Lares Trek

The weaver's path. The Lares Trek is a 3-4 day high-altitude journey through the most authentic and traditional highland communities of the Sacred Valley region. Unlike the highly regulated Inca Trail, Lares focuses on cultural immersion. You traverse high Andean passes (up to 4,800m), but the core of the experience is visiting remote Aymara and Quechua villages where people still wear traditional red woven ponchos, graze llamas, and use ancient weaving techniques. The trek typically concludes with a train ride to Machu Picchu.

Following the historic path used by the Army of the Andes in 1817, this 6-day trans-Andean expedition traverses the central cordillera from Mendoza, Argentina, to the Cajón del Maipo in Chile. The route crosses two significant high-altitude barriers—Portillo Argentino (4,330m) and Paso Piuquenes (4,030m). Hikers move through a high desert landscape of volcanic rock, vast glacial valleys, and the powerful Tunuyán River. The terrain consists primarily of rocky mountain paths, loose scree on the steeper pass approaches, and high-altitude plateaus where exposure to wind and sun is constant.