Full Day Sacred Valley & Lares Trek to Machu Picchu 5 Days / 4 Nights
Duration
5D/4N
Difficulty
Challenging
Language
Español / Ingles
Max. Altitude
4,600 msnm
The Full Day Sacred Valley & Lares Trek to Machu Picchu 5 Days / 4 Nights is a beautifully complete Andean journey for travelers who want more than a standard trek. At Machulas Journey, this experience begins with the cultural richness of the Sacred Valley, where ancient Inca sites, mountain scenery, and traditional villages set the tone for everything that follows. It is the perfect way to begin a route that feels immersive, scenic, and deeply connected to the Andes.19 A meaningful start in the Sacred Valley The first part of the journey introduces you to one of the most beautiful and historic regions in Peru. As you travel through the Sacred Valley, you discover impressive landscapes, living traditions, and important archaeological sites that help you understand the world of the Incas before the trek begins. Rather than rushing into the trail, this opening day gives the experience more depth and a stronger sense of place. A more authentic trek through the Andes As the route continues into Lares, the experience becomes quieter, more personal, and more connected to local life. The Lares Trek to Machu Picchu 5 Days / 4 Nights is known for its remote villages, woven traditions, mountain passes, and scenic trails. It offers a more authentic rhythm than busier trekking routes and allows travelers to experience a side of Peru that feels both natural and cultural at the same time. Why this journey feels different What makes the Full Day Sacred Valley & Lares Trek to Machu Picchu 5 Days / 4 Nights so special is the way it combines scenery, history, and cultural immersion in one continuous experience. The Sacred Valley provides context and beauty from the start, while the Lares section adds movement, adventure, and human connection. By the time you reach Machu Picchu, the final visit feels even more rewarding because the journey has already been so rich.
Prices
Today we will explore a very different part of the Sacred Valley. Pick you up at your hotel at 8:00am. Then you will be taken to the small town of Chincheros, where we will visit and enjoy an impressive Inca walls inset with large trapezoidal niches. We will also see different channel systems and stairs cut into the rock as well as the colonial church, built on the upper part of the plaza in the early 17th century. Then we continue our tour toward Maras, where we will have the chance to see a colonial era-village that once supported a thriving community. Evidence of the glory past can be found in the decorated stone arches and intricate lintels that still adorns some of the houses. After a short visit we go west, on an unpaved road for 9km until we reach the huge terraces of Moray. Here we find three gigantic concentric depressions in the earth. They were shaped into circular terraces of varying sizes. After obtaining a lot of information about this interesting place we head to the salt mines. Here we can enjoy thousands of large flat shallow pans, where mineral water is transformed to salt. This salt mine has been working for hundreds of years, and still provides work for the locals. Once visited all those tourist attractions we will drive all the way to Ollantaytambo train station to catch up the train to Aguas Calientes town where we will spend the night in a 3 stars hotel.
Trek Overview
- Tour Location: Cusco Sacred Valley, Peru
- Hiking time: 6 hours
- Transport time: All day
- Tour Type: Day Tour – Cultural History
- Start/End Time: Pickup is at 7.00 am from your hotel and you will be finishing at 3.30 pm
- Consideration: Please remember to take the necessary hiking cloths, boots follow all the company recommendations
- Starting Altitude: 2100m / 6900ft
- Climate: Cold, template climate
- Total, Walking Distance: None
- Highest Altitude: 2800m / 9186.352 ft
- Overall Difficulty: Easy
Today our hiking begins at 05:30 am wake up in your sleeping tent with cup of coca tea; and around 06: 00 am we will star our breakfast. At 07:00 am after enjoyed delicious healthy breakfast you’ll have to enjoy the humming birds watching at this camping site. Because our partner who live here (Marco), farm a lot of species of hummingbirds. the journey lasts six hours walking all the way to our second campsite. In the route, we will pass through impressive highland forest (the pholilipis trees), where your professional tour guide will be able to explain about mountain, plants, birds etc. after passing incredible moment you’ll arrive to the lunch spot named “Unuychinkanan” here our cook will provide you buffet organic service lunch. Once got enough energy you’ll continue way up to our camping site “Mantanays”, in this section we’ll continue observing native Forest with amazing landscape to Sacred Valley. In 2 hours, we’ll in our second camp where we will spend the night 2 at 3800 m / 12467 f.
Trek Overview
- Tour Location: Cusco Urubamba, Peru
- Hiking time: 4 hours
- Transport time: None
- Tour Type: Hiking – Natural Culture
- Start/End Time: Starting at 7.00 am from your hotel and you will be finishing at 3.30 pm
- Consideration: Please remember to take the necessary hiking cloths, boots follow all the company recommendations
- Starting Altitude: 2800 / 9186.352 ft
- Climate: Cold
- Total, Walking Distance: 9 km / 5.5 miles
- Highest Altitude: 4100 m /13451.44 ft
- Overall Difficulty: Dificult – Moderate
Today will be I little be difficult, but beautiful and interesting first you’ll be wake up at 5:00 am with cup of coca tea in your tent, and at 6:00 am we will have breakfast organize by our chef, after that our challenge will be climb up to highest point over 4800 m / 15748 ft Huayruruyoc top here we will appreciating the panoramic views of some snowy mountain such like Salkantay mount (6200 m / 20341f), and Veronica mount (5800 m /19028 f) before to get the pass we will appreciate two spectacular lagoon and water falls. And then descending for 2 hours to Qochapa spot. Here we enjoy our 3rd lunch, after delicious organic lunch we’ll continue for 2 more hours to our last camping “Huilloc Alto” (3700 m / 12139 f) where we’ll see peasant communities their colorfull customs, textiles, beautiful landscapes. Here will pass the overnight sharing our culture with locals
Trek Overview:
- Tour Location: Cusco Urubamba, Peru
- Hiking time: 7 hours
- Transport time: None
- Tour Type: Hiking – Nature, lake, water fall
- Start/End Time: Starting at 7.00 am from your hotel and you will be finishing at 3.30 pm
- Consideration: Please remember to take the necessary hiking cloths, boots follow all the company recommendations
- Starting Altitude: 2800 / 9186.352 ft
- Climate: Cold
- Total, Walking Distance: 9 km / 5.5 miles
- Highest Altitude: 4100 m /13451.44 ft
- Overall Difficulty: Dificult – Moderate
Today we will continue hiking all the way to Ollantaytambo. First we’ll have our breakfast and then start our last hiking toward to Ollantaytambo. will be easy and interesting because we just walk all down where also we’ll appreciate couples incan buildings, like Pumamarka terraces ñaupa capilla (ancient colonial chapel), and also a lot of food plantations such like maiz, potatoes, beans, wheat, much more. Approximately we will arrive to the town of Ollantaytambo at 1 pm. The town is impressive perfect to place to enjoy our last lunch. after delicious and cold drinks here we’ll visit and explore the Ollantaytambo Inca ruins, the town with original Inca buildings (basements). Once finished our exploration at 6.30 or 7:00 pm we will have our Dinner in the same restaurant and our guide will show you the Hotel in this town of Ollantaytambo.Trek Overview:
- Tour Location: Cusco Urubamba, Peru
- Hiking time: 7.30 hours
- Transport time: None
- Tour Type: Hiking – Nature, cultural – tradition, customs
- Start/End Time: Starting at 8.00 am and you will be finishing at 3.30 pm
- Consideration: Please remember to take the necessary hiking cloths, boots follow all the company recommendations
- Starting Altitude: 3800 m / 12467.19 ft
- Climate: Cold – moderate
- Total, Walking Distance: 9 km / 5.5 miles
- Highest Altitude: 3800 m / 12467.19 ft
- Overall Difficulty: Easy – Moderate
Today will be easy and the most impressive journey at 5.10 am we finally board the train to Aguas Calientes town. The train take us 2 hours approximately, once arrived to aguas calientes train station our tour guide will take you to Bus station where the bus drive 25 minutes and leave you next to Machupicchu entrance. where you and your professional tour guide Show the original passport and entrance feet to citadel in order to visit.
Once passed the control our tour guide start with tour guiding for 3 hours in the citadel, where he will teach you the Peruvian, inca history and also he will show you the most impressive places, such like temple, palace, fountain, plazas, ceremonial places, much more. after you finished to explore the citadel of machupicchu, you will have to return to aguas calientes town together with your guide. Here if you want you can go have lunch with your tour guide or by yourself any restaurant because this last lunch are not included in your trek.
At 3:20 or 4:20 pm according you booking trek you will be returning to Ollantaytambo train station and from Ollantaytambo to Cusco. Our driver will leave you to each of you at door of your hotel.
Trek Overview:
- Tour Location: Cusco Machupicchu, Peru
- Hiking time: None
- Transport time: 1.50 minutes by train – 25 minutes by bus
- Tour Type: Hiking – Nature, cultural – tradition, customs
- Start/End Time: Starting at 4.00 am from your hotel and you will be finishing at 7.00 pm
- Consideration: Please remember to take the necessary hiking cloths, boots follow all the company recommendations
- Starting Altitude: 2700 m / 8858.2 ft
- Climate: Warm – moderate
- Total, Walking Distance: 9 km / 5.5 miles
- Highest Altitude: 2700 m / 8858.2 ft
- Overall Difficulty: Easy
Included
- Professional English & Spanish speaking tour guide throughout the entire trek and Machu Picchu visit.
- Full-day transportation during the trek and transfers as indicated in the itinerary.
- Muleteer drivers and pack animals to carry camping equipment during the Lares Trek.
- Official Lares Trek permit to Machu Picchu.
- Entrance tickets to Sacred Valley attractions.
- Pumamarka archaeological site entrance ticket.
- Ollantaytambo archaeological site entrance ticket.
- Machu Picchu entrance ticket (Circuit #2 – La Clásica Diseñada).
- All meals during the trek prepared by a professional trekking chef.
- Healthy and energetic breakfasts.
- Organic buffet lunches.
- Organic buffet dinners.
- Snacks and drinking water during hiking days.
- Dinner at a tourist restaurant in Ollantaytambo.
- Train ticket from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu.
- Round-trip bus tickets in Aguas Calientes (up and down).
- Train ticket from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo.
- Private transportation from Ollantaytambo back to your hotel in Cusco.
- First-aid kit and emergency assistance during the trek.
Not Included
- Trekking poles.
- Sleeping bags.
- Air mattresses.
- Lunch in Aguas Calientes on the last day.
- Tips for muleteers and tour guide (optional and voluntary).
- Personal expenses and extra services not mentioned in the itinerary.
- Travel insurance (highly recommended).
- Arrive in Cusco at least two days before the trek to acclimatize to the altitude.
- Bring your original passport for permits, train travel, and Machu Picchu entry.
- Wear well-broken-in hiking boots with good grip and ankle support.
- Dress in layers to handle cold mornings, warm afternoons, and variable weather.
- Carry a waterproof jacket or poncho at all times.
- Use sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat due to strong UV radiation.
- Bring a warm sleeping bag suitable for cold nights in the Andes.
- Stay well hydrated and drink water frequently during the trek.
- Avoid alcohol and heavy meals before and during hiking days.
- Carry a small daypack for personal items, water, and snacks.
- Bring some cash in Peruvian soles for tips and small expenses.
- Consider renting trekking poles for better stability on mountain trails.
- Purchase travel insurance that covers high-altitude trekking activities.
- Respect local communities, archaeological sites, and follow your guide’s instructions.
The Lares Trek is considered moderate and is suitable for travelers with good physical condition. While it involves mountain hiking and altitude, it is generally less crowded and slightly less demanding than the Classic Inca Trail. Proper acclimatization in Cusco is important, and the trek does not require technical climbing skills. Our guides maintain a steady pace and provide full support throughout the journey.
The best time to hike the Lares Trek is during the dry season, from April to October, when weather conditions are more stable and views are clearer. June to August are the most popular months and require early booking. March and November are good shoulder-season options with fewer travelers, although occasional rain may occur.
Yes, all meals during the trek are included and prepared by a professional trekking chef. This includes breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, and drinking water. Muleteers carry the main camping equipment, allowing you to hike with only a light daypack. This setup ensures comfort, energy, and enjoyment throughout the trek.
You should bring hiking boots, layered clothing, rain gear, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a warm sleeping bag. Trekking poles, sleeping bags, and air mattresses are not included but can be rented locally. A small backpack for daily essentials is recommended. Having the right equipment will make the trek safer and more comfortable.
Travel insurance is not mandatory, but it is strongly recommended. Your insurance should cover high-altitude trekking, medical assistance, and emergency evacuation. Although our team provides first-aid support and professional guidance, insurance offers extra peace of mind during this multi-day trek in remote mountain areas.
Prices
Payment Methods
Book your trip now, spots sell out fast!
All Included:
Tours with hotel pick-up, transportation, professional guide, and entrance tickets.
24/7 Communication:
We’re here for you before, during, and after your journey.
Flexible Cancellation:
Cancel up to 30 days before your tour in case of emergency. (For Machu Picchu and Inca Trail tours, please check specific conditions.)
Discover Peru With Us
Share your travel plans and let our experts design your experience