Start your 4-day Lares Trek to Machu Picchu with a pickup from Cusco, heading towards the famous Lares hot springs. You will be picked up from your hotel at 4.30 AM. Enjoy a scenic drive through the Sacred Valley before relaxing in volcanic water pools renowned for their health benefits. Trek to Kiswarani Waterfall Campsite 3,850 meters (12,631 ft), engaging with local communities and learning about traditional potato farming and medicinal plants. Engage in a llama ceremony, showcasing the cultural significance of these animals in Inca traditions. Distance: 10 km (6.21 mi) | Elevation Gain: +750 m (+2,460 ft) | Time: 5-6 hours

Your day starts at 5 a.m. with hot drinks and scenic views of the Kiswarani Valley. After breakfast and packing, you’ll begin a 3–4 hour uphill trek to Condor Pass (4,680 m / 15,354 ft), with stunning views of lakes, waterfalls, llamas, and alpacas. An emergency horse is available if needed. At the summit, you’ll enjoy 360-degree views and a hot drink, then begin your descent. After a one-hour downhill hike to El Mirador, you’ll have lunch and continue hiking another three hours to Cancha Cancha (3,750 m / 12,303 ft), a remote village without electricity or vehicles. Most homes are traditionally built, and residents still follow Incan customs. You’ll have time to meet local children, offer school supplies, and learn about the village lifestyle and traditional textile weaving. The evening ends with dinner and hot drinks at your campsite. Distance: 14 km (8 mi) | Elevation Gain: +830 m (+2,723 ft) -930 m (-3,051 ft) | Time: 7–9 hours

Your day begins with a hot drink and breakfast provided by porters, followed by a visit to a village and a local school where Quechua is still taught. You’ll then start the final four-hour descent of the Lares trek, passing llamas, alpacas, and traditional farms. As you reach the Sacred Valley, the climate and crops change, offering insights into Incan and modern Peruvian agriculture. The trek ends in Huaran, where you part ways with the trekking team. From there, a van takes you to the Salineras salt pans in Maras, a pre-Incan site with over 3,000 salt evaporation ponds. Afterwards, you drive to Ollantaytambo, an original Inca village, where you’ll tour the town and have dinner. Finally, you take a train to Aguas Calientes, where you check in to your hotel and rest before visiting Machu Picchu. Distance: 9 km (6.2 mi) | Elevation Gain: -430 m (-1,411 ft) | Time: 3–5 hours

Ci alziamo presto per il viaggio in autobus verso Machu Picchu, per assaporare un'indimenticabile alba sulle rovine. Ci godremo una visita guidata e del tempo libero per esplorare o camminare a Huayna Picchu. Torniamo a Cusco in treno e autobus nel pomeriggio, riflettendo su un viaggio che ha saputo unire bellezze naturali mozzafiato a una profonda immersione culturale. Consigliamo di partire il giorno successivo per concedersi una bella dormita.