Main Info
Overview and Highlights
Take your hiking boots and let it explore the most beautiful geological formation in Cusco: The Rainbow Mountain or the Apu Winicunca as the locals name it. Located in the Peruvian Andes in Cusco just 3 hours away from the historical center, Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley are becoming the main attraction to see after or before Machu Picchu.
As you could guess, the mountain is famed for its natural, multi-colored beauty at a staggering 5,200m above sea level. This rainbow-like appearance is created by the sediment of minerals throughout the area giving the mountain the turquoise, lavender, gold and other colors. The red valley has one of the most beautiful landscapes, some say it is better than the mountain of colors It was only recently discovered due to the snow melting revealing the hidden gem that’s still considered holy by many until this day. Since its discovery, Rainbow Mountain as slowly started gaining popularity and has even been listed in National Geographic’s “Top 100 Places To Visit Before You Die”.
Included
● Professional Bilingual English-speaking tour guide.
● Pre-Departure Briefing at your hotel.
● Pick up from your hotel and transportation to the beginning of the trek.
● Return transportation to your Cusco hotel.
● Breakfast and Lunch (Local restaurant.)
● Emergency oxygen bottle and medical kit.
● 01 Trekking pole
● Vegetarian and Free gluten (options available)
Not Included
- Personals Snacks.
- Tips – Gratuities.
What to bring and advices
● You can acclimate for the altitude in one or two days this will depend on how your body react; you can take some personal medication.
● If you pay the remaining balance (USD currency) or buy a souvenir (some cash in soles, the local currency), it is advisable to bring some cash. You can get some money from the ATM machine that are located in the center of the City of Cusco.
● Rain poncho, rain jacket, proper hiking boots.
● Proper warm clothes, at that altitude is quite cold and windy a bandana will be helpful.
● Sun Glasses.
● Sun block. The sun is really strong You will need to protect your head (with a hat) and skin.
● Extra snacks always recommended.
● A bottle of water.
● Travel insurance this from your site, always recommended.
Itinerary
Download BrochureWe will pick you up early from your Cusco hotel around 03:30 am and set out on a drive through the South Valley. The drive to the trailhead (4,326 m / 14,189 ft) is 3 hours long. On the way we will provide you breakfast at the local restaurant. Then we start our hike, following a lovely stream. Literally herds of alpacas and llamas will immediately surprise you. We will have consistent views of the Ausangate Mountain. We will hike through villages and interact with the local residents. Back on the trail, we encounter more of the traditional elements of this trek. This includes potato fields and unique fauna. We have the prospect of seeing chinchillas and vicunas. Vicunas are the only non-domesticated animal of the llama family in Peru. Many red mountains are also a highlight of this portion of the hike. After a total hike of approximately 1.5 hours, we´ll finally reach our destination, what we came to see, the Rainbow Mountains (5,020 m / 16,466 ft). After getting over the shock of their beauty, you will have time to explore the area. You will have time to take pictures and soak in the environment. We will spend approximately 30 minutes at the top. At this point, it is time to go back down. We do this a little differently than other groups. Instead of hiking the same route as they do, we hike to a lookout point to see the Red Valley and continue with our hike. This valley has a beautiful landscape, and many of our hikers say that it is even nicer than Rainbow Mountain! It is about 2 1⁄2 hours mostly downhill from Rainbow Mountain, to the end of the trail, which is near where we started the hike. Our private van will be waiting for us when we return. We will stop for lunch at the same local restaurant before we head to Cusco. We will embark on the 3-hour drive back to Cusco and drop you off at your Cusco hotel. Approximate arrival time is between 5:00 pm.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Night: Not included
ACTIVITY LEVEL: moderate to hard.
WALKING DISTANCE: 7 km
WALKING TIME: 3&4 hours
HIKING STARTING POINT: 4630m / 15190 ft
MINIMUM ELEVATION: 4795m/ 15371ft
MAXIMUM ELEVATION: 5100m/16732 ft
