Cusco has several rainbow mountains, and the two that can be visited in a day are Vinicunca and Palcoyo. They show the same mineral stripes, red, ochre, green and turquoise, but the day is very different: at Vinicunca you hike up to 5,200 metres; at Palcoyo the vehicle gets almost to the top and the walk is flat. Choosing well depends on your fitness, how many days you have been in Cusco and how many people you are willing to share the view with. This guide compares them point by point.
The comparison in a table
| Vinicunca | Palcoyo | |
|---|---|---|
| Viewpoint altitude | 5,200 m | 4,900 m |
| Hike | About 5 km uphill to 5,200 m, 1 h 30 to 2 h; 1 h down | About 30 minutes, almost flat, from the car park at 4,800 m |
| Difficulty | Demanding because of the altitude; the trail is wide and gently sloped | Moderate: only the altitude counts |
| Departure from Cusco | 3:30 in the morning | Around 5:00 |
| Length of the day | About 14 hours | About 12 hours |
| What you see | One rainbow mountain up close, with the Ausangate snow peak beside it | Three rainbow mountains seen from further away, and the stone forest |
| Crowds | Many; it is the most requested trip after Machu Picchu | A fraction of Vinicunca’s |
| Horses | Yes, on the trail, paid separately | Not needed |
| Minimum acclimatisation | Two days in Cusco | A couple of days in Cusco |
| Our private tour | From 89 USD | From 120 USD |
Vinicunca: the mountain in the photo
Vinicunca is the Rainbow Mountain in every photo. It is a ridge in the Ausangate range whose stripes were exposed when the glacier covering it retreated. From the viewpoint you have it right in front of you, up close, with the Ausangate snow peak to the right.
The price of that photo is the climb. The hike starts at about 4,600 metres and climbs to 5,200 metres over about five kilometres. The trail is a wide path with no difficult sections, but at that altitude every step costs double. At a steady pace, most travellers complete it in an hour and a half to two hours. If someone in the group prefers not to walk, community muleteers rent horses to near the viewpoint; the last stretch is on foot.
The other side of Vinicunca is the crowds. It is the best-selling day trip in Cusco. That is why our private Vinicunca tour leaves at 3:30: you reach the trailhead before the shared-tour buses and enjoy the viewpoint with fewer people.
Choose Vinicunca if you have been in Cusco for at least two days, feel fine walking uphill and want the iconic view up close.
Palcoyo: the colours without the climb
Palcoyo is a chain of three rainbow mountains in the province of Canchis, also about three hours from Cusco. The decisive difference is access: the vehicle drives up to 4,800 metres and from the car park to the viewpoint is a thirty-minute, almost flat walk. From there you see the three mountains with Ausangate behind, and the walk can be extended to the stone forest, a field of rock spires at almost 5,000 metres.
The colours are the same, but seen from further away and spread across several slopes rather than concentrated on one. In return, there are hardly any people and the day is shorter and calmer. On our private Palcoyo tour departure is around five, with breakfast on the way.
Choose Palcoyo if you are travelling with older, acclimatised children or with older people, have been in Cusco only a short time, prefer not to hike at altitude or want to avoid crowds.
Note: although you walk little, the viewpoint is at 4,900 metres. You will feel the altitude all the same. Spend a couple of days in Cusco first, walk slowly and wrap up warm.
If you are torn between Rainbow Mountain and Humantay Lake, we compare them in Humantay or Rainbow Mountain.
What if I want more than the photo?
There are two options for those who are already fit or have already seen one of the two:
- Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley. From the Vinicunca viewpoint you cross the ridge and descend through the Red Valley, a whole hillside stained red by iron oxide. It adds an hour of walking, almost all downhill, and avoids repeating the trail.
- Pallay Punchu. The least known: vertical, pointed stripes, like a woven poncho, above Langui Layo lake. It is about four hours from Cusco and you climb for an hour and a half to two hours to 4,700 metres. Hardly anyone has photographed it.
The altitude, in both cases
Both mountains are higher than anything else you will do in Cusco. Do not put them in the first days of your trip: they go at the end, after the City Tour, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Sleep well the night before, avoid alcohol and eat lightly. Our guides carry oxygen on both tours and the vehicle waits nearby. How to prepare is explained in the acclimatisation guide. What to put in your backpack, in what to pack for Rainbow Mountain.
Frequently asked questions
Which has the prettier colours, Vinicunca or Palcoyo?
They are the same mineral stripes. Vinicunca looks more intense in photos because you see it up close, concentrated on one slope. Palcoyo has the colours spread across three mountains, seen from further away.
Is Palcoyo easier than Vinicunca?
Much easier. At Palcoyo you walk for thirty almost flat minutes; at Vinicunca, an hour and a half to two hours uphill. The viewpoint altitude is similar at both.
Can you do both on the same day?
No. They are in different areas and each takes a full day from Cusco.
Which is better with children?
Palcoyo, with older, acclimatised children: it is the mountain tour we recommend for families, always at a slow pace and with warm clothes. With young children, better no excursion above 4,000 metres.
When is the best time to go?
From April to October, with clear skies. In the rainy season, from December to March, the mountains can wake up under snow; tours run as normal and the colours appear once the sun clears it.
Is the entrance fee included?
No, at neither. The community charges it at the gate, in cash. Our tours include private transport, the guide, breakfast, lunch and oxygen. What each one costs is in Cusco private tour prices.
Book your rainbow mountain
- Private Vinicunca, departing at 3:30.
- Private Palcoyo, the option without the climb.
- All Rainbow Mountain tours.
