According to guides in Cusco, the Lares Trek is the most picturesque hike that the region offers- more beautiful even than the famous Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, and more unspoiled. As it begins in the Lares Valley, you’ll pass tiny Andean towns where you’ll see local Quechua-speaking weavers and farmers going about their daily routine in traditional dress. As the trek continues, you’ll ascend to a high Andean pass from where you’ll enjoy expansive views of glacial peaks and fertile valleys, and the excursion ends with a visit to the legendary Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in the high-altitude jungle, so in four short days you’ll experience vastly different ecosystems.

For an unforgettable adventure, trek past snow-capped Andean peaks, sheer cliffs, and the spectacular Apurímac River canyon in an odyssey through the cloud forest and to the high-altitude jungle which hides the little-known ruins of Choquequirao. The name Choquequirao comes from the Quechua chuqui k’iraw, which means ‘Cradle of Gold’. Unlike its overrun ‘sister city’ Machu Picchu, the ruins of Choquequirao are still remote and nearly deserted. Although it’s only been 30% excavated and there is much more to discover at this site, which once served as the link between the imperial capital of the Incas, Cusco, and the Amazon Jungle.