The surface of this mountain is covered in red, green, blue, and purple tones. Vinicunca has an altitude of 5200 meters (17000 feet) above sea level.
Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain is one of the most beautiful destinations in Cusco, Peru. The surface of this mountain is covered in red, green, blue, and purple tones. Vinicunca has an altitude of 5200 meters (17000 feet) above sea level.
The beautiful colored mountain of Vinicunca is located just 100 km (62 miles) southeast of Cusco city. This mountain is surrounded by the colorful Red Valley, situated amidst the Vilcanota mountain range. This trek is perfect for appreciating the flora and fauna of the Andean valleys.
The colors of Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain have a geological origin. For thousands of years, nearby glaciers deposited minerals on the surface of Vinicunca. In recent years, these glaciers have almost completely disappeared, leaving behind colorful geological formations like Vinicunca.
During this 2 days hike, you will be visiting the colorful Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain as well as the legendary 7 Lakes of Ausangate. These lakes are seven stunning glacier lagoons located near the Ausangate mountain, the highest peak in the region of Cusco. The names of these lakes are Azul Cocha, Oqecocha, Pucacocha, Alqacocha, Qomercocha, Morococha, and Otorongo.
Be aware that the Rainbow Mountain – 7 Lakes trek goes to high altitudes. So, we recommend spending some days in Cusco city before attempting this trek. By doing this, you will help your body to acclimate and avoid suffering from altitude sickness.
Why travel with us?
We are a local travel agency committed to providing the best tours and treks in Cusco. Our staff have years of experience guiding group and private tours in the region. During our travel packages, you will get unique insights about the history and traditions of all the places you will be visiting.
Our Rainbow Mountain – Ausangate 7 Lakes hike is perfect for exploring the beautiful landscapes of Cusco in the span of just 2 days. We also offer day trips to Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and Humantay Lake. Do not forget to check our Classic Inca Trail of 4 days.
We will pick you up from your hotel in Cusco at 5 am. Then, we will drive to Llacto, where the trailhead to Vinicunca is located. We will stop there to have a delicious breakfast. Then, our adventure will start.
We will be hiking for around 1.5 hours before arriving at the beautiful Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain. Once there, you will have free time to appreciate the incredible views of the surrounding Red Valley. Also, our tour guide will give you a short explanation of the history and cultural importance of Vinicunca.
Afterwards, we will hike through the Red Valley. We will stop there to have a break and appreciate the stunning surrounding scenery. Then, we will hike back to Llacto, where we will stop to have a traditional Andean lunch.
After having lunch, we will drive from Llacto to Pacchanta. Once there, we will set up our campsite, have dinner, and spend the night.
We will wake up early in the morning to have breakfast. Then, we will hike to the famous 7 Lakes of Ausangate. We will be hiking through the peaceful Andean valleys. You will be able to spot some of the region’s wildlife, including huanacos, vizcachas, and condors. After visiting the 7 lakes, we will stop to have a delicious lunch.
Finally, we will board our private vehicle to return to Cusco city. We will be arriving there around 5:00 pm.
Departure & Return Location
Cusco Hotel Transfer
Departure Time
5:00 a.m.
Price Includes
Price Excludes
Packing list
From:
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Do you have any questions? Contact us at +51 974 378 488
Find out what those who have trusted us to explore unique destinations and live extraordinary adventures have to say.
John CJanuary 10, 2025Verified Excellent, perfectly planned trip. The trip was perfectly planned from start to finish, the transport, the hike, the hotel, the food and the entrance to Machu Picchu. The lovely guide Edwin was incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the site, the hike, and it's history. It truly is an incredible and captivating place that is a must see if you have the opportunity. Gabriel CNovember 12, 2024Verified Rainbow Mountain Tour guide We had a great tour of Rainbow Mountain. Jose was extremely knowledgeable and was a lot of help. The tour included good breakfast and lunch. I highly recommended this tour Joshua SNovember 10, 2024Verified "Unforgettable Machu Picchu Journey with an Exceptional Guide!" John was the perfect guide for our journey from Cusco to Machu Picchu! From the start, he made everything smooth and enjoyable, picking us up from our hotel and ensuring we were comfortable and ready for the adventure ahead. Thanks to his planning, we arrived at Machu Picchu early, avoiding the crowds and enjoying the stunning morning views. The weather was fantastic, and John's deep knowledge of the history and culture made every moment even more memorable. His explanations brought the ancient Incan sites to life, and he guided us thoughtfully through the walk at Machu Picchu, pointing out details we would have missed on our own. Throughout the entire day, John was attentive, patient, and incredibly helpful. He truly went above and beyond to make our experience unforgettable. Highly recommend! Gabriel CNovember 10, 2024Verified Great tour Me and my brother went on a tour with John. He was very helpful. He was very knowledgeable and helpful. Not only did he give a great tour but he was able to give us good recommendations and was very accommodating Kim AOctober 24, 2024Verified An amazing experience! We are an American family from Evansville, Indiana. After doing much research we chose Machu Picchu Tours to make our dream come true of seeing Machu Picchu via the 4-day Inca Trail Trek.Planning this kind of trip is no small feat, but John Taqquere Villaneuva was there for us every step of the way! He always responded quickly to my MANY texts and provided excellent information to prepare us for the trek. Our amazing guide, Edwin, the Porters and Chef went way above and beyond to make sure we felt safe and that we were getting the best experience that was promised. I cannot emphasize how important hygiene and safe food is on a trip like this. We feel our Porters did an excellent job keeping the dining area clean and providing excellent, healthy and safe food. While it is common for foreigners to get sick when traveling to a new country, the crew kept us healthy, hydrated, and safe the entire trip. Our porters took care of every single detail from setting up our camp, refilling our water bottles, and feeding us delicious hot meals 3 times a day. The porters were always there to take care of us. Our bags were transported and waiting for us in our tents upon arrival. Hot drinks were ready for us upon arrival at each campsite, and hot soapy water and towels were provided to clean up after a long day’s hike. Their work ethic and attention to detail was impressive. The 4 day trek is strenuous. Our guide, Edwin, coached us along the way, helping us to set a pace that worked for us so that we would not burn out. He also handled all of our paperwork and entry tickets. There are checkpoints and everything must be in order and spelled correctly. Without these documents, there is no trek and there is no entry into Machu Picchu. Our guide always kept us informed of the daily itinerary and was always supportive and eager to help. His knowledge of the history of the Inca and the ruins was exceptional. We walked away feeling an immense appreciation and understanding of the Inca because of Edwin. If your dream of seeing Machu Picchu is through the Inca Trail, or want to arrange guided tours, then don’t let fear stand in your way. And if you are looking for an agency, we highly recommend John Taqquere Villaneuva with Machu Picchu Tours. These are good, honest, trustworthy and hard-working people that will help make your dream come true. We are so thankful to Machu Picchu Tours, our Guide, Edwin, and the amazing Porters and Chef for their hard work and efforts to help make our dream come true. HikeJunkieCarlosOctober 21, 2024Verified Very organized crew knowledgeable friendly and just plain awesome to have around every step of the way. Couldn’t have asked for a better crew chef porters tents and food for this 4 day Inca trail tripWas the best experience for all 8 of us in our friends group to enjoy every moment and have amazing time all the way through the trip in town and on the Inca trailVery organized crew knowledgeable friendly and just plain awesome to have around every step of the way. Highly recommend this company to solo and groups that plan to visit Peru SkyMiles KOctober 19, 2024Verified 1 of 2 top Bucket List items, Hike the INCA Trail to Machu Picchu Completed the INCA trail with our Hike Junkies family. The Machu Picchu tours were INCREDIBLE!!! A great big shout out to John Taqquere Villanueva & his team for providing us with their expertise & care before, during & after the 4-day backpacking hike. The porters had camp setup for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner during our hiking adventure. Our chef, Carmelito "5-STARS," prepared meals that you should only find in a fine dining restaurant. We even had some Peruvian history lessons along the way. A few surprise discovery viewpoints along the trail. After completing 4-day Inca trail, we hiked the Humanatay Lake on 5th day & Rainbow Mtn on 6th day. We THANK YOU, John, Alberto, Berle, Aiwyn & drivers, porters for making this the adventure of the century!...so far Rebecca ROctober 19, 2024Verified 4 day Inca Trail with Hike Junkies We just completed the 4 day Inca Trail with Machu Picchu Tours. John Taqquere Villanueva went above and beyond to provide us with an amazing experience, with fun, knowledgeable guides to qn amazing chef and porters. Our tents were comfortable and kept us warm and dry from the elements. We were served four course meals, desert and happy hour on each day. Happy hour consisted of fresh hot popcorn, hot cocoa, coffee, cookies and bread. In addition to the 4 day Inca Trail we scored permits to hike Huayna Picchu ( Stairs of Death) which we conquered just having completed the last day of the Inca trail. Yes, our group is crazy! One member of our group was unable to hike the four day Inca trail due to severe health issues, John Taqquere and went above and beyond to give him an amazing Machu Picchu experience. Our trip consisted of City Walking Tour of Cusco, Alpaca Farm, Humantay Lake, Rainbow Mountain and other ruins. This was a humbling experience that will last a lifetime. Chalmers BOctober 9, 2024Verified Great experience! Our guide Edwin was excellent. The first day is very challenging but equally rewarding, and we were really glad that MPT arranged a pre-meeting the day before to go over logistics and make sure we were properly equipped -- renting poles is highly recommended, well worth the $10. Reaching the Sun Gate and getting the full vista of Machu Picchu felt like a life accomplishment. The second day is much less challenging, walking through the actual ruins of Machu Picchu, and we felt much less pressure because we'd gotten such great views and photos the day before.
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