Day 01
Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain and Ausangate Views
- Connect with your tour guide, who will pick you up from your accommodation to start the tour.
- Begin by driving south from Cusco on the Cusco-Puno road. Travel for approximately 2 hours until you reach Cusipata town, where you will have a delicious breakfast.
- After breakfast, continue the drive to Palccoyo along the route to Combapata town.
- Here, take a detour to the left bank of the Salka River along an unpaved road. Throughout the trip, enjoy beautiful high Andean landscapes, and you will also see herds of alpacas and llamas (South American camelids).
- After approximately 1 hour and a half of travel, you will finally arrive at the end of the route.
- From the parking lot, you can already see one of the Mountains of Colours. You will have 10 minutes to get ready and start the walk. Then, hike for 30 to 40 minutes to reach the main viewpoint.
- From this viewpoint, appreciate the 3 Rainbow Mountains of Palccoyo, a Red River, and the impressive Ausangate Mountain, the highest Apu (mountain god) in Cusco.
- You also have the option of taking a short 15-minute walk to the Stone Forest, from where you can enjoy even more impressive views.
- Later, return to the vehicle by the same route. Then, head back to the town of Cusipata in the afternoon, where you will enjoy a delicious lunch buffet.
- Lastly, return to Cusco, where you will arrive at approximately 5:00 pm.
The tour ends at your hotel in Cusco.
Note: In Palccoyo, you can see rainbow mountains that are part of the same mountain range as Vinicunca. In the Palccoyo area, it is possible to observe not just one but up to 3 Mountains of Colours. The trip to Palccoyo Mountain is a less demanding alternative than Vinicunca, suitable for people who do not like long walks.
