Lares Trek, is one of the best free four days trails to Machu Picchu. It give you the opportunity to enjoy with the people in the area. The alpaca and llamas shepherds, the colorful traditional cloth they were, the incredible mountain that divide the Sacred Valley of the Incas and Lares Valley, enjoy a bath on the natural hot springs of Lares, be amazed by the color of the natural lagoons formed by the melt of the ice pick of the Andean Cordillera.
Pick up is at 3:30 am and departure is from Cusco is at 4:00 am in the direction of Sacred Valley of the Incas. Passing by the colorful town of Calca and a ride up to Cordillera Alto Urubamba to the town of Qushuarani we have our wake up tea. Afterwards, we start to walk for 1.5 hours uphill where we are going to reach a viewpoint (3850 meters above the sea level) where we will have our breakfast.
We wake up early to take our breakfast and prepare ourselves for an amazing day of the hike where we will reach the highest point 4,600 m. (higher than the death woman pass on the classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu).
After our early breakfast, we start to hit the road, among the Lares Valley for few hours on a slow ascending path to the highest pass (Urope Pass) stopping by some small local families on the way, to share some supplies. We will observe their day living and even be welcomed into their houses to learn about Andean life, observing the preservation of Inca costumes and traditions.
We keep ascending for a short time till the Urope pass from where we will be able to observe the lagoon of the same name and part of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, a large extension of the Lares Valley.
We will have a short rest here and afterwards start our descent to the camp site at Mantanay, (3,900 m.) where we will have our diner and share a macho tea, before hitting the sack.
Early wake up and breakfast and we start to descend around 4 hours to Yanahuara in the Sacred Valley, on the way observing the flora of the area including one of the main native trees of the area Queuña. We then reach the Sacred Valley around noon and have lunch, afterwards transferring to Ollantaytambo where we take the train to Aguas Calientes.
In the afternoon, you will have free time to explore Aguas Calientes and enjoy a dip in the hot springs.
You will take our breakfast, very early in the morning. Then we start our last day by climbing to the entrance of the famous Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu, the "Lost City of the Incas." Avoiding the crowds, you will be one of the first visitors of the day. Your bilingual tour guide will take you around the vast ruins for about 3hrs, comprehensively explaining its historical significance and place in the Inca Empire. After this, you have some free time to wander around. Machu Picchu is the best known of the Inca ruins, as it is recognized worldwide yet it is not mentioned in any of the writings of the Spanish Conquistadors. It is believed to have been constructed around the mid-15th century and was "rediscovered" by American historian Hiram Bingham in 1911.