Flexible & Exclusive Experience from Cusco
5.0 on Google (13) · 132 reviews on TripadvisorVinicunca, Rainbow Mountain or the Mountain of Seven Colours, is a ridge at 5,200 metres in the Ausangate range, about three hours from Cusco, whose slopes show stripes of red, ochre, green and turquoise. The colours are layers of mineral sediment, iron oxides, sulphur and chlorites, covered by ice for centuries and exposed by the retreating glacier little more than a decade ago. Since then it has been Cusco’s most requested day trip after Machu Picchu. Everything worth knowing before you go is in the complete Rainbow Mountain guide.
We leave your hotel at 3:30 in the morning to reach the trailhead before the large groups, with breakfast in Cusipata on the way. The hike starts at about 4,600 metres and climbs to 5,200 metres over about five kilometres, an hour and a half to two hours at an easy pace, to the viewpoint facing the mountain, with the Ausangate snow peak on your right. At the top the time is yours: with only your group there is no fixed time to go down. The descent takes an hour, lunch is in Cusipata and we are back in Cusco by mid-afternoon.
The difference from a shared tour is timing and pace. Leaving earlier, you reach the viewpoint while a photo without crowds is still possible. And with no thirty people to wait for, the guide adapts the stops to how you feel: altitude is the only demanding thing about this tour, the trail itself is a wide path with a gentle gradient. If someone in the group would rather not walk, horses are available on the trail and hired on the spot.
If you have already seen Vinicunca or would rather have a view with hardly anyone around, our Pallay Punchu guide compares the three rainbow mountains.
It is the highest point most travellers will ever reach. Spend at least two days in Cusco first, sleep well the night before, avoid alcohol and walk slowly from the first step. Our guides carry oxygen and the vehicle waits at the trailhead. How to prepare is explained in the acclimatisation guide.
The entrance fee is charged by the community at the gate, in cash, and is not included. Bring warm layers, gloves and a hat for dawn, high-factor sunscreen, water and something sweet. In the rainy season, December to March, the mountain can wake up under snow; the tour runs anyway and the colours appear as soon as the sun clears it. The full list is in what to pack for Rainbow Mountain.
Click each segment to see the detailed itinerary.
Hotel pickup at 3:30 in the morning and a drive of about three hours south. Hot breakfast in Cusipata before climbing the mountain road to the trailhead.
About five kilometres uphill to 5,200 metres on a wide path, an hour and a half to two hours. The guide sets the pace for the group, with stops to breathe and photograph Ausangate.
Free time facing the coloured stripes, with no fixed time to descend. Photos, rest and an explanation of the geology and the sacred mountains of the area.
One-hour walk down to the vehicle. Lunch in Cusipata and the drive back to Cusco, arriving mid-afternoon.
Route, stops and altitudes of the tour. Tap the map to enlarge it.
Route to Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) from Cusco.
This tour takes place at high altitude. We recommend consulting your doctor if you have cardiac or respiratory conditions. Andean Magic carries oxygen equipment and our guides are trained in altitude first aid.
| Ticket | Price | Where to pay |
|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) | About 10 soles | At the access point; charged by the community |
Approximate prices for a foreign adult. Paid in cash, in soles, and subject to change.
Quick answers to the most common questions about this tour.
The path is wide and gently graded; the demanding part is the altitude: the viewpoint is at 5,200 metres. With two days of acclimatisation and an easy pace, most travellers complete it without trouble. The guide carries oxygen.
At 3:30 in the morning. That way we reach the trailhead before the shared-tour buses and you enjoy the viewpoint with few people.
Yes. Community muleteers offer horses on the trail to near the viewpoint, for a separate cash payment. The final stretch is on foot.
April to October, with clear skies and sharper colours. In the rains there may be snow at dawn, which melts by mid-morning.
No. The community charges it at the access point, in cash and in soles. Horses and tips are not included either.
We design itineraries with generous pacing, so you can truly immerse yourself and connect with Cusco.
Private tours: no strangers, no crowded buses. Just you, your people and your guide.
We skip the tourist traps and show you living Andean culture and little-visited archaeological sites.
Want to stop for a photo or stay longer at a site? It is your private tour: you control the clock.
From safety protocols to altitude tips, our local team looks after every step of your journey.
Real reviews, verified by each platform. Read them in full, with each traveller's name and date.
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