How does the Lares to Machu Picchu trek compare to the traditional Inca Trail to Machu Picchu?
A1: The Lares trek is slightly shorter than the Inca Trail. The trekking part of the 4-day tour actually finishes around midday on the 3rd day in a small village called Patacancha. The group then takes the bus down to Ollantaytambo for lunch and a short rest. The group then takes the train for the 90 minute ride to Aguas Calientes where the group spends the night in a hotel. On the 4th day of the tour the group takes an early bus up to Machu Picchu for a guided tour. Usually the group arrives at Machu Picchu for around 6:15am. The standard Inca Trail trek, in contrast, starts further along the Vilcanota Valley just beyond Ollantaytambo and treks all of the way to Machu Picchu. Trekkers on the Inca Trail arrive at Machu Picchu around 8:30am. The Inca Trail is famous because it passes many Inca archaeological sites along the route of the trail and also passes through a large variety of eco-systems such as high mountain puna (grassland), cloud-forest and sub-tropical vegetation. The Lares
