I absolutely love this trek. If you want to feel like you’re out in the Andes and also see Machu Picchu, this is your trek. You’ll walk through wide, glacial valleys and up over high passes spotted with alpaca.

The best way to experience the Andes and Machu Picchu is to combine the Lares Trek with the 1-day hike to Machu Picchu from km104. After trekking thruogh the mountains, you drive to Ollantaytambo, take the train to km104 and walk to Machu Picchu on the last day of the 4-day Inca Trail. You arrive at Machu Picchu in the afternoon, spend the night in Aguas Calientes, then visit Machu Picchu again the next morning.

Lares is actually an area of the mountains that includes several valleys and mountain passes. Some agencies start near Calca and hike north through Lares. Other start near the town of Lares and hike south towards the Sacred Valley.