Lares Trek and Short Inca Trail To Machu Picchu – 4N / 5D

Combine the Lares Trek and Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in five days.

DURATION

4 Nights / 5 Days

LOCATION

Machu Picchu

MAX ALTITUDE

4,600 m.s.n.m.

DIFFICULTY

Moderate

Lares Trek and Short Inca Trail To Machu Picchu

The Lares Trek and Short Inca Trail To Machu Picchu begins at 5:00 a.m. with a pickup and drive to Patakancha, followed by a hike over the high Ipsayccocha Pass to your first campsite.

On day two, you will descend through local villages to camp and relax at the Lares Hot Springs.

Day three includes a bus ride to visit the Ancasmarka ruins before spending the afternoon exploring and sleeping at a hotel in Ollantaytambo.

On day four, you will take a train to Km 104 to hike the Short Inca Trail past Wiñay Wayna to the Sun Gate for your first view of Machu Picchu, spending the night in Aguas Calientes.

Finally, on day five, you will have a 2.5-hour guided tour of the citadel before returning by train to Cusco.

Itinerary

Pre-trek briefing (required)

We provide a full pre-trek briefing at our office or at your hotel in Cusco. This gives you the chance to ask questions about the trek itinerary. Briefings are scheduled for the day before your trek starts.

Please take this into consideration when booking your travel plans to Cusco to ensure you arrive in time for the briefing.

Day 1: Lares Trekk: Cusco - Patacancha – Champa Cocha

The first day, after breakfast at the hotel, we will pick you up at 5:00 a.m. from your hotel. In the town of Ollantaytambo, we will stop to make the necessary purchases for the trek. We will travel for 2 hours and 30 minutes through the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and we will walk a total of 12 km (7.44 miles).

We will arrive at Patakancha, a Quechua community where people live very much like their Incan ancestors, in stone homes with thatched roofs. The local people make their own clothing, work the land with foot ploughs, and live off their llamas and alpacas while supplementing their income by working as porters.

We will spend some time visiting their community and school. After meeting with our porters, your kit will be loaded, and we will start our hike. Leaving the village, we will enjoy views of the llama and alpaca herds grazing along the trail.

The scenery is typical of the high Andes, with high-altitude grass and Polylepis trees. After trekking uphill for one and a half hours, the trail will level out, and we will reach Lake Ipsayccocha, a beautiful lagoon, where we will stop for lunch.

We will continue walking and cross our first high pass, Ipsayccocha Pass, at 4,600 masl (15,000 feet). The rest of the hike will be downhill toward our campsite in Champa Qocha or Huaca Wuasi at 4,200 masl (13,776 feet).

Our camp will be set up, and we will enjoy dinner and spend the night.

Overnight in Champa Cocha

Camp site.

Meals: Lunch and Dinner.

Day 2: Champa Cocha - Waca Wasi - Tambohuaylla – Lares

Starting with an early morning breakfast, we will begin our 2-hour descent until we reach the community of Huaca Wasi. We will walk a total of 13 km (8,000 miles).

The scenery will be completely different from the previous day, with fields full of potatoes, barley, quinoa, and corn. In the morning, we will learn about local weaving techniques and take a look at some of their high-quality ponchos, wool hats, and other garments.

We will continue walking for another 3 hours until we arrive at Tambohuaylla, where lunch will be served. Afterwards, we will head to the local school to meet the children who are involved in our social project.

We will then walk for another one and a half hours before reaching the hot springs near the colonial village of Lares. Here, we will set up camp and take a relaxing dip in the warm waters, which are famous for their healing powers.

Finally, we will have dinner and spend the night.

Overnight in Lares (Hot Spring)

Camp site.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 3: Lares – Ancasmarka - Ollantaytambo

After breakfast, we will take a bus trip for 1 hour and 30 minutes to the Archaeological Center of Ancasmarka to visit the Inca site of Angasmarka, where we will make a stop for 2 hours. We will also have lunch there.

Continuing our journey, the bus will take us through the Sacred Valley to the Inca city of Ollantaytambo.

In the afternoon, we will have free time to explore the Inca town of Ollantaytambo, which is another important town and archaeological site in the Sacred Valley, with temples, gardens, and liturgical fountains. This place was also the site of one of the greatest battles between the Spanish and the Incas.

Finally, we will go to the hotel in Ollantaytambo to spend the night.

Overnight in Ollantaytambo

Accommodations: Hotels 3⭐⭐⭐ Standard (Hotel Lilium Valley and others the same category).

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 4: Short Inca Trail (Ollantaytambo – Machu Picchu)

Breakfast at the Hotel

After a delicious breakfast, we will go to the train station, where we will take the train from Ollantaytambo through the picturesque Sacred Valley to Km. 104. Depending on the departure time of the train, you should always arrive 30 minutes before departure.

00:00 Be ready at the train station for check-in.
00:00 Train Expeditions from Ollantaytambo to Km. 104 (starting point of the walk), which takes about one hour and 45 minutes.

At Km. 104, we will get off the train and pass the Inca Trail checkpoint, where we will see our first archaeological center called Chachabamba, at 2,170 m or 7,170 ft.

Our hike continues gently upward for approximately four hours until we reach the beautifully situated Inca complex of Winay Wayna at 2,650 m or 8,700 ft, which is named after an orchid and means “Forever Young” in Quechua. Here, we will stop to eat a nutritious and plentiful box lunch.

Sub-tropical flora and fauna surround us as we continue for 2 hours to the Sun Gate at 2,720 m or 8,920 ft, which is called Intipunku in Quechua. This is where we will have our first view of Machu Picchu.

From there, we will hike down to the ruins, where you will have some time to take photos and enjoy the grandeur of Machu Picchu before we take the bus down to Aguas Calientes.

We will check into our hotel, where you will have some time to rest, or you can visit the hot springs, which are about 10 minutes away. The entrance ticket is S/. 20.00 (Optional).

Afterwards, we will meet for dinner and plan for the following day.

Overnight in Ollantaytambo

Accommodations: Hotels 3⭐⭐⭐ standard (Hotel Hatun Samay, Flower House and others the same category)

Meals: Box Lunch and Dinner

Day 5: Short Inca Trail (Machu Picchu – Cusco)

Breakfast at the Hotel

After a delicious breakfast at your hotel, you will meet your guide and take the 25-minute bus ride up to Machu Picchu. You will have an approximately 2-hour and 30-minute tour with your guide, where we will visit the incredible architecture and mysterious temples left by the Incas.

A professional English-speaking guide will help us understand the sophisticated ideas and technology of this highly advanced culture.

The suggested time to descend from Machu Picchu to the town of Aguas Calientes is 1:00 p.m., depending on the departure time of the train. It is recommended to arrive 30 minutes before the train’s departure.

Train Expedition from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo or Poroy (Cusco).

Upon arrival at the station, a member of the company staff will be waiting to transfer you to your respective hotel in Cusco.

Meals: Breakfast

Trip Details

Duration 4N / 5D

Activities Hiking – Adventure

Difficulty Moderate to challenging

Hiking distance 35KM / 21 miles

Minimum height 2000 m.s.n.m. or 6,560 ft (Aguas Calientes Town)

Maximum height 4600 m.s.n.m. (Ipsayccocha Pass)

Destinations Machu Picchu

Tour language English, Spanish

Accommodation 02 Nights Camping /01 night Hotel

Meals 04 Breakfast,01 Box Lunch, 03 Lunch, 03 Tea time and 04 Dinners

Starts / Ends Cusco – Cusco

IMPORTANT: Please Allow 2 - 3 Days for Acclimatization

Services Included

The services Included

Transportation from your hotel in Cusco to the start of the hike and back to your hotel at the end.
Entrance to the Lares hot springs.
Entrance ticket to Machu Picchu.
Round trip train tickets in the Expedition service from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes and back to Cusco.
Bus ticket from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes on the first day, and round trip bus ticket from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu for the next day.
One night Hotel in Ollantaytambo (3⭐⭐⭐ Standard).
One night Hotel in Aguas Calientes (3⭐⭐⭐ Standard).
Doite tents which are 2-person, 4 season tents designed for maximum comfort.
Therm-a-Rest mattress and pillow provided for free.
Duffle bag that you can fill with up to 7kg or (15 pounds) of your personal gear that the horses will carry.
Other camping equipment, such as a kitchen tent manned by a professional cooking staff, a dining tent with table and chairs, and a bathroom tent.
Experienced tour guide fluent in English, Spanish and Quechua. Our guides are equipped and trained to practice First-Aid, administer oxygen if needed, and conduct radio communication.
Complete meals and snacks during the trip starting with lunch on the first day and ending with breakfast the last day at your hotel (the last lunch in Aguas Calientes is not included). Our experienced chefs make amazing meals in the middle of the mountains and are also used to preparing dishes for people with different food restrictions or lifestyles, so please let us know your preferences and we will make sure to meet your dietary needs.
Professional chef who grew up in the countryside and a horseman with horses/mules to carry all of our gear.
One extra horse in the case of an emergency.

Not Included

Group Service

USD $825.00 per person

Private Service

1 - 2 people

USD $1030.00 per person

3 - 5 people

USD $940.00 per person

6 - 8 people

USD $890.00 per person

9 + people

USD $825.00 per person

Discount

Children 17 years old and under – $40USD off

* To receive the child discount you must send us a copy of the child’s passport.

Discount

Huaynapicchu Mountain: USD$70.00

Machu Picchu Mountain: USD$70.00

Vistadome Train: USD$45.00

Sleeping Bags: USD$25.00

Trekking Poles: USD$15.00 (1 pair)

Prívate Tent: USD$40.00

Document

Small backpack

Large backpack

Warm clothes - Including jacket, fleece, thermal clothes for sleeping, gloves, scarf

Rain clothes - Jacket and trousers, poncho, hat

Swimsuit

Small towel

Strong, waterproof trekking boots

Walking poles

Sandals

Flashlight

Camera - Extra batteries as they run out faster under cold conditions

Suncream, moisturiser

Insect repellant - Min 20% DEET

Toilet paper

Personal first aid kit

Snacks - Biscuits, energy bars, chocolate, raw fruits, muesli, etc

Water bottle

Cash in Soles/$USD

YOU MUST BRING YOUR ORIGINAL PASSPORT

How to book

To book the tour, please send us an email with the information of each person in your group:

Full name, nationality, date of birth and gender

Copy of your passport

The tour you want to do, the start date

How many people are in your group

info@peruvianpathsandadventures.com

Tour Map: Lares Trek and Short Inca Trail To Machu Picchu - 4N/5D

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Lares Trek and Short Inca Trail To Machu Picchu – 4N / 5D

Lares Trek and Short Inca Trail To Machu Picchu

Itinerary

Day 1: Lares Trekk: Cusco - Patacancha – Champa Cocha

Day 2: Champa Cocha - Waca Wasi - Tambohuaylla – Lares

Day 3: Lares – Ancasmarka - Ollantaytambo

Day 4: Short Inca Trail (Ollantaytambo – Machu Picchu)

Day 5: Short Inca Trail (Machu Picchu – Cusco)

Trip Details

IMPORTANT: Please Allow 2 - 3 Days for Acclimatization

Services Included

The services Included

Not Included

Group Service

Discount

Discount

How to book

Tour Map: Lares Trek and Short Inca Trail To Machu Picchu - 4N/5D

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