Lares Trek to Machu Picchu 4D/3N Including Hot Springs

We enjoyed the mix of hiking, relaxation and sightseeing this tour provided. Our guide Jorge Ochoa managed the entire tour without friction and gave us deep insights into Peruvian and Quechua culture. Would recommend!

This trail was an absolutely fantastic experience, where you get an opportunity to explore the breathtaking Andean mountains and valleys. We had the honour of being in the fantastic Juan’s group. He truly elevated an already amazing time into something truly special. Juan’s warm and comforting manner put all our nerves at rest and motivated us through the hard moments. He has an excellent knowledge of all things Peru and through his laughter, advice and passion for life, made this trip into a once in the lifetime experience! The chefs cooked up three meals for us, which were all absolutely delicious and significantly above expectations. They also provided hot water bottles for the cold night in the tent which made the temperature much more manageable. Highly recommend!

The Lares Trek was honestly one of the highlights of our trip to Peru. It was challenging at times, but absolutely worth it, and the whole experience was made even better by the amazing people looking after us. Our guide Juan was fantastic. He was so knowledgeable about the area and the local culture, but most importantly, he made us all feel safe and looked after throughout the trek. He was also great fun to have around, which made the long days of hiking much more enjoyable! The food was a real highlight and honestly exceeded all our expectations. It was prepared by a lovely local family, and you could really tell how much love and care went into every meal. After a long day of hiking when you’re absolutely exhausted, there is nothing better than sitting down to a proper home-cooked meal. We had expected the food on an organised trek might be more like cafeteria food, so we were genuinely surprised by how delicious and fresh everything was. The scenery was incredible too. There is so much natural beauty throughout the Lares Valley, huge mountains, beautiful landscapes, and so many alpacas and llamas along the way. One of our favourite moments was simply looking up at the stars. The sky was unbelievably clear and it was such a special experience. Overall, we absolutely loved the trek. It was tiring, but in the best possible way, and we came away with some really special memories. A huge thank you to Juan and the whole team for making it such a memorable part of our Peru trip. We would definitely recommend it!

To start, our guide Manuel was FANTASTIC! He was incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and met every challenge with a sense of humor and a quick solution. The food was out of this world, every single meal was meticulously prepared, incredibly tasty, and there was SO much of it! I had an amazing experience and would recommend this specific trek to anyone who has more of an interest in the cultural aspects of Peru, the Incan culture, and interacting with local villagers. You leave with hundreds of amazing photos taken by your guide along the way - he knows all the best spots and angles and gives you so many great shots to choose from. Highly recommend! ✨🦙✨

Our entire trip was majestic! Our guide Manuel was patient as I started off with a sick stomach and he recommended I start an antibiotic that morning and it worked great. We were still a little low energy and they recommended horses and arranged them for us for an additional fee and was definitely worth it for the second day. The 3rd was low key as I got bit by mosquitoes and had an allergic reaction but again was told what to get to help. Machu trip tour and guided explanation was wonderful! I have oils definitely recommended Sam travel. To top off the whole trip our chefs were amazing!!! I was expecting to have low key meals but we actually had four course meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And the porter had all of our stuff setup and ready for us when we arrived to each site. Such Ana amazing experience especially for a kind of high maintenance beach girlie! Thank you to Manuel, Mario, Roberto and lossel for making our trek and Machu pichu trip and unforgettable experience! ❤️❤️

We did the four day Inca trail with Rolando (Guide) and Fortunado (Chef) and it was great.

Excellent hike and exceptional team quality: Joaquim (guide), Andres (chef), Sonia (sous-chef), and Roberto (horses and camp). I absolutely recommend it!

What’s Hot about Sam Travel Peru: #5 Well organized and safety conscious hikes into some of the most amazing mountains of Peru #4 A truly authentic experience visiting remote mountain villages, walking around Ollantaytambo, hiking the Inca Trail and finally reaching Machu Picchu. #3 Roberto, the hardest working horseman in Peru who can take apart a camp and pack four horses before you have finished your breakfast. #2 Andres and Sonia, the cooks who think and bring everything you need to eat delicious meals at every stop. #1 Joaquin, the best guide in Peru. He brings everything together and to life, from logistics to lively stories we couldn’t have asked for a better person to take care of us. What’s Not hot: Choosing another tour operator and missing out on the experience of a lifetime.

The guide was simply great, he told many interesting stories. The food was another highlight, plentiful, varied, and delicious.

Our trip with SAM Travel Peru was in two parts: a three-day private Lares trek, followed by a privately guided Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Both halves were exceptional, but it was how the company handled a difficult situation that really stood out. Our guide for the Lares trek, Cesar, was extremely attentive to our energy levels and breathing at high altitude. He adjusted his pace to ours and was quick to notice when we needed rest. On a genuinely difficult hike at elevation, he was encouraging without being pushy. Partway through, my husband developed serious altitude illness. I thought the rest of our trip might have to be canceled. Instead, Cesar got him to lower elevation in Ollantaytambo a day early, then continued guiding us through the local archaeological sites there. Switching plans mid-trip meant a lot of logistics had to shift too, but Cesar and the SAM Travel team handled it all with flexibility and kindness, and still made sure we had an amazing trip. If you're on the fence wondering "but what if something goes wrong?", know that you'll be taken care of no matter what happens. The trek crew also deserves credit. They set up camp each day, including a dining tent where we ate all our meals and even had afternoon tea. Despite being out in the mountains, we were consistently comfortable and having more delicious food than we've ever had while camping and hiking. This exceeded our expectations. For the second half of our trip, Cristian guided us on the Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. His English was excellent, which made navigating train rides and hotel check-ins seamless. He was knowledgeable about Incan history as well as the plants and birds along the trail, and he was genuinely fun to be around. He paced the hike to our ability level with no pressure, and managed a long list of logistics (drivers, trains, luggage transfers, Machu Picchu permits) without a hitch. Between the two halves of this trip, SAM Travel Peru proved they can deliver an outstanding experience even when things don't go according to plan. Highly recommend.