Lima

Marketplace

HomeLima

Rainbow Mountain

More Information

DESCRIPTION
Enjoy the beautiful Andean nature and visit one of the most beautiful peaks in Peru, the Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain. It’s one of the most impressive hidden gems that Peru has, and you shouldn’t miss it for any reason while exploring through Cuzco! Be part of this adventure and enjoy the beautiful landscape! This is the alternative excursion to the rainbow mountain, in which you will not only see “one” rainbow mountain but three beautiful mountains full of colors. You will also have the chance to visit a stunning rock forest, a famous place well known by Andean shamans. This is a fairly easy walk, 40 minutes approx. with several stops (1.5 km / 0.9 miles each way). In addition, you will not be disturbed by large groups of tourists as this hidden gem is only known by locals. Also, if you get lucky you may even be accompanied by a wandering llama or alpaca during the walk!

Furthermore, your guide will perform a traditional offering to the Pachamana (mother earth in Quechua) and a local restaurant will host you for a traditional Pachamanca lunch (an ancient cooking technique from the Andes). These are traditions that hardly any outsider gets to experience, and we’re sure you will enjoy them!

ITINERARY

Morning
4:20AM-4:40AM: Pick up from your hotel in Cuzco
4:40AM -6:00AM: Transport to the Colca community, where we will go to a local restaurant
6:00AM-7:00AM: Breakfast buffet
7:00AM-9:00AM: Transport to the Combapata community. Starting point
9:20AM-10:50AM: Begin your hike to the Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain range
10:50AM-11:05AM: Walk to the Rock forest where you will find a spectacular view
11:20AM-11:50AM: Back to the bus
Afternoon
11:50AM-13:30PM: Transport to the local restaurant in Colca
13:30PM-15:00PM: Traditional Andean lunch and tribute to the Pachamama
5:00OM-18:00PM: Transport back to Cusco
Evening
Back to Cuzco

WHAT'S INCLUDED
Food - Breakfast
Food - Lunch Pachamanca. Vegetarian options available.
Local Guide
Transportation Round Trip from Cusco to the Rainbow Mountain
Entrance Fee / Tickets to the rainbow mountain

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED
Extra Food
Extra Drinks
Tips for vendors
This is a full day tour starting and returning to Cusco. No accommodation is included in this tour

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
Difficulty Level - Medium
Bring water
This tour is not physically demanding but the difficult part is the high altitude, so beware that during your hike you will need to constantly stop and rest to catch some breath. It is also possible that you may experience Soroche.

HOST INTRO
This tour will be hosted by Maurice Villalobos. He has worked for several travel companies such as G Adventures and Contiki. He is very knowledgeable of the Incan traditions and loves sharing Peru to the world

MINIMUM TO OPERATE
6 people

MAXIMUM CAPACITY
18 people

DEADLINE TO BOOK
4 hours prior to the start of the experience

Frequently Asked Questions

Nation Reviews

Better than I though

Better than I thought. The tour group was informative patient and really good with leading us on an altitude challenging experience. It was a long day and worth the travel to get there.

Breathtaking - Must do!

Rainbow Mountain was an incredible experience!

Personal Experience: It does help to pair with the Machu Picchu trip - or if not - at least get acclimated in Cusco/elevation ~3 days prior to help. Although it may be intimidating to hike up to 17,000 ft, it is not as scary as some may say. Make sure you hydrate - locals suggest bringing chocolate to nibble on. The inclination is steady, and you can go at a slow pace. It is ~1-1.5 mile hike, and takes about ~45-60 minutes. The guide will have an oxygen tank, if necessary (no one in our group needed this). Juan from PeruBucketList was an outstanding guide.

Consideration notes: the drive is ~4 hours one way. Part of the way is a paved road and part of the way is bumpy/windy. It may not be the best ride if you typically get car sick. You do not need to worry about mosquitoes!

My favorite activity this month!

This was such a wonderful experience. I prepped by having lots of water (3-4 liters two weeks in advance), stocking up on dark chocolate and packing compression socks.

Take your time, the guides are prepped with oxygen tanks and water in case it is needed but thankfully, we were not rushing, and no one needed the extra oxygen. I couldn't get enough of the views, the serenity, everything.

Wear layers, it did snow and rain a bit, very windy at times but it was all worth it! Cannot wait to go back again!