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Immerse yourself in Andean culture on this spectacular alternative route filled with traditional culture, gorgeous vistas, and the chance to glimpse modern-day Andean life in remote, un-touristed villages.
First, we spend the first few days acclimatizing to the altitude as we tour around Cusco and the Sacred Valley.
Then, we embark on an unparalleled journey that connects past and present of traditional Incan culture. We begin on the Lares trail, which takes you through several Andean villages where you will meet Quechua-speaking Indigenous people who continue to live as they have for centuries.
From Lares we connect with the Short Inca Trail – an abbreviated version of one of the world’s most famous hikes. This one-day Inca Trail hike offers some of the best of what the classic trek has to offer: the ruins at Winay Wayna – arguably the most impressive on the whole trail! – and the chance to walk through the Sun Gate into Machu Picchu, an experience like no other.
After a night in a comfortable hotel in Aguas Calientes, we cap things off with a tour of Machu Picchu – one of the 7 New Wonders of the World!
This life-changing adventure sees you hike through changing terrain – from soaring snow-capped peaks and crystalline glacial lakes to lush Andean jungle – all while immersing you in Incan history and modern-day Andean culture.
There is truly no other hike like it.
High quality personalized experience
Unique, off-the-beaten track routes
Experienced staff
Verified sustainability practices
$20 of every trek donated to Threads of Peru
Meals
Accommodation
Transportation
Entry Fees
Additional
We offer you the opportunity to personalize your trek and make your experience more comfortable through our Optional Extras and Upgrades. All options are available during the reservation process; please ask your sales consultant for more information.
Get ready for warm days, cold nights, and plenty of adventure! We will provide a comprehensive packing after booking, but here are some essentials to keep in mind:
With these essentials, you will be set for an unforgettable Andean Heights tour!
For more info on packing for Peru, check out our blog: Packing for Your Trek.
Want to join a trek? Ready to confirm a departure date of your own, but interested in having others join you? Then Trekkers Wanted is for you! Our innovative Trekkers Wanted system matches people up who are interested in hiking the same trek, bringing costs down and multiplying the fun for everyone!
Read More about Trekkers Wanted, post your trek or search for confirmed departures!
Arrive to Cusco any time during the day. Upon your arrival, we will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel.
Enjoy the rest of the day free to rest, settle in or explore a little bit of the city on your own.
Then, in the evening your guide will meet you for a special Welcome Dinner to kick-off your Inca Trail tour.
Your Welcome Dinner will be accompanied by a pre-trip briefing by your guide. They will give you more details about what to expect over the coming days, and give you a chance to ask any last-minute questions you might have.
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Tierra Viva San Blas, or similar (Cusco)
Cusco (originally “Qosqo”) means “Navel of the World”, and was once the heart of the Inca Empire. After a restful sleep in your comfortable hotel in the city centre, join your guide on a walking tour of this cosmopolitan city.
During our walking tour we will wander the city’s enchanting narrow streets, visiting the Plaza de Armas and its famous Cathedral, Santo Domingo Monastery (atop the legendary Q’oricancha Temple), the artisan quarter of San Blas and the lively San Pedro market.
At the end of the tour, your guide will either leave you in the Plaza de Armas to continue exploring on your own, or accompany you back to your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Tierra Viva San Blas, or similar (Cusco)
We head out of Cusco this morning, enjoying a picturesque drive through the mountains to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The Sacred Valley has a milder climate than Cusco and we will see a succession of quaint villages, agricultural terraces, and many archaeological sites.
For our journey from Cusco to your Sacred Valley hotel, we have two options:
Option A:
Just before we reach the Valley, we can stop at Awanacancha. Here we can see llamas, alpacas and vicuñas, all camelid species native to the Andes and culturally significant through the centuries as pack animals and for their fleece. We will also have a chance to learn a bit about traditional weaving, a practice that dates back nearly 5000 years.
After this stop, we continue on to Pisac, where we can make a brief stop to check out its famous artisan market and world-class ancient ruins.
The Pisac ruins are some of the finest and largest in the entire valley. Despite the excellent condition of many of the structures, little is conclusively known about the site’s actual purpose. It appears to have been part city, part ceremonial center, and part military complex. It might even have been a royal estate of the Inca emperor Pachacutec.
Leaving Pisac, we head towards Urubamba where we will visit a traditional ceramics factory where we can purchase beautiful earthenware. After visiting the ceramic factory, we continue on to your hotel, where you will have the rest of the day free.
Option B:
Alternatively, we can delve a little more deeply into the unique weaving and natural dye traditions of the Andes at an awana wasi, or weaving house, in Chinchero, before continuing on towards the fascinating sites of Maras & Moray.
From Chinchero, we travel through jaw-dropping scenery as we head to the Moray Inca ruins, one of the most unusual and interesting in the area. A pre-Incan site also thought to have been used by the Incas, Moray is a series of circular agricultural terraces which are believed to have been an experimental agricultural station for different crop strains.
After our visit, we continue to the community of Misminay, located close to Moray, where traditionally dressed members of the community will welcome you. We will enjoy a healthy and delicious lunch here featuring traditional Andean fare, including potatoes, corn and sweet potatoes.
We then continue our picturesque drive through the Sacred Valley until we reach our hotel, nestled in the beautiful landscape alongside the Urubamba River. Enjoy a tranquil evening relaxing in your room or strolling the gorgeous grounds, and enjoy a delicious dinner at the hotel’s on-site restaurant (not included).
Meals: Breakfast, Box lunch
Accommodation: Tierra Viva Valle, or similar (Yanahuara)
From your hotel in the heart of the Sacred Valley, we drive for about two hours this morning until we reach the Lares hot springs. Lares is a well-known spot for trekkers and locals alike, and you will have a chance to take an enjoyable soak!
Time-permitting, we will make a brief stop at the Ancasmarka ruins along the way. After spending some time at the Lares hot springs, we begin our climb up towards Rayancancha.
We will ascend gradually for about 1.5 hours along a trail that runs alongside the Trapiche River, a river which irrigates the agricultural lands of the Lares Valley.
The river’s soothing sound will accompany us as we make our way to the community of Tambohuaylla (3440m / 11,286ft). Known as “the land of dogs,” it is a tradition here for families to have many dogs as guardians of their homes and companions for herding llamas, alpacas, and sheep.
Please note: In these communities, dogs are not treated as pets in the same way as you might be accustomed to in your home country. They are working animals. They are generally well-treated and looked after, and while they might be curious about you, they are not friendly. Please ensure you keep your distance.
From this point, we will begin a zigzag ascent. We’ll be surrounded by lush vegetation and will pass several waterfalls that enhance the beauty of this natural landscape.
After two hours of upwards hiking, we will reach our campsite at Rayancancha (3731m / 12,239ft), where we will spend the night.
Meals: Breakfast at hotel; all meals on the trail
Included: Private transportation, private English-speaking guide, muleteers, trail chef, camping equipment, all entry to the Lares hot springs, comfortable foam mattress, duffel bag for your belongings to be carried by the mules (up to 8kg / 17 lbs per person).
Accommodations: Camping: 2 people in a 4-person tent for extra room & comfort!
We start off early from our campsite this morning, and head towards the Ruyaccancha Pass (4438m / 14,561ft). It will be a challenging day as we conquer three passes in succession, starting with the highest point on the trek: the Ruyaccancha Q’asa Pass, followed by Q’aqahuachana and Quinsaqocha.
We begin with a zigzagging ascent, surrounded by abundant vegetation such as the native queuña tree (Polylepis) and the popular kulli t’ika (Brachyotum rostratum), a purple flower known in the area as the “Inca earring.” As we continue ascending, the landscape will be dotted by roaming herds of llamas and alpacas in search of native grasses (such as yareta and ichu), as well as their temporary stone corrals.
After approximately three hours of continuous ascent, we will reach the first pass of Ruyaccancha Q’asa (4438m / 14,561ft), the highest point of the entire route. A magical place, the views from here are stunning, with majestic lakes and mountains in the distance.
We will then continue along a highland trail until we reach the second pass of Q’aqahuachana (4380m / 14,370ft). It will take an extra 10 minutes to reach the lookout point of Q’aqahuachana Orqo (4400m / 14,435ft), a magical spot where you’ll feel like you’re “on top of the sky,” enjoying the breathtaking 360-degree views.
After enjoying this stunning viewpoint, we’ll hike back another 10 minutes to rejoin the trail, and then we continue walking until reach the third and final pass, Quinsacocha Pass (4380m / 14,370ft). From this final pass on the Lares and Short Inca Trail hike, we will end the morning with a 20-minute descent to our lunch spot at Quinsacocha (4334m / 14,219ft).
After lunch, we head down towards the village of Chaullacocha (4100m / 13,451 ft), surrounded by its signature series of 12 lakes, including its namesake “Fish Lake”.
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.
After spending some time in Chaullacocha, our private vehicle will arrive to drive us about 2 hours down to Ollantaytambo (2792m / 9157 ft), where we will spend the night.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Included: Camping equipment & field team as described on Day 1 of trek; private transport to hotel in Ollantaytambo.
Accommodations: Sol Natura, or similar (Ollantaytambo)
We wake early and head down to the train station on foot, in time to catch an early morning train. We will trave on a very picturesque route for nearly 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 shortest hikes around the Cusco region, the steep stairs make it quite a challenge – some say it’s as hard as the hardest day on the 4-day Inca Trail trek!
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.
Meals: Breakfast, Box lunch, Dinner
Included: Private transport from your hotel to Ollantaytambo, private English-speaking guide, Expedition train to Km104, Inca Trail permit.
Accommodations: Tierra Viva Machupicchu, or similar (Aguas Calientes)
Today is the final day of your Lares & Inca Trail Cultural Immersion tour and includes a guided tour of Machu Picchu.
After a restful sleep, you will have breakfast at a reasonable hour before we make our way to the bus stop. Boarding the bus fairly early, we make our way up to Machu Picchu in time for an entry between 7 and 8 AM – the best time to visit Machu Picchu, in our opinion.
Entering Machu Picchu, we will enjoy a 2-hour guided tour of the ruins. Afterwards, we exit the site and take the bus back down to Aguas Calientes (walking is an option, but your bus ticket is included).
You will have a bit of free time to grab a snack or explore on your own, and then we will head to the train station to catch our return train to Ollantaytambo. There, we will connect with our private transport to take you all the way back to Cusco. Total travel time is around 4 hours.
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 short hikes, and your Travel Consultant will discuss how adding one of these Machu Picchu hikes may change the itinerary of your Inca Trail trek. For more details about each hike, see our Machu Picchu Hikes blog.
Meals: Breakfast
Included: Entry to Machu Picchu, bus up & down to Machu Picchu, Vistadome train to Ollantaytambo, private transport to Cusco, private English-speaking guide.
Accommodations: Tierra Viva San Blas, or similar (Cusco)
Sadly, it’s just about time to say goodbye!
Depending on the time of your departure flight, you might have time for some last-minute souvenir shopping or a stroll around Cusco’s atmospheric streets before getting ready for the journey home.
After checking out of your hotel, we will then transfer you to the Cusco airport in time for your departure flight.
Keep in mind: it is recommended to be at the airport at least 1.5 hours prior to domestic flights, and 3 hours prior to international flight departures. If you are flying to Lima and have an international connection, please make sure you allow enough time between flights in Lima.
Meals: Breakfast
Included: Airport transfer
