Rainbow Mountain Trek 1 day

Your journey begins at the crack of dawn, around 4 am. We embark on a relaxing 3-hour scenic drive through the South Valley to the incredible Rainbow Mountain. Along the way enjoy views of ancient Inca terraces that are still used for farming, beautiful valleys and rugged mountain landscapes. You could also use this opportunity for some brief shut eye.

The road leading to the start of your trail goes along a scenic view of a flowing stream with crystal clear waters. Once you reach the trailhead, breakfast is served surrounded by herds of llamas and alpacas. You also get the pleasure of getting unobstructed views of the majestic Ausangate Mountain (6,385 m/ 20,948 ft) from the trailhead and the entirety of your hike. You get to witness the locals in their colorful traditional outfits, speaking the ancient language of the Incas, Quechua. The women´s outfits are the most intriguing, with their stunning layered skirts, each layer a different bright color.

The route is visible through-out and looks deceivingly easy. However, the entire hike is at very high altitudes and a steady climb. Although it is a gradual climb, its important to hike at a considered pace because it is easy to suffer from altitude sickness this high up. It is important that you consider spending a day or two acclimatizing in Cusco or the Sacred Valley before doing this hike. It is a relatively short hike, with only one extremely steep uphill. The views are absolutely stunning along the way, from the snow broached mountains, to the villagers in their tradition outfits, it’s an unforgettable experience. Once you concur the only challenge on the trail, the jaw dropping beauty and strikingly vibrant colors of the mountain will take your breath away.

After having your fill of the mountain, we continue our hike down the mountain back towards our private transport or to the optional hike to Red Valley. Red Valley is definitely worth it and a more moderate hike. On arrival, you welcomed by scenes that are other worldly, mountains that are totally red with a scattering of green bushes. The Red Valley also tends to be less crowded, giving you plenty of opportunities to take unobstructed photographs. There are bathroom along the trail, but are unfortunately not the most sanitary, so we recommend using the flushing toilets at the trailhead for a small fee. Later, we head back to the trailhead for a scrumptious 5-course lunch prepared by our talented chef. Finally, we drive back to Cusco with an estimated arrival time of 6:00pm.