Rainbow Mountain Hike 1 day

Your journey begins at the crack of dawn, around 4:30am. We embark on a relaxing 3 hour scenic drive through the South Valley to the amazing Rainbow Mountain hike. Along the way, enjoy views of ancient Inca terraces still used for agriculture, beautiful valleys, and rugged mountain landscapes. It quit a long drive to the trailhead, so use the opportunity to stretch your legs in our comfortable and spacious vehicles to get some extra sleep.

The path leading to your trailhead passes a scenic view of a flowing creek with crystal clear water. Once you reach the trailhead, breakfast is served surrounded by herds of llamas and alpacas. You also have the pleasure of unobstructed views of the majestic Ausangate Mountain (6385m/20,948ft) which is the third highest mountain in Peru. Along the trail you will be welcomed by the locals in their colorful attire traditional attire, speaking the ancient language of the Incas, Quechua. The women have really intriguing outfits, with their stunning layered skirts, each layer a different bright color. You can purchase a variety of items from the vendors along the trail, including souvenirs, water, energy drinks, local beer, chocolate bars and other snacks.

The entire route is clearly visible and looks deceptively easy. However, the entire hike is at very high altitudes and a steady climb. Even though it´s a gradual ascent, it is important to walk at a considered pace because the trail is over 4000m above sea level and reaches 5200m above sea level, therefore it is easy to get altitude sickness. It is important that you spend a day or two acclimatizing in Cusco or the Sacred Valley before doing this trek. It’s a relatively short hike, with only one extremely steep climb. The views along the way are absolutely stunning, from the snow-capped mountains, to the villagers in their traditional costumes, it truly is an unforgettable experience. Once you conquer the only challenge of the trail, the staggering beauty and strikingly vibrant colors of the mountain will take your breath away.

After having our fill of the mountain, we continue our trek down the mountain to our private transport or continue on to the optional hike of the Red Valley. We highly recommend the Red Valley and fortunately it has a more moderate hike compared to Rainbow Mountain. Upon arrival at the Red Valley, you are greeted by an otherworldly landscape, completely red mountains with a scattering of green bushes. The Red Valley also tends to be less crowded, giving you plenty of unobstructed photo opportunities. There are restrooms along the trail, but unfortunately they are not the most sanitary, so we recommend using the flush toilets at the trailhead for a small fee. Later, we return to the trailhead to enjoy a delicious 5-course lunch prepared by our skilled chef. Finally, we return to Cusco with an estimated time of arrival at 6:00 p.m.

***If you book a private service than starting times are flexible, you can request for a later departure time.