper into the valleys of this area and see many traditional quechuan farm practices, whilst also scaling a 4,800m mountain pass. On the descent you’ll pass a mountain lake in Ipsaycocha & descend down to the town of Patacchanta for a final lunch; capping a great couple of days before heading to the amazing Incan Citadel of Machu Picchu.

Overnight in Ollantaytambo or Aguas Calientes, before heading up to the Inca Citadel. There are 2 entrance times for Machu Picchu – 7am & 12pm. You can also include hikes to Machu Picchu & Huayna Picchu mountain

Returning to Cusco for transfer back to your hotel.

Day 1

Cusco - Lares Hot Springs - Huacahuasi

Setting off from Cusco at 6 am, you'll weave through the mountain routes of the sacred valley towards Lares arriving in time for some lunch. After lunch you'll begin trekking from the 'Bano Termales' of Lares &following an old Inca trail along the Rio Huacahuasi. The rustic townsand children help you along the way. On arriving in Huacahuasi you'll overnight, in this welcoming Quechuan valley town, with the local community. Meals included: Lunch, Dinner

Day 2

Huacahuasi - Ipsaycocha - Patacchanta

On leaving Huacahuasi the route weaves through more local 'poblados', with glimpses of the Apu Pitusiray Nevada always in the background. Potatoes being cooked using traditional methods out in the open countryside. Herds of Llamas graze the slopes with valley girls shepherding them high on the mountainsides. Quechua is the native language in these parts of the Andes. Passing 4,800m the descent then weaves via Ipsaycocha lake, winding down the valley below heading towards Pataccancha. Crop fields here are being harvested by local families. Pathways carved into the hillsides show the way down to Pataccancha where dinner will be prepared. From here, it's onwards to Machu Picchu. Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3

Machu Picchu: Travel & Exploration

At the end of the trek, we finish near to a town called Ollantaytambo, at this point there are a couple of options.

1. You can either spend the night in Ollantaytambo, enjoy this lively little town & the ruins here, then have a leisurely morning the following day, followed by a 1.5hr train journey to Aguas Calientes.

Then you arrive by around mid-afternoon in time for the afternoon session tour of Machu Picchu. This is a more tranquil & serene time to explore the citadel as it is less crowded.

There are 2 entrance times for Machu Picchu - 7am & 12pm
You can also include hikes to Machu Picchu & Huayna Picchu mountain

2. Head straight to Aguas Calientes directly after the trek. Most take this option if they want to head up to Machu Picchu as early as possible to see the fabled sunrise. This option makes the last day of the trek a long one & the following day also, but both options are available, it really depends how you'd like to do it.

Built as a seasonal residence for the Inca family, Machu Picchu was rarely home to more than 800 people, and during the royals' absence, a mere 100 servants would remain at the site to maintain the grounds. Machu Picchu was abandoned 100 years after construction and remained largely hidden to the outside world until the early 20th century.

If there's time, hike up to Machu Picchu Mountain (optional & depends on ticket availability) for a bird's eye view of the citadel. Afterward, a tour guide will show you around the site and explain the different buildings and curious corners of the building complex. Approximately one-third of the site has been reconstructed into its original structure, giving visitors a sense for the grandeur and artistry of the original citadel.

After the two-hour tour, take the bus back to Aguas Calientes to connect to your train to Ollantaytambo and your connecting transfer to Cusco. Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Tour Info

whats included

Breakfast x 2
Lunch x 3
Dinner x 2
Private Transport – collection & drop-off
Professional bilingual guide
Cook
Horsemen & mules
All camping equipment (Sleeping bags to hire + Walking sticks)
Entrance to Machu Picchu, round trip bus tickets to Citadel
One night hostel in either Ollantaytambo or Aguas Calientes
Train tickets to and from Ollantaytambo/Cusco

whats not included

Hotels before & after (can be organised as part of trip)
Tips for crew
Domestic flights (can be organised as part of trip)
Any additional extras

Joining arrangements

There will be a pre-trek briefing held usually the evening before departure, at your hotel, to go over the details of the trek and any specific requirements not already captured

Food & Water

Prior to setting off we recommend you steer clear of street food and only eat in good restaurants, to avoid any stomach complaints. Peruvian food can be spicy, it can be strong and rich for many European diets. Likewise with tap water, it is largely untreated, so please avoid at all costs on arrival and stick to bottled water only or sterilised water if you have the right equipment.

Special Diets

We’ll ensure that we cater for all of your dietary needs, at the point of booking we’ll collect this information from you. We can secure special menu requests also for your trek party.

Trekking Crew

We are able to customise our treks to suit you, but usually our treks are guided by a professional bilingual guide, arriero (horseman) and mules to carry all equipment (passenger horses also available on request), and a mountain cook. They become a large part of your trekking expedition and it’s a great experience working together.

Acclimatisation

This is a really important part of your trip planning process, please find a link below which explains a little more about preparing for altitude.

Altitude Preparation

Preparation

Attached below are a couple of links which will explain how to prepare for your trip & trek in advance of your arrival. We recommend being prepared in advance to save time & stress whilst you’re in Peru.

Trip Planning
Trek Planning

Rated 5 out of 5

Connor McFarlane – Dec Fri, 2018

Review for Lares Valley Trek & Machu Picchu – 3 Days
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

So this wasn’t just your average planned trip, I was in a bind for a last minute trip, looking online I discovered Unu Raymi Expeditions. James was the best trip planner I could ask for, he was very accommodating to my needs, even helped me out when I got to Cusco & put me up for a couple of nights. He organised & operated my 2 day Lares Valley trek, trip to machu picchu, day tour to salt mines, moray and sacred valley! His team are very professional and handle everyone to their needs and wants in treks and tours around peru! I had met James personally as I was travelling alone, he’s a great planner as well now a great friend! I plan on returning soon and meeting up again with James!