The Lares Valley is one of the most picturesque in the southern part of Cusco and home of many traditional weavers and farmers. The people live day to day, growing and knitting what they eat and wear, respectively. Each day is reasonably paced with ample time to enjoy the incredible scenery. The walk is hard, but this is incredibly rewarded with the landscape, lunch alongside cascading waterfalls, and appreciation of the life of the Andean farmer. We can share time with them to hear about their activities with help of our guide.
After breakfast in your hotel, we will pick you up and head out in the morning from Cusco city through the Sacred Valley to the town of Calca where we will make a 25 minute stop to stretch our legs and make last minute purchases needed for the trek. We then continue travelling to the highest point of our day at an altitude of 4265 meters above sea level (13992 FASL); from this point it is possible to see the mountain peaks of Sawasiray and Pitusiray. Later, we descend to the warmer valley of Lares to an altitude of 3207 MASL/10521 FASL. Lares is a typical colonial town with a Catholic church, main square, and narrow cobbled streets. In this town, we will also be meeting with our horsemen and mules, having time to enjoy the medicinal hot springs while the horsemen pack and the cook prepares lunch. After lunch, we start our hiking adventure of the Lares Trek. The path ascends gradually as we hike a few short hours to the community of Huacawasi (3600 MASL – 11811 FASL) where we will make camp for the night. Huacawasi is a charming and picturesque little village with small adobe homes made of mud and straw brick. Llamas and alpacas can be seen all along the way.
After breakfast, we depart our campground ascending slowly in the direction of Aruraycocha (at 4500 MASL/14763 FASL), the highest point of the trek. This point offers a rewarding view of the valleys below and the pristine Aruraycocha Lake, which we will then head down towards. This is where we enter the conservation area of Mantanay, which provides a whole new array of vegetation to be seen. We will get to see a specific type of tree from the Incas known as Q’euñas, that are found along the way from the Yuraccocha Lake. These lakes were formed in part by the glaciers from the Pumahuanca and Kiswarani mountains. Close to one of these lakes we will enjoy a hearty, delicious lunch. If luck will have it, you just might glimpse one of the famous Condor birds in this area, but there are also varieties of other birds to be seen here, some on the verge of extinction (the Royal Churrete, Red flanked Blue tails, and Quenuales Bird are just some of the bird species specific to this area). We then continue in descent through a forested area on to the second campsite on the outskirts of Mantanay village, located 3800 MASL/12467 FASL.
After a good sleep and breakfast, we prepare for the last part of the hike taking a route towards the town of Yanahuara, located at 2950 MASL/9678 FASL. It’s a pretty village with a comfortably warm climate located in the Urubumba valley, part of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. This is an important area with its large fields of corn produced for the Cusco area. This is where the large-grained white corn is mostly grown. Upon arriving to Yanahuara, we will enjoy one last meal as a group, prepared by our chef. Here we will say good bye to the staff (cook and horsemen). We will continue in a van to Ollantaytambo. Situated in a fertile river valley and sheltered by mammoth mountains, this ancient Inca village is considered one of the most important living museums in the world. The group takes the train from there to Aguas Calientes and spends the night there in a comfortable hostel.
Today we arrive at the long-awaited finale of our trek, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site – Machu Picchu! We will wake up early after a refreshing night at our hotel to beat the crowds to the top of Machu Picchu and enjoy its serenity in the soft morning light. The Machu Picchu entrance check point is open from 06:00 AM until 17:00 PM. We will hike up to Machu Picchu (a bus ride is optional for $12.00) and enter the hidden Royal Citadel of the Incas. Here we will have a 2-hour guided tour through this incredible ancient city to visit temples, terraces, palaces, priest’s houses, the sundial, the industrial sector, and the farming fields. Be amazed at the engineering ingenuity of the Incas which was so far ahead of their time and still partially a mystery today! Without having modern tools or even steel and iron to work with, the people who built this city were genius in organizing this community in a sustainable and beautiful way on the side of a mountain, even bringing water in canals through its streets for the people to use. When a Peruvian guide showed this site to Hiram Bingham, it was almost unrecognizable, covered in thick vegetation and in a state of disrepair. It has since been cleaned and restored and is now protected and treasured by the world at large! After this tour, you are free to climb up to Huayna Picchu (2 hours) or Machu Picchu Mountain (3 hours) (Be sure to book in advance to get tickets for these!). Another lower-impact option for which you do not need an extra ticket is to trek to the Sun Gate, the main entrance from the Inca Trail (this takes about 2 or 2.5 hours round-trip). Another option is walking to see the Incan Bridge. You will be able to stay and enjoy this magical city for plenty of time before hiking back down to Aguas Calientes (or taking the bus). Most people are ready to take the bus back to Aguas Calientes around 1pm where you can have lunch in one of the many restaurants (not included). While waiting for the train, you can visit a museum, more hot springs, cafes, etc. in the town. You need to be at the train station 30 minutes before your scheduled train departure time. There will be transport waiting for you in Ollantaytambo to bring you back to Cusco. Rest your feet and your body now, but we can assure you your heart will still be soaring for weeks and years to come! ** Campsites will be determined according to the guide's criteria
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