1 Day
The Rainbow Mountain, also known as Vinicunca, is located a few hours away from the city of Cusco, in the Cusipata district. This enigmatic work of nature wasn’t discovered until 2015, and since then, it is one of the principal tourist attractions in Cusco.
It is a spectacular, colorful, and particularly magnificent mountain found in the high Andes of Peru. What distinguishes Rainbow Mountain from other Andean mountains is its vibrant variety of colors. This mountain is rich in rare minerals that cause the coloration of the rainbow. Rainbow Mountain is full of layers of yellow, orange, red, and turquoise. Each color comes from a different mineral, for example, yellow indicates iron sulfide and red comes from iron oxide. Completely impressive, like a dream landscape on Earth.
DAY 1:RAINBOW MOUNTAIN PERU: CUSCO – CUSIPATA – LLACTO – RAINBOW MOUNTAIN
Your amazing Rainbow Mountain Trek Adventure begins with pick up from your hotel at 4am! We set out on our drive for 3 hours through the South Valley, on our way to the trailhead at Llacto (4,638m / 15,216 ft). Along the way, there are amazing views of farming Inca terraces, traditional villages, valleys and high Andean peaks.
The hike to the rainbow mountain will take around 2 hours and is a distance of 4 kilometers (2.5 miles). Throughout your journey you will pass through a vibrant green valley with the snow capped peak of Apu Ausangate towering in the distance. You will see hundreds of roaming alpaca, and have the chance to truly see how Quechua people live. As you get closer to the Rainbow Mountain you will begin to see the first signs of the colored minerals that formed the painted hills. Your guide will explain what makes up the existence of the Rainbow Mountain and how it was formed, and finally with one last push you will hike up to a vantage point that gives you a 360 degree view of the beautiful landscape that makes up the sacred land.
We will have snacks on top and take a relaxing break to soak up the vistas, where you can enjoy the beauty that surrounds you. At this time you can also enjoy some coca tea that the locals prepare for visitors. We will spend approximately 30 minutes at the top. Afterwards, there is an optional hike across to the top of the Red Valley. This walk takes about 45 minutes longer to get back to the trailhead. Shortly after you will have a gourmet lunch prepared by our chef in a traditional mud-house and depart back to Cusco, arriving around 4pm.
- Horseback is available to hire the morning of the trek from local horsemen. Horses are not the property of Andean Great Treks. If you choose to hire a horse please note horsemen do not speak English nor do they always stick with the group of hikers and the guide as the horses walk faster than the hikers. Should you choose to hire a horse you assume all liability and ride at your own risk. Andean Great Treks is not responsible for any accidents that occur from riding a horse.
INCLUDED IN THE RAINBOW MOUNTAIN TREK:
- Transportation from Cusco to the hiking start point (round trip)
- 1 buffet lunch, 1 breakfast
- Entrance ticket
- English tour guide
- Oxygen Tank
NOT INCLUDED IN THE RAINBOW MOUNTAIN TREK:
- Trekking poles
- Horses ( you can rent at the same start place)
- Drinks
- Tips
WHAT TO BRING TO THE RAINBOW MOUNTAIN TREK
The most important thing for all travelers who want to trek to the Vinicunca rainbow mountain is to know how to carry the best equipment for these mountaineering activities.
It is recommended that you pack the best down or synthetic jacket, which can withstand temperatures down to -10 C°. Gloves, hats, trekking shoes, sunglasses, small backpack. In conclusion, you must have in your head, carry a high quality equipment, since you must be prepared to withstand the most extreme climates on the planet, from strong winds, snowfall, hail and heavy rains. Another important fact is that in the mountain of colors there are no perfect days, the weather can change from time to time.
WHAT IS THE RAINBOW MOUNTAIN TREK?
The best day trekking tour Rainbow Mountain Trek was opened in 2015. It is a very popular tourist destination in the city of Cusco, you will undoubtedly enjoy the wonderful hill of colors. The Apu Ausangate is very close to the 5th highest snowfall in Peru, to see this attraction it is good to acclimatize at least one day, because it rises to 5200 meters high. On the road you can see llamas, alpacas, vicuñas. Native peoples who speak Quechua.
WHERE IS THE RAINBOW MOUNTAIN TREK LOCATED?
Located in the Peruvian Andes in Cusco just 3 hours away from the historical center, Rainbow Mountain is becoming the main attraction to see after or before Machu Picchu. As you could guess, the mountain is famed for its natural, multi-colored beauty at a staggering 5,200m above sea level. This rainbow-like appearance is created by the sediment of minerals throughout the area giving the mountain the turquoise, lavendar, gold and other colors.
It was only recently discovered due to the snow melting revealing the hidden gem that’s still considered holy by many until this day. Since its discovery, Rainbow Mountain as slowly started gaining popularity and has even been listed in National Geographic’s “Top 100 Places To Visit Before You Die”.
HOW TO GET TO RAINBOW MOUNTAIN VINICUNCA?
All tours to Rainbow Mountain leave from the city of Cusco, the former capital of the Inca Empire and the closest major city to Machu Picchu and many of Peru’s most famous attractions. After departing from Cusco your tour will take you on a 2-hour drive south of the city to the town of Cusipata. Not far from here is where you’ll find the Rainbow Mountain trailhead to start your hike.
GETTING FROM CUSCO TO RAINBOW MOUNTAIN
Although Rainbow Mountain is only 3 hours away from the City of Cusco, there is no public transport to this attraction. Therefore it is advisable to take a guided tour to visit the Vinicunca Mountain.
In Cusco, you’ll find different tour operators that could take you on a day trip to the Rainbow Mountain. Keep in mind that not all the tour operators are reliable since in the past many tourists have been scammed.
If it is too cheap, it doesn’t mean it’s good. Most cheap tour operators don’t mention what they include in the package, and you could end up paying more than you’d want.
Andean Great Treks is one of the recommended companies for visiting this astonishing natural wonder. Besides offering an early start in the morning, this company guarantees the arrival before the crowds, breakfast, lunch, an optional visit to the Red Valley, and assistance along the way. Make sure to know everything about the best Rainbow Mountain trek in Cusco while you’re here!
HOW DID RAINBOW MOUNTAIN BECOME SO POPULAR?
Once the mountain’s existence was known outside of the local communities, it started attracting locals and travelers alike, first having a couple of dozen of people to now taking in hundreds of visitors a day. The first thing that caught everyone’s attention was, you guessed it again, the colors seen nowhere else. But that wasn’t the only thing. It’s one of those places where the whole journey is as amazing as the destination. Llamas, horses, and alpacas are dispersed all over the range, with local communities still living almost the same life as before but now also helping visitors discover the colored mountain. The scenery along the trek is just like the pictures and even they don’t do it justice sometimes. Add to this the geological and local history and it’s no wonder why it’s gaining popularity!
WHAT IS THE WEATHER LIKE IN THE RAINBOW MOUNTAIN?
The climate in the mountain of 7 colors is generally frigid due to the height at which it is located. However, being part of Cusco, the Mountain of Colors also has two defined seasons during the year.
Rainy season: between the months of November to the beginning of March. During this season there are frequent rains at various levels that can vary between drizzles to torrential rains, depending on the month of the year.
Dry season: starts approximately in March and ends in October. During this season, you can enjoy sunny days with the presence of a blue Cusco sky; In addition, in some months of the year cold winds are felt and even frost falls in the mornings and at night. Definitely, in the dry season, the rains are minimal, which favors tourism in Cusco.
WHAT IS THE BEST SEASON TO KNOW THE RAINBOW MOUNTAIN?
DRY SEASON
The dry season includes the months of May to September and is characterized as high season in Cusco. During these months the landscape and the view are illuminated by the sun and adorned by a blue sky, accompanied by clouds that make the ideal place to take spectacular photos. These months are of greater influx of local and foreign tourists, and the trekking is of less risk since the road will not be covered by mud or puddles of water.
Taking into account the landscape of this time, you can immortalize your visit with the best photos in the mountain of colors since the sky is clear (with blue skies). The perfect months to make your visit are:
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
These being the months of greatest visit to the mountain of colors. The only negative thing that we can find is that this means that many tourists are visiting the Mountain during this time. And many times, it is very difficult to take photos of yourself without people.
RAINY SEASON
The low season or rainy season runs from October to March.
It is more than clear that you can reach the mountain of seven colors almost every day of the year. The difference with the high season is that the presence of casual rains can influence your trip and you may not be able to see the mountain of seven colors at its best.
The months that have the presence of rains, is where route closures occur more frequently since landslides can occur on the route, and there is also the possibility that you will have a cloudy or snowy day.
For many travelers these months are the least recommended.
- October
- December
- January
- February
- March
A point in favor of your visit at this time is that there are not many tourists. On days when there is no rain you can take incredible photos, because if it rains it is usually for a few hours and many times, you can find moments of sunshine, accompanied by melting snow and showing the fantastic colors of Vinicunca.
