The Lares Trek Peru is a beautiful and poetic experience, hiking through the Lares Valley of the Peruvian Andes and winding around waterfalls, over mountains, and through local communities. There is a peaceful serenity all around as you make your way through the Andean highlands where people continue to survive with the ancient Incan and pre-Incan techniques and way of life.
This hike typically takes three days with a complete disconnect from any cell service, allowing you to immerse yourself fully in the region’s beautiful nature. Camping in those surroundings enables you to hear the noises of the farms, life, and nature all around you.
This hike is a great alternative to the classic Inca Trail 4 day trek, especially for those who are interested in the hike’s cultural aspect and learning more about the high Andean culture that dates back to before the Incan empire. The landscapes are beautiful and the hike itself is a moderate challenge. Blueprint Travelers had the opportunity to do the Lares Trek Peru with Alpaca Expeditions. We did extensive research to pick this particular organization for the hike and we highly recommend them. The following is an account of the itinerary of the trek and the experience.
Blueprint Travelers Recommendation: Alpaca Expeditions
Because of all the people that are part of making your Inca Trail experience a success, it is important to choose an organization that properly supports their employees, which is why we recommend doing this trek with Alpaca Expeditions. Unfortunately, many companies try to cut costs by not treating their porters and chefs humanely, taking advantage of their economic situation. Alpaca Expeditions goes above and beyond to elevate their employees.
Because Alpaca Expeditions takes care of their employees, their employees have the full capacity to ensure that all guests are well taken care of, with some of the best chefs, porters, and guides that you will find on the Inca Trail.
The Lares Trek Peru Pre-Trek Briefing
Before starting the hike, you will have to attend a pre-trek briefing at your tour agency’s office where you will meet your fellow hikers, your guide, and get the information you need for your experience. You will receive a breakdown of what you need to pack in the duffle bags provided and a brief explanation of what each day would entail.
The Lares Trek Peru Itinerary
Day 1
5:00 AM: Get picked up from the hotel
6:30 AM: Visit a local market
8:00 AM: Visit Ancasmarka and eat breakfast
10:45 AM: Soak in the thermal baths
12:45 PM: Start the Lares Trek hike (1-2 hours)
2:00 PM: Lunch
3:30 PM: Continue hiking (1.5-3 hours)
6:30 PM: Tea time
7:30 PM: Dinner
8:30 PM: Bedtime
Day 2
5:00 AM: Wake up and pack bags
5:45 AM: Breakfast
7:00 AM: Start the next portion of the hike (2-3.5 hours)
9:00 AM*: Condor Pass and snack
9:45 AM*: Continue hiking (1-2 hours)
10:45 AM*: Pachamama ceremony
11:15 AM*: Continue hiking (2-3 hours)
1:30 PM: Lunch
2:30 PM: Continue hiking (1.5-2.5 hours)
6:00 PM: Tea time
6:45 PM: Dinner
8:00 PM: Bedtime
Day 3
5:00 AM: Wake up and pack bags
6:00 AM: Breakfast
6:50 AM: Start the next portion of the hike (3-4 hours)
10 AM*: Arrive at the end of the hike
11:30 AM: Lunch
1:00 PM: Depart in the van
1:45 PM: Visit the Maras Salt Mine
3:40 PM: Arrive in Ollaytantambo
*Some times listed depend on how quickly the hike takes you
The rest of the itinerary will be the Machu Picchu experience (either one or two-day options).
Day 1: The Start of the Adventure of the Lares Trek
To start out the first day of the Lares Trek Peru, you will be picked up from your hotel or accommodation at 5 AM, establishing a precedent for the coming mornings. Then, you will head to the large Modelo market in the town of Calca full of everything you could imagine.
A Classic Morning Market
The market is full of cheese, vegetables, fruit, beans, maize, fish, and meat; a rainbow of fresh produce. With Alpaca Expeditions, the guide will introduce you to vendors and select local fruit to sample. You will get a glimpse of the diversity of the food of the high Andes, seeing the variety of beans, potatoes, and corn that are representative of the staples of the diet of the region.
You will also have the opportunity to purchase some toys from the local vendors to hand out to any children you meet along the Lares trek, as you will be walking through local villages. (Bubbles, coloring books with crayons, and small soccer balls are just a sample of what you could purchase for these kids, considering the variety of ages that you will encounter. It is important to show gratitude to these communities for hosting you, feeding you, and supporting you through your trek.
Ancasmarka, Breakfast, and a Surprising Thermal Bath
After the market, you will head to your first archeological site, Ancasmarka. Here, there are numerous silo-like structures, used in the Incan period to store food for extended periods, helping the society get through dramatic famines and dry periods as well as the years of excessive rain and flooding. It is located in the famous Sacred Valley, a valley known for its fertile soil and unique climate that truly allows agriculture to thrive.
While these remains are not conserved or restored, you can freely walk through the site, exploring between these dilapidated round structures. In fact, most Incan ruins around Peru, Bolivia, and other countries are not protected and maintained by the local government. There are many gems buried throughout the valleys of the area that have some significance to the ancient Incan society; so many so that they are just part of the landscape of the region that continues to morph and change due to the climate and weather all around.
You will also get breakfast at this site. The chef team make sure that you have more than enough to eat and fill your bags with snacks to hold you over between meal periods. And any snacks that you don’t eat you can hand out to the local children or families you meet along the hike.
Before starting the hike, you will get to hop into thermal baths to relax and soak in the sun prior to your few days of hiking. (We recommend bringing a small bottle of shampoo to rinse out your hair in the provided showers.)
Hiking to Lunch - the Official Start of the Lares Trek
Now, it is time to start your hike and you will make your way into the Andean mountains until you get to a small village where you will be eating lunch. The meals provided are large and extensive, but do not worry if you cannot finish them as none of it will go to waste.
The True Hike Starts
After lunch, you will continue on the hike, getting deeper into the valley. The trail will wind you through the valley where you will have the opportunity to walk between small rivers and the farmlands of the residents. The landscape all around you will be luscious and dramatic and beautiful. As you walk through the valley, you will be passed by your porters and chef who are using mules to move the equipment, food, and your clothing items throughout the trek (so keep this in mind when packing your back for the hike.)
The various companies that operate through the Lares Valley have different camping sites that you will hike to. For Alpaca Expeditions, your camp grounds on the first night of the Lares Trek Peru is at a beautiful and serene lake. The team will have already set up your tents for the evening, allowing you to relax in the serene surroundings of hills full of llamas.
Note:
Alpaca Expeditions owns some of the camping or dining destinations that they use on these hikes. This helps with community investment and removes the additional burden of tourists on the community resources. It also means that some of these camping destinations are unique to Alpaca Expeditions. When a camping location is not owned by Alpaca Expeditions, it is rented directly from the community.
Dinner and Camping Set Up
Similarly to lunch, dinner will be a large spread of vegetables, carbohydrates, and protein to properly fuel us for the coming day (although the company could accommodate any dietary needs).
After dinner, you will be exhausted and settle into your sleeping bags for the evening. During this trek, the evenings can get particularly cold (it can fall below freezing) and you may end up wearing beanies, long sleeves, and leggings to keep warm during the evening. Alpaca Expeditions will provide with a water bottle full of hot water to help heat the inside of your sleeping bags and make it much more pleasant to get a good night’s sleep.
To make camping more comfortable, Alpaca Expeditions provides a portable toilet and tent system to make going to the restroom easier at campsites. They also make sure that you have sufficient water in your bottles, properly boiling and cooling the water to make sure it’s potable. (We recommend bringing a portable battery to charge up your phones and bring headlamps to make the stumble to the bathroom easier.)
The Blueprint Travelers Hiking Staples
Day 2: The Condor Pass of the Lares Trek
Wake Up Call and Breakfast
Once again, you will be woken up at 5 AM, this time with a warm tea of coca leaves and some warm water with a towel to take a bird bath before getting dressed for the day. You will then pack up all your belongings into your duffel bags and empty your tents to help the porters clear the campsite and head to the next destination.
This next section of the Lares Trek goes over the Condor Pass. The entire Lares Trek starts at 3,450 meters (11,390 feet) on day 1. The first campsite was at 3,900 meters (12,795 feet). The Condor Pass takes you up to 4,650 meters (14,250 feet), an altitude that would have about 50% less oxygen than at sea level.
Up and Up and Up to the Condor Pass of the Lares Trek
With Alpaca Expeditions, when hikers make it to the start of the Condor Pass, the chefs are waiting for you with coca tea and cheering you on as you passed one of the more challenging portions of the hike. Here, you will get to rest while taking in the view of the glaciers and Lares Valley all around you before you continue on the next portion of the trek.
The Ceremony to the Pachamama and Heading to Lunch
The climb is not quite over yet to reach the peak. Eventually, you will reach a location where you will be invited to participate in a traditional ceremony thanking the Pachamama (Mother Earth). This beautiful ceremony talks about our presence on this Earth now, what came before this moment, and what is to come in the future. It connects you to Earth, your ancestors, and your future selves.
This is officially the highest elevation that you will be at throughout the Lares Trek Peru and you may feel that it is harder to catch your breath up here. From the Condor Pass at 4,650 meters (14,250 feet), the rest of the trek heads down to 3,750 meters (12,305 feet) for the next campsite and, ultimately, 2,700 meters (8,858 feet) to finish the hike on day 3. You will continue to follow streams, see lagoons, and pass by more llamas and alpacas. Eventually, you will make your way to the field where chefs will have lunch prepared for you.
Walking Through the High Andes Communities on the Lares Trek
At these various stops, you will have the opportunity to interact with different members of the local Andean communities. You will find some women selling woven and knitted goods (a very nice souvenir). Most of these people only speak Quechua, which is why it is vital to do this trek with a guide who can communicate with them. You will also notice that there are no roads through this portion of the mountains, making travel through this terrain challenging and rugged for those who continue to live here.
You may also run into kids who are eager to meet you and get some food and toys. These kids often have to walk a few hours to and from school to get an education. When they are not in school, they help their families with local farm work of corn and potatoes in particular. And finally, you may see farmers harvesting potatoes in their fields, depending on the time of year that you are hiking through the Lares Trek Peru.
Dinner and Sleep Along a River
After walking through this agricultural area of the Lares Valley, you will reach your second campsite to eat a delicious meal and get ready to camp within the valley. The temperature in the evening may once again drop bellow freezing so make sure to bundle up again to stay warm.
Day 3: End of the Lares Trek Peru Trail
Wake Up Call and Breakfast
For your third day on the Lares Trek Peru, your day will start just as it had for the previous day at 5 AM where you will get ready for the day and eat a filling and nutritious breakfast before the final day of hiking.
Our Morning of Hiking
This whole hiking day will be downhill, and as you move down the mountain, you will notice the plants changing into a more tropical environment. Ultimately, you will arrive at a local village (with a road!) to end the walking portion of your Lares Trek experience. Here, you will have the chance to relax before eating lunch and saying goodbye and thank you to the amazing porters and chefs that supported you through your hike. (Do not forget to tip them as they are working hard to ensure that your experience is successful.)
Salineras de Maras and Then...
Despite this goodbye, this is not the final stop on this tour. By van, you will get the chance to visit the famous salt mines, Salinas Maras, an artisanal salt mine built into a mountain. The different salt containers are each owned by different families and have been around since pre-Incan times. They have designed a system that allows the salt water that comes from the mountain to flow around all of the salt containers to fill each of them with salt water. The owners of each container then mine the salt, package it, and sell it in a variety of forms. You can purchase some salt and different salt-infused products, such as delicious chocolate.
The next part of the Lares Trek Peru adventure is going to Machu Picchu. There are two ways to go to Machu Picchu with this trek, a one-day visit or a two-day trek. If you choose the one-day visit, you will spend the evening in Aguas Caliente to be ready to visit Machu Picchu first thing in the morning. If you choose the two-day trek, you will spend the evening in Ollantaytombo to get ready for the Short Inca Trail hike the following day.
