4-day Lares Trek To Machu Picchu

Inkayni, and especially Gonzalo there, were willing and able to arrange a customized Lares Trek for us two, because we wanted to spend only 2 days (1 night) doing this. Since there is a road to Cuncani where normally the second night camping is spent, we agreed to hike only from Pumahuanca to Cuncani, with a night (camp) at Puyoc. We had 4 people (and 3 mules) accompanying us: the guide Ronald, the cook Mario, the muleteer Marcellino and his brother Fortunato. Everything was in place and provided as promised and agreed. Ronald is a true local knowing everything about the nature, the culture, the history, and an expert guide, hiker, and responsible leader for the 6-person group. Seeing my slow pace and increasing difficulty catching my breath during the climb as the altitude rose and rose, he decided to go a bit higher for the night camp, in order to decrease the most challenging climb the next morning to the top of the pass at 4830m. When one of us ran out of energy on the second morning, Ronald quickly called cook Mario to bring some tea and sustenance, decided to administer one dose of oxygen, and we were able to continue on the trek. As the going was very slow with too little energy, and given that it was only a 52 kg woman, the amazingly strong muleteer brothers continuously offered to somehow help and ended up carrying her piggy-back to the top, easier than using the mules! Ronald also added a stop at the Lares hot springs during the van ride to Ollantaytambo, which was very welcome after the strain of the trek. His good spirits together with the necessary seriousness/professionalism made the entire trek easier and pleasant and fun. The cook Mario did magic during the lunches, the dinner, and the breakfast, and there was always a tent/shelter ready for all of these meals. Marcellino and Fortunato are extremely nice people to have along and they were ever happy to help wherever they could. The landscape and views were breathtaking, even though (or just because) we had snowfall at the top of the pass (so be prepared for sub-freezing temperatures). We would highly recommend doing this trek with Inkayni and we are also leaving a review for the company more generally under the company heading on Tripadviser.

We went on the Lares Trek with Paul Cano, Herminño,, Mr. Victor and friends. It was an absolutely amazing experience and we loved every minute. An absolute beautiful trip, outstanding food, great support and such a fun time. We loved every minute. Paul was so patient when dealing with altitude issues. I would 100% recommend this trip to others. Thank you!!!

The whole tour was amazing. The trail itself was absolutely beautiful (we did the lares trek). Our main guide Paul was amazing and knew so much about the mountains and the history surrounding it. The food was so fancy even though we were in the mountains, every meal was a five course meal (thanks to our amazing cook Hermiño). Hermiño even baked a cake for us! One of the wranglers, M. Victor, was the happiest man on earth and extremely nice to us even though he didn’t not speak our language. All and all an amazing experience.

We did a 4 days lares trek leading to Machu Picchu. We had Paul Cano as an amazing guide, Hermiño as a wonderful cook and M. Victor as the best wrangler ever!!

An absolutely amazing trek!! The scenery and mountains are unlike anything I’ve ever seen in my entire life! The landscape was beautiful and changes quickly from jungle, to grassland, to forest, to mountains, to waterfalls with wild horses. And the STARS at night. The sky is so dark you can see the purple colour of the milky way galaxy with the naked eye. Our Quechua tour guide Ronald Ccana Sotalero was very knowledgeable about Inka history and culture. We learned so much from him. He told great jokes and had us stop along the trail in places where we could take the most beautiful photos. Our cook and porter, Illyakil and Marcelino, were so kind and helpful. The food was really delicious and camp was well kept. Even the camp bathroom they set up was very clean and didn’t smell. Couldn’t have done the trek without them. Would 100% recommend this hike! It was a beautifully humbling experience that reminded us to better appreciate the world and cultures around us. Only recommendation would be to bring a few things for the children in the village we had lunch in on the second day. It’s a very remote village so the community appreciates items such as school supplies, clothes for babies/children, and safe outdoor toys. I think the tour company would be more than happy to give you suggestions of items the community would appreciate:)

First of all, Ronald was an amazing tour guide! Definitely request him if you can. It was a challenging hike, but well worth it for the views and all that you get to learn about Quechua (Inca) culture. Inkayni seems to be one of the few Peruvian owned trekking companies, so it’s nice to see the money pouring back into the local culture instead of a foreign corporation. The food was amazing along the way, and Machu Picchu was also quite the site.

Inkayni Peru Tours provided us with a great alternative to the Classic Inka 4days trek. We had a great experience on the Lares camping trek combined with the 2 days short Inka trail. Along magnificient sceneries we could encounter villagers and observe plenty of Llamas. All the team members at Inkayni were very professionals. Mr. Nazario made incredible food and Mr. Marcellino made us confortable. The guide, Mr. Ronald Ccana Sotalero, was very passionate and knowledgeable about Inka history and respectfull of our pace on the trek. We do recommend Inkayni Peru tours with great enthousiasm. We loved it!

Amazing Trip, Amazing experience And amazing Service! Thank you Ernesto, Our Guide, and his team of sixteen porters and cooks. Hermanito, our cook was amazing, Five stars meals in four thousands meter altitude shall be unforgettable. We were also a great group of hikers age from twenty four to seventy ( My uncle) For sure we will comrback, However, This time, we shall take the Five Days Tour.. Thanks again guys

The Lares trek with Inkayni was amazing. Our tour guide Ronald was the best. He was very knowledgeable and shared his beautiful culture with us. All the food was delicious. The organization and communication was easy. I would highly recommend it.

Thank you inkayni peru tour! Wow! Where to begin? My sister, best friend and I had the time of our lives with the Lares trekking. We felt connected to and inspired by our guide, Guido (Guidin😊). The porters were more than impressive in their feats of strength and endurance (all while joking with us and keeping us inspired along the way.) And the food was delicious! Our cook Erminio was exceptional -- who would have thought you'd have a meal suited for a quality restaurant in the mountains? We certainly did have it! If you're looking for an experience that is about learning about culture, history, and the natural world of Peru from its peoples, then this is the right tour operator for you. If I could give more than 5 stars, I would. Would absolutely work with them again on another adventure!

We did the tour with Jonathan and it was an amazing experience! Best tour guide of any trip I’ve done and so much fun.

An incredible experience, the adgency is available and responsive. The landscape are remarcable, even more with the explnations of our great guide Freddy ! Many thanks to Mario for his cooking and to the porters who are doing an incredible work. I recomand this treck and the team of Inkanya Peru Tours.

I just came back from the Lares trek and we had an amazing time! Me and my gf where the only one in the group, so we basically got a private trek :) All food was amazing, the chef made wonders with absolutely minimal gear.. While trekking we had the most stunning views. The trek was moderate in difficulty, with some hard parts. Herlin made sure at every step of the way we were okay, initiated stops if he saw us struggling :) Herlin had so much knowledge about the area and the flora and fauna which was really nice along the way. He also had a lot of humor in him, so we had quite some laughs along the way.. The chef (Hermillio) and the logistics guy (Marcello) were also incredible. Every stop they made sure we had a tent to have our food in case the weather was not nice enough to sit outside. They also made sure our tent for sleeping was set up Everytime we arrived. At the summit of the trek, we had a small snow storm and Hermillio was waiting with warm tea, the sweetheart!! We highly recommend Inkayni Peru tours and in particular our tourguide Herlin and his crew!

The tour takes you along fantastic nature and various old buildings from the Inca empire. Our guide, Herlin, was great. Herlin is a guide with a lot of humor, he has a lot of knowledge about the area. He took the wishes of our group into account very well. The trip was absolutely worth the price.

This was the best thing we’ve ever done. The views were amazing, the food was five star, the guide was phenomenal and knowledgeable. We could not have asked for a better turn out. We highly recommend researching the Lares Trek and pursuing it if it looks good to you. Ronald was the best guide. The culmination at Machu Picchu was amazing. Thanks Inkayni Peru Tours!

From booking, to hiking, to transportation: everything was SO smooth, professional and exhilarating. We absolutely adored our guide Ronald, who was a patient, thoughtful, and professional. Our cooks, drivers, and porter were all kind as well. I can not recommend this tour company and Ronald enough! Thank you for making Peru and Machu Picchu incredible ❤️

Me and my boyfriend booked the Lares Trek to Machu Picchu 3 months before starting our trip. We chose the company based on online reviews and they did not disappoint! Before our trip the company were in constant contact answering all my questions the same day by email and in perfect English. Our tour guide was RONALD CCANA SOTALERO along with our chef VALERIO HUAMAN and MARCELINO who led the mules and set up camp. All of them went above and beyond to make our trip amazing! Ronald's knowledge of the area and history with his encouragement when the hiking was tough, made the trek into something more than we could have imagined. Not to mention the delicious food that Valerio cooked including a cake he baked on a fire and iced for us on our last morning! All the arrangements including pick up, train to Machu Picchu, accommodation etc went perfectly and the organisation of each element was amazing. Would 100% recommend this company to anyone wanting to do a similar tour, the people really made it worth it for us.

We booked this tour after learning that Inca trail passes were sold out for our dates. However I don't regret a bit of choosing this tour as we experienced a real beauty of Peru far from the touristy paths. Our guide Wilfredo was amazing. He shared with us a lot of interesting facts about Inca's people and their culture. The hike was quite challenging for me personally but with his help and support I got through it with the minimal discomfort. I highly recommend bringing rainproof jackets or ponchos on the trip regardless of how nice the weather seems to be. We got tricked by the sunny morning and were soaked in the afternoon. Also it gets very very cold in the mountains at night. Please layer up and have pair of gloves on you. SPF is a must thing to use even on a cloudy day. My nose got burned from the cold wind and a sun and starting peeling. Bring coca candies or leaves with you. Helps a lot with the altitude sickness. Overall me and my friend were very happy with the trip!

The Lares trek with Inkayni was easily the highlight of our Peru trip. Inkayni is still a growing company and truly puts it's clients' needs first. They plan their Lares trek in the reverse direction to all the other tour operators, which works very well in your favour. At the end of it you are rewarded with the wonderful and relaxing Lares Hot Springs, a great way to relax your tired muscles. Our tour guide Percy was an absolute gem! He is genuinely passionate about showing you beautiful scenery and imparting all sorts of facts, stories, and theories about the history of the land and civilizations. His enthusiasm and smile is infectious and is incredibly encouraging for keeping you motivated on the trek. Our chef, Rodrigo, really made the journey special. His culinary expertise put to shame some of the best restaurants in Cusco. All meals were fresh, homemade, plentiful, and absolutely delightful after several hours of hiking. He easily made some of the best food we had in Peru, which says a lot for a country with such great cuisine. Our horseman, Marcello, what a great guy! He was always busy helping out the chef, running around making sure our clothes stayed dry, and did it all with a smile. The trek and Machu Picchu were both great experiences, but what made it truly memorable was the team that Inkayni set us up with. I would whole heartedly recommend this trek with Inkayni to anyone that is considering it.

30th of August we started the 4 day Inca hike to Macchu Pichu, through up down hot and cold we made it. Herlin, Justin, Mario (the chef) and all of the Chaskis were incredible. Herlin is one of the most knowledgeable tour guides I've ever encountered in all my travels, he's always willing to field every question regardless of how many times hes answered it before. And at the end of a long day he's full of jokes to bring up the morale of any group. Justin is as sure-footed as a mountain goat and as fast as a puma :), he'll gladly race anyone down the trails while carrying twice as much in his pack as you are, and answer any questions while he's doing it. Mario is such a amazing chef he baked a cake while we were on the hike for my brother's Birthday. The Chaski team did an exceptional job picking out the very best campsites and setting everything up before we arrived tired and weary, with tea, coffee and popcorn waiting. Words cannot express how incredible this 5 days around Cusco and hiking through the Peruvian forest was, and it was only possible because of the amazing team and the incredible work of Inkayni, and with Herlin at the helm every day. Thanks again and remember to Happy Llama.

I have always wanted to visit Machu Picchu, and Inkayni Peru Tours made this possible. Everything about the trek was well thought out and professionally planned. Our guide, Herlin spoke excellent english and was very knowledgeable about Peru and Machu Picchu's history. The crew made the journey easy, from setting up camp, carrying our bags, and cooking great meals. Everyone was very friendly and made the sometimes difficult journey fun. This will be a trip I never forget. I highly recommend using this company! You will be pleased.

If you are thinking about doing the Machu Picchu trek, I can highly recommend this company! The trip was well planned and our excellent guide (Ernesto) had a huge knowledge about everything we saw on the way to Machu Picchu. However, the biggest surprise on the trip was the cook (Justin) who made absolutely fantastic food and at least three courses for both lunch and dinner.

<p>Edgar was a fantastic tour guide, and really made the Lares Trek a once in a life time trip.</p> <p>I had some trouble walking at the higher altitudes, but Edgar really helped to support and encourage me to the top of the mountain.</p> <p>The 4 days was fantastic, and I would highly recommend this tour to anyone.</p> <p>Tim</p>

We spent 3 days doing the trek of Lares (which is very little known, and it is still a chance) I will first comment on the trek itself then the services of our guides The trek is still very side because in our stay only the locals knew, no tourists knew it. It's a chance because on 3 days of hiking we only met 3 groups It is surrounded by nature and your change of scenery and tranquility will be assured; unlike the Inca road and salkantay which are armoured with people You will not arrive directly in aguas calientes that said, you will have to catch a train in Ollantaytambo so that is the only negative. BUT you will have the chance to finish with the thermal baths of Lares, and finish your hike with thermal baths it is priceless 😁 and it allows you to rest well to go to Machu Picchu. And finally we are alone in our group so it was private service Inkayni's +s: – you end with the thermal baths, other agencies started the hike with these, which is a bit silly in my opinion - our guide Ronald was really great, in addition to doing his guide work he taught us really much about the Inca cultures of the Lares Valley and Machu picchu. Ronald has been a guide, photographer, historian, Spanish and Queshua teacher – Herminio our cook really cooked incredible dishes, it is all the more remarkable that he had only two stoves at his disposal and some utensils. Congratulations to him. Gabriel our horseman was also deserving. He was busy preparing the tent in advance so that everything was ready when we arrived Thank you to the whole team for making this experience a success

Everything was amazing a great experience to remember and with the best company I could have, every place we visited was amazing ☺️, everything very well organized by our guide Lizeth Yupanqui and our group was the best a great family and an amazing Mood.

Excellent logistics they have for the tourist plan that offer the guide that accompanied us GUIO super recommended has quite a lot of knowledge in the mountain and we come happy with all the information supplied excellent to super recommended landscapes

Excellent experience at the hands of Jonathan and Percy I highly recommend them for your tour!

The good: - The 2nd day of the tour - Machu Picchu and Huaynapichu (2nd purchased separately) The food in the trekking was good - The guide and staff who accompanied us The bad: - The organization of the agency by NOT coordinating the group based on its physical - 50% of the trip did not exceed my expectations - The agency in their flyers when you go to the induction to trekking asks you to tip everyone... the event is already expensive (+650 USD for 4 days) so that apart they can not pay good salaries to people - Lack of advice from the agency About the tour (independent of the agency/guide): -The first day is nothing amazing - The 2nd day I liked it a lot, from the campsite we had to the trip we made through the mountains - The 3rd day (in beef) is not at all amazing, if you have a high expectation of hot springs (as is my case, I know much better) you will not like it. - The 4th day in amazing machupichu, IMPORTANT that they book Huaynapichu too!! Final result: 2/4 About the agency: -We had a complication as the government extended the mnto of the traditional Inca road (out of their hands), but I think the alternatives they gave me were VERY scarce and I was totally dependent on the other people who were going to do the trekking to do what they decided (I was traveling alone) - They did not organize the trip based on the Physical Capacity (in covers), in MY OPINION they should try to gather people of the same Physical Capacity (in covers), so that NO ONE suffers (either the slow or the fast) - In the flyer you share on the day of the trek induction, you are asked to tip the attendees... we already pay 650 USD for the event and you should pay good salaries, not us good tips, lousy - The staff that accompanied us on the trekking were exceptional, both the food and the company

We had booked the 4 day Lares Trek and were lucky that no one else participated in the tour except us. So we were alone with our team the whole time: Guide Freddy, Chef Nazario and Horseman Marcelo. It was totally impressive how well Marcelo has his horses in control and how quickly he transported all the equipment over the mountains and set up and dismantled them at the stops. Nazario surprised us every day with a great menu. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were always way too much and we were impressed by what he conjured up in his small field kitchen. Freddy spoke great English and has been able to explain a lot to us during the 4 days. He was very nice and always took good care of us. He also chose the route individually so perfectly on each day that we never met other tourists. He also showed on the last day in Machu Picchu that he has an insane knowledge of the Incas. You could tell that he is there with passion and loves his culture. We always felt very comfortable the entire days of the hike as the whole team was incredibly nice and did a great job. Unfortunately, the Inkayni agency itself caused a negative point. On the third day, the day of arrival in Aguas Calientes, we arrived at the train station in the evening completely exhausted and were supposed to be picked up from the hotel. Freddy wasn't with us at the time because he had to take another train. Nobody waited for us at the station and even after a longer Waiting time none showed up. Fortunately, we had casually picked up the name of the hotel, so we set off with the Handynavi ourselves. Finally arrived at the hotel, however, to our surprise there was no reservation for us. After some back and forth and phone calls from the hotel staff to the agency, we luckily got another room. The hotel itself was great, but it was annoying that the agency booked the room incorrectly. We were lucky that the hotel was not fully booked and we knew the name. This was never consciously communicated to us, because it was always said that we would be picked up. Freddy tried to make up for the breakdown the next day with an extensive and very informative guide, but he could at least do it for it. Overall it was a nice tour. It was a pity that even when returning our borrowed luggage bags, no one apologized from the agency. After all, we paid a lot of money for the 4 days and you can expect that at least the room is booked correctly for one night. The organisational problem of the agency was also revealed by the fact that we had booked another tour for the following day. The pick-up time should be communicated to us after multiple requests the night before. However, we didn't have an email, text message or WhatsApp. No message was left for us in our hostal either. So we had to take care of ourselves and call the agency afterwards to get the necessary information. We were also informed in advance that the water was included. On request for the entire time, except for the first four hours (travel to the starting point). This is also described in the brochures. But there is actually only water for the 3 days hike. Drinks (water) are not included in the dinner on the third day and on the fourth day. No problem in principle, but why can't the agency be honest about this? In short: Hike top, team top, agency some catching up in terms of organization.

It was a wonderful trip and next to Inkayni and his team, the trip was a dream.. excellent attention your guides, your staff, your logistics, do not lose detail... really a tremendous experience!! 100% full recommended for those who want to live the adventure of the Inka path.