Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain (All Day)

Day 1: Trekking through Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain

Our journey begins with morning pickup from your hotel, between 4:35 and 4:45 am. After picking up all passengers, the bus will head to our first sightseeing stop. We will depart from Cusco at 5 am, and after about two hours of travel, we’ll arrive at the town of Cusipata. Here, we’ll enjoy a breakfast to give us the energy needed for the trekking route to Rainbow Mountain.

Once satisfied, we’ll board the bus and continue traveling for around two hours through Pitumarca, located at 3,570 meters of altitude. After this time, we’ll arrive at a rural community, where we’ll begin our hike at 4,600 meters above sea level. Following the guide’s instructions, we’ll ascend through mysterious peaks, encountering Andean animals like alpacas, sheep, and vicuñas.

After an hour and 45 minutes of climbing, we’ll reach the spectacular Rainbow Mountain, also known as Vinicunca or the Mountain of Seven Colors. The moment you see it, you’ll understand why its majesty earned it a spot on National Geographic’s list of the 100 places to visit before you die.

We’ll give you time to photograph Rainbow Mountain, and then we’ll start our descent to the bus, following the same path we came up. Luckily, going down is easier than going up!

We’ll return to Cusipata to enjoy a buffet-style meal—truly the best reward!

After lunch, we’ll return to Cusco’s city center, dropping you off near the Plaza de Armas after an excursion lasting between 14 and 15 hours.

Included

• Pickup from your hotel. Hotel pickups start from 4 am for group tours. For private tours to Rainbow Mountain, the pickup time 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 the attractions.
• First aid kit and oxygen balloon.
• Trekking poles.
• Breakfast and buffet lunch. We will enjoy breakfast in Kusipata at the beginning of the tour, and a buffet meal at the end of the tour.
  • In the breakfast, the public is offered Andean bread (pan chuta), pancakes, fruit salad (watermelon and chopped papaya), jam and butter, 2 varieties of cereals (granola and crispy rice), 2 varieties of yogurt (strawberry or vanilla), and scrambled eggs. You have the opportunity to serve yourself from thermoses of coffee, hot chocolate, and muña tea. Sometimes juice and salad are served.
  • In the lunch, you can serve yourself spaghetti, white meat (fried chicken, loin, beef stew, fried trout), red meat (lamb stew, loin meat, pork chicharrón), quinoa stir-fry, legumes, Andean potatoes, as well as white rice or garden rice (Peruvian dish with vegetables). The lunch also includes 2 varieties of salads: cooked (carrot, broccoli), raw (lettuce, cucumber, tomato, excellent vegetarian options). If you want soup, you can serve yourself quinoa soup. For dessert, you can try mazamorra morada or rice pudding (both are among the most popular Peruvian desserts), gelatin, or peach stew. Hot drinks included: muña tea, coca tea, coffee.

In private tours, breakfast and lunch are provided in higher category restaurants, offering greater culinary variety.

No Included

• Horse. You can rent a horse to lighten the hike:
  • S/. 90 Soles – Round trip price. Maximum capacity 75 kilos. It is rented at the beginning of the hiking circuit.
• Entrance ticket for Peruvians to Rainbow Mountain.
  • S/. 15 Soles. Payment can be made at the entrance.
• Entrance ticket for foreigners to Rainbow Mountain.
  • S/. 25 Soles. Payment can be made at the entrance.

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

• Drinks, snacks.
  • You can find kiosks in the nearby communities, where you can buy candies, water, alcohol, and agua de florida.
• Beverages are not included in the 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.
• Sports clothing.
• Hat or cap.
• Sun glasses and sunscreen.
• Standard backpack.

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

Cultural Facts

Rainbow Mountain, also known as Vinicunca or the Mountain of Seven Colors, is one of the most impressive geological formations in the Andes. It has been recommended by National Geographic as one of the most beautiful places to visit in your lifetime. This location is also known as the Mountain of Seven Colors and has been considered a sacred mountain for spiritual retreats since ancient times. Here, you can feel the energy of the Apus (the spirits of the mountains) and rejuvenate with positive energies. The highest point of Rainbow Mountain, Vinicunca, reaches 5,100 meters.

According to several studies conducted in the area, the multicolored tones of Rainbow Mountain are due to different minerals covering the area in layers: red clay and mud (pink), clay (red), sandstone (white), marl (lavender), clay and copper oxide (green), and limonites (yellow-brown). These natural substances began to form 65 million years ago when water and rain covered the slopes and peaks. Over time, extreme weather conditions melted the snow, revealing what is now one of the most important tourist attractions in Cusco.