Lares and 2 Day Inca Trail

• Extra horse to carry luggage exceeding the allowed 7kg (15lbs) per person
• Extra horse for you to ride, and horseman to lead it
• Llamas to carry your own things. Note that this traditional Inca beast of burden can only carry about 7kg. The cost of hiring llamas includes a small group of 3-4 llamas and a llamero (llama driver)
• Sleeping Bag suitable for -5˚C
• Deluxe sleeping bag suitable for -15˚C
• Light-weight aluminum walking stick. Two sticks are recommended for tough hikes.
• Thermarest inflatable mattress
• Thermarest inflatable pillow
• Single-occupancy tent supplement
• Comfort Camping Upgrade
• Spend the night in a traditional Andean home! Check out our Chaullacocha Homestay add-on.
• Aguas Calientes Hotel Upgrade
• Extra Day at Machu Picchu
• If you’d like to hike Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain , let us know at the time of booking as it requires a separate permit.
• If you’d like more flexibility in your return travel to Cusco, consider a train upgrade for an extra $35 per person. This upgrade must be requested at time of booking.

Important!

• When calculating the cost of renting equipment, calculate using the length of the entire trip, not just the number of trekking days.
• Please be careful with rented equipment! You are responsible for the cost of replacement if something is damaged or broken.
• Any upgrades or trip extensions must be requested at time of booking.

General Information about hiking with Apus Peru

• Each guide has their own preferred route and so the route you trek might not correspond exactly to the route described here.
• The times cited in this itinerary are approximate. Walking times depend on the group, and the guide may change lunch spots and campsites, depending on the progress of the group.

Specific Information about the Lares & 2 Day Inca Trail Route

• On this Lares & 2 Day Inca Trail hike you will be visiting remote, high-altitude villages. Conditions are harsh and you should be prepared for extremely cold, rustic conditions.
• This is a great trek for its opportunities to interact with local community members – a genuine and very memorable Andean cultural experience!
• One of the great things about this Lares to Machu Picchu trek is the chance to visit a living, breathing traditional Andean community. If you have your heart set on seeing a weaving demonstration or visiting a school, please tell us at booking. We otherwise can’t guarantee that these activities will be possible when you arrive at the village, as the school may not be in session (for instance, if it is a weekend or holiday), and community members may be out working in the fields.

Specific Information About Booking the Lares & 2 Day Inca Trail

• The Inca Trail is not open in February.
• A scanned copy of your passport and a non-refundable deposit must be provided upon booking an Inca Trail trek. This is due to government regulations which require complete passport details and full payment of the Machu Picchu entrance fee in order to issue a permit. Your reservation will only be confirmed when we have your entrance ticket in our hands.
• If your passport number changes after you book, you must tell us immediately or you may lose your booking. If the name or number on your passport is different from the name or number on your Inca Trail permit, you will not be allowed to start the trek and you will not be entitled to a refund.
• You must carry your original passport with you on the trail.
• If you booked the Inca Trail at a student rate, you must bring your valid student card on the trail with you. If you do not present your student card, you will not be allowed to start the trek and you will not be entitled to a refund, nor given an opportunity to pay the full rate.

Extras & Upgrades on the Lares & 2 Day Inca Trail

• If you’d like to hike Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain , let us know at the time of booking as it requires a separate permit.
• This trek includes transportation by train from Km 104 to Aguas Calientes and from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo on the Expedition service (Tourist Class), followed by private ground transport from Ollantaytambo to Cusco. If you’d like more flexibility in your return travel to Cusco, consider upgrading to the Vistadome train (Executive Class). This upgrade must be requested at time of booking.

Total Walking Distance – 6km
Total Walking Time – 3.5-4hs
Minimum Altitude – 3200 mt/ 10,498ft / Maximum Altitude – 4000mt / 13,123ft
Altitude of camp – 4000mt / 13,123ft
Approx. night temperature – 7°C

We start off early from our campsite this morning, and head towards the Colquepata Pass (4450m / 14,600 ft), a strong uphill climb. From here, we continue along the ridge for most of the day, passing a series of stunning glacial lakes along the way.

Then, we turn and head down towards the village of Chaullacocha (4200m / 13,780 ft), arriving there in the late afternoon. Apus Peru has a long-time and close relationship with this community, and it is also one of the communities supported by Threads of Peru. Time permitting, we’ll have an opportunity to really engage with some community members, perhaps learning about their weaving tradition or visiting the school if it is a school day. In preparation for this community visit, we encourage you to read about being a Responsible Tourist. You can also ask for our Traveler’s Code of Conduct and read about appropriate gift-giving. We will spend the night at a homestay in Chaullacocha.

For an extra-special experience, why not spend the night with a traditional Andean family! Check out our Chaullacocha Homestay add-on!

Total Walking Distance – 12km
Total Walking Time – 6-7h
Minimum Altitude – 4200 mt/ 13,780ft / Maximum Altitude – 4450mt / 14,600ft
Altitude of camp – 4200 mt/ 13,780ft
Approx. night temperature – 0°C to -5°C

It’s another early morning (5 am) as we get picked up in our private transport in order to drive about 2 hours to Ollantaytambo. From Ollantaytambo, we travel by train on a very picturesque route for about 2 hours until we reach Km 104, the start of the Inca Trail for us. Shortly after crossing the bridge over the Vilcanota River we visit the site of Chachabamba (2050m / 6726 ft), a lovely archaeological site with water channels and fountains.

From here, we will hike upwards for about 8km (approximately 4 hours). The trail is well established, but there are many stairs and the hike is mostly upwards! While this is one of the easiest treks around the Cusco region, you still need to have a reasonable level of fitness to complete it. After our upwards climb, we arrive at what many consider the most impressive site on the whole Inca Trail: Wiñay Wayna (‘Forever Young’) (2680m / 8792 ft). This is an impressive complex made up of an agricultural center with numerous terraces, a religious sector and an urban sector.

From here, we continue for about another hour until we arrive at Inti Punku, the Sun Gate (2730m / 8956 ft), where you will have your first dramatic view of Machu Picchu (2400m / 7874 ft). After getting those classic photos, we will walk down the last part of the trail towards Machu Picchu, taking a detour before we reach the entrance to go down to Aguas Calientes. From here, we take the bus down to Aguas Calientes. After checking into our accommodations for the night, we’ll enjoy a celebratory dinner and then it’s off to bed, in preparation for the next day’s early start.

Total Walking Distance – 13km
Total Walking Time – 7hs
Minimum Altitude – 2000 mt/ 6561ft / Maximum Altitude – 2680mt / 8792ft

After a very early breakfast at the hotel, we will take the bus up to Machu Picchu in the pre-dawn hours, allowing us to take in the sunrise over the site. Your 4h visit to Machu Picchu can be spent exploring some of the alternative routes, like the Inca Bridge, after which your guide will give you a 2-3h walking tour of the historic citadel.

If you’re feeling adventurous you may wish to hike Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountain, but take note: this requires an extra permit, and they can sell out well in advance! Be sure to tell us at booking if you would like to add one of these hikes. For more tips on what to see, check out our Visiting Machu Picchu page.

Want more time to explore? Consider our Extra Day Upgrades.

After visiting Machu Picchu, you can take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes (or walk down!). From there, we return to Cusco in the afternoon by the Expedition (tourist class) train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo, where our driver will meet us and transfer you directly back to your hotel in Cusco. Total travel time is about 4 hours from Aguas Calientes to Cusco.