Lares Trek has become one of the most important hiking routes to Machu Picchu after the Inca Trail and Salkantay. It combines the beauty of the mountains with a cultural visit to 2 indigenous communities along the trail. You will learn about their culture, traditions and customs as well as enjoy a football game with the children’s at 4000 meters above sea level.
Price: USD 595 Per Person
by booking this tour your are planting 1 tree at an indiginous community of Cusco.
We will pick you up at your hotel at 05:00 am and this may vary depending on the location of your hotel, we pick you up from the hotels in Cusco, Pisac, Calcar or Urubamba. After a 1-hour trip from Cusco we will make a brief stop in Calca, there you can buy some gifts for children (optional) Then we will continue our trip for 2 more hours until we reach the thermal baths, in this place we will enjoy the first breakfast where You can enjoy beautiful views of mountains and valleys. Then we will have time to enjoy the thermal baths, there are several wells from the coldest to the hottest that is almost boiling. It is pure volcanic water and contains very good medicinal properties for bones, stress, muscles and headaches. After enjoying the thermal baths, we will travel for 20 minutes until the beginning of the trek 3300 meters above sea level. In this place we will meet the horseman and the rest of our crew, we will also give them our duffle bags. It will be a 2 hour walk to our lunch point (Kiswarani), we will walk through the valley called the potato valley where the locals work an enormous variety of organic potatoes, upon arrival at the villa our chef will be waiting for us with a delicious lunch that we will enjoy with wonderful views.
After our lunch we will perform a ceremony with the llamas, which were very important method of transport and even sacred in the time of the Incas, unfortunately today they are disappearing because their work is being replaced by horses and our goal is that the settlers keep it and through this ceremony we want to contribute to it. The Llamas are friendly and very strong animals as well as being a beautiful company for the walk, just avoid getting too close because they can kiss you.
We will have time to explore the community a little, visit a house where we will learn about the ancestral traditions of the local population, if we have time we can visit the school where the children still speak Quechua, their native language if you took any help, book, notebook or Anything this will be the time to leave, you will also have the opportunity to learn some words in Quechua and you can also teach some words in other languages you know. After that, there will be 2 more hours of ascent to our camp where our team will be waiting for us with our tents set. Then we will enjoy a delicious tea time, while dusk goes on, more stars will appear and you can enjoy it until it will finally be dinner time.
Walking distance: 10 km
Campsite elevation: 3850 masl
Weather: cold and dry.
This morning we will get up at about 5 am, our team will wake you up with a delicious coca tea, we will have a beautiful lagoon and the valley of Kiswarani in sight. You will see that the local people have already started with their daily activities and will be starting to move their camelids to graze, it is a unique and fantastic scene that cannot be missed. Breakfast will be served as soon as you finish packing your belongings, fill the bottles with water, distribute snacks for the trail and be ready to start the most memorable day of your expedition to Machu Picchu. It will be 3 to 4 hours up to the Pachacutec pass or also called the condor pass. The views from the top are unique and will have a privileged place for a 360º view, we will be over the clouds, in front we will have the majestic pitusiray mountain with 5600 meters above sea level. The most fantastic thing is that we can enjoy a delicious hot tea brought by our trekking team.
After enjoying the wonderful views, we will start our descent of 1 hour until lunch, on the way, we will enjoy wonderful views of the valley, alpacas, llamas, etc. After our lunch you will be ready to continue with a 3 hour walk to the campsite where our team will have your tent set and will be waiting for you with hot drinks. This place called Cancha Cancha located at 3750 meters above sea level. It is the only community that does not have modern technology, there is no electricity and cars do not arrive, if you still have school supplies left for the children of the family you visit, you can see how families live with their guinea pigs, cats and other animals inside a single house. In this community 85% of the houses are built with ancestral techniques using a stone wall with thatched roofs, you will learn about the textile work and local traditions.
Walking distance: 14 km
Campsite Elevation: 3750 masl
Weather: cold and dry.
Our team will wake us up with a delicious hot coca tea, you will have time to pack your belongings until breakfast time, after that, will still have time to explore the town a bit, visit a local family and simply enjoy beautiful views. Once it is ready we will begin with our descent of 4 hours towards the community of Huarán. Along the way will be the excellent opportunity to learn about Peruvian agriculture, as people in the communities are still working manually, using ancestral tools such as chakitaclla, cuti, etc. Once we get to our lunch place you will find yourself in a warmer climate, you will be in the Sacred Valley of the Incas where people work corn, fruits, etc. After lunch we will say goodbye to our fantastic walking team, if you want to give some appreciation or words of encouragement this will be the time.
After saying goodbye to our team we will get on a van and travel for 30 minutes to the salt mines of Maras, a place that has been used since pre-Inca times and to this day there are more than 2,500 wells where local people process salt for their household and commercial support. Each small well belongs to a family and the surprising thing about this place is that it is the women who work in the process.
After finishing our visit, we will continue our journey to Ollantaytambo, on the way we will stop at a traditional chicheria to learn how this sacred drink is prepared, the Inca beer, we will learn more about the customs and traditions of the Sacred Valley, if you like, you can taste the Chicha. Then we will continue with our trip to Ollantaytambo, a town considered the only living Inca city, it keeps the original Inca structures, the streets, the water flowing down the street and the local people with their typical clothes, we will be able to walk through the town until the hour of the dinner that will be at a local restaurant.
At the appropriate time we will go to the train station to board our train that will take us to Machu Picchu Pueblo where your guide will take you to your hotel for rest and take a hot shower. The train for this tour is the expedition of 19:00 pm, however, this may change depending on the anticipation with which you book your tour.
Walking distance: 8.5 km
Hotel Elevation: 2050 masl (hotel night)
Weather: cold in the morning, warm and humid at night.
Accommodation; hotel inti Punku or similar
This is one of the most important days of your stay in Cusco. After a 4-day pilgrimage, we will finally visit the world wonder, the sacred city of the Incas, Unesco’s cultural and natural heritage; Machu Picchu. Our recommendation is to get up early to appreciate the sunrise in Machu Picchu (subject to weather conditions) and take the energies of this sacred place. Your guide will pass through the hotel and will go to the bus station, it will be a 25-minute trip to the entrance gate of Machu Picchu. Once there, do not forget to use the toilets for the last time since there are no toilets inside Machu Picchu. You will have a guided tour of approximately 3 hours visiting the temple of the sun, temple of the Pacha Mama, Inca house, chacana temple, the Intihuatana, the temple of the condor, etc. In our Tour to Machu Picchu, we do the most complete route so you do not miss any place, you will have time to take your pictures, enjoy beautiful views, etc.
If another extra walk is encouraged you can request the entrance to Machu Picchu Mountain or Huayna Picchu, however, this will be confirmed according to the availability of space at the time of booking, this mountain is quite popular and the entrance is limited to 200 people by group, from June to September is recommended to book at least 3 months in advance. In case we get space for this extra walk, your guide will show you the way you should take to make this extra hike. However, this has an additional cost of $. 35 dollars per person.
Whatever the case may be, once you have finished your Machu Picchu Tour, you must go down to Machu Picchu Pueblo to enjoy a lunch (Not Included) before getting on your train that will leave at 14:30 pm to Ollantaytambo, once you arrive to Ollantaytambo our staff will be waiting for you with your van to transfer you to your hotel in Cusco or Sacred Valley.
All travelers need a sleeping bag, do not forget to bring your own. The walking sticks and air mattresses or matras are optional and provides greater comfort during the walk. If you do not want to bring any camping gear you can always rent from our office.
Sleeping bag $. 20 usd per person
Air Mattress $. 20 usd per person
Walking sticks (01 pair) $. 15 usd per person
We are known for providing a personalized service and a unique experience, visiting the attractions in not overcrowded hours and for using out the beaten tracks, we guarantee 100% satisfaction and we care a lot for your safety during our tours. This Salkantay trek is available from March to December, we do not operate in the months of January and February for your safety since there are lot of rains and landslides that may occur.
$. 549 usd per person
Group tour means that your reservation is open so that other people can accompany you on your walk, however, our groups will never be larger than 14 people and with 02 guides, a guide can take a maximum of 08 people.
Our specialty is private tours and we will provide you with the best service, the price depends on the size of your group. However, a minimum of 02 people is required to book a Private tour, unless you want to exclusively walk alone then please contact us at info@pptoursperu.com
02 people $. 859 usd per person
03 people $. 799 usd per person
04 people $. 749 usd per person
05 people $. 699 usd per person
06 people $. 649 usd per person
07 people $. 599 usd per person
08 people or more. $. 549 usd per person
Discount $. $ 25 per person.
The student discount applies to those who have CURRENT STUDENT CARD or are under 17 years old, whatever the case, we need that at the time of booking you send us a copy of the passport and the student card, and must bring the originals to use the ticket purchased as a student. Please send the copy to info@pptoursperu.com. If you are traveling with children under the age of 8, please contact us and send your travel document to obtain a higher discount.
For this tour you can hire some additional services available that we detail below:
Entrance to Huayna Picchu $. $ 35 per person
Entrance to Machu Picchu Mountain $. $ 35 per person
360º train only return $. $ 65 per person
Sleeping bag $. $ 20 per person
Air mattress $. $ 20 per person
Walking steaks (a pair). $. $ 15 per person
Single room the last night $. $ 49 per person
All information sessions are held in our office at 06:00 PM the night before your trek. If you cannot assist to this talk please contact our office staff to serve you better.
You will receive your duffle bag at the information session. These bags are to put your belongings inside it, these will be carried by the porters and will be returned to you each evening at the campsite. However, beside from these bags, you should carry a small backpack where you will carry everything you need during the trek.
Each duffle bag must have a maximum weight of 7kg. 4kg will be for your clothes and other personal items, the other 3kg will be for our logistics, such as your sleeping bag and pad, if you have your own sleeping bag and mat these must be included in the 7 kilos.
The airport in Cusco is currently quite small and only for domestic flights, so all international travelers by plane must disembark in Lima and go through Customs. Even if your flight to Cusco is the same day by the same airline, you must pick up your bags in Lima and then register them again.
The best way to get to Cusco is by air and there are several airline options. LATAM tends to be the most expensive, but it has more flight options. But you also have PERUVIAN, AVIANCA, STAR PERU, LC PERU to choose according to your preference. Expect flight delays or cancellations, due to the high altitude of Cusco, tends to be difficult to land so that on rainy days you can paralyze air traffic. Bus tours are always available and although the journey may be long, especially from Lima, Peru buses are well maintained and are comfortable. This option is recommended if you come from a city closer to Cusco like Puno or Arequipa. Buses from Lima will take around 20 hours to arrive to Cusco.
We pick up all our clients from the hotel for all tours. While your hotel is in the center of the city of Cusco, we will coordinate this pick up with the guide at the information session. Pick-up times may vary between 20 and 30 minutes depending on traffic conditions and hotel locations.
Cusco is an ancient city with cobblestone streets and very narrow corridors. Very small hotels and Air BNBs are often located on streets that cars cannot pass through. They are also usually located on the side of the hill, with long and steep climbs to the property, difficult to maneuver with luggage. We recommend that you do not stay in one of these places and try to find places where there is easy access to carry your bags.
From Machu Picchu Ruins to Machu Picchu Pueblo, you will take a 25-minute bus. The buses are in order of arrival and you can take any of those in turn.
From Machu Picchu Pueblo, you will take a train to Ollantaytambo or Poroy station. Your guide will give you your train tickets. Make sure you get to the platform 30 minutes ahead of time.
Once you arrive at the train station, look for our staff with a PPT sign. He will take you to the Plaza San Francisco, Cusco.
Once you arrive at the Plaza San Francisco our staff will be waiting for you to separate you and send in pre-paid taxis to your respective hotels.
Machu Picchu now has two hours to visit: morning or afternoon. Your ticket will be for a single entry, in the morning, once your time is done, the guards will ask you to leave.
Morning turn: 6AM – 12PM
Afternoon turn: 12PM – 5:30 PM
NOTE: If you have tickets to climb to Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain, you will have additional time until 2:30 PM. And you can re-enter for a single time as long as it is within the time of re-entry (05 hours from the first entry)
If you want to spend all day at Machu Picchu, we can add a ticket for the afternoon group to your reservation for $ 50 per person.
Machu Picchu is more beautiful when viewed from above, so it is very popular to hike one of the mountains next to the ruins after your guided tour.
Huayna Picchu is the most popular and must be booked in advance … it sells very fast. This hike takes approximately 50 minutes to the top and 40 minutes downhill to the bottom. There are 2 schedules or groups to enter this mountain. The first group is 8-p am and the second is 10 am to 11 am. Again, this refers to when you can start your hike and normally we reserve the second option so you can first enjoy your tour with your guide in Machu Picchu. This walk will be done on your own, but your guide will show you where to start.
The Machu Picchu mountain is a little longer and less popular. It takes 2 hours to reach the top and 1.5 hours to reach the bottom. There are also 2 visiting hours: from 7-8 am and from 9 am to 10 am and we usually buy for the second group.
It is important that you be honest with your guide about any health problems you may suffer. Although the guides are not medical professionals, they are trained in first aid. We also work with a clinic in Cusco that can help our team.
You are responsible for evaluating if a trek is suitable for you. You should consult your doctor to confirm your physical condition to travel and participate in any planned activity. You should seek advice from your doctor about vaccinations and medical precautions. Peru Private Tours will not provide medical advice. It is your responsibility to assess the risks and requirements of each aspect of the Tour based on your own circumstances, limitations, fitness level and medical requirements.
If during the trek you get sick of extreme altitude or any other illness that not allows you to continuing with the journey, but you want to visit Machu Picchu by train, we will work with you to coordinate this trip. This will be a new trip and may involve additional costs. We will use as much of the logistics purchased from the original route to keep rates low.
If you experience problems while walking and cannot continue, a porter will escort you to the nearest road and wait while a car comes to pick you up and take you to the nearest health clinic.
Group tours are made up of different types of people, with different walking skills and ages. By accepting a group trip, you understand that some people may be slower or faster than you. Everyone can make their own pace for the walk, the guide will work through the group to spend time with everyone. Groups can request some modifications to the tour and the guide will work with everyone to make the best decision for the group.
Unfortunately, strikes are very common in Peru and can cause many interruptions in our Tours. Roads are often blocked, trains stopped. We will do everything possible to operate your Tour, even before the start date. Some tours may be canceled under these circumstances. Our Operations Department will coordinate with you in this situation. Your safety is always our main concern and will determine how we decide.
You are responsible for your personal items throughout the Tour. Be diligent about where you leave your stuff and remember to remove all items from our vans, tents, restaurant, etc. Do not leave anything involuntary while walking. Other hikers or teams can pick it up without knowing to whom it belongs.
The climate in Cusco and Machu Picchu is unpredictable. In general, the dry season in Cusco is from April to October, but this does not prevent the rain from falling in June or the sun coming out in December, just prepare for any weather condition. No matter which month you take the hike or excursion, or which tour you are on, make sure you have adequate clothing that includes a waterproof jacket, pants, poncho and waterproof gloves.
Also be prepared for four seasons in a day. Many of the excursions through the Andes involve many microclimates and you will have to be prepared for all seasons. The layers are always key because they are easy to adjust to different temperatures. And the nights will always be cold, so get ready with a warm jacket.
As soon as the people reserve the trip to Peru, specifically to Cusco, they begin to wonder about altitude sickness. High altitudes contains less oxygen than at sea level and forces your body to work harder to get the oxygen it needs. For few days at high altitude your body adjusts to the least amount of oxygen in the air.
The first symptoms of altitude sickness may be; headache, fatigue, followed by loss of appetite, nausea or vomit, dizziness, trouble sleeping, difficulty breathing during exercise. If any of these effects worsen, contact our office and we will help you get to a doctor.
Most of the time, these symptoms will be mild. We always recommend easy activities and walk slowly, allowing your body to adapt. Drink plenty of fluids such as water or coca tea. Coca tea has been used since ancient times to help prevent altitude sickness. The leaves of the coca plant contain alkaloids that help carry oxygen to the blood, helping your body avoid the effects of altitude sickness. Avoid drinking a lot of alcohol and coffee because it will make you urinate more often and you will become dehydrated. Avoid smoking, Smoking makes it difficult for your body to get oxygen. Avoid sleeping pills. They can cause shallow breathing at night, which makes it difficult for your body to absorb oxygen while you sleep.
Many people prefer to visit the doctor to give them a treatment with pills even before traveling to avoid problems during their stay. Your doctor may prescribe medications, such as acetazolamide and dexamethasone, to help prevent altitude sickness. Start the medicine two days before reaching a high altitude. Continue taking it while you are at high altitude.
To protect your travel investment, we recommend buying travel insurance. Getting travel insurance before leaving home is highly recommended and very easy. There are many insurance companies depending on your country of origin and at different prices according to your time of stay, take some time to review them and hire the one that best suits you. This is an excellent way to protect yourself while visiting Peru.
At Peru Private Tours (PPT) we are proud of the work we do for our community. This is the main objective for our company. We are working directly with the villages to help them meet the needs of their families. We support the children of the villages by giving them school supplies, books and clothes.
We buy all our food from farmers and local markets and serve the freshest ingredients. We offer constant training for all our team: guides, porters, chefs and drivers. We are a family born in the Andes and we want to work with them and for them. That is why once a year we bring our porters and their families to Machu Picchu. We want our team to know the world wonder, since they work tirelessly at the doors of this place without ever visiting it and showing them this place is our greatest honor.
The porters will carry a maximum of 7 kg of your personal items including the sleeping bag and Air Matra if you bring or rent one from our office. The last 2 items weigh in total 3.5 kilos. If you rent our sleeping bag and Matra together, you only have up to 4 kilos of personal equipment allowed in the duffel bag.
Backpacks can be any size for hiking, but we always recommend the smaller ones. Inside Machu Picchu, you will not be allowed to enter backpacks larger than 35 L. If it is larger, you must leave it at the citadel door.
Another advantage of booking with Peru Private Tours (PPT) is that we will provide you with the best camping equipment and fresh and quality food, probably one of the best you will have during your stay in Peru.
We have the best camping equipment, we use 4 people tents for only between 2 people, so you will have a comfortable and spacious space to store your belongings inside the tent. Likewise, we have spacious dining tents where you can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner, we do not use pre-built places that almost all agencies use and that are very cold, we take comfortable chairs and tables for your comfort. All the equipment that you rent from our office is of the highest quality, our sleeping bags are in the shape of a mummy to make them more warm and hold temperatures of up to -10 Cº. The air matras have a thickness of 1 ½ inch and the walking sticks are light and retractable. You can review more detailed information about our camping equipment HERE
Our camping team will provide you with water every day, you will only take your own water for the first day of hiking until lunch time, from this point we filter, boil and cool water every day and We will provide according to the quantity you need. We recommend carrying a water bag or bottles of 2 to 3 liters so you have enough.
All our walks have a professional chef included, one specialized in high mountain cuisine who prepares delicious dishes that you would have never imagined trying on an adventure route. We will provide breakfast, lunch and dinner in a family style where all meals will be in large trays in the middle and from there everyone will be served whatever they want, all will be served hot and fresh. We also offer snacks every morning after breakfast and tea time with snacks, chocolate, coffee, etc. Before each dinner. The key to enjoy a walk is to be well fed and that’s what we take care of.
We gladly cater for food restrictions, it does not matter if you are vegetarian, celiac, gluten free, it will always be a pleasure for us to serve you.
More information about our meals you can check HERE.
Our adventure in Salkantay Trek includes horses and mules, however, they will only accompany us on the first day and until lunch on the second day, from this point our porters are responsible for bringing our camping equipment, food, belongings, etc. It is for this reason that also the emergency horse we include will only be available the first day until the lunch of the second day, from this point you will be responsible for your walk, of course we will always be with you to help you in everything.
Our porters whom we affectionately call the super porters. They are the reason and pride of our company, without their hard work and help, it would be impossible to make the walks in different places, for us more than part of the team is our family and they are the reason for us to be different from other companies.
The owner and founder of Peru Private Tours (PPT) was born in one of the communities where most of our porters come today from. He worked on the Inca trail as a porter from 2006 to 2008 and knows the hard work of being a porter, walking every day with a heavy load in the back and when arriving at the camp where instead of rest, we continue working to prepare everything for our visitors. Likewise, he lived in his own flesh as some companies treated and paid better to their porters than others, however, not enough was done for them and their families. We could not have a company without them and that is precisely why we want them as our family, we want to know them, listen to them, help them in everything that is within our reach to improve the quality of their lives, their children and their families in general.
All our porters range from 18 to 50 years old and come from different communities near Parobamba, where the founder of the company was born, we employ around 50 porters. Quechua is their main language and many of them do not speak Spanish, being a porter is a secondary economic activity for them because they are mainly farmers.
As we said at the beginning we could not exist without our porters and they have promised us that they will work hard and do everything they can to make our visitors live a wonderful and unique experience, so we too have committed ourselves to do everything necessary and everything possible to help them and improve the quality of their lives. Besides doing everything possible to make your work at less as hard as possible at once the most comfortable possible.
The communities where our porters live are 3 to 4 hours away from Cusco, what we do is provide everything they need before, during and after the treks. To enter the Inca Trail, the porters must pay an entrance of S /. 45 soles or $. 15 dollars, we pay that entrance very apart from their payment for work that we always try to be better than any other company. The payment for their job is made by the last day of the walk directly in cash avoiding that they have to make a trip to our offices, so they can leave quickly with their relatives. All of them have health insurance that covers medical care because of their hard work, unfortunately this is not common since they are free workers and they are not on the payroll, even so, we want them to be healthy and strong and we hope that other companies do the same. We provide them with all the necessary equipment so that they can carry out their job in the most optimal way possible. We visit their communities to provide them with basic needs such as toothpastes, brushes, soap and school supplies for their children.
This is only the beginning for us, because we have so much to give back to them for the enormous job they do, we are sure that all this will continue, it would not be possible to do all this without the support of our clients who often send us donations of any kind.
Our porters eat as much as you do on the walk, our chef is responsible for buying enough food for everyone and prepares enough food so that we are all well fed at the end of the day. When you see that we serve large quantities of food, none of this is wasted because they will share it with pleasure, in addition to the products that we bought and have not finished, the porters will distribute at the end of the walk and taken home to enjoy it with the family, we make a new purchase for each walk.
Today there are government regulations that protect porters and associations of porters that enforce the rules, according to the latest agreement a porter cannot carry more than 25 kilos for the agency. Our porters cannot carry more than 20 kilos in total, 15 kilos for the company and 5 kilos of their personal belongings, we consider that 25 kilos are too much weight so we have our own internal norm that we make respect through the bosses of the porter. That is why it is so important that you keep the weight of your duffle bag that you send with us below the allowed 7 kilos. You will clearly see that other porters of other companies clearly carry more weight than ours.
This is a tour that requires a special permit issued by the Peruvian government through the Ministry of Culture, so we recommend making the reservation in advance, once you make your reservation will be confirmed as long as there is availability of space for the date that you select, please make sure to check the availability of spaces for Inca trail 4 days
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