Lares Trek to Machu Picchu

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Peru Travel Insights

Lima, Cusco & Lares Trek to Machu Picchu - 6 Days
Map of Lima, Cusco & Lares Trek to Machu Picchu - 6 Days
Lima, Cusco & Lares Trek to Machu Picchu - 6 Days

A shorter alternative to the Inca Trail, the Lares Trek offers an experience just as stunning. Despite the high altitudes, this trek follows a less rigorous route through local communities, making it ideal for those who are looking for something accessible, unique, and immersive.

Beautiful Andean landscape
Map of Lares Lodge-to-Lodge Trek to Machu Picchu - 5 Days
Lares Lodge-to-Lodge Trek to Machu Picchu - 5 Days

The five-day Lares Trek takes you high up in the Andes, hiking during the day and overnighting in luxurious lodges along the way. Providing impressive views of snow-capped peaks and glacial lakes, it’s a relatively demanding hike that will test your fitness.

Girl walking home in the Lares Valley
Map of Lares Valley Trek & Short Inca Trail - 8 Days
Lares Valley Trek & Short Inca Trail - 8 Days

Trek through the Lares Valley, where you'll pass between glacier-capped mountains where llamas and alpacas graze in the surrounding hills. You'll visit the town of Lares, a colourful traditional town in the heart of the valley. Combined with the Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, this is a trek that combines two wonderful valleys & mountain ranges with very different ecologies & landscapes.

View from the Santa Cruz trek in Peru
Map of Best 10 Treks in Peru
Best 10 Treks in Peru

Peru — a nation with abundant natural diversity, from coast, to mountains, to jungle — has long attracted lovers of the Great Outdoors. The Peruvian Andes, running like a backbone down the centre of the country, contain mesmerizing variations in landscape that make for some of the best trekking in the world. Cloud forests, 5000m+ cordilleras (mountain ranges), the world’s deepest canyon and the striking remains of ancient civilizations all await.

Making a pilgrimage to Machu Picchu on one of these two treks makes your arrival even more spectacular
Salkantay Trek vs the Inca Trail: Which is Right for You?

Trekking to Machu Picchu is a dream for many travelers—but there's more than one way to get there. The classic Inca Trail lets trekkers walk in the steps of the Incas, while the more remote Salkantay route offers solitude and wildlife. Compare your options for getting to Peru's most famous place on foot, from distance and cost to overnight options.

Huchuy Qosqo
Map of Best Day Hikes in the Sacred Valley near Cusco
Best Day Hikes in the Sacred Valley near Cusco

Peru is famous for the Inca Trail and other multi-day hikes, but if you are short on time, there are plenty of excellent day hikes throughout the Sacred Valley. These hikes are a great way to visit some of the rural communities and lesser-visited ruins throughout the Valley.

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Meet our Local Travel Specialists

Experienced travel agents with a passion for Peru
Travel specialist Shawna Sanders
active 13 hours ago

Shawna Sanders

My goal is to see others fall in love with the soul of Peru the same way I have! For me, a 3-month internship took a left turn into a decade of exploration. I believe Peru's diversity in cultures...

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Travel specialist Jimena Salazar
active 10 hours ago

Jimena Salazar

For me, traveling is about much more than just visiting places. It’s about opening new paths in your life—through the people you meet, the flavors you try, and the landscapes that take your breath...

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Travel specialist Io Gillhuber
active 14 hours ago

Io Gillhuber

Growing up in Germany, I was lucky to spend several vacations in different places in Europe. When I finished school, I started exploring the world on my own, and I couldn’t get enough of it....

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Travel specialist Kristy Tizon
active 3 hours ago

Kristy Tizon

Kristy, a Peruvian-American originally from Los Angeles but now based in New York, has a deep passion for travel. With expertise in destinations such as Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and her home...

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Trip Reviews for Peru

The latest reviews by travelers who booked their trip on kimkim

Excellent Peru trip.
Peru | Nov 22 - Nov 29, 2025

Erin
Erin M.
Los Angeles, CA | Reviewed on Dec 02, 2025

Andriel was an amazing guide through the sacred valley.
I appreciate the KimKim team for organizing everything, booking all transportation, checking into our flights for us, etc. it made travel worry-free.
The itinerary was spot on.

Local specialist: Liz Karen L. Jihuallanca

Machu Picchu Rotary trip
Peru | Oct 20 - Oct 24, 2025

Aur
Aur B.
Hong Kong SAR China | Reviewed on Dec 01, 2025
It was a lot of travel to go back 500 years in history to Machu Picchu but I will never forget it.
I especially liked how knowledgeable our tour guide was of the history of Machu Picchu and was easily able to answer all of our detailed question
Booking me in the hotel on the square in Cusco was great as the view of the square ( spent hours people watching) and the Christ Statue glowing at night overlooking the city. Later touring Pukamoqo hill, a place that was already considered a...
Read more

It was a lot of travel to go back 500 years in history to Machu Picchu but I will never forget it.
I especially liked how knowledgeable our tour guide was of the history of Machu Picchu and was easily able to answer all of our detailed question
Booking me in the hotel on the square in Cusco was great as the view of the square ( spent hours people watching) and the Christ Statue glowing at night overlooking the city. Later touring Pukamoqo hill, a place that was already considered a spiritual site by the Inca civilization I was very interested in learning it was donated to the city in 1945 by Palestinian Arabs who migrated to this part of Peru as a refuge after the Second World War.
I loved the ancient Andean sacredness that was prevalent all around the country
Thanks for the opportunity to briefly experience the culture and want to go back for more in depth indigenous food and cooking classes.

Local specialist: Liz Karen L. Jihuallanca

One of the most incredible trips we ...
Peru | Nov 8 - Nov 22, 2025

Brian
Brian B.
Canada | Reviewed on Nov 29, 2025
This was one of the most incredible trips we have ever had. We appreciated all the obvious work and planning that went into our amazing trip to Peru. Starting with the awesome history and introduction to the Inca Empire at the Larco Museum with our guide Andrew, on to a fascinating trip to the desert with Alvaro, followed by the Sacred Valley with Diego. It doesn’t get any more inspiring than that. The guides were so much more than we had anticipated. Their knowledge and pride of their... Read more

This was one of the most incredible trips we have ever had. We appreciated all the obvious work and planning that went into our amazing trip to Peru. Starting with the awesome history and introduction to the Inca Empire at the Larco Museum with our guide Andrew, on to a fascinating trip to the desert with Alvaro, followed by the Sacred Valley with Diego.

It doesn’t get any more inspiring than that. The guides were so much more than we had anticipated. Their knowledge and pride of their country was truly touching. Every one went beyond the call of duty to ensure our visits touched so many aspects of the culture, not to mention our safety (and health).

Hotel Reviews
Casa San Blas Boutique
Cusco

This hotel is in the heart of old Cusco off a narrow street. It was converted from a house and appears to be a work of love. Our room was on 2 levels with an incredible view of the city from the bedroom. A note for travellers is that the bathroom is on the lower floor so a steep staircase has to be navigated. It was not an issue for us but required some care. Breakfast was a small but complete buffet and hot offerings made to order. There is also a restaurant which we used for room service after a late arrival. There was also a sitting area with umbrella just outside our room with a great view of the city.

Authenticity & Character
This was the most unique hotel on our trip and built around an old house.
Location
In the middle of everything we walked to the town square and restaurants multiple times.
Staff
Reception and the restaurant could not have been nicer.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hatun Inti Boutique Machupicchu
Machu Picchu

This was the most impressive hotel on the trip. It had a huge jaccuzy, fireplace and large bathroom. It backed onto a river and was in the heart of Aguas Calientes. They held our luggage while we visited Machu Pichu and would have transferred it ti the nearby train station had we requested it. We also chilled there at the end of the trip waiting for our train. The morning buffet also had a great setting on the riverfront.

Authenticity & Character
A very new hotel with river views
Location
Wlking distance to the train, Machu Pichu buses and all the restaurants and shops.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
La Casona de Yucay
Cusco

Another beautiful and historic hotel. Simon Bolivar once stayed in the original hacienda! The grouds were beautiful and the location at the base of mountains was superb. Breakfast was a treat with a huge buffet and great service. The dinner setting was nice as well.

Authenticity & Character
The hotel is newish so the rooms a large and comfortable. The original hacienda leads into the new reception area.
Location
On a quiet street (except for the occasional morning loudspeakers).
Staff
Service in the restaurant and bar were great as was the front desk.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Bottled water is provided on arrival but refills are done in the lobby area.
Viñas Queirolo
Ica

A beautifull setting with multiple swimming pools. The room was large and the bed excellent. We took the Pisco making tour but no one mentioned that is was solely in Spanish so not very enlightening. Breakfast is a buffet with a self serve coffee machine that was very impressive. Getting there was chanllenging due to rush hour traffic that barely moved.

Authenticity & Character
The facility is huge versus our expectations and appears very new.
Location
Right in the town, the gates open up to a multi acre vinyard at the base of mountains.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Lima 18 Boutique
Miraflores

We had a nice stay at this hotel located in the heart of Miraflores. The area is very safe and the hotel is near a supermarket, bank and many restaurants. The room was not very large but it was comfortable if a little noisy at night being in the heart of town. The service was excellent as was breakfast and the little courtyard and balcony are nice touches.

Authenticity & Character
Set in an old house near a main street the hotel opens up onto a welcoming private courtyard.
Location
a short walk to groceries and restaurants. A slightly longer walk to the coast and sightseeing.
Staff
When we had an eraly start they made us fruit and a sandwich to go
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Cusco Walking City Tour with San Francisco Church
Cusco Walking City Tour with San Francisco Church
Cusco

We added the cathedral to the itinerary which was a good idea. A great experience to see the integration of the Spanish and Indigenous cultures.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Morning Visit to Machu Picchu
Morning Visit to Machu Picchu
Peru

As expected, this was a highlight of the trip. The town of Aguas Caliente is a little overdeveloped and crowded but the organization for getting all the tourists onto the site was impressive. Diego said that the Machu Pichu train is the only one in Peru that leaves on time.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Maras & Moray
Maras & Moray
Peru

This was a great experience. We looked at the reconstructed Inca agronomic experiments in a spectcular setting.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Birdwatching  at Piuray Lake
Birdwatching at Piuray Lake
Peru

A beautiful setting at a high altitude lake. We viewed a variety of water fowl from a kind of large canoe with outrigger. We had a separate guide who was very enthusiastic. A lunch was served near the water and enjoyed by both guides, the driver Victor and ourselves on a beuatiful day.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Hummingbird Sanctuary
Hummingbird Sanctuary
Sacred Valley

This was a nice setting to see a variety of Humming birds from a viewing platform.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Morning Visit to Ollantaytambo
Morning Visit to Ollantaytambo
Peru

Very cool Inca village that is still thriving, the hike was slightly more strenuous that Machu Pichu. Diego did a great job here.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Pass by Pisac Market & an Andean camelid Farms
Pass by Pisac Market & an Andean camelid Farms
Sacred Valley

Fed the Alpacas and had a nice demontration of the art of weaving. The shop was very nice. When I didn't know what style I need for a gift they encouraged me to use their wifi for a whattapp call

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Ballestas Islands
Ballestas Islands
Peru

No Rating. We wisely decided to cut this part out because I had a stomach ailment

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Paracas National Reserve Cliff-top Viewpoints Afternoon
Paracas National Reserve Cliff-top Viewpoints Afternoon
Peru

Another trip highlight. We were picked up at our hotel by Alvaro in his Toyota 4Runner for an exploration of the desert on the coast in Paracas. Alvaro was charming and very knowledgeable about the area. We stopped at a local roadside coffee/bakery before doing some off road exploration of Alvaro's surfing haunts. A great time and some great pictures.

Quality of Experience
We had some great photo opps and a nice lunch next to the beach with locally-caught seafood.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Alvaro was a great guide and we would do this again in another part of the country.
Transport
We felt like we were on the set of Star Wars travelling through the empty desert.
Join us to discover the Must sees in Lima
Join us to discover the Must sees in Lima
Lima

We had a driver and Andrew who was a very experienced guide. We visited the old town and spent quality time in the Larco museum.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Andrew was a very knolwedgeable guide and we had a great day.
Transport
Despite the crazy Lima traffic we had a serene walking tour and were dropped off and picked up flawlessly.
Bikes & Bites: Cycling and Sampling Peruvian Cuisine in Lima
Bikes & Bites: Cycling and Sampling Peruvian Cuisine in Lima
Lima

A great way too get a sense of Miraflores and Barranca. The bikes were delivered to our hotel where we were met by Maria who was a very experienced and safety conscious guide. We stayed mostly on bike paths with a couple of shortcuts on quiet side streets. We sampled local cuisine at three spots, on the whole memorable.

Quality of Experience
Good quality bikes with the exception of a chain that came off.
Food
We stopped at a local restaurant and one with a spectcular view followed by an ice cream treat.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Maria was very knowledgeable and friendly.
Welcome to Peru and Lima
Welcome to Peru and Lima
Peru

we had difficulty finding each other. It's a nice perk after a long flight. Jesus was helpful in reassuring us that Bosco was nearby.

Local specialist: Shawna Sanders

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