Fantastic holiday, a real adventure. We saw sights I had only dreamed about. Every day there was something new to wonder at, from…
Anonymous | Traveled in MayThree days is enough to walk through the most culturally dense trekking route in the Cusco region, sleep in one of the most isolated indigenous communities in the Andes, cross a 4,700-meter pass, and arrive at Machu Picchu on foot through terrain most visitors never see.
The 3-Day Lares Trek covers the essential route: the Lares valley, the Cancha Cancha community, the Pachacutec Pass, the encounters with Quechua-speaking herders on the descent, the Seven Waterfalls, and a full guided tour of the citadel. What it does not include — and we’ll be direct about this — is the Lares Hot Springs and the Pisac ruins visit. Those require the extra day that the 4-day version provides.
This version is for travelers with a tighter schedule who still want the real Lares experience, not a softened version of it. The route is identical in its most important stretches. The communities are the same. The pass is the same altitude. The horseman team and the guide are the same caliber.
Machu Picchu Peru Lovers runs this route with a maximum of 8 hikers. This particular trek tends to run in small groups of 2 to 4 — which, on a culturally immersive route like this, works in your favor.
Machu Picchu tickets are government-controlled and limited. Book with adequate lead time for your preferred dates.
Difficulty: Challenging | Max Altitude: 4,700 m (15,420 ft) | Distance: 21 km / 13 mi (hiking days) | Group Size: Up to 8 people | Transport: Private van · Train · Bus
Day highlight: Arriving at Cancha Cancha — one of the most isolated communities in the Cusco region — and spending the evening with a local family under the Inca constellations
The van picks up from your Cusco hotel at 5:00 AM, heading toward the Sacred Valley. The drive to Huaran takes approximately one hour. At Huaran, the horsemen and horses are ready. Duffel bags are handed over. Boots on, packs adjusted.
The 3.5-hour ascent follows the valley floor and gradually climbs toward Cancha Cancha through open Andean terrain — highland grasslands, river crossings, and widening mountain views as altitude increases. The morning is cool and the pace is moderate. Lunch is served along the river, prepared by the cook team at a natural rest point.
Cancha Cancha (3,900 m / 12,800 ft) — the camp and the community. No road leads here. The track in from Huaran is on foot or horseback only. Electricity arrived in December 2019 — before that, the community operated by firelight and natural light, as it had for centuries. The agricultural systems, the family structures, the social rhythms — these are not preserved for tourism. This is how people live here.
After settling into tents and afternoon tea, the local family visit begins. Your guide translates Quechua throughout the interaction — how the family structures its agriculture across the growing seasons, how the children are educated, what changes in the last decade have meant for daily life. The conversation goes where it goes.
After dinner, the guide leads the Inca constellation session outside in the dark. The Andean constellation system reads the dark patches between stars — not the star clusters of European astronomy, but the dark cloud constellations, which the community uses to time planting, harvest, and seasonal movement. At 3,900 m with no city light within range, the sky is a different object than the one most people are accustomed to looking at.
Temperatures overnight drop to around 3–5°C. Dress in layers for the evening outside the tent.
Meals: Breakfast · Lunch (riverside) · Afternoon Tea & snacks · Dinner | Accommodation: Camping with bathroom facilities at Cancha Cancha
Day highlight: The Pachacutec Pass at 4,700 m, the herder encounters on the descent, and the Seven Waterfalls — followed by the train to Aguas Calientes
Hot tea or coffee in the tent before breakfast. This is the longest day and the most demanding. It requires an early start and moves at a sustained pace throughout.
The morning climb heads northeast from Cancha Cancha toward Pachacutec Pass (approx. 4,700 m / 15,420 ft). The ascent is intense — steep, rocky, and long. The vegetation thins rapidly above 4,200 m. Above 4,400 m, the thin air is clearly felt. The guide sets the rhythm; follow it.
At the pass: the Salkantay, Colquecruz, and surrounding glacier peaks are visible on clear mornings. Glacial lakes sit in the valleys below. Glacial rivers run pale white with minerals through the boulder fields. Caracara falcons work the thermals. Andean geese move through the terrain below the pass. Take the time at the top before starting down.
The three-hour descent follows an isolated trail that sees very few outsiders. This is where the route crosses paths with the highland herding life: indigenous people in traditional dress, moving with llamas and alpacas through the seasonal transhumance routes that have defined this valley for centuries. Your guide translates the Quechua exchanges in real time. These encounters are not arranged. They are what the trail looks like.
Near the end of the descent, the Seven Waterfalls appear — a series of cascades dropping across the mountain face above the valley. A natural endpoint for one of the longest days on the route.
At Quiswarani (3,700 m), the private van is waiting. The 2-hour drive to Ollantaytambo follows the valley road through the Sacred Valley. Time to rest in the vehicle, eat any remaining snacks, and decompress from the day.
The train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes follows the Urubamba River through the canyon. Check in to the hotel. Dinner in town.
A practical note: day two is a genuinely long day — 7 hours of hiking at altitude followed by 2 hours in the van and the train journey. Expect to arrive in Aguas Calientes in the late evening. Rest is the priority.
Meals: Breakfast · Lunch (trail) · Afternoon Tea & snacks · Dinner (Aguas Calientes, restaurant) | Accommodation: 3-star hotel in Aguas Calientes — Ferre Hotel Machu Picchu or similar (private room, private bathroom, hot shower, buffet breakfast, Wi-Fi)
Day highlight: The Machu Picchu citadel tour after two days in the Andean communities that existed in direct relationship with this place
Breakfast at the hotel, then one of the first buses up to Machu Picchu. The 25-minute switchback ride. The citadel at early morning before the midday groups arrive.
The two-hour guided tour covers the agricultural, residential, and religious sectors: the Temple of the Sun, the Intihuatana stone, the Room of the Three Windows, the residential compounds and the terracing systems. Your guide — who spent the previous two days interpreting Andean highland culture for you — connects what you’re seeing at Machu Picchu to what you saw and experienced in the Lares valley. The agricultural terraces are not abstract now. The community systems are not theoretical.
Free time after the guided tour for personal exploration. Those who booked Huayna Picchu Mountain in advance check their entry window — the climb is done independently, involves rope-assisted sections and narrow stone steps, takes approximately 45–60 minutes up. Not recommended for those with a fear of heights.
Walking poles and large backpacks are not permitted inside Machu Picchu. Stored at the entrance control point.
Bus back to Aguas Calientes in the afternoon. Free time for lunch (own expense), the market, the museum, or the thermal baths in town.
The Expedition Train departs at 2:55 PM or 3:20 PM (subject to availability) back to Ollantaytambo. Private van from the station exit to your Cusco hotel.
Arriving approximately 7:00 PM.
Meals: Breakfast (hotel) | Accommodation: Return to Cusco hotel
Trip went very smoothly and was very well organized. Easy to highlight is Machu Picchu, but our visit of Amantani island on Lake Titicaca was a real interesting and unique experience. Read more.
This was an excellent well-organized tour at a great value with plenty of variety and lots of free time to explore. Read more.
This was our first trip with Bookmundi and we are extremely happy. From start to finish the experience was excellent. Read more.
We saw all the highlights, the guides were excellent and the trip flowed nicely. The pacing was just right. Read more.
Weeks to months before the trek:
A few days before:
During the trek:
On payments:
| Option | Price Per Person |
|---|---|
| Standard group rate | $497 USD |
| Groups of 5 or more | $467 USD (save $30 per person) |
Who group service is for:
Group service is the right option for solo travelers, couples, and small groups comfortable walking with up to 8 people from different parts of the world on a shared schedule. In practice, this trek tends to run with 2 to 4 hikers — smaller than the 4-day version — which makes the shared-group experience even more relaxed than on higher-demand routes.
What traveling in group service looks like day to day:
For solo travelers: Contact our reservations team to join an existing departure or to open a new group. A minimum of 2 participants is required to run a departure.
An honest note about this trek’s demand: The 3-day Lares Trek is less booked than the 4-day version — which means groups are often smaller and more intimate. A group of 2 to 3 people walking the Lares valley is a quieter, more personal experience than an 8-person group. For many travelers, the lower demand on this route is an advantage.
Documents:
For your duffel bag (carried by pack horse — max 7 kg):
2 kg sleeping bag + 1 kg sleeping pad = approx. 4 kg remaining
For your day pack (carried by you on the trail):
Additional notes:
Airport transfer
Cusco airport to your hotel is included. A Machu Picchu Peru Lovers representative meets you at the arrivals terminal exit with a sign bearing your name. They wait outside — exit the arrivals hall to find them. Send your flight details at least 14 days before arrival.
Hotel pick-up on day one
Pick-up from your Cusco hotel at 5:00 AM on day one. Confirm your hotel name and room number at the evening briefing.
Luggage storage
Main luggage stays in Cusco at your hotel or our office during the three days. Pack only what goes into the duffel bag and day pack.
Payment conditions
Return from Machu Picchu to Cusco
Day three return: bus from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes → Expedition Train at 2:55 PM or 3:20 PM → Ollantaytambo → private van to Cusco hotel, arriving approximately 7:00 PM.
Optional upgrade: Vistadome Train for $67 USD per person — panoramic overhead glass, snack service, on-board cultural performance. Runs to Poroy (near Cusco), private van for the final 25 minutes. Must be requested in advance.
Hotel drop-off in Cusco is included. For Sacred Valley accommodation (Ollantaytambo, Urubamba), coordinate at the time of booking.
The 3-day Lares Trek is available year-round on any date, with a minimum of 2 participants.
No government trail permits are required for the Lares route. What is government-controlled is the Machu Picchu entrance ticket on day three:
This trek tends to attract smaller groups of 2 to 4 people compared to higher-demand routes. That characteristic is not a downside — it’s one of the reasons the Lares valley experience is more personal than most.
For solo travelers: Contact us to join an existing departure or to open a new group. We will match solo trekkers with compatible departures where possible.
A direct note on what this route does and does not include
The 3-day Lares Trek skips two elements present in the 4-day version: the Pisac Archaeological Site (visited on day one of the longer route) and the Lares Hot Springs (reached on day three of the longer route). These are real differences and worth naming clearly.
The Lares Hot Springs specifically — natural volcanic thermal pools at 3,100 m, used by Andean communities for centuries — require a full extra day of hiking to reach. They are simply not achievable within the 3-day itinerary without compressing the community experience on the pass days. If the hot springs matter to you, the 4-day is the right tour.
What is fully present in the 3-day: the Cancha Cancha community night, the Inca constellation session, the Pachacutec Pass, the herder encounters, the Seven Waterfalls, and a guided tour of Machu Picchu. These are the core of the Lares experience.
Trains to Machu Picchu
The train is used on both days two and three:
Accommodation in Aguas Calientes
One night at the included 3-star hotel — Ferre Hotel Machu Picchu or similar. Private room, private bathroom, hot shower, buffet breakfast, Wi-Fi.
Upgrade options: La Cabaña ($40), Tierra Viva ($70), El Mapi ($120). Additional nights from $60 USD per person depending on availability.
Transport summary
Physical fitness requirements
The 3-day Lares Trek is classified as challenging. Day two — the hiking core of the route — involves 7 hours of walking with a sustained ascent to 4,700 m followed by a long rocky descent, plus additional travel time to reach Aguas Calientes.
Cultural conduct
The Lares Trek passes through living indigenous communities. Practical conduct guidelines:
Strikes and demonstrations
Strikes and demonstrations are common in Peru and can affect road access and train services. We will always try to keep the trip as originally planned. If tours must be changed or canceled due to civil disruption, our operations team coordinates directly with you. Your safety drives all such decisions.
Lost items
Pay attention to your belongings at camp, in the van, on the train, and in Aguas Calientes. Once the horses move ahead or transport leaves a location, retrieval is not practical. You are responsible for your own items throughout the tour.
If you have a question about this or any other trip, our travel experts are ready to help with dates, availability and private options.
