Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain (Day Trip)

Day 1: Cusco – Checacupe – Palccoyo – Cusco

A representative from our Travel and Tourism Agency will pick you up from your hotel at 5:00 a.m. and then we will drive for two hours from the southern part of Cusco to the town of Checacupe, arriving at approximately 7:00 a.m.

Upon arriving in Checacupe, we will see the evolutionary process of the road system over time through three colonial bridges located in the town: the Inca Bridge, the Colonial Bridge, and the Republican Bridge. It is also possible to observe a colonial temple with sophisticated wooden and gold carvings that houses paintings from the Cusqueña School by Diego Quispe. Once we finish visiting this archaeological site, we will head toward the Palccoyo Mountain Range, situated at 4,900 meters above sea level.

When we arrive at this point, we will start a walk of approximately 40 minutes. Here, we will appreciate the valleys formed by glacial erosion and the brightly colored permafrost formations that stand out among the rest and are also inhabited by alpacas and llamas.

We will also be able to see some communities and farmers living in the lower areas of the Palccoyo Mountain Range. Additionally, we will enjoy the Stone Forest of Ccacca Loma and the Red Mountain.

Included

• Pickup from your hotel. Hotel pickups start from 4:30 a.m. for group tours. For private tours to Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain, pickup times can be arranged.
• Bilingual professional guide (Spanish and English). In group tours, the tour is conducted in Spanish and English, one after the other. In private tours, you can choose to have the tour in Spanish, English, or Portuguese.
• Transportation. Includes tourist transportation to attractions.
• First aid kit and oxygen balloon.
• Trekking poles.
• Breakfast and buffet lunch. We will enjoy both breakfast and lunch, both served buffet-style.
  • For breakfast, the public is offered Andean bread (pan chuta), pancakes, fruit salad (watermelon and diced papaya), jam and butter, 2 varieties of cereals (granola and crunchy rice), 2 types of yogurt (strawberry or vanilla), and scrambled eggs. You have the opportunity to serve yourself from thermoses of coffee, chocolate, and muña tea. Sometimes juice and salad are served.
  • For lunch, you can serve yourself spaghetti, white meat (fried chicken, loin, beef stew, fried trout), red meat (lamb stew, loin meat, pork crackling), quinoa chaufa, legumes, Andean potatoes, as well as white rice or jardinera rice (Peruvian dish with vegetables). For lunch, you also have 2 varieties of salads: cooked (carrot, broccoli) and raw (lettuce, cucumber, tomato, excellent vegetarian options). If you wish for soup, you can serve yourself quinoa soup. For dessert, you can try mazamorra morada or arroz con leche (both popular Peruvian desserts), gelatin, or a peach stew. Hot beverages are included: muña tea, coca tea, and coffee.

In private tours, breakfast and lunch are provided in higher-category restaurants that offer a greater variety of food.

No Included

• Entry ticket for Peruvians to Palccoyo Mountain
  • S/. 10.00 Soles. Payment can be made at the entrance.
• Entry ticket for foreigners to Palccoyo Mountain
  • S/. 20.00 Soles. Payment can be made at the entrance.

To purchase tickets, you must bring Peruvian Soles in cash.

• Drinks, snacks.
  • You can find kiosks in nearby communities where you can buy candies, water, alcohol, and floral water.
• Drinks are not included with lunch.
• Dinner.

We Recommend You Bring

• Oxyshot, in case you need it to adapt to the lack of oxygen.
• Good hiking shoes (trekking).
• 1 liter of water.
• Camera.
• Sweater and gloves for the cold.
• Raincoat or poncho.
• Sportswear.
• Hat or cap.
• Sunglasses and sunscreen.
• Standard backpack.

It is crucial to carry cash (in Soles) to purchase tickets and to rent a horse if desired.

Cultural Facts

Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain

When the number of visitors significantly increased at the Rainbow Mountain in 2017, the residents of Palccoyo (an Andean community) realized that they also had an attraction resembling the Mountain of Seven Colors: they had the red mountains of Palccoyo, which only they knew about.
They organized themselves internally. They understood the benefits that tourism activities brought. They began to promote and pave the way to these red mountains, which total three and also feature their own stone forest that enhances the beauty of the landscape. This is how Palccoyo became known throughout 2018, traveling all over Peru and continuing around the world. Thanks to its visitors, who increasingly recommended Palccoyo Mountain as an alternative tour option to the Mountain of Seven Colors.