Lares Trek Packing List: A Complete Packing Guide

Lares Trek Check List: what to pack for the Lares Trek to Machu Picchu. If you're reading this, you're either booked on your Lares Trek to Machu Picchu or seriously considering it, and you want to know what to bring. Every trek packs a little differently, so we put together this Lares Trek packing list for your Lares Trek Peru adventure, built from what our own guides carry and what past travelers wished they'd known.

This guide covers clothing, electronics, health items, and the small logistics that catch people off guard, like the weight limit on porter-carried gear and the one thing almost everyone forgets for the hot springs stop. For the best way to beat altitude sickness on the Lares Trek, we've linked our full guide below. Before the gear list, here's what to expect from the trek itself.

The Lares Trek in Short

Here's what you should anticipate from the Lares trek checklist to Machu Picchu tips and advice:

• It's a total distance of about 40 km, which takes 3 to 4 days to complete depending on the route variant you book.
• Lares Trek altitude and elevation peak on day two, at roughly 4,800 m, your most physically demanding day and the highest point of the whole route. If you want the full day-by-day Lares Trek elevation profile, our itinerary page breaks it down.
• You'll see far more local life on this trek than on the Inca Trail. You'll pass through Quechua communities where textile weaving remains the cultural and economic backbone of daily life, alongside herding alpacas the way families here have for generations.
• Day 3 includes a stop at the Lares hot springs, a genuinely welcome soak after two days of hiking.
• It ends with a train ride into Aguas Calientes so you arrive rested and clean before your Machu Picchu visit.
• If you're weighing this route against the more famous alternative, our Lares Trek vs. Inca Trail guide breaks down the difference in crowds, difficulty, and scenery. Short version: Lares trek difficulty is generally rated a notch below the Classic Inca Trail, with lower daily mileage but a similarly tough altitude day, and our full difficulty breakdown covers exactly what that feels like on the trail.
• Weather on the Lares route runs cooler at night than people expect given how warm Cusco can feel during the day. Our Lares Trek weather guide has the month-by-month breakdown if you're still picking dates.

What Your Porters and Horses Can Carry

Before the packing list itself, one number matters more than any single item on it: horses and porters carry your duffel with a strict maximum of 7 kg (15 lbs) per person. Whatever you're not wearing or carrying in your day pack needs to fit inside that limit, sleeping bag included. Pack light, and if you're torn between two jackets, that's usually your answer.

Clothing

• A sun hat or cap for daytime, and a warm wool or fleece hood for the cold nights and high elevations.
• Sunglasses. The Andean sun is stronger than it feels at altitude, even on a cloudy day.
• A scarf and gloves, plus a warm, wind and waterproof jacket, especially if you're trekking during the rainy season that runs roughly November through March.
• A light jacket for chilly days at high altitude, layered under the waterproof shell rather than instead of it.
• Polyester T-shirts to help absorb sweat. They also dry fast, which matters when laundry isn't an option on the trail.
• Nylon pants that are water resistant and dry quickly. Convertible pants that zip into shorts are worth it for warm afternoons.
• Mountaineering socks and good, broken-in hiking boots. You'll be on your feet for hours a day on the Lares valley hiking trip to Machu Picchu, so this is not the place to bring brand new boots.
• Sandals or camp shoes to wear at camp on warm evenings, and to give your feet a break from boots.
• A swimsuit for the Lares Trek hot springs stop on day 3. This is the one item almost every packing list for this trek leaves off, and the one travelers most often wish they'd brought.

Electronics

Even on a trek through open country, a bit of tech goes a long way on the Lares valley hiking trip to Machu Picchu. From our Lares trek checklist tips:

• Smartphone, with offline maps downloaded in advance since signal is unreliable past the first day.
• Camera, if you want something better than a phone for the villages and mountain passes.
• Charging cables, adapters, and at least one battery pack.
• A portable solar panel, genuinely useful over 3 to 4 days without an outlet.
• A GPS-enabled watch or standalone GPS unit, optional but reassuring on the higher passes.
• A flashlight or headlamp for camp at night.

Snacks and Drinks

Bring a reusable bottle or flask. Single-use plastic bottles aren't allowed on the trail anymore, and you'll refill with clean water along the way, so there's no need to carry more than you can drink in a stretch.

• Coca leaf tea is the traditional, and genuinely effective, way to help with altitude during the hike.
• A solid supply of snacks. The altitude and the hiking make you hungrier than you'd expect, and energy bars or chocolate help get you through the longer stretches between meals.

Health and Personal Hygiene

• Hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes.
• A small basic first aid kit, including blister pads. Even broken-in boots can rub on a multi-day trek.
• Altitude sickness medication if you think you'll need it. See our full guide on the best way to beat altitude sickness on the Lares Trek for what actually works, beyond coca tea.
• Sunblock and bug repellent. Reapply the sunblock more often than feels necessary at altitude.
• A small quick-dry towel.
• Soap, shampoo, razor, toothbrush, toothpaste, and the rest of your usual toiletries, packed travel-sized to stay under your 7 kg limit.

Miscellaneous

• Your passport, and an ISIC student card if it applies to you, some entrance fees offer student pricing.
• A backpack with a rainproof cover for your day pack items.
• A sleeping bag rated for cold nights. Ask your operator what temperature rating they recommend if you're not sure what you own will cover it.
• A hiking pole or two, worth it on the descents as much as the climbs.
• Cash in soles for personal expenses along the way. Card readers don't exist in the villages you'll pass through.

Frequently Asked Questions

How cold does it get on the Lares Trek?

Nights at camp can drop close to freezing, especially at the higher campsites, even though days are often warm and sunny. Layering matters more than any single heavy item.

Is the Lares Trek harder than the Inca Trail?

Generally rated a step below the Classic Inca Trail in difficulty, though day two's climb to around 4,800 m is genuinely demanding regardless of which trek you compare it to. Our difficulty guide has the full breakdown.

Do I need to bring my own sleeping bag?

Yes, unless your operator confirms rental gear is included. Check your specific tour's inclusions before you fly.

What's the Lares Trek elevation like day to day?

Day one climbs gradually out of the Lares valley, day two is the Lares Trek altitude high point at around 4,800 m, and days three and four descend toward Ollantaytambo and the train to Aguas Calientes, so the hardest climbing is front-loaded early in the Lares Trek 4 days itinerary.

Can I do laundry during the trek?

No, there's no laundry service on the trail, which is exactly why fast-drying polyester and nylon layers are worth prioritizing over cotton.

Background on Quechua weaving traditions referenced from the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.

Related Guides: Lares Trek vs. Inca Trail · Lares Trek Weather · How Difficult Is the Lares Trek?