5-DAY LARES TRAIL TO MACHU PICCHU

A two-hour panoramic trip through the Sacred Valley of the Incas will take you to the beginning of this lares trail peru, in the small town of Totora. You follow an ancient Inca trail in a narrow canyon, where the Inca tombs perch on the cliffs. Leaving the canyon, you will pass through small rural communities before leaving for a delicious country lunch. Then, your bus will take you to the small and very traditional community of Quishuarani, your overnight camp (3700 m / 12,140 feet).

This is an awesome day of hiking. You leave the camp and pass by colored dressed locals, to the native forests where Andean deers, vizcachas and several rare bird species live; they are essential for the future of this area.

One more effort and you will reach the breathtaking views from the highest spot of the hike, the Huchayccasa pass (4450 m / 14600 feet). A chain of emerald blue lakes fills the hillside below you, and in the distance the snow-capped mountains of Urubamba rise. Going down through hand-turned potato fields, you reach the old community of Cuncani (3800m / 12.4600ft).

After a tasty lunch, continue along the valley floor until you reach the notorious town of Huacahuasi. Once home to bandits and cattle thieves, it is now a quiet place to spend the night. Surely they will be visited by local women who sell hand-woven fabrics for which the area is famous and entertained by the cheerful local children who accompany it while walking.

Another great day awaits you on this 5-Day Lares Trail to Machu Picchu. After a good breakfast, you begin to climb gently towards your last step. This is a day full of encounters with the locals. Men with strong legs are heading to work in potato fields, with wooden plows hanging on their shoulders. Hard-handed women sit; extended legs weaving their traditional clothes on wooden looms. And young children sit still watching herds of alpaca and llama, with their always faithful dog by their side.

From your camp you start towards the final step. Located at 4,200 m / 13,780 feet, the Ipsaycocha Pass marks the border between Lares and the Patacancha Valley. You start carefully and then climb a last steep section to win the top. If you are lucky, you will have spectacular views of Mount Veronica. Have lunch next to the beautiful Ipsay Lake and then follow an old path to the Patacancha Valley and its final camp.

It begins with a short but sharp climb to the impressive and little known ruins of Pumamarca. After visiting this extensive site, take an Inca trail along ancient terraces, before touring the eucalyptus forests to the impressive ruins of Ollantaytambo.

Enjoy lunch before exploring this charming town. This was the site of the last battle between the Incas and the Spanish before the remaining Inca rebels fled to the jungles of Vilcabamba. The presence of the Incas is still evident, since most of the houses still contain Inca stone and local women still wash their clothes in the old Inca canals that cross the town. In the afternoon, you will take the train to Machu Picchu Pueblo and your hotel for the night.

This day you are going to explore Machu Picchu with your tour guide before the crowds arrive. Then there is time to walk to the Inca Bridge, or just wander through the ruins soaking up the atmosphere.

In the afternoon, you will take the train to Ollantaytambo and then have a car ride back to Cusco. End of our 5-Day Lares Trail to Machu Picchu