Rainbow Mountain Hike 1 day

Your journey to the mystical Rainbow Mountain begins at the crack of dawn, around 4:30am. When we embark on a relaxing 3 hour scenic drive through the South Valley, all the way to the starting point of the trek.

Along the way, enjoy will views of ancient Inca terraces, still in use by local farmers, beautiful valleys, and rugged mountain landscapes. It is quite 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.

Once we arrive to Cusipata we will head into a local restaurant to enjoy breakfast together before heading back to our private van and continuing on to Llacto, where the trailhead awaits. You will see herds of llamas and alpacas milling around, and huge mountains in every direction.

Locals will welcome us in Quechua (the ancient language of the Incas) as we make our way down the trail. This will be a great chance to watch the local women dress in beautiful, brightly colored traditional clothing, with layered skirts and bright hats.

You will be able to 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 whole hike is at very high altitudes and has a steady climb. Even though it’s a gradual ascent, it is important to pace yourself.

The trail starts slightly over 4000m and reaches 5200m above sea level. Meaning it is very easy to get altitude sickness- even if you didn’t experience it while in Cusco, you might still here, so be cautious.

It is crucial that you spend at least a day or two acclimatizing in Cusco or the Sacred Valley before doing this trek, despite the fact that it is a relatively short hike, with only one moderately steep climb.

Despite (or perhaps because?) of the altitude, the views along the way are absolutely stunning, and the experience is a highlight for many travelers to Peru. From the snow-capped mountains, to the villagers in their traditional attires, and of course, the rainbow mountain itself- there is plenty to enthrall you along the way.

After you have had your fill of the mountain, the coolest pics with mesmerizing views and the challenge of breathing above the 5000m, we will continue our trek down the mountain, returning to our private transport. Alternatively, you will have the option to 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. The Red Valley greets its visitors with 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.

FYI: 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.

Once we return to the van we will head to our lunch spot, another local restaurant. Finally, we will 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.