A Journey with the Last Incas, Lares Hike (5 days / 4 nights)

This hike is a unique experience. We will hike to villages where life has not changed since Inca times and visit communities dedicated to growing their crops and herding livestock including llamas and alpacas, which – aside from their wool - are used as pack animals and food respectively.

Unlike many other inhabitants of the region, these villagers conserve their traditional weaving techniques, making their traditional clothing from sheep, alpaca and llama wool. This unforgettable journey ends in the scenic Lares Valley amid subtropical vegetation, where we can bathe in natural thermal pools. On this trek we will use llamas as pack animals

Leaving our hotel we head north through the Sacred Valley of the Incas to Ollantaytambo, where we will visit the village and ruins in the company of our guide. We will then continue by bus for about one hour to the village of Patacancha (3806 m), a charming little community of small houses built from mud brick and thatch. This is where our trek really begins. We will walk for approximately four hours, arriving at the village of Palca (4173 m), where we make our first camp.

Leaving in the early morning we make a brief ascent to the next pass (4392 m) before descending to the valley of Qelcanca, a rural community that lives from the herding of llamas and alpacas. The village school teaches its children in their native Quechua, and the people here are friendly and welcoming. We will camp close to the village at 3844 metres, with a fine view of imposing Mount Terijuay (5800m).

In the morning we climb to beautiful Lake Yurac Cocha, which is formed by the melt waters of Mount Terijuay. From there we head downhill, enjoying the surrounding countryside, until we reach another lake called Yanacocha, near the village of Cochayoc, a place famous for its textile tradition. We then continue to Cachin (3726 metres), where we camp.

In the morning we will visit Cachin, whose inhabitants are famous for their weavings. These people's houses are built in the traditional Inca style. Around midday we descend towards the Lares Valley and its warm, agreeable climate, as far as the village of Lares itself. At an altitude of 3207 metres, this is a typical colonial village with a church, a main plaza and narrow streets. We camp on the outskirts of the village and will have time to visit the local thermal baths.  

Lares / Urubamba

Today we travel by road as far as the town of Urubamba in the Sacred Valley, or directly to Cusco. The highest point of this road (4265 m) provides us with fine views of the mountains of Sawasiray and Pitusiray, before we descend into the Sacred Valley.   

Transfer to your hotel in: Urubamba, Ollantaytambo or Cusco

Note:  If you spend the night in Urubamba or Ollantaytambo you can opt to continue by train to Machu Picchu after the trek.