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 Jimena Salazar
active 1 min 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...

read more...
Travel specialist Liz Karen L. Jihuallanca
active 35 mins ago

Liz Karen L. Jihuallanca

Peruvian food, culture, and history aren’t just things I love—they’re a part of who I am. As a proud Cusqueñian, I carry my roots with pride and love sharing my culture with others. I've lived...

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Travel specialist Io Gillhuber
active 1 min 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 Anne Godoy
active 1 hour ago

Anne Godoy

I fell in love with Peru's landscapes, culture, food, and people—not only because of what I learned in college but also because of what I had seen and lived my whole life. That passion and love...

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Trip Reviews for Peru

The latest reviews by travelers who booked their trip on kimkim

Family Journey to Peru
Peru | Apr 21 - Apr 28, 2026

N
Nicole B.
Newark, NJ | Reviewed on Apr 29, 2026
We had such a fantastic time. Jimena carefully curated the itineraries, hotels and restaurants that all surpassed our expectations. Our guide Guido was excellent - he was always attentive and had an incredible breadth of knowledge about the Incas, the sites we visited and all local customs and foods. We had a lot of fun with him! I can’t stress enough how perfect the hotels were - beautiful spots we would not have found on our own. Read more

We had such a fantastic time. Jimena carefully curated the itineraries, hotels and restaurants that all surpassed our expectations. Our guide Guido was excellent - he was always attentive and had an incredible breadth of knowledge about the Incas, the sites we visited and all local customs and foods. We had a lot of fun with him! I can’t stress enough how perfect the hotels were - beautiful spots we would not have found on our own.

Hotel Review
Antigua Casona San Blas
Cusco

Nestled in the Cuzco downtown - this hotel was had a beautiful lush courtyard, lovely breakfast, and we loved the hot water bottles tucked I your beds and the nighttime tea! The staff was excellent and very accommodating.

Authenticity & Character
Modern but rustic
Location
Right in the downtown
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Really nice showers!
Activity Reviews
Moray circular terraces and soft hike to Maras salt mines
Moray circular terraces and soft hike to Maras salt mines
Peru

This is a fascinating site. We strongly recommend seeing it and buying the pink salt!

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Morning Visit to Machu Picchu: The Royal Design
Morning Visit to Machu Picchu: The Royal Design
Peru

Words cannot do justice to seeing the sunrise over Machu Picchu!!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Guido knew exactly where to go to get the best photos and how to avoid the crowds.
Transport
Lunch at Hacienda Huayoccari
Lunch at Hacienda Huayoccari
Sacred Valley

What a stunning property and the food was fantastic!

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Jimena Salazar
Jimena
Jimena Salazar
Local specialist in Lima, Peru | Replied on Apr 30, 2026

Hi Nicole!

Thank you for taking the time to leave such a lovey review :) We’re delighted to hear that your time in Peru was fantastic. Guido was also happy to read that you enjoyed his company. He is passionate and incredibly dedicated so hearing that has absolutely make his day.

Thank you again for letting us be part of your journey. We hope Peru stays close to your heart.

Warmest greetings from Peru,
Jimena

Peru
Peru | Apr 8 - Apr 20, 2026

A
Alda A.
Seattle, WA | Reviewed on Apr 27, 2026
We just came back from a 2 week trip to Peru. KimKim did an amazing job. We had a well rounded tour, starting in Lima to Cusco, Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley, Puno, then back to Lima. Everything went according to plan. The tour guides were wonderful. Pick ups were always on time. It could not have been better.
Thank you!
Read more

We just came back from a 2 week trip to Peru. KimKim did an amazing job. We had a well rounded tour, starting in Lima to Cusco, Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley, Puno, then back to Lima. Everything went according to plan. The tour guides were wonderful. Pick ups were always on time. It could not have been better.
Thank you!

Activity Review
Urban Kitchen Experience
Urban Kitchen Experience
Lima
Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Liz Karen L. Jihuallanca

Memories to last a lifetime
Peru | Apr 2 - Apr 16, 2026

Chelsea
Chelsea D.
Detroit, MI, USA | Reviewed on Apr 23, 2026
I was very impressed with the web design of the Kimkim platform and found it extremely helpful in planning our trip to Peru. I’m so glad we chose Kimkim—they did an excellent job suggesting activities that perfectly matched what we were looking for. We wanted a trip centered around my 13-year-old nephew and his love of animals, and the experience exceeded our expectations. Our time in the Amazon was especially memorable, thanks to our wonderful local guide, Jahir. We saw an incredible... Read more

I was very impressed with the web design of the Kimkim platform and found it extremely helpful in planning our trip to Peru. I’m so glad we chose Kimkim—they did an excellent job suggesting activities that perfectly matched what we were looking for. We wanted a trip centered around my 13-year-old nephew and his love of animals, and the experience exceeded our expectations.

Our time in the Amazon was especially memorable, thanks to our wonderful local guide, Jahir. We saw an incredible amount of wildlife and thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Tambopata Research Center. All of our hotels were top quality, and we were consistently pleased with the level of service. Most of our guides throughout the trip were highly engaged and genuinely invested in making sure we had a great experience. Our private transfers and drivers were also excellent—despite some language barriers, they were always friendly, accommodating, and helpful.

The only issue we encountered involved an afternoon we believed was scheduled for a visit to a pisco winery (Tambo de Tacama), which had been mentioned by our planning agent, Io. However, our local agent, Lisbeth, informed us that this was only a suggestion and not actually part of the itinerary. As a result, we arrived at our hotel hours before check-in after a long four-hour drive from Lima to Paracas, leaving us with an unexpected and frustrating gap in our day.

What was most disappointing was how this situation was handled. The misunderstanding was attributed entirely to my error, and I felt that Lisbeth placed the responsibility squarely on me. At no point did the agency acknowledge any possibility of miscommunication or take shared responsibility, which made the experience feel dismissive and frustrating—especially since this was something I had been looking forward to.

While I appreciated my interactions with Io during the planning phase, I was less satisfied with the communication from Lisbeth during the trip. Her communication style felt very direct and lacked warmth or a sense of customer care, which added some unnecessary stress to the experience.

Overall, we had a wonderful trip and created lasting memories, but clearer communication and a greater sense of accountability on the ground would have made the experience even better.

Hotel Reviews
Palacio del Inka Cusco
Cusco

Very fancy hotel. We enjoyed the high-quality accommodations. They were not timely with our check-in however and we had to wait past the advertised check-in time. No additional service was offered to make up for the added wait time.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Very walkable to local shops and restaurants.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
The facility was kept very clean. We appreciated the turn-down service. Also, the bathrooms in the lobby were attended frequently and kept spotless.
Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel
Machu Picchu

Cool property. Beautiful aesthetic. Very close to the train tracks.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Tambo del Inka Luxury Collection Resort & Spa
Urubamba

This was one of the most luxurious hotels I have ever stayed at. The spa facilities were great, although small. The restaurant was very fancy. Everything was clean and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Tambopata Research Center
Tambopata

Very remote, nestled in the rainforest. Great staff and service. Loved our guide. Great menu of excursions.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Very remote. Took a while to get there, but that was expected.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
My only complaint was finding several cockroaches in our hotel room.
Hotel Paracas, a Luxury Collection Resort
Paracas

Very beautiful property.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
nhow Lima
Lima

This hotel had an amazing vibe and aesthetic. I was very impressed with the decor. My complaint would be that while the room was very clean and well-appointed, the room smelled strongly of mildew. We actually stayed at this hotel two separate times, and therefore had two different rooms, and both rooms smelled bad, the second one actually smelled worse than the first. Also, since they don't have rooms with two queen beds, we had to have a pull-out bed set up for our nephew, and the bed supplied (both times) was hard as a rock. The restaurant at this hotel had a great menu, however, the times we ate there for lunch or dinner, we were the only ones in the entire place and still had to wait a while for service. Our orders were not taken promptly, and we often had to flag down a server to take our order.

Authenticity & Character
Cool aesthetic.
Location
Very walkable to restaurants and Kennedy Park.
Staff
Very kind and accommodating. Slow service at the restaurant.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Clean but smelled bad.
Activity Reviews
Shared  Palcoyo Trek: Small group
Shared Palcoyo Trek: Small group
Cusco

We are so glad our travel agent suggested Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain vs. the more popular Rainbow Mountain. This experience was full of stunning views for the entire hike and had the optional additional hike to the Rock Garden overlooking the beautiful valley.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Our guide was so excited about the tour and gave us so much great information.
Transport
Private Full Immersion Cooking class
Private Full Immersion Cooking class
Cusco

What a fun experience! We had such a good time in this private cooking class. Our teacher was hilarious and did a great job of keeping us engaged.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Half-Day Cusco Walking Tour: Sacsayhuamán, Qoricancha & San Pedro Market
Private Half-Day Cusco Walking Tour: Sacsayhuamán, Qoricancha & San Pedro Market
Cusco
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Shared Quad bikes tour in Moray & Maras & Transfer to Cusco
Shared Quad bikes tour in Moray & Maras & Transfer to Cusco
Peru

Very cool experience to ATV through the sacred valley. Absolutely stunning views all around. Our guide was a lot of fun and did a good job training us on how to drive the semi-automatic ATVs. My 13-year-old nephew loved it!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Explore Machu Picchu & Return to The Sacred Valley (Private guided tour in Machu Picchu)
Explore Machu Picchu & Return to The Sacred Valley (Private guided tour in Machu Picchu)
Peru

We loved seeing Machu Picchu. It was as stunning as they say. I wish our guide was friendlier. She was very knowledgeable. though.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Ollantaytambo Self-Guided Exploration with Pachamanca Farm Lunch & Scenic Observatory Train to Machu Picchu
Ollantaytambo Self-Guided Exploration with Pachamanca Farm Lunch & Scenic Observatory Train to Machu Picchu
Peru

We enjoyed exploring Ollantaytambo, but didn't have time to also explore the ruins there. We LOVED the Pachamanca Farm Lunch. It was very cool and so delicious. Definitely a highlight of the trip. We also enjoyed the observatory train to Machu Picchu.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Flight to Puerto Maldonado & Tambopata Research Center 1/4
Flight to Puerto Maldonado & Tambopata Research Center 1/4
Peru

We loved our time in the rainforest. It was the highlight of our trip. Our guide Jahir made it very special and was so great with our 13-year-old nephew. We saw a lot of wildlife.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private Transfer to {{end_location}}: Shared Ballestas Islands tour
Private Transfer to {{end_location}}: Shared Ballestas Islands tour
Peru

This tour would have been great if not for the large tour group taking up most of the boat who shamelessly invaded everyone's space in order to get photos of everything. The tour-guide was working with a dual language barrier with this tour group, so it was difficult to direct them to do otherwise, but not a lot of effort was put forth to enforce the rule of staying in your seat and waiting for the driver to turn the boat so everyone would get a decent view of the wildlife.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private transfer to {{end_location}}: Huacachina Adventure
Private transfer to {{end_location}}: Huacachina Adventure
Peru

The dunes were beautiful. It was fun to ride around and also to sand-board... Although I would more accurately describe it as sand-sledding because you were not allowed to stand up on the boards, which I thought was the whole point. I thought this would be like snowboarding, but it was just a board you lay down on or sit on, and the guide pushes you down the dune. It was still fun, just not what I expected. Also, our guide was not very engaged with us. He didn't even introduce himself until we were already making our first stop in the dunes and I asked what his name was. He didn't interact with us more than required or provide any information about our surroundings unless I asked him. He did offer to take some pictures of us, which was nice. Also, the vehicle we were riding around in was an old toyota SUV, while other companies out in the dunes had some really cool looking dune buggies.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Shared Palomino Islands - Sealions  tour
Shared Palomino Islands - Sealions tour
Lima

We had a great time during this experience. I do wish the tour group were smaller so that we could have had more interaction with the guide and learned more about the environment. The wetsuits provided were also quite shabby and a bit smelly.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Shared Interactive City & Gourmet Lima Food Tour (AM)
Shared Interactive City & Gourmet Lima Food Tour (AM)
Lima

This tour was a great way to see some of the city while learning about local culture through Peruvian food and drink. We loved our tour guide and driver who made the experience very enjoyable. They also kept everyone engaged throughout the experience, including my 13-year-old nephew.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Io Gillhuber
Io
Io Gillhuber
Local specialist in Peru, Cusco | Replied on Apr 23, 2026
Dear Chelsea! Thank you so much for your kind words, it truly means a lot to hear that the three of you had such a wonderful trip and created lasting memories. That’s exactly what we hope for with every journey we help bring to life. At the same time, I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback on the transportation, guides, hotels, as well as the communication and on-the-ground support. Your insights are incredibly valuable, and I’m truly sorry that the communication... Read more

Dear Chelsea!

Thank you so much for your kind words, it truly means a lot to hear that the three of you had such a wonderful trip and created lasting memories. That’s exactly what we hope for with every journey we help bring to life.

At the same time, I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback on the transportation, guides, hotels, as well as the communication and on-the-ground support. Your insights are incredibly valuable, and I’m truly sorry that the communication aspect didn’t fully meet your expectations.
Please know that we take this very seriously and will be reviewing everything closely with our local team to ensure we continue improving and delivering an even smoother experience.

It was an absolute pleasure assisting you with your trip, and I’m very grateful that you chose us to be part of such a special journey.

I wish you all the best.
Warmest regards,
Io

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