LARES TREK AND SHORT INCA TRAIL TO MACHU PICCHU 5D/4N

It's a private 5-day trek to Machu Picchu that combines three days on the Lares Trek, through Quechua villages and over Sicllakasa Pass, with the Short Inca Trail from Km 104 on Day 4. You enter Machu Picchu on foot through the Sun Gate, sleep in Aguas Calientes and tour the citadel with your guide on Day 5. Two nights are camping and two are in 3-star hotels.

Our 4-day Lares Trek continues by road and train to Aguas Calientes after Lares. This 5-day trek adds a night in Ollantaytambo and the Short Inca Trail, with Chachabamba, Wiñay Wayna and the Sun Gate, so you arrive at Machu Picchu on foot. It's also a private service, just for your party.

You get the best of both: the quiet villages and high passes of Lares and the Inca stonework and Sun Gate arrival of the Inca Trail. It's a great choice if Classic Inca Trail permits are sold out or you'd like more culture and fewer crowds. Our Lares Trek vs. Inca Trail guide compares the two, and the Classic Inca Trail is the 4-day camping option.

Yes. It's a private service for your party of 2 to 10 travelers, with your own bilingual guide, cooks and muleteers, plus an assistant guide when there are more than nine. The price per person goes down as your party grows; see the Prices tab.

It's a challenging trek because of the altitude. Day 2 crosses Sicllakasa Pass at 15,846 ft (4,830 m), and Days 1 and 2 have long climbs. Day 3 is an easy descent, and Day 4 on the Short Inca Trail is moderate, with steep Inca steps up to Wiñay Wayna. Good fitness and a few days in Cusco beforehand make all the difference.

The highest point is Sicllakasa Pass, at 15,846 ft (4,830 m), on Day 2. You camp at Puyoc (13,615 ft / 4,150 m) and Cuncani (12,467 ft / 3,800 m), and the Short Inca Trail runs much lower, from Km 104 at 7,218 ft (2,200 m) to the Sun Gate at 8,924 ft (2,720 m). See our Lares Trek elevation guide for the full profile.

You hike about 25.5 mi (41 km) in four days: 6.8 mi (11 km) on Day 1, 7.5 mi (12 km) on Day 2, 5 mi (8 km) on Day 3 and 6.2 mi (10 km) on the Short Inca Trail on Day 4. On Day 5, you walk around Machu Picchu with your guide.

We pick you up from your hotel in Cusco early in the morning and drive to Pumahuanca, near Urubamba, where the Lares Trek starts. It ends in Lares on Day 3, and you sleep in Ollantaytambo. On Day 4, the train takes you to Km 104, the start of the Short Inca Trail, which ends at the Sun Gate. On Day 5, we take you back to your hotel in Cusco.

Yes. Your Inca Trail permit includes two entries. On Day 4, you arrive through the Sun Gate and stop at the classic viewpoint by the Guardian's House (Circuit 1) for your postcard photo. On Day 5, you return for your guided tour (Circuit 3). If you'd also like Circuit 2, we can book it as a separate ticket, subject to availability.

Yes. The Short Inca Trail needs a permit issued with your passport details, and we arrange it for you with your Machu Picchu tickets and trains. Permits are limited, so book as early as you can, especially for May to September. The Inca Trail closes every February for maintenance.

The best time is the dry season, from May to September, with clear skies, cold nights at the Lares camps and the best views from the passes. April and October are good shoulder months. From November to March, the valleys turn green and rain is more frequent, and the Inca Trail closes in February. Pack warm layers and rain gear in any month.

Spend at least two days in Cusco before the trek, ideally three, walking at an easy pace and drinking plenty of water. On the trail, go slowly on the climbs and tell your guide right away about headache, nausea, dizziness or unusual tiredness. Your guide carries a first-aid kit and an emergency oxygen bottle and will decide with you how to continue.

You spend two nights camping, at Puyoc and Cuncani, in EUREKA or DOITE tents with Therm-a-Rest or REI mats, a dining tent and a portable toilet tent. Night 3 is in a 3-star hotel in Ollantaytambo, close to the Inca Trail train, and Night 4 in a 3-star hotel in Aguas Calientes, such as Golden Sunrise Machu Picchu or similar.

You get four breakfasts, four lunches and four dinners: meals at camp prepared by your trekking cooks, dinner and breakfast at your hotels, and lunch on the Short Inca Trail. In the mornings at camp, you wake up to coca tea. Breakfast on Day 1 and lunch and dinner on Day 5 are on your own.

Yes, on the Lares section: from lunch on Day 1, your cooks boil and cool drinking water for you to refill your bottle at every meal. Bring a full bottle from Cusco for the first hours of Day 1, and buy water in Ollantaytambo for the Short Inca Trail on Day 4.

Yes. Vegetarian, vegan and other special menus are available at no extra cost; tell us when you book. If you have a food allergy, let us know how severe it is so your cooks can plan your meals, and carry any emergency medication you need, as camp kitchens in the mountains are simple.

On the Lares section, mules carry the camping gear and your duffel bag, up to 15.4 lb (7 kg) per traveler. From Ollantaytambo, you continue with your daypack only, so pack what you need for the Inca Trail and the night in Aguas Calientes; we take care of the rest. A 25–30 L daypack fits water, snacks, layers, rain gear and your passport.

The stop at Lares Hot Springs is part of Day 3, and the entrance is paid on site if you'd like to go in. The warm pools are a great way to relax your legs after the high pass. Bring a swimsuit, a towel and some cash in soles.

We include the train from Ollantaytambo to Km 104 and the train back from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo, on Expedition by PeruRail or Voyager by Inca Rail, plus the bus down from Machu Picchu on Day 4, the round-trip bus on Day 5 and all road transport. You can take the Vistadome for US$50 per person on your train back, or US$120 on both train journeys, subject to availability.

Yes, you can add the Huayna Picchu ticket or the Machu Picchu Mountain ticket for US$85 each, subject to availability and an entry time that fits your Day 5 tour. Both climbs are steep, so plan an extra two to three hours. Tickets sell out early in the dry season, so let us know when you book.

Yes. You can rent a 5-season sleeping bag and trekking poles from us; see Extra Services for the prices. Poles help a lot on the climbs to Puyoc and Sicllakasa Pass, and on the Inca Trail and at Machu Picchu they're allowed only with rubber tips.

Inca Trail permits are issued with each traveler's name and passport number for a set date, so double-check your details when you book. If your plans change, contact us right away and we'll explain what can be adjusted under the booking terms.

We'll check nearby dates first. You can also choose our 4-day Lares Trek, which needs no permit, the 5-day Salkantay Trek, a private Short Inca Trail or the 4-day Inca Jungle Trek. Each one has its own inclusions and rates.

Use your acclimatization days for easy visits, such as our Cusco City Tour or a Sacred Valley tour. Keep long hikes for after a couple of days at altitude.

Your guide meets you at your hotel in Cusco, about two days before departure, to go over each day, the altitude, the weather, what goes in your duffel bag and daypack, your permits and Machu Picchu tickets, and your pickup time. Bring your questions and any dietary information.

There's no electricity at the Lares camps, so bring a charged power bank and spare batteries for your headlamp and camera. You can charge everything at your hotels in Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes. Phone signal is weak or absent in the high valleys and on parts of the Inca Trail.

See the Prices tab for the current rates by party size and the discounts for children, students and groups. The price includes your private guide and trekking team, camping gear, meals, the Inca Trail permit, trains, buses, Machu Picchu tickets and both hotel nights. Optional extras such as a sleeping bag, poles, Vistadome or a mountain ticket are paid separately.

Choose your dates and party size and book online, or contact our team. Send each traveler's name and passport details so we can secure the Inca Trail permits, Machu Picchu tickets, hotels and trains for your dates.

Cancellation and refund conditions depend on the booking terms you accept and whether nontransferable permits or tickets have been issued. The original package describes a nonrefundable deposit once permits are purchased. Please review the written cancellation and payment conditions before paying; we will explain the applicable charges for your reservation.

You can read real reviews from travelers who have done the Lares Trek, the Inca Trail and our other treks on Waman Adventures on TripAdvisor.