Locally known as Apu Vinicunca Peru Tour or Montaña de Siete colores, this is the second most visited attraction after Machu Picchu.
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.
Do take a moment to check our reviews on Trip Advisor.
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.
At 05:00 a.m., we will be picking you up from your hotel in Cusco. We will then embark on a two hours bus ride through the South Valley of Cusco. Along the way, we will be stopping for breakfast.
From the starting point of the trek, it normally takes about two hours to reach the summit.
Apu Vinicunca, Rainbow Mountain Peru nestles at 5100 metres above sea level (16732 feet). The hike up offers enhancing views of the beautiful landscapes.
You will also hike through Peruvian highland farms where you will get to see many llamas and Alpacas. You will get acquainted with the Andean way of life.
If you are not feeling keen on hiking, you can ride a horse. At the base camp there are locals with their horses, you can negotiate a price and ride on one to the top.
From the summit of Apu Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain, you will get a closer look at the Sacred Ausangate Peak. This is the tallest and the most sacred Andean peak.
Once you have had your fill of the Rainbow Mountains, you will start the descent until getting back to the bus.
You will return by bus to Ccolca and have lunch there. After lunch, the bus drive will continue for 2 more hours until arriving at Cusco at 4pm – 5pm.
Departure & Return Location
Cusco Hotel Transfer
Departure Time
5:00 a.m.
Price Includes
Price Excludes
Packing list
Usefull info
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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.
Huchuy Qosqo was used as a royal estate by Viracocha. During the last days of his rule, he faced a revolt from Cancha People. Huchuy Qosqo Hike is an off-the-beaten-track experience that takes you to the lesser-known yet prominent Inca site, Huchuy Qosqo Peru.
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