full day
Daily Tour
18 people
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rests far in the Peruvian Andes and is known as one of the most magnificent geological features in the world. Its colorful terrain is capturing the attention of many, making this slightly remote destination the newest trekking spot for adventurers.
Stripes of turquoise, lavender, and gold blanket what has become known as “Rainbow Mountain,” a ridge of multicolored sediments laid down millions of years ago and pushed up as tectonic plates clashed. It’s only within the past eight years that the natural wonder has been discovered by the outside world, earning it a must-see status on Peru’s burgeoning tourist circuit.
As your eye scans the many layers of the Rainbow Mountain Peru you’re seeing millions of years of history and all the complexities that are associated therein. Understanding the environmental and geologic conditions that formed the rock units we see today is one of the key building blocks of geology and allows us to better understand our world long before humans walked this green Earth.
You will need to wake up early to enjoy this natural marvel at its best. Between 4:30 am and 5:00 am, we’ll pick you up directly from your hotel to start our ride to the south of Cusco through beautiful landscapes of valleys and agricultural communities. First, we will drive for around 2 hours to the town of Cusipata (3,329m / 12,772 ft.) where we will have an energizing breakfast.
After breakfast in Cusipata, we will continue our trip by van, following a beautiful way between the mountains, accompanied by our first views of Ausangate, the highest peak of Cusco. Along the way, we will pass through herds of hundreds of alpacas and llamas and the occasional shepherd or local people moving about their daily activities.
Our ascent will begin in Phulawasipata and last about 2 hours, bringing us to our final destination and the highest point on our Rainbow Mountain Trek (or Vinicunca trek), at 5,020 mts / 16,470 ft. Once we arrive at the top of Rainbow Mountain, you will have enough time to absorb the majesty of the red mountains that surround this area. You will also see amazing views of the valleys and Ausangate Glacier Peak in front of you. Ausangate is the tallest mountain of the Cusco region (just under 21,000 ft elevation), and is part of the Cordillera Vilcanota Range. While taking in these magnificent views, our staff will bring you some hot drinks and share some information with you about the composition of these mountains and how they became striated in the rainbow of colors.
After taking a few amazing pictures and soaking in the views (perhaps we will even see a few condors floating on the air currents), we will begin our descent with a one and half hour, downhill hike to Phuluwasipata. There are transport will be waiting to take us to a restaurant in Cusipata where we enjoy an energizing lunch. Finally, we return back to Cusco City arriving at approximately 4:30 pm to 5:00 pm.
Rainbow Mountain or Vinicunca is located in Peru, in the Cusco region, province of Canchis in the village of Pitumarca.
This mountain is a natural formation that shows the whim of nature through kilometers of land that are changing their coloring by the richness in minerals and it is from the viewpoint of Vinicunca, from where you will have a spectacular view of the entire Cordillera of the Andes with its whimsical colors that resemble the Rainbow.
The point of maximum height is 5200 meters above sea level; however the tour part of the city of Cusco, passing through towns like Checacupe and Pitumarka until you get to the start point of the walk called Pampachiri to 3800 meters above sea level, from where we will ascend to the observation deck at a height of 5200 meters above sea level.
The Mountain Rainbow is located 138 km from the city of Cusco and takes about 4 hours to get to this place between the trip by car and on foot without counting the stops to feed and rest.
The degree of difficulty of this route is intermediate – easy, so it is recommended for people with an optimal physical state, as the advancement could be a little tiring for people who are not accustomed to these walks in height. However you can rent a horse in the same locality of Pampachiri with the Communards who offer this service just for people who cannot walk or not willing to walk for three hours.
You must bear in mind that the horse is guided by a horseman and will leave about 15 minutes from the viewpoint of Vinicunca so if you or if you will have to walk this stretch.
The tour departs every day of the year, being the dry season the most recommended between the months of April to November however the rest of months even with the presence of rain and hail (sometimes) offers us a view that can only be seen with this climate that you can cope with a rain poncho and good trekking shoes.
Member Since 2023
