Day 01
Rainbow Mountain and Red Valley Hike
- This tour starts in Cusco, so we strongly recommend booking your hotel in Cusco before the hike.
- We will depart from your Cusco hotel at 4:00 am because we want to arrive before the crowds, as Rainbow Mountain is one of the most famous places to visit after Machu Picchu.
- After a 2-hour drive to Cusipata town, we will stop for a delicious breakfast at a restaurant.
- After that, we will continue for another 50-minute drive to the trailhead at Phulwa Sipata (4,700 m / 15,419 ft). This section of the drive passes through beautiful landscapes, alpacas, and agricultural farms.
- Our hike begins along a meandering path with spectacular vistas of snow-capped mountains, surrounded by herds of alpacas and llamas.
- After hiking for around 1.5 hours, we finally reach our destination, the magnificent Rainbow Mountain Vinicunca (5,020 m / 16,466 ft). No Photoshop or Instagram filters here - this awesome display of color is 100% natural and completely breathtaking.
- We will take our time at the summit so that you can take spectacular pictures, breathe the clean air, explore the area, or simply enjoy the spectacular views.
- Afterward, we will take a short 20-minute walk into the Red Valley. This valley does not have many hikers because it involves a slightly longer hike back down to the car park, but it is downhill, very rewarding, and offers a tranquil and beautiful hike among crimson rocks that lead to a spectacular view across the valley.
- In a sense, this feels like a different Rainbow Mountain hike, as we take in the views that were behind us on our ascent.
- The hike down will take around 1.5 hours to get back to our van, and then we will drive for about 50 minutes back to Cusipata, where a delicious lunch awaits us.
- Then, it is just a 2-hour drive back to your Cusco hotel or any other place you request to be dropped off at around 3:00 pm.
