Duration: 4 days/3 nights, including Machu Picchu.
Our homestay trek routes replace tent camping with stays in remote villages each night.
Our Lares trek with homestays is an unforgettable, active experience in the remote Andes. The route passes through lovely, high altitude land, dotted with grazing alpacas, traditional villages, with a background of snow capped peaks. Instead of camping, we spend each night with a local family along the route for a taste of life in the high Andes. Our trek culminates with a final day at Machu Picchu, which is always an unforgettable experience.
You can read a first-hand account about this amazing experience here.
As with all Ayni Peru travel, our Lares trek with homestays can be customized and combined with tours in Cusco and beyond. Please contact us for custom itineraries, quotes and with questions.
Cusco-Patacancha : We will pick you up from your Cusco hotel in the morning for travel to the Sacred Valley town of Ollantaytambo (1.5 hrs). We`ll purchase small gifts for our host families at the Ollantaytambo market, then set out on foot up an original Inca trail to the Pumamarca ruins. Enjoy a picnic lunch at the scenic ruins, then continue to the village of Patacancha to meet your host family for night. We`ll spend the evening with our family, learning a little about their lives and helping to prepare a traditional dinner.
Duration: 4 hours / 10km
Patacanca-Chuallacocha : After breakfast we say goodbye to our hosts, and set out toward the remote community of Chuallachocha. The hike today passes through increasing high altitude land, with grazing alpacas appearing with greater frequency as we climb. We`ll arrive in tiny Chuallachocha in time for a later lunch and spend the afternoon learning about traditional weaving and farming practices with locals. If school is in session, it may be possible to visit the local elementary school as well.
Duration: 6 hours / 10km
Chuallacocha-Aguas Calientes : After breakfast we continue hiking toward Colquepata Pass for beautiful panoramic views of surrounding snowcapped peaks and surrounding valleys. From there, descend to the village of Huacahuasi, where our van will be waiting for travel to the train station for a scenic ride to Aguas Calientes. You`ll have the evening to enjoy local hotsprings and rest up for Machu Picchu the following morning!
Duration: 5 hours / 11km
Machu Picchu Tour : Explore Machu Picchu! We`ll visit famous highlights, plus lesser-known (but equally fabulous) spots. We`ll return by train, arriving in Cusco in the evening.
If you’re looking for a remote trek in the Peruvian Andes out 4 day/3 night Lares trek with homestays is the perfect option!
This wonderfully scenic trek provides the opportunity to gain a unique perspective on life in traditional Andean communities. Each night it spent in small, rural communities with a host family. Enjoy home cooked meals, learn about their lives and livelihoods, and form lasting friendships.
After an active and adventurous 3 days, the experience culminates in a visit to spectacular Machu Picchu.
Along with terrific scenery, our Lares trek with Homestays includes a variety of activities, all led by your host family or other community members. Exact activities vary by season and community. However, popular examples include:
Your Lares trek with Homestays begins with pickup from your hotel in Cusco. From there, set out across the beautiful Sacred Valley toward the town of Ollantaytambo. We´ll stop at a local market to purchase small gifts of fruit and coca leaves for our host families, then set out on foot for the village of Patacancha. The hike today consists of a moderate ascent up a beautiful, lush valley. Arrive at your host family´s home for a freshly prepared lunch using local ingredients, then spend the afternoon enjoying the activity of your choice.
After breakfast the following morning, we´ll say goodbye to our host families and begin the hike to the remote village of Chuallacocha. As we climb higher, the air cools and heards of grazing llamas and alpacas begin to appear. Stunning snowcapped peaks come into view, and we pass a cluster of small lakes that Chuallacocha is named for in Quechua. In Chuallacocha, you will relax enjoy lunch with your new host family. The remainder of the afternoon is open for an activity, or just enjoying the tranquil atmosphere on your own.
Early on the morning of day four, depart for Machu Picchu! Your private guide will lead you through the site´s most famous highlights, such as Temple of the Three Windows, the Temple of the Condor, the Intihuatana stone, and much more, learning about their significance all along the way.
For an extra adventure, climb up either Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountaña for incredible views of the ruins, surrounding mountains, and the Urubamba River rushing below. After a day of exploring and taking in all that Machu Picchu has to offer, say goodbye to the magnificent ruins and return to Cusco for a good night´s rest.
With these four days exploring, you will have gained a unique understanding of life and culture in the high Andes. Your journey will certainly be unforgettable!
A 10/10 Lares Trek through the Andes finishing at Machu Picchu. Spectacular scenery and lovely company.
We felt unbelievably lucky to be hiking and camping in the Andes on our own with no other tourists around.
Our guide Juan was exceptional – very patient, a wonderful story teller, responsible guide, and dear friend.
The food on our trip cooked by Angel was amazing – surprised and delighted by his multi course meals, food to look forward to very much during hiking.
We were spoilt by our kind and lovely horsemen Augustin and Cesar, they were brilliant with the calm horses and added so many thoughtful touches throughout our experience. It was luxurious and we were very well looked after.
We loved hiking on trails with no one around and 360 views of the Andes with glaciers and big landscapes. We also visited small towns in the Andes along the way, which felt welcome and not intrusive or overbearing on the places we visited.
Our finish at Machu Picchu was spot on. We saw it in the afternoon light from above and returned for sunrise the following day. It could not have been better.
Truly a very special trip.
We feel very lucky, and send our thanks to Juan + Anyi, as well as to Augustin, Cesar and Angel.
“what I experienced blew away my expectations. From weaving bracelets with women of the local community, to playing with our hosts family’s adorable little daughter, to helping a neighbor chop down a tree . . .to having a swinging competition with a little boy in the school yard of an elementary school up in the Andes Mountains, to guinea pigs, chickens, cats, and dogs running around the kitchen of our second host family’s house – WOW.”
“We are a family with three children aged 12, 14 and 16 and we booked the Lares Trek with Domingo as a guide. It was fantastic because the trek as organized by Ayni Peru Expedition is unique as we camped in remote villages and learned about the way people lived, their agriculture and of course alpaca’s and llamas.”
“My wife and I were lucky enough to book the Lares trek with Domingo, as opposed to the crowded Inca trail. We feel fortunate we were steered this direction because the hike had everything we wanted!”
“My mum and I did the 3 night, 4 day alternate Lares Trek and Machu Picchu with Domingo and it was an amazing experience that I will never forget . . . They really do the small details well. Everything was on time, the food was great and plentiful and we could go at our own pace and ask as many questions as there were minutes in the day.”
