Cusco Tours

Cusco Peru Rainbow Mountain Tour or Full Day Vinicunca Peru Tour is an unmissable experience in Cusco. Locally known as Apu Vinicunca Peru Tour or Montaña de Siete colores, this is the second most visited attraction after Machu Picchu. This is one of our signature tours, we have designed the itinerary to offer you the best and the most in a full day.

The colorful mountains are a fairly new attraction. It was covered in dense snow. Rainbow Mountain was discovered in 2016 when the snow started melting and the colors appeared. It soon got all the deserving attention and became a popular tourist attraction in Peru if not in South America.

The full Day Vinicunca Peru Tour is a stunning adventure. It offers the beautiful and natural colors of the area as you hike through an isolated valley, which allows you to interact with the local people.

On this off-the-beaten-path trek, you’ll see how these people keep the Quechua culture alive amongst herds of alpacas, snow-capped mountain peaks, birds of prey, and glaciers.

This 1 day Rainbow Mountain Trek allows you to see a wide array of wildlife that is indigenous to the area and other familiar animals. The mountains in the Vinicunca area are filled with colorful sandstone. They are a unique ecosystem that is set apart from the rest of Peru.

What to Expect?

The Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain Tour to Apu Vinicunca starts with a drive to the trailhead early in the morning. After a hot breakfast, you’ll hike for about two hours up to a beautiful desert valley which will give you a splendid view of mountain glaciers. Don’t forget to bring your camera and take pictures.

After the summit, you have the option of an extra hike that will take about 45 minutes long. This hike will take you to a gorgeous view of the Red Valley. While going up takes longer, you will have an easier time going down as the trip takes about an hour.

On this Rainbow Mountain and red valley trek, you’ll see stunning glaciers, opulent valleys, and the colorful Rainbow Mountain, which at its highest elevation is 16,732 ft and worthy of its name. Your trip isn’t complete until you sit for a delicious lunch and a ride back to Cusco.

Rainbow Mountains are a part of Apu Ausangate Trek. This is a high-altitude experience. The highest point of the trek is at 5200 meters above sea level. Due to the lack of oxygen, many people feel sick.

Although our tour guides will be carrying oxygen tanks and coca leaves, It is highly recommended to spend 3-4 days in Cusco to avoid altitude sickness.

Cusco Peru Rainbow Mountain Tour operates in groups. If you want to sign up for a private tour simply reach out to us.

Confused about choosing between Rainbow Mountain and Humantay Lake? Check out our detailed post on Rainbow Mountain or Humantay Lake Trek.

Experience the best of the last and the only remaining Inca rope bridge, Q’eswachaka on this full day Qeswachaka Bridge Tour from Cusco. Accompanied by our local tour guide, you will not only visit the bridge but also learn about the traditions and culture that has been preserved for centuries.

Qeswachaka or Keshwa chaca is a combination of two Quechua words where Keshwa means rope and Chaca means braid. As Qeswachaka Inca bridge is primarily built of braiding ropes, it is named after the way it is built.

During the Inca civilization, they built the great Inca road system or Qhapaq Ñan (Inca Trail) to facilitate travel within the Inca empire. In places where they could not build roadways due to geographical challenges, they built suspension bridges.

Qeswachaka Inca bridge is suspended above the Apurímac river in the province of Canas in Southern Cusco. It is 33 metres long and 1.20 meters wide. Every year, in June, people from the four neighboring communities gather to renew the bridge and connect the two sides of the Apurimac River.

It is a four day event that is telecasted by BBC and NOVA. In 2009, the government of Peru recognised the bridge as a national heritage site.

If you are inquisitive to learn more about the history of Inca civilization then Cachicata Trek, popularly known as Inca Quarry Trek is an unmissable experience. This off the beaten track experience, takes you to the lesser known yet a prominent Inca ruin.

Located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, Cachicata Stone Quarry played a major role in the development of Ollantaytambo.

Ollantaytambo is sandwiched between two Inca ruins. It was an administrative capital of Incas. Now, it is popular for boarding a train to Aguas Calientes. Ollantaytambo is also the gateway to the Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.

About Cachicata Stone Quarry:

Just as many other sites in the Inca Empire, Ollantaytambo too saw rapid development during the rule of Pachacutec. He built many notable sites including Machu Picchu and Choquequirao. Ollantaytambo is often considered as the living example of Incas modern town planning.

The Incas planned a massive construction project in Ollantaytambo. They carried out the stone work in Cachicata. However, due to the Spanish conquest, they had to abandon the project. Even today you will be able to see remains of finely cut pink stones scattered in dismay.

On this full day trek from Cusco, you will get a deeper insight to Inca civilization. You will also get to meet locals who live in this remote region and continue to maintain their age old traditions and customs.

You will be retracing the footsteps of Incas on the route through which they transported stones from Cachicata to Ollantaytambo. We will be giving you a guided tour of the stone quarry and the remains of the residence of the architects who worked in Cachicata.

Cachicata Trek to Machu Picchu popularly known as Inca Quarry Trail is a popular alternative to Short Inca Trail and Salkantay Trek.

After exploring the site of Cachicata, you can hike further up to a high plateau which houses the Sun Gate. This is a prominent landmark as Incas worshipped Inti (Sun God) from here. You will get a panoramic view of the snow capped peak of Mt. Veronica.

Please note that this is a high altitude experience. We highly recommend you to spend a few days in Cusco before this full day hike.