Classic Lares Trek Tour

Arrival in Lima, Reception at the airport and transfer to your hotel.

After breakfast, a private guided visit of colonial and modern Lima, including the cathedral, dating from 1654, the main square, which still houses the original bronze fountain built in 1650, and the San Francisco Convent and its catacombs. Known as the city of the kings, Lima was founded in 1535 by Pizarro and rebuilt in 1991, the same year that UNESCO declared it a world heritage site. One of the very few South American cities that preserve the colonial past, Lima was home to the Spanish viceroy during the time of the Spanish colonialists. After lunch, a visit to a museum of your choice. Choose from amongst the Gold Museum, the National Museum of Anthropology, Archaeology and History or the Rafael Larco Herrera Archaeological Museum. Return to your hotel.

After an early rise, morning transfer to the airport for the 6AM flight to Cuzco. After the hour long flight, arrival to Cuzco, reception and transfer to your hotel. Free morning to take a leisurely walk around the ancient capital of the Incas. A guide will be available or if preferred, a private walk around the ancient capital. Return to the hotel for lunch. After lunch, guided walking tour of the city of Cuzco; including the Main Square, the Cathedral and the Koricancha or Temple of the Sun. A visit to the Inca Museum before returning to your hotel for dinner.

After breakfast, a tour of the ruins surrounding the Inca capital including the Sacsayhuaman Fortress overlooking the city of Cuzco, a pre Inca architectural masterpiece; Kenko, a rock sanctuary whose main attraction is the monolithic altar representing a puma, the red fortress of Puca-Pucara, and Tambomachay.
After lunch free day to relax and enjoy the city.
  After breakfast, full day excursion to the beautiful Urubamba, the Sacred Valley of the Inca situated between Pisac and Ollantaytambo. The Sacred Valley is an exceptionally fertile valley that was and still remains the larder of Cuzco. Visit the village of Pisac, founded during colonial times, and set at the foot of a hill crowned by the remains of an ancient Inca city.
On Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, Indians barter their products in the main square and artisans from around the area sell their woven alpaca wool blankets and ponchos, engraved gourds, antique reproductions, jewellery, etc. On Sundays it is also the meeting place for Mayors from all the villages in the region, dressed in their traditional costumes to attend morning mass. A visit to the rarely visited Inca ruins above Pisac. After lunch, a visit to Ollantaytambo, the only Inca town that was not defeated by the Spanish. Explore the ruins above Ollantaytambo before returning to Cuzco in the late afternoon. Accommodation at your hotel and briefing on your upcoming trek.

Urubamba

Inca trail

Pick up from your hotel in the morning for the journey through the Sacred Valley to Sayhuapata (2800m.) Your hike begins here in a fertile valley and follows a small river up through the mountain corridor. After walking over 4 hours, you will begin to see the thatched-roof stone houses of the Cancha Cancha community (3350). Just passed the village, set up camp for the night.

After breakfast, continue the trek to reach two beautiful glacial lakes, Suirococha and Yuraccocha. Here you will see several bird species, including Andean Ibis and Andean geese. From the lakes, the trail climbs steeply for over 2 hours to the first pass, called Pachacuti (4500m). Nearing the top, you will enjoy a spectacular view of the snow-covered peaks of Pitusiray (5750m.) and Chicon (5500). An original Inca stone path will lead you along the ridge down into the opposite corridor. We follow a series of cascading waterfalls to the village of Quisuarani, where we camp for the night.

The morning is a short downhill walk through lush vegetation with many species of flowers and hummingbirds. You will reach the colonial town of Lares and spend the rest of the morning relaxing in the medicinal hot springs. After lunch, continue on a gentle path above a picturesque valley for about 2 hours to the campsite.

After continuing up through the valley, you will arrive at the community of Huacawasi. The people here produce some of the finest weavings in Peru. Here, you can observe their skills and techniques in the fabrication of ponchos and other garments. Passing the village you will climb up to the Condor Pass, the second of the trip at 4100m. From here, you will catch a stunning view of the renowned Mount Veronica (5750m.) Descending gently for about one hour, you will come to the beautiful Epsaycocha Lake and your last campsite.

Today the trail leads downhill to an overlook facing a wide valley. Descending into the valley, you will eventually arrive at the community of Huilloc from where a bus will take you to Ollantaytambo. Situated in a fertile river valley and sheltered by mountains, this ancient Inca village is considered one of the most important living museums in the world. This is a perfect place to appreciate the vast archeological remains and a wide variety of flowers and bird species. After visiting the complex, return to Cuzco in the afternoon by bus.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight back to Lima and your connecting return flight home.